Jimmy Brewster
I wanted to read Gas Giant Gambit by E.S. Raye because it sounded like an interesting mix of a western movie set in space. It fully lived up to this expectation.
The novel follows "Gus" essentially a nameless bounty hunter who comes to a poor mining town, on the edge of human civilization, in the atmosphere of a gas giant planet. Spaghetti western tropes are numerous, and the author has managed to pack every single one into this novel. If you are familiar with spaghetti western movies, you will most likely be able to predict the general direction of the plot. However, the plot is full of action, and I was never bored while reading this novel. Additionally, the hero characters are passionate and lovable. The villains are dark and easy to despise. I was pleased with the story elements of community defense and standing up to prejudice, exploitation, and oppression, even when the stakes are high. There is plenty of space, aliens, & future technology to satisfy a science fiction reader.
I had some dissatisfaction with the Mexican characters’ dialogue being speckled with "pendejo", "hombre", "mi amigo", et cetera. I felt it sometimes gave the impression of cartoon characters rather than an authentic representation. It is a classic western trope, to be sure, but I think it could have been explored differently.
I recommend this novel to anybody who has fond memories of old Clint Eastwood movies or anybody who likes non-stop action-packed science fiction. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.
I wanted to read Gas Giant Gambit by E.S. Raye because it sounded like an interesting mix of a western movie set in space. It fully lived up to this expectation.
The novel follows "Gus" essentially a nameless bounty hunter who comes to a poor mining town, on the edge of human civilization, in the atmosphere of a gas giant planet. Spaghetti western tropes are numerous, and the author has managed to pack every single one into this novel. If you are familiar with spaghetti western movies, you will most likely be able to predict the general direction of the plot. However, the plot is full of action, and I was never bored while reading this novel. Additionally, the hero characters are passionate and lovable. The villains are dark and easy to despise. I was pleased with the story elements of community defense and standing up to prejudice, exploitation, and oppression, even when the stakes are high. There is plenty of space, aliens, & future technology to satisfy a science fiction reader.
I had some dissatisfaction with the Mexican characters’ dialogue being speckled with "pendejo", "hombre", "mi amigo", et cetera. I felt it sometimes gave the impression of cartoon characters rather than an authentic representation. It is a classic western trope, to be sure, but I think it could have been explored differently.
I recommend this novel to anybody who has fond memories of old Clint Eastwood movies or anybody who likes non-stop action-packed science fiction. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.
