Teaser

He thought he’d put it all behind him, but when a giant frog destroys his house, Helmut Icicle is forced to abandon his peaceful life and once again take up arms against the corrupt Hundred Concerns that run the galaxy . . .

Review

Julian May is a name that I’ve seen popping up here and there for a few years now, and I’m going to blame Star Trek‘s Julian Bashir for my not realising May was a woman until I picked up Perseus Spur. Somewhere along the line I’d become convinced may was a fantasy author (and she was) but this is straight science fiction. It takes place more than two hundred years in the future, the action unfolds across a number of planets. There are heroes and villains, corrupt corporations, and some suitably slimy aliens. All good stuff to encounter in a space opera.

So why is that I’m walking away from Perseus Spur disappointed?

One oddity that crops up early on is the references. If a book is going to reference other stories, then it has to do so in a way that feels natural. In this regard, Perseus Spur falls flat on its face. The main character makes multiple allusions to fairly contemporary media. He directly references Superman and Star Wars, and later on quotes from Terminator. These are all references I, and most readers, will get. That’s not a problem. But the characters live two hundred-plus years from now. Why are they quoting such old media? I don’t walk around quoting from Mary Shelley. Yes, maybe I’ll reference an old book or poem, but I’m more likely to reach for something more contemporary. Shouldn’t May’s characters be quoting some far-future work of fiction? Honestly, it just pulls me right out of the narrative.

These jokey references and quips are emblematic of the book’s tone. This is not a particularly serious work of fiction. It’s light and breezy. Dare I say it? It’s fun. It feels very rudimentary in the way that 90s SF often does, wedged between the hard SF of the 80s and the more streamlined storytelling of the 2000s. It’s a book that excitedly throws swear words and sex around, and no small amount of violence, yet can’t shake the sense that it’s not made for serious adults. I hate to use this criticism, because it is so frequently and unfairly levelled at science fiction, but Perseus Spur feels juvenile.

If what you’re after is a quick and fun read, then May’s work could well be ideal for you. I hope it is. But I found it sorely lacking in the qualities I hope to find in space opera. Even the things it does well – sense of adventure, likeable characters, quirky locations, and plausible worldbuilding – I think have been done far better by many other authors.

This will end up being a shorter review than normal, but that’s because I can’t think of much else to say about this book. It was fun, it was silly, and now it’s over. The end.

Book Stats

• The Rampart Worlds #1
• Published in 1998
• 330 Pages