Space Mercenaries

Empress Irene #2

by A. Bertram Chandler

"They ran the blockade of the stars"

Ace Double M-133, printed with "The Caves of Mars" by Emil Petaja

Genres: Fiction, Science Fiction

First published January 1, 1965

About the author

Arthur Bertram Chandler (28 March 1912–6 June 1984) was an Australian science fiction author. He also wrote under the pseudonyms George Whitley, George Whitely, Paul T. Sherman, Andrew Dunstan, and S.H.M.

He was born in Aldershot, England. He was a merchant marine officer, sailing the world in everything from tramp steamers to troopships. He emigrated to Australia in 1956 and became an Australian citizen. He commanded various ships in the Australian and New Zealand merchant navies, and was the last master of the Australian aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne as the law required that it have an officer on board while it was laid up waiting to be towed to China to be broken up.

Reviews

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Space Mercenaries is the second of three novels that Chandler wrote featuring Irene, ex-Imperial Highness of Outer Space. It follows Empress of Outer Space (1965) and precedes Nebula Alert (1967). Irene's husband is the captain of her ship, but they still manage to get along well. They accept an assignment for GLASS (the Galactic League for the Abolition of Suppression and Slavery) as blockade-runners to deliver much needed medications to the plague-ridden humans on the planet Antrim, who are besieged by the Halicheki bird aliens. It's a cleverly constructed feel-good adventure, and I enjoyed the style and humor more than many of his better-known John Grimes novels. It's a good political space opera, kind of pro-human and anti-bird, but that's okay, right? If possible, I suppose one should read the first book before this one, so you'll understand why the retired empress is now the second mate of random space freighter, but it's a fun read anyway. The edition I picked up has no copyright, it just says, "First printed by Ace Books" and "Produced in Israel for Priory Books," so it may be a pirated edition.

[John Loyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ex-Empress Irene has a ship that she can’t conscientiously sell. The only buyers would use the ship contrary to her goals. The option she chooses is to keep it and hire out her ship and crew on missions for which she approves. The problem is that although the ship is armed they can’t really use the weapons without being considered pirates.

The first mission is to deliver needed antibiotics to a planet that is being blockaded by a Hegemony of bird people. They pass the outer blockade and then use a clever ploy to get by the second. Once done they now have to pass through the blockade in the opposite direction. These guys are mad that they didn't confiscate the cargo on the first pass and really have it in for our protagonists.

A lot of military SF and space tactics, some humorous banter, much of it based on the aliens being bird based, a few clever maneuvers (tactical and legal) to solve the confrontations, no gender bias in the human regions, e.g. Irene is a strong leader though her husband is captain of the ship. 3.5 stars

[Roddy Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

‘STARSHIP WANDERER

COSMIC BLOCKADE RUNNER

Her ex-Imperial Highness of Outer Space had developed a conscience. With a well-armed space cruiser on her hands, she didn’t want to sell it to just anyone – that is anyone under Empire Control. So the former Empress and her ex-space captain husband, became mercenaries for GLASS – The Galactic League for the Abolition of Suppression and Slavery.

Their first assignment was blockade running, to bring antibiotics to the plague-ridden humans on Antrim, besieged by the Halicheki bird-people and ignored by the Empire. Only, this would be a ticklish business for they could not fire one shot at the Halicheki without being legally termed pirates. And although the ex-Empress and her husband were open-minded enough to try all sorts of devious tricks, the prospect of being hanged for piracy by the Empress’s successor did not appeal to either of their natures…’

Blurb from the M-133 1965 Ace Double paperback edition

This is Chandler’s second ‘Empress Irene’ novel (following from the fabulously titled ‘Empress of Outer Space’). This finds Irene, having abdicated her position as an Empress of a Human interstellar Empire, at a bit of a loose end, with an Imperial light cruiser at her disposal, and her able husband, John Trafford.
The couple are approached by GLASS to become blockade runners and ferry a cargo of antibiotics to Antrim, a culturally Irish planet which is suffering the ravages of a pandemic disease outbreak.
This planet however, lies within the territory of a hostile avian species, The Halicheki. Irene and her faithful crew need to get past the ships of the evil matriarchal bird people, land, deliver their cargo and escape from Halicheki space. There are chases, space battles, derring do, unexpected allies and a bit of political shenanigans.
As always, Chandler’s aliens are somewhat simplistic and more akin to something one would find in a Disney movie. On the whole though, it’s a lighthearted romp that breaks no boundaries and is standard fare from Chandler, whose entire style was to translate seafaring adventures into fast paced space opera.

[Robert Jr. · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was an okay book; it had some interesting ideas and a cool action-packed space chase. The most interesting bit was the anti-telepath devices which consisted of a living bit of cat brain in a tube eternally screaming in hunger. Other than that, it was a quick read, I finished in about an hour and a half, and I was not angry that I read it. It was just an okay book; I can't really recommend it nor can I really recommend against it.

[Chris Karpyszyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite liked this short little sci-fi read with interesting elements of space pirate law and phychic technology. The story is confined to breaking through a blockade and then escaping that same planet.

[Simon Thornley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent enough read, hints of misogyny.

[bluetyson]

Space mercenaries by A. Bertram Chandler

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really likable book, good storyline and good characters, except for the Empress... I can't stand her.