SOJALS rating:

Awful (1/5)

I first read this on the 1st April 2003.

Brilliant scientist Dr Habegger gives humanity the stars with his new drive system and finally interstellar exploration begins as spaceships head out into the cosmos.

Our hero Rance Collier is there at the beginning and goes along for the ride. Among other stimulating exploits he gets caught up with Commander Irina Tetzl, a sex-crazed despot intent on world domination. Even while forced to submit to the sexpot despot's abnormal desires, he remains faithful to his loyal, beautiful and brilliant crew member and girlfriend, Su Tang.

This is an average teenage action read. There are good ideas but the writing is dull. Pretty much everything else is OK. I loved the title, liked the cover and have always admired the author's name ("FM Busby" has a mysterious yet decisive air, on the other hand, Francis Marion was perhaps too indeterminate).

What has it got? TriV TV, some aliens, a novel FTL drive system plus some sex scenes to help one through the more boring sections.