Review: A Good Book Alert Review: Space Junque
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 05 10, 2011
Space JunqueAuthor: L.K. RigelGenre: Science Fiction novella with Fantasy elementsRating: 4 StarsSpace Junque is a swiftly paced and engaging adventure starring both a world and a character in transition.Summary:The world is dying. Ecological destruction and mutation run rampant. Many of the wealthy have fled the planet and live in orbital stations, aloof from the concerns of the suffering people below them. All the while, the genocidal Defenders of Gaia continue their plan to save the planet by eliminating all humans. When Char Meadowlark, a scientist, attempts to flee into orbit to escape a Gaian attack, she gets caught up in an adventure both terrifying and thrilling.Review:Though the above summary is accurate in terms of describing what happens in Space Junque, it does not perhaps get across the true tone of this story. While this is most definitely not a comedy, it does maintain a light enough atmosphere at many points that the rather dark events permeating the plot don't overwhelm the story and turn it into some sort of depressing mess. In that way, the atmosphere and a story defined by both a wounded world and emotionally wounded characters first brought to my mind not other books, but instead shows like Firefly and Cowboy Bebop. In addition, at the center of much of the darkness is the hint of hope that helps prevent a total emotional disengagement from the storyline.With only a brief introduction to the main character before throwing her into the middle of action, Space Junque sets its tempo right away. While the entire book isn't defined only by breathless action, this is definitely not a story anyone would accuse of being slow. There was a lot going on and a lot of characters weaving in and out of the narrative. By the time I reached the end, I was rather surprised by just how much had occurred in the span of only 28,000 words. Both the reader and Char Meadowlark don't get much of a chance to catch their breath between crises.Despite the often furious pacing, the author manages to craft a compelling, developed world. What I found particularly interesting were the various small background details she often employed instead of pace-killing exposition to give us a very clear insight into the kind of place the Earth had become. This novella actually packed more world building in its short length than many full-length novels I've read recently.The importance of the world crafting was made obvious by the inclusion of fantasy elements in the story. In a less well-developed and actualized world, the introduction of such elements might have seemed forced or unnatural, but in this story they came off as a natural outgrowth of the themes and setting that were already being explored. They also turn what appears to be a mere dystopia science fiction story into something a bit more unusual.A large and diverse cast of characters made their way in and out of the story. Sometimes, however, the cast was perhaps too large. The same pacing that kept the story from ever dragging also limited the amount of time available for character development and engagement. I felt a strong connection to Char while reading the story. She is a woman who is forced to deal with many emotional scars and new wounds to her heart, but all the while manages to keep from collapsing into complete self-pity. On the other hand, many of the secondary characters danced in and out of the story quickly enough that it was hard for me to really develop a connection to them. The end result of this issue is that certain character events, including the romantic subplots, lacked some of emotional power they might otherwise have otherwise managed in a longer story with more build-up.Although the slight issues with character engagement somewhat weakened the story, overall Space Junque was an engaging read set in an interesting setting.4 Stars