CAPTAIN FUTURE: 1,500 Light Years From Home
By Allen Steele
Amazing Selects
164 pgs
This is the third entry in writer Allen Steel’s four-part Captain Future science fiction adventure and it is a rocket blast fun. Picking up where “The Guns of Pluto” ended with a terrific cliffhanger. Curt Newton, aka Captain Future, had been captured by his arch enemy Ul Quorn and shanghaied to an alien star system via a time-spanning wormhole.
Ul Quorn is obsessed with the ancient race from the planet Deneb that supposedly visited out Earth millions of years earlier. As to why he wants to contact them is the true mystery of the series.
What Ul Quorn, also known as the Magian of Mars, does not know is that one of Curt’s Futuremen, cyborg Dr. Simon Wright managed to stowaway on the spacecraft before it launched. Now, connected with Curt view the mental relay system known as “ani” he plots to rescue his friend and make good their escape. Before this can transpire, Curt learns the small, ectoplastic Denebian pet creature his team had discovered is actually a programmed, organic Denebian translator willing to help him learn the history of the vaquished empire and in so doing defeat Ul Quorn.
As ever, Allen Steele’s story-telling is a wonderfully balanced mixture of action, adventure and thought provoking concepts. When the reasons of the crime lord’s machinations come to light, this reviewer couldn’t argue the warped rationalization for his actions. “1,500 Light Years From Home” works on many levels. Though staying true to known science, it still manages to capture the spills and thrills of classic pulp space operas. Oh, and did we mention it ends with as yet another doozy cliffhanger? All in all a terrific with a rather unique and funny bonus feature. Not to be missed.
Final note, we totally loved Jon Eno’s cover and M.D. Jackson’s interior illustrations.
