Rate this book

Space Captain Smith (2009)

by Toby Frost(Favorite Author)

3.73 of 5 Votes: 5

ISBN

1905802137 (ISBN13: 9781905802135)

languge

English

genre

Fantasy

publisher

Myrmidon Books

series

Chronicles of Isambard Smith

review 1: I read this on loan from my teenage son, though science fiction is not one of my main genres. There's a lot of pleasure to be gained from the very English humour based on innuendo, bombast and satire. Allusions to Blade Runner and the Matrix were about my level, though no doubt, onion-like, there are deeper layers. As the book progresses it becomes more confidently visual. The descriptions of action were stronger than I was expecting. Very enjoyable.
review 2: Space Captain Smith is an almost successful science fantasy romp, set in a 25th century universe where the British Empire has expanded to the stars and faces enemies alien and human alike. The author has a gift for one liners and puns and, since I'm a sucker for both, as well as steam punk futurologies, i... moret should have been a winner. Where it fails is quite interesting. Firstly, Frost proves incapable of seeing an avoiding pun and avoiding it - an approach I'd normally applaud, but here there's just too many one liners. Secondly, a lot of the jokes involve contemporary references, and jokes about Kate Bush just don't work in a 25th century context. And thirdly, I don't think Frost has thought through his future world carefully enough. There's no sense of space travel involving anything other than getting into a ship on one planet and then emerging on another - in contrast with Philip Reeves's on-the-face-of-it similar triology, Larklight. Larklight also has a space-faring British Empire and excellent jokes, but the world is much more believable, the joking more disciplined, and the Victorian references deeper. In fact, if you're looking for a purely enjoyable read involving stalwart Victorian heroes in space, try Larklight too. less

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