Monday, 29 November 2021

Moonboy - Karina Fabian - A Rescue Sisters Story

Moonboy
A Rescue Sisters Story
Karina Fabian
Laser Cow Press
ASIN B09L593H12


First! Wow what an excellent story. Second please let there be many, many more stories of the Rescue Sisters to come. With every encounter with the Rescue Sisters, I love the world Fabian has been creating even more.  

I stumbled across this and another Rescue Sisters Story, These Three, shortly after they released. Fabian had not even plugged them yet on social media. And having loved the other two Rescue Sisters works, I picked these up and jumped them to the top of my reading list. They did not disappoint! I had not encountered this story previously and loved it. I read both stories then using adaptive technology listened to them, with my eyes closed picturing the events taking place. 

This story had previously been in the Planetary Anthologies: Luna, edited by Declan Finn in 2020, and I have picked up said Anthology, but have not got around to reading it yet. The description of this volume is:

“Cory Taylor was born on the moon – and he was doomed to die there before he turned 20. Frail and coddled since birth, the Moonboy decides to run away from home and have adventures before dying and giving his body to science. But when his first adventure leads him on a dangerous trek across the unforgiving moonscape, he may not live to see the next day.

Even worse, the fate of the hermitage depends on his getting help. Can he find rescue for himself and his new friends before it’s too late?”

Unlike the other two RS stories, I had not encountered this one previously, or if I have, I do not recall it. This story was fantastic on many levels. First the main plot is excellent. And as always, the characters are amazing. Her characters are part of what makes Fabian’s writing so appealing. My favorites this time around were:

Cory
Sister Josephine
Sister Angelique
Father Vince

Cory Taylor is an interesting character, he was the first human born on the moon. And has become known as Moonboy. He has an expiry date, and many medical issues because of being born off planet. He has spent most of his life being overly protected by his parents and in some ways serving as a lab rat, for doctors and scientists. But he dreams of more. But his adventure does not go as planned, the smuggler her paid off, did not send him off world. Cory was dupped and valuable cargo has been swiped. And Cory now has a debt to pay:

““Don’t give me that Earth attitude. In space, children earn their air.” 

Cory blinked, confused. Was she on his side? 

Another voice, Cory’s primary doctor, said, “Cory Taylor does earn his air. He’s the first child born off a planet, dealing with the effects of low gravity and an artificial environment. What we learn from him will advance science.” 

“Will those advances pay for our missing equipment? Maybe to hire a crew to effect repairs while we escort this child back to Drake?” Cory could not see Sister Josephina’s face, but he imagined her pinning the doctor with that same judging glare she’d used on him. Oh, he really hoped she was!”  

And that is how Cory came to be helping make repairs when a moonquake changed everything. But to find out how you will need to read this excellent story. We are given some background to this story:

“The heritage and Drake Station come from Tim Myers’ story “Brother Jubal and the Womb of Silence” in Infinite Space, Infinite God. I love that story! He was generous to let me incorporate the story into the Rescue Sisters world.”

We are also informed that:

“We dreamed up the Order of Our Lady of the Rescue on a date, and I’ve had great fun with the characters for over 25 years since.”

So, thank you Rob and Karina for this wonderful story. An excellent read for those who are fans of short Science fiction stories. This story and others remind me of some of Frank Herbert’s shorter fiction, such as The Green Brain and The Eye's of Heisenberg. They also have the feel of stories by Philip K. Dick and Alfred Bester. Classic sci-fi but with a new twist. I highly recommend this and the other 3 volumes about the Rescue Sisters. Give it a try, I am certain you will be entertained!

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2021 Catholic Reading Plan!

Books by Karina Fabian:

Dex Hollister Series:
The Old Man and the Void
Dex's Way
...

Neeta Lyffe, Zombie Exterminator Series :
Neeta Lyffe, Zombie Exterminator
I Left My Brains in San Francisco
Shambling in a Winter Wonderland
…

DragonEye PI Series:
DragonEye PI Novels:
9.0 Gapman
10.0 Magic, Mensa and Mayhem (Revised edition forthcoming)
11.0 Live and Let Fly (Revised edition forthcoming)
...

DragonEye PI Short Stories:

DragonEye PI Original First Editions:
Live and Let Fly
...

Space Traipse Series:
Space Traipse: Hold My Beer, Season 1
Space Traipse: Hold My Beer, Season 2
Space Traipse: Hold My Beer, Season 3
Space Traipse Stories
…

Mind Over Series:
Mind Over Mind
Mind Over Psyche
Mind Over All
Hearts Over Mind
…

Edited by: Karina Fabian:
Infinite Space, Infinite God I
Leaps of Faith
Infinite Space, Infinite God II
...


Contributed to:
Firestorm of Dragons
The Zombie Cookbook
The Book of Tentacles
Twisted Fayrie Tales
FRIGHTLINER: And Other Tales of the Undead
Mother Goose is Dead
Word by Word: Slowing Down with the Hail Mary
Image and Likeness Literary Reflections on the Theology of the Body
Corrupts Absolutely? Dark Metahuman Fiction
Weird Noir
The Complete Guide to Writing Paranormal Novels
Manifesto UF
Avenir Eclectia
Planetary Anthology: Jupiter
Planetary Anthology: Pluto
Planetary Anthology: Luna
Planetary Anthology: Uranus
FlagShip Science Fiction and Fantasy v2i5
My Little Book of Headdesks
To Be Men: Stories Celebrating Masculinity
...









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