Random Factor

by Joel Henry Sherman

The Oolaan were ready for anything - except a civilian army too stubborn to surrender and a crazy human fool enough to lead them.

Genres: Science Fiction

304 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

Reviews

[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun space opera romp that has held up well over time. The set up is a little star warish, with many different types of aliens sharing the galaxy to some extent. The MC, Casey Rourke, is a former soldier working security at a galaxy wide trading company until he gets into hot water. He is offered a choice to be fired and fined, or take over as a 'factor' (something like a mayor) of a small, backwater space station (Mael) run by the trading company. The 'Col', a symbiotic species, controls the Mael system and their main export is musk from animals on one of the planets. Unbeknownst to Casey, there are lots of things going on at Mael. The Col are about to engage in a civil war and the faction at Mael have the assistance of the Oolaan in return for a nexis gate close to the system. Other Col smell a rat and one sends somebeing as a spy to find out the details. The Human Alliance (a major enemy of the Oolaan) also send in a spy to sort out what is going on at the same time Casey arrives due to their worries about the Oolaan being in on the game. I will stop with the plotting here, but lots of noir cloak and dagger stuff to say the least.

Overall, a very fun read, if a little too busy (so many species of aliens and their ways almost assault the reader on every page). This is also a very ambitious novel, packing in quite a bit in just over 300 pages. Yes, many of the characters are cardboardish, the only human female a real femme fatale, but it manages to work. 3.5 stars, rounded to 4 for GR.

[Mary JL · Rating 2 out of 5]

The premise of the scienbc fiction sounded interesting, but the writing could not keep my interest. Lots better SF books around to spend my time on.