Philip Palmer lives in London and has been working on a book set in the same universe as Debatable Space. He has written for film, TV and theater. Find out more about Philip Palmer at www.philippalmer.net.
It's rarely a good sign when an author tells readers with "sad grasshopper minds" to skip ahead if they're bored, as Palmer does in this muddled debut space opera. After grabbing readers with action sequences revolving around a plan to use former President of Humanity Lena Smith against her despotic son, Peter, whom Lena tenderly calls "the most evil human being who has ever lived," a series of long, rambling "Excerpts from the Thought Diary of Lena Smith, 2004-" bring the action to a screeching halt. Lena's description of her thousand-year life and accounts of her sexual escapades and theology will weary many readers. The concepts, writing and plotting leave a great deal to be desired, and Palmer's attempt at humor centered on the notion of powerful, intelligent flame beasts addicted to bad television also falls flat. (Jan.) Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.
Flanagan is a space pirate with big plans that involve kidnapping Lena, the daughter of the Cheo, who rules the known worlds, and demanding an enormous ransom for her. His plans go awry, however, when his target proves to be more than he bargained for, and her father less willing to ransom his child than Flanagan could wish. Hard sf meets action-adventure in this rapid-paced tale of a kidnapping gone wrong and the luckless anti-heroes who are more interested in surviving than in killing. Featuring cool-headed, sharp-witted characters who are neither heroes nor villains, this strong debut belongs in most sf collections. Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information.
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