Saturday, 8 March 2025

Space Traipse Hold My Beer Season 8 - Karina Lumbert Fabian

Space Traipse: Hold My Beer, Season 8
Karina Fabian
Laser Cow Press
ISBN 9781956489231
ASIN B0DSJNQ2TR

Space Traipse Hold My Beer Season 8 - Karina Lumbert Fabian

I just love the Space Traipse stories! And after a 2 years hiatus reading this was like a visit with old friends. I have read many books by Karina Fabian, including rereads I am up to 52 read now of books she has written and edited and another half dozen contributions to anthologies. I love her wit, her witticisms, and her wisdom. He stories are in a wide range of genres. And her list of series is every growing. This is the eighth in the Space Traipse: Hold My Beer, Series. I have read the previous 7 and a standalone side story (more on that later). I cannot seem to put her books down, and I devoured the new offerings. I have read some of her contributions in anthologies and love her short form fiction. I also love her religious themed fiction. However the Space Traipse books are completely different than any of her other works. Well maybe not completely different, the humour infuses much of what she writes. In some ways her works are like a Catholic version of Douglas Adams, Robert Asprin, or Tom Holt. All of whom I enjoy but Fabians works have eclipsed them in my list of favourites. 

I grew up watching reruns of Star Trek the Original Series, and the animated series during its original run. I have long been a fan of the shows and when much younger read many novelizations. I loved reading the old James Blish Star Trek stories. Reading the stories in this series take me back to that early stage in my reading, but these have a much more humorous slant. These stories are part homage, part satire, part commentary, part parody, and they are always a whole lot of fun! The description of this volume states:

“Space Traipse is back with more fun than ever. Original stories and parodies of old Star Trek episodes ready to warm hearts and tickle funnybones. In this exciting

Yesterday Ain't Tomorrow (Parody of "Tomorrow is Yesterday): When a space pothole throws the Impulsive back to 1960, they have to beam an Air Force pilot aboard to save his life. Getting him back should be easy enough¿if he'll stop flirting with the doctor and fighting Ensign Gel. The real trouble lies on Earth, where a local DJ has caught wind of the Impulsive's sudden appearance and has all of Omaha up in arms about the visiting Moon People.

Otherwise Ellie and Todd visit a traveling priest for pre-marriage counseling, though Ellie is suspicious. Why would her non-religious mother recommend this particular priest? When his past catches up with him in the middle of their session, Ellie gets her answer-and a lot more. It's pirate battles and "I Told You So"s in this Toddlie episode!

Gamesters of Triskatelion (Parody of TOS "Gamesters of Triskelion"): In this early adventure of the Impulsive, Lt. Tonio Cruz, Ensign Leslie Strauss, and Engineer Mate Minion Nodwick Dionysus are teleported to a strange planet and forced to participate in roller derby games for the amusement of The Sponsors, a futuristic race obsessed with gambling.

Too Old for This (Parody of TOS “Arena”): Remember the story "Captain's Cage Match" in Book 4? Now, we're getting it from the Gorn captain's point of view!”

The tag line for the series is:

“Space: By Keptar, there’s a lot of it. And it’s chock-full of stuff to do and people to meet. These are the adventures of the HMB Impulsive. Its mission: to explore worlds, to seek out anomalies, and to boldly do what no one else has the guts to do! And you know that we’re the ship to do it.

Don’t believe me? Hold my beer!”

The stories in this instalment are as highlighted above:

Yesterday Ain’t Tomorrow
Otherwise Ellie and Todd
Gamesters of Triskatelion
Too Old for this Parody

These stories follow the further adventures of the captain and the crew of the HMB Impulsive. The descriptions of the main crew members are: 

• Capt Jeb Tiberius: A good ol’ boy from Texas whose religion requires firm buttocks.
• First Officer Commander Phineas Smythe: His uncanny ability to win Rock-Paper-Scissors-Redshirt-Alien means he can pick his away missions.
• Chief Engineer Commander Angus Deary: The first person to reverse the polarity by 90 degrees.
• Chief of Security, Enigo Guillermo Ricardo Montoya Guiterrez LaFuentes: Raised on the UGS The Hood, where gang war is a cultural right, he’s not afraid to shoot a fellow crewman. That’s what stun is for!
• Ops Officer Ensign Ellie Doall: Fresh from the HMB Mary Sue, she can so just about anything all on her own – and often does.
• Transporter Chief, Dolfrick Dour: By the manipulations of technology, he reduces people to their most basic elements and rematerializes them elsewhere. Is it any wonder he’s 23rd Century Goth?

Though I must admit to missing Enigo in this offering. Being caught up on all the volumes in this series, I can easily state it is getting even better with age. The last story in this collection I had been waiting for, for a long time; I was wondering how Fabian would run the parody of that episode. And did she ever deliver. 

Four great stories, a death match, time travel, roller derby death battles and an Ellie and Todd story. Just another set of adventures for Captain Jeb and the crew of the Impulsive. The Roller Derby story has instilled a desire to re-watch the 1975 James Caan version of the movie Rollerball. 

This is another great volume in a very fun series. It is one that leaves you hanging absolutely desperate to find out what happens to the Impulsive and her crew next. And wondering where do things go from here?  

It is a wonderful collection of tales. I said it before and say it again after this volume, it is great for fans of trek, fans of parodies, or people who just love great science fiction stories. The tales reminded me of Spider Robinson’s Cross Time Saloon books in many ways, as well as Robert Asprin’s Phule’s Company and Harry Harrison’s Stainless Steel Rat books. It is a great ensemble crew, with interesting adventures, and a whole lot of fun.
 
Give this book or series a try; I am certain you will be entertained. It is a lot of fun. 

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews:  2025 Catholic Reading Plan!


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:
...

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
…

Madness of Kanaan Series:
(formerly The Mind Over Series)
Madness of Worlds
Madness of Love
…

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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