Review: Unique & Thought-Provoking Sci-Fi Story
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 12 13, 2013
As a sci-fi fan I was drawn to the premise of this story and its thought-provoking implications.  The author crafted a story that was fast-paced and full of twist and turns that ultimately left me with my jaw on the floor in a last minute shocker that I had a foreboding feeling about.  Along the way the author introduced us to an eclectic cast of characters with backgrounds hinted at through flashbacks scattered throughout the latter half of the story especially.  These characters range from a human to lifelike bots to androids reminiscent of those found in Star Wars.  Much of this story had a Star Wars feel in fact, from the cocky pilot to the droids to an older individual dispensing sage advice to an exotic bar full of dangerous individuals.  It was a non-stop journey full of pulse-pounding moments that led to one man seeking forgiveness and discovering it in an unexpected way.  The ultimate meaning of the story was religious based with a sci-fi slant.For the most part this is not an uplifting story.  It repeatedly points out how bad humanity has fallen in the future with only the rich finding peace.  Most of the characters have done bad deeds that they don't feel guilty about as the ends justify the means.  The only person with a modicum of guilt is the main protagonist Mick and his realizations come at his lowest point with death staring him in the face.  The harshness of the characters made them hard to like and even harder to relate to.  The only characters I found sympathetic were the androids GR and XJ and even they took on too comedic of a role to be likable at times.The storyline was undoubtedly unique and memorable with its exotic and vividly depicted other worlds.  The characters were equally unique but hard to relate to as not much time was dealt in the here and now getting to know them beyond the mission.  The tone is gritty and keeps you thinking and with more stated to come I'm left wanting more.  I ultimately applaud what the author created though the execution was a bit lacking.  Fans of sci-fi will find this appealing though for its thought-provoking ideas and for that I recommend it.