305 pages
English language
Published May 10, 2008 by Myrmidon.
In the 25th Century the British Space Empire faces the gathering menace of the evil ant-soldiers of the Ghast Empire hive, hell-bent on galactic domination and the extermination of all humanoid life. Isambard Smith is the square-jawed, courageous, and somewhat asinine new commander of the battle damaged light freighter John Pym, destined to take on the alien threat because nobody else is available. Together with his bold crew—a skull-collecting alien lunatic, an android pilot who is actually a fugitive sex toy, and a hamster called Gerald—he must collect new-age herbalist Rhianna Mitchell from the laid back New Francisco orbiter and bring her back to safety in the Empire. Straightforward enough—except the Ghasts want her too. If he is to get back to Blighty alive, Smith must defeat void sharks, a universe-weary android assassin, and John Gilead, psychopathic naval officer from the fanatically religious Republic of New Eden before facing his …
In the 25th Century the British Space Empire faces the gathering menace of the evil ant-soldiers of the Ghast Empire hive, hell-bent on galactic domination and the extermination of all humanoid life. Isambard Smith is the square-jawed, courageous, and somewhat asinine new commander of the battle damaged light freighter John Pym, destined to take on the alien threat because nobody else is available. Together with his bold crew—a skull-collecting alien lunatic, an android pilot who is actually a fugitive sex toy, and a hamster called Gerald—he must collect new-age herbalist Rhianna Mitchell from the laid back New Francisco orbiter and bring her back to safety in the Empire. Straightforward enough—except the Ghasts want her too. If he is to get back to Blighty alive, Smith must defeat void sharks, a universe-weary android assassin, and John Gilead, psychopathic naval officer from the fanatically religious Republic of New Eden before facing his greatest a ruthless alien warlord with a very large behind.
A nice Sci Fi comedy, Right up there with Harry Harrison's Stainless Steel Rat and Michael Rubens Sheriff of Yrnameer,
First in the "Space Captain Smith" series but the third I've read (after books 2 and 5). In this one Smith is cooling his heels back at base when he is given a ship and a mission: go and collect a certain individual and bring her back before the Ghasts (an ant-like race of hivemind aliens) get to her.
Introducing the crew of the 'John Pym' including the Predator-like Suruk (already friends with Smith so we don't get so much of his past), Rhianna (who has a deeply-hidden secret not even she knows all about) and Polly - where we get into full "Blade Runner" territory. Frost is obviously fond of "Blade Runner" and a lot less so of "The Matrix" which gets a bit of a kicking here.
Half of this book is original, swashbuckling adventure with good characters and hilarious dialogue. However, the other half is an homage to classic films, and I would have rather had complete originality.
