|
May 29
2007
|
Aussie Comedy-SciFi Writer Wins American Literary AwardPosted by scififan in Science Fiction, Reviews |
 |
Got a recommendation for you folks , really something different. It's from Australian comedy science fiction writer Ian Taylor, author of the popular Spindle series, has just won the 2007 Indie Excellence Award for Science Fiction. Spindle, the 2005 comedy science fiction novel by Ian Taylor, has won the 2007 Indie Excellence Award in the Science Fiction category.
Spindle tells the story of Peter Turner, a 22nd-century Earth guy who joins the Space Force, expecting an exciting and fun new career enforcing justice around the galaxy. But the Space Force is a bureaucracy like any large company, and right away they get Peter's name wrong, assign him to a dilapidated ship—he Spindle—and partner him with a violent misanthrope with a serious dislike for authority.
In his first week, Peter is shot at, maimed, beaten up and endures several cruel remarks about his hair. Also, there's a monster that eats planets. Peter must use all of his cunning, experience, his Master's degree in trivia and more than a bit of ingenuity just to survive his first week in the Space Force.
This hilarious satire manages to mock all the sacred cows of modern science fiction while maintaining a compelling futuristic narrative.
A good read—thoroughly recommended
Subscribe to this comment's feed
spindlefan
said:
 |
I thought Spindle was awesome; easily the most fun I ever had reading scifi. Every page is hilarious, and the story is really good, too. If you ever wanted to be part of a spaceship crew, read Spindle and see if you still want to join up - the main character, Peter, joins the Space Force to enforce justice among the stars, but the job is a lot harder than he thought, particularly once he meets his partner, Trooper Oblun, a truly unique character for this type of space opera fantasy, an antihero/comic foil. There are some interesting examples of invented tech, as in all scifi, but it never overshadows the characters and their struggles. I felt I could really relate to Peter despite our having nothing in common, because his viewpoint and his constant overwhelmed why-did-I-sign-up-for-this feeling is one we can all understand and empathize with. Even the more minor characters are well-drawn and just idiosyncratic enough to be at home in this relentlessly comic world. If space were as much fun as this book, we'd all be lining up for airtight suits and Tang. I give Spindle 10 out of 10, because a) it made me laugh out loud, frequently; and b) because as soon as I finished reading it, I started at the beginning again. (Several dozen times, in fact.)  If ypou enjoy funny science fiction, Spindle is a must-read, the standard by which all other comscifi will likely be judged. (Read the excerpt on Amazon and you'll see what I mean.) I hear the sequel is due out next year...I plan to get the first copy off the printer (mine! mine!), and I'm psyched about the planned television adaptation, particularly because Spindle author Ian Taylor is supposed to be writing the scripts for it. |
