My life in books

The Outback Stars, Sandra McDonald.

This is the first novel in a space opera/milSF trilogy with a strong female protagonist and a universe in which Australia gets to be the basis for an interstellar civilisation. And it’s a lot of fun. Political intrigue, mysterious alien technology, space pirates, rebellion, spies, vanished civilisations and a judicious splash of romance made this an enjoyable read for me.

I particularly enjoyed the early section of the novel, in which the protagonist, Lt. Jodenny Scott, services and supply specialist, arrives on a new and clearly trouble-ridden ship and is assigned a mid-level command position in one of the most dysfunctional departments on board. It is in some ways a bit of a clichéd situation, but the attempts of the hero to get to the bottom of what’s rotten in the face of military protocol, closed ranks, and corrupt officers is both realistic and fascinating.

The other really interesting element in the book is the mystery of the ancient alien instantaneous interstellar transport technology that humans have been using without understanding much about how it works and what it is capable of, which is of course the big mystery that awaits our hero after she deals with spies, rebels, and corrupt officers. I am really looking forward to finding out more about the – supposedly – long-vanished alien civilisation that left this system in place for humans to find.

Beyond the Australian flavour of the setting and of Jodenny’s experiences with the mystery alien transport system, there isn’t really a lot that’s new in this book, but all the elements are put together in such a way as to provide a pleasing space romp.