Customer Reviews

Hal Spacejock 3: Just Desserts

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

The THIRD book in the series. The intrepid Space Pilot Hal Spacejock and his robot sidekick Clunk in another misadventure. Comparisons to Isaac Asimov's Elijah Baley and R. Daneel Olivaw are just going to happen, but it is not fair to either pair (or author). Hal, once again, needs to deliver some cargo, gets sidetracked (a couple of ways), Clunk comes to the rescue then needs rescued himself. Hal to the rescue, and finally they deliver the cargo.

Plenty of laughs. Plenty of references to other Science Fiction. Plenty easy to read, but hard to put down.

The plot moved so quickly and so smoothly that if it hadn't been for the chapter breaks, I might have missed some things -- meals, for instance. Once again, the adventures of Hal and Clunk are just plain fun to read, especially if you keep your eyes open for references to other works of science fiction, both books and movies. (For instance, I started to wonder if it's intentional that Hal Spacejock and Han Solo have the same initials, but the author has said that it's a coincidence.)

I imagine Simon Haynes is frequently compared to Douglas Adams, but there's a different tone. I loved the HHGG series, but I think Adams just sort of fell into SF; Haynes is clearly grounded in it. Plus, according to things I've seen on his blog, he's more than capable of disciplining himself to write and meet deadlines. With any luck, this means we won't have to wait long for Hal 4. Until then, we'll just have to get by with the first three.

I've got my copies! Where are yours?

There once was a robot named Clunk
His old boss more than a skunk
With Spacejock sent flying
Quite often near dying
Right now he would rather be drunk


Ok, bad limericks aside, I read the third Spacejock book because my slowpoke spousal unit still has her mitts on book 2.

To readers, though, the book happily stands alone.

Again, Hal takes on the odd job with less than a picosecond's consideration, or even the ability to consider for a picosecond, what really might be going on.

Female assassin androids, Mercs 'R Us and more get involved in this tale of corporate skullduggery and Spacejock tomfoolery.

I, like Hal, have also given up on those useless coffee makers.

Anyway, although I will rate them the same, I think this book is more polished than the first. The story is more evenly entertaining, less of the outright hilarity to flat spot segues that could be found in this first book. Not that there is anything wrong with outright hilarity, of course.

More use of unexpected missiles, and again, quite a lot of fun.