The Science Book

Sliding Void is a great novel in the style of a space opera - think Iain Banks with the M or Alastair Reynolds, although this book is enthused with more of a pulp spirit (early Star Wars before it grew bad) that really gets you under the skins of the characters, especially Calder the space barbarian and Lana, the captain of the ship - the Gravity Rose - which all the adventures revolve around. I can see this series running and running!

Although I appreciate that this is the first in a series and it is well crafted, interesting and a good read it is very very short. OK so thats why the star is off there is nothing technically wrong with this book, I enjoyed reading it, I might even purchase the next one (especially if its longer) in fact the only thing missing from this is the rest of it. If you are looking for a new Sci-Fi read then this is good, and i do recommend it but its a short story.

Stephen Hunt is a writer best known for writing fantasy books, but with this work, he proves he also has what it takes to produce an utterly original and sometimes bizarre and strange SF world as well. It scans a little like Neil Gaiman doing Neal Stephenson doing a noir episode of Firefly. Very clever, and you're immediately transported into a believable far future where the only thing that remains the same is humanity's appetite for self-destruction, politics and BS. It is vivid, quirky, sometimes deranged, but always clever.

Looking forward to the next book in this - promised as continuing - series now.