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Cloud-Castles
Augustus Thistlewood was an idealist. The youngest scion of a vastly wealthy family, he’d come to help the poor, deprived people of the strange world of Sybill III – a gas-dwarf world with no habitable land. The human population, descendants of a crashed convict transport, lived on a tiny, crowded, alien antigravity plate they called ‘the Big Syd’, drifting through the clouds in the upper atmosphere. It was a few square miles of squalor, in a vast sea of sky, ruled by the degenerate relics of two alien empires.
The problem was that the people of the Big Syd wanted to help themselves, first – to his money, his liberty, and even his life.
Only two things stood between them and this: the first was his ‘assistant’ Briz, – a ragged urchin he’d picked up as a guide. She reckoned if anyone was going to steal from Augustus, it was going to be her, even if she had to keep him alive so that she could do it. And the second thing was Augustus himself. He didn’t know what ‘giving up’ meant. Actually, he didn’t know what most things meant. As a naïve, wide-eyed innocent blundering through the cess-pit of Sybill III, he was going to have to learn, mostly the hard way. Some of that learning was going to be out in the strange society that existed on the endless drifting clumps of airborne vegetation, and the Cloud-Castles of the aliens who hunted across them. Most of it was learning that philanthropy wasn’t quite what they’d taught him in college.
The problem was that the people of the Big Syd wanted to help themselves, first – to his money, his liberty, and even his life.
Only two things stood between them and this: the first was his ‘assistant’ Briz, – a ragged urchin he’d picked up as a guide. She reckoned if anyone was going to steal from Augustus, it was going to be her, even if she had to keep him alive so that she could do it. And the second thing was Augustus himself. He didn’t know what ‘giving up’ meant. Actually, he didn’t know what most things meant. As a naïve, wide-eyed innocent blundering through the cess-pit of Sybill III, he was going to have to learn, mostly the hard way. Some of that learning was going to be out in the strange society that existed on the endless drifting clumps of airborne vegetation, and the Cloud-Castles of the aliens who hunted across them. Most of it was learning that philanthropy wasn’t quite what they’d taught him in college.
- GenresScience FictionFiction
350 pages, Paperback
Published January 19, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
March 28, 2022
An idealistic young man lands on the gas dwarf Sybill III, or rather on the antigravity plate that holds the most people, while aliens float about in cloud castles. A ragged urchin named Briz robs him, discovers he's a remittance man, realizes he could be a steady source of income, and goes back.
Some adventures on the plate, with Briz's aid and some dumb luck, end up without disaster for him, and also we learn of outbackers who live out in the floating skyfrond on the floating beasts of the world.
Subsequent developments turn on his being able to calculate odds quickly on cards, the technology used on the planet for anti-gravity, gliders, restarting machinery, Briz's secret, signalling with mirrors, and more.
Some adventures on the plate, with Briz's aid and some dumb luck, end up without disaster for him, and also we learn of outbackers who live out in the floating skyfrond on the floating beasts of the world.
Subsequent developments turn on his being able to calculate odds quickly on cards, the technology used on the planet for anti-gravity, gliders, restarting machinery, Briz's secret, signalling with mirrors, and more.
February 17, 2022
AUSTRAAAALIA IN SPAAACE!
A fun romp on a floating platform in the atmosphere of a gas giant, populated entirely by the descendants of marooned criminals (think Mos Eisley on Bespin, with Australian accents). Into this cesspit, the young scion of a rich family wanders, his head full of ideals from his sociology classes, intent on lifting up and civilizing the benighted denizens. Wackiness ensues.
Aside from needing a punctuation edit, my main problem (in spoiler-lite language) is a late-in-the-game gender reveal that is dealt with far too quickly by the one it affects the most. But that is definitely not a dealbreaker.
A fun romp on a floating platform in the atmosphere of a gas giant, populated entirely by the descendants of marooned criminals (think Mos Eisley on Bespin, with Australian accents). Into this cesspit, the young scion of a rich family wanders, his head full of ideals from his sociology classes, intent on lifting up and civilizing the benighted denizens. Wackiness ensues.
Aside from needing a punctuation edit, my main problem (in spoiler-lite language) is a late-in-the-game gender reveal that is dealt with far too quickly by the one it affects the most. But that is definitely not a dealbreaker.
August 3, 2023
Heinlein meets Lieber in a romp
Solid characters, a positive plot and near impenetrable slang makes for a romp across a gas giant. Language frames experience and you will subtly be drawn into a different but familiar way of thinking.
Solid characters, a positive plot and near impenetrable slang makes for a romp across a gas giant. Language frames experience and you will subtly be drawn into a different but familiar way of thinking.
August 31, 2023
This is a 4-star review which is a reasonable estimate of my experience.
Cloud Castles was written by Dave Freer and it won the Prometheus Best Novel Award for 2023 that is presented by the Libertarian Futurist Society. The award is named for the mythic hero, Prometheus, who stole fire from the gods and gave it to mortals. Prometheus represents human effort and in particular the quest for scientific knowledge even while risking overreach and unintended consequences. The Prometheus Award is presented for works that illustrate either the positive benefits of individual liberty or the negative consequences of a larger society imposing restrictions on the individual.
The book follows our protagonist, Augustus Thistlewood, as he embarks on a personal mission to help the less fortunate citizens of the planet Sybill III. Augustus, later just "Gus", is a scion of the Thistlewood family. While focusing on an engineering degree, Gus wandered into a sociology class and decided to add to his courseload by taking sociology courses. From there, he was inspired to "help" the less fortunate by "uplifting" them. Gus hails from the Azure civilization of humanity.
Sybill III is a gas giant with a dense solid core surrounded by a gaseous environment. There is an elevation range with the right gas mixture to support humanoid life. There are clouds that are thicker than Earth clouds. There are plants that have evolved to live on/in those clouds and end up creating a sort of spongy surface where people can walk. Other lifeforms have also evolved to live on the spongy plant/cloud structures. There are some interesting features to this biome.
The only "city" is called Big Syd. It exists on a massive antigrav plate. The descendants of a crashed prison ship now live on a few square miles of the plate. The only effective "government" are the many street gangs that run their various territories.
The population is dominated by the warring remnants of two alien races; the Thrymi and the Zell. The Thrymi are quite aggressive and will take humans as slaves to work on their cloud castles (roll credits!). The Zell generally leave the humans alone unless they encounter them out on the plant/cloud platforms. The Zell then capture the humans, sterilize them, and drop them back on Big Syd regardless of where the Zell first encountered those humans.
The one stabilizing force is that an Azure admiral arrived with his fleet in the wake of the deaths of Azure citizens visiting Sybill III. He threatened everyone with death if another Azure citizen ended up dead. This limits the ability of the Bid Syd denizens to respond to Gus' arrival.
Gus received field training from a charitable organization known as the "Blue Men". He is ideologically motivated to help out those whom he believes are beneath his status. Gus is also a bit clueless. Upon landing on Big Syd, he promptly has his bag and watch stolen by Briz. Gus thinks that Briz is leading him to the one good hotel on Big Syd and follows along.
A few narrow alleys later and Briz ends up saving Gus from a predator (human variety). Gus has no idea that he had been a victim of theft (courtesy of Briz) and narrowly avoided being murdered (also courtesy of Briz).
This sets the tone for much of the book. Gus wanders around trying to "uplift" the locals. He is delightfully unaware that each of his endeavors almost uniformly ends up crushing a criminal enterprise without meaningfully "uplifting" anyone. The sole exception is when he teaches mathematics to a bunch of trafficked underage girls. Gus thought he was visiting a normal school for girls and wanted to "uplift" them. He taught them the skills needed to know that the brothel owner had been shorting their pay and responded accordingly.
None of the locals in Big Syd are interested in being "uplifted".
Knowing about the admiral's threats, the street gangs (and others) are hard-pressed for an easy solution to Gus' interference with their various rackets. Eventually, they find a way to give him to the Thrymi. This ends poorly for the Thrymi. Gus and Briz eventually free themselves and discover that there are people living on the cloud/plant platforms.
This new population has fewer resources but has much better societal relationships. They farm what they call "the outback".
Gus discovers a different way of dealing with these farmers. They value hard work and Gus is willing to work hard. Eventually, he applies his engineering knowledge to build things that improve the lives of the farmers. In return, they improve his life as well. The free-will commercial exchange of goods fosters positive growth in the local culture.
The story ends well for almost everyone. The Thrymi, the Zell, and the various gangs are set for a bit of a rude awakening. Gus, his old family, and his new friends find they have many mutually beneficial opportunities.
And Briz...gets a piece of the action, but not the piece one would expect based on the beginning of the book.
There are several elements that work well. Gus is generally clueless which leads to some amusing circumstances. Gus learns that the best "uplifting" is when it is done with people instead of "for them" or "to them". Briz has several moments of self-discovery. The biology of the flora and fauna living on the clouds is logical as is the impact of coming from a home world with slightly higher gravity. There weren't any logical breaks in the worldbuilding to undermine the suspension of disbelief.
One element that is less effective is the general observation about sociologists and other "do-gooders" who seem to have no practical knowledge about how the world actually works. The plot elements of that assertion are a little too "on the nose". For example, I took the "Blue Men" to be an aspect of our modern United Nations.
Another questionable element is the binary contrast between the city and the country. All of the Big Syd denizens are morally compromised. All those living in the outback are hearty, honest, and hard-working. The manufacturing giant Thistlewood family is also presented as being almost uniformly good. A bit more nuance in this book and it would be a solid 5-star effort.
Cloud Castles is a solid choice that illuminates the objectives of the Prometheus Award and the Libertarian Futurist Society. It illustrates the benefits of people participating voluntarily in mutually satisfying relationships. To a lesser extent, it illustrates the harm of letting small powerful groups control society.
There is a strong Australian flavor to the language and perspectives used in this book. Language aside, there are references to old Australian outlaws. Also, the city's name "Big Syd" is an obvious reference to Sydney, Australia.
This is a fun if not terribly difficult book.
Dave Freer's acceptance speech for the Prometheus Awards is presented in Part 1 and Part 2.
Cloud Castles was written by Dave Freer and it won the Prometheus Best Novel Award for 2023 that is presented by the Libertarian Futurist Society. The award is named for the mythic hero, Prometheus, who stole fire from the gods and gave it to mortals. Prometheus represents human effort and in particular the quest for scientific knowledge even while risking overreach and unintended consequences. The Prometheus Award is presented for works that illustrate either the positive benefits of individual liberty or the negative consequences of a larger society imposing restrictions on the individual.
The book follows our protagonist, Augustus Thistlewood, as he embarks on a personal mission to help the less fortunate citizens of the planet Sybill III. Augustus, later just "Gus", is a scion of the Thistlewood family. While focusing on an engineering degree, Gus wandered into a sociology class and decided to add to his courseload by taking sociology courses. From there, he was inspired to "help" the less fortunate by "uplifting" them. Gus hails from the Azure civilization of humanity.
Sybill III is a gas giant with a dense solid core surrounded by a gaseous environment. There is an elevation range with the right gas mixture to support humanoid life. There are clouds that are thicker than Earth clouds. There are plants that have evolved to live on/in those clouds and end up creating a sort of spongy surface where people can walk. Other lifeforms have also evolved to live on the spongy plant/cloud structures. There are some interesting features to this biome.
The only "city" is called Big Syd. It exists on a massive antigrav plate. The descendants of a crashed prison ship now live on a few square miles of the plate. The only effective "government" are the many street gangs that run their various territories.
The population is dominated by the warring remnants of two alien races; the Thrymi and the Zell. The Thrymi are quite aggressive and will take humans as slaves to work on their cloud castles (roll credits!). The Zell generally leave the humans alone unless they encounter them out on the plant/cloud platforms. The Zell then capture the humans, sterilize them, and drop them back on Big Syd regardless of where the Zell first encountered those humans.
The one stabilizing force is that an Azure admiral arrived with his fleet in the wake of the deaths of Azure citizens visiting Sybill III. He threatened everyone with death if another Azure citizen ended up dead. This limits the ability of the Bid Syd denizens to respond to Gus' arrival.
Gus received field training from a charitable organization known as the "Blue Men". He is ideologically motivated to help out those whom he believes are beneath his status. Gus is also a bit clueless. Upon landing on Big Syd, he promptly has his bag and watch stolen by Briz. Gus thinks that Briz is leading him to the one good hotel on Big Syd and follows along.
A few narrow alleys later and Briz ends up saving Gus from a predator (human variety). Gus has no idea that he had been a victim of theft (courtesy of Briz) and narrowly avoided being murdered (also courtesy of Briz).
This sets the tone for much of the book. Gus wanders around trying to "uplift" the locals. He is delightfully unaware that each of his endeavors almost uniformly ends up crushing a criminal enterprise without meaningfully "uplifting" anyone. The sole exception is when he teaches mathematics to a bunch of trafficked underage girls. Gus thought he was visiting a normal school for girls and wanted to "uplift" them. He taught them the skills needed to know that the brothel owner had been shorting their pay and responded accordingly.
None of the locals in Big Syd are interested in being "uplifted".
Knowing about the admiral's threats, the street gangs (and others) are hard-pressed for an easy solution to Gus' interference with their various rackets. Eventually, they find a way to give him to the Thrymi. This ends poorly for the Thrymi. Gus and Briz eventually free themselves and discover that there are people living on the cloud/plant platforms.
This new population has fewer resources but has much better societal relationships. They farm what they call "the outback".
Gus discovers a different way of dealing with these farmers. They value hard work and Gus is willing to work hard. Eventually, he applies his engineering knowledge to build things that improve the lives of the farmers. In return, they improve his life as well. The free-will commercial exchange of goods fosters positive growth in the local culture.
The story ends well for almost everyone. The Thrymi, the Zell, and the various gangs are set for a bit of a rude awakening. Gus, his old family, and his new friends find they have many mutually beneficial opportunities.
And Briz...gets a piece of the action, but not the piece one would expect based on the beginning of the book.
There are several elements that work well. Gus is generally clueless which leads to some amusing circumstances. Gus learns that the best "uplifting" is when it is done with people instead of "for them" or "to them". Briz has several moments of self-discovery. The biology of the flora and fauna living on the clouds is logical as is the impact of coming from a home world with slightly higher gravity. There weren't any logical breaks in the worldbuilding to undermine the suspension of disbelief.
One element that is less effective is the general observation about sociologists and other "do-gooders" who seem to have no practical knowledge about how the world actually works. The plot elements of that assertion are a little too "on the nose". For example, I took the "Blue Men" to be an aspect of our modern United Nations.
Another questionable element is the binary contrast between the city and the country. All of the Big Syd denizens are morally compromised. All those living in the outback are hearty, honest, and hard-working. The manufacturing giant Thistlewood family is also presented as being almost uniformly good. A bit more nuance in this book and it would be a solid 5-star effort.
Cloud Castles is a solid choice that illuminates the objectives of the Prometheus Award and the Libertarian Futurist Society. It illustrates the benefits of people participating voluntarily in mutually satisfying relationships. To a lesser extent, it illustrates the harm of letting small powerful groups control society.
There is a strong Australian flavor to the language and perspectives used in this book. Language aside, there are references to old Australian outlaws. Also, the city's name "Big Syd" is an obvious reference to Sydney, Australia.
This is a fun if not terribly difficult book.
Dave Freer's acceptance speech for the Prometheus Awards is presented in Part 1 and Part 2.
December 2, 2022
4****Stars
I was not sure what to expect going into this book. Given my frequent disappointment with mainstream publications of late, I was ready to try a book published by alternative means. Dave Freer’s biography was fascinating. A former ichthyologist, living and writing on a remote island off the coast of Australia? I was intrigued.
It took me a bit to get into it, as is the case with all sci-fi, world-building type genres. But once I was immersed, I loved it. I loved reading the slang and vernacular of my homeland. It’s been a while since I’ve been home. I loved the characters and Freer’s unabashed messages about freedom, the benefits of hard work and the importance of family.
Freer paints a picture of a hard but rewarding life in the “outback.” He gives us wonderful character arcs for Augustus and Briz. Augustus is so earnest that you can’t help rooting for him. Along the way Freer gives us the truisms that necessity is the mother of invention, not all cultures are equal, and some are in fact superior, it’s important to laugh at yourself and the cultivation of virtue is important for a society to be successful, in a delightful new way.
I thoroughly enjoyed this one!
I was not sure what to expect going into this book. Given my frequent disappointment with mainstream publications of late, I was ready to try a book published by alternative means. Dave Freer’s biography was fascinating. A former ichthyologist, living and writing on a remote island off the coast of Australia? I was intrigued.
It took me a bit to get into it, as is the case with all sci-fi, world-building type genres. But once I was immersed, I loved it. I loved reading the slang and vernacular of my homeland. It’s been a while since I’ve been home. I loved the characters and Freer’s unabashed messages about freedom, the benefits of hard work and the importance of family.
Freer paints a picture of a hard but rewarding life in the “outback.” He gives us wonderful character arcs for Augustus and Briz. Augustus is so earnest that you can’t help rooting for him. Along the way Freer gives us the truisms that necessity is the mother of invention, not all cultures are equal, and some are in fact superior, it’s important to laugh at yourself and the cultivation of virtue is important for a society to be successful, in a delightful new way.
I thoroughly enjoyed this one!
April 21, 2022
The first thing you notice about Dave Freer's novel Cloud-Castles is the setting: a gas giant with a habitable zone in the atmosphere. Alien technology genetically engineering plant life that floats in the atmosphere and a whole ecosystem of flying creatures. There is an anti-gravity city, which has degenerated into a slum, and floating castles, owned by two warring alien species who use humans as slaves.
That setting is enough to make me read the book. But I also love the premise: a rich, but innocent scion, Augustus Thistlewood III, of humanity's wealthiest family, is there to practice philanthropy toward the poor, downtrodden masses, using his recently acquired sociology degree.
Needless to say, his suitcase is quickly stolen by a 'helpful' street urchin Briz. Looking through his stuff, she realizes his has nothing to pawn and is a complete innocent, but very wealthy. Briz returns the suitcase and offers to escort him around the dangerous port town.
Then, adventures happen.
Highly recommended.
That setting is enough to make me read the book. But I also love the premise: a rich, but innocent scion, Augustus Thistlewood III, of humanity's wealthiest family, is there to practice philanthropy toward the poor, downtrodden masses, using his recently acquired sociology degree.
Needless to say, his suitcase is quickly stolen by a 'helpful' street urchin Briz. Looking through his stuff, she realizes his has nothing to pawn and is a complete innocent, but very wealthy. Briz returns the suitcase and offers to escort him around the dangerous port town.
Then, adventures happen.
Highly recommended.
September 16, 2024
Augustus Thistlewood is an idealist and a utopian. Augustus comes from a rich family and he wants to uplift the poor out of poverty. The action takes place on the planet Sybill III - a gas dwarf world that has no habitable land. The human population lives on an anti-gravity plate called the Big Syd which drifts through the clouds. The problem that Gus faced is that people wanted to steal him blind. Augustus picked up a guide named Briz who also wanted to rob him. The cloud castle is dominated by two alien races; the Thrymi and the Zell. The Thymi are violent and corrupt, selling humans into slavery for profit. The Zell tends to leave the humans alone unless they venture to the plant/cloud platform. The Zell will capture humans and sterilize them and drop them back to Big Syd. The street gangs on the castle sell Briz and Gus into slavery but they both escape. Gus meets the farmers, and he creates new machinery to help make their lives better. All ends well.
January 20, 2022
Translation failure
I think English is the only language you can be completely fluent in and still find other people who speak it well and can’t understand you. Between rough dialects and the juxtaposition of a ‘gutter-rat’ and a university educated engineer there is ongoing confusion. Add in criminals who don’t understand people of principle and naive driven idealists who can’t recognize when they are being lied to, and you have a perfect storm of people who fail to communicate in their ‘common’ tongue.
This is a lot of fun with a very interesting setting. The characters have amusing quirks and the narrative flows easily from point to point.
Professional grade work. I highly recommend it
I think English is the only language you can be completely fluent in and still find other people who speak it well and can’t understand you. Between rough dialects and the juxtaposition of a ‘gutter-rat’ and a university educated engineer there is ongoing confusion. Add in criminals who don’t understand people of principle and naive driven idealists who can’t recognize when they are being lied to, and you have a perfect storm of people who fail to communicate in their ‘common’ tongue.
This is a lot of fun with a very interesting setting. The characters have amusing quirks and the narrative flows easily from point to point.
Professional grade work. I highly recommend it
February 17, 2022
What a bunch of fun!
What to say? Reminded me of captain courageous, a Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's court, Robinson Curouso (sp) , and the lens men series! Fun, inventive, thoughtful, amusing, challenging, And I highly recommend this as a bit of hopeful entertainment for when you need a cheer up! Hope this is the first in a series because I would love to find out more about the family, the aliens, and the worlds they bounce around in!!
What to say? Reminded me of captain courageous, a Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's court, Robinson Curouso (sp) , and the lens men series! Fun, inventive, thoughtful, amusing, challenging, And I highly recommend this as a bit of hopeful entertainment for when you need a cheer up! Hope this is the first in a series because I would love to find out more about the family, the aliens, and the worlds they bounce around in!!
March 30, 2022
This is a fun book. Got the recommendation from Instapundit.com from Sarah Hoyt.
It starts out like an old Retief book sorta - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
The first 30 pages or so wasn't all that promising, but then the next 30 were better and the next 30 were better still etc.
It was a fun book and a rewarding read. Go for it!
It starts out like an old Retief book sorta - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
The first 30 pages or so wasn't all that promising, but then the next 30 were better and the next 30 were better still etc.
It was a fun book and a rewarding read. Go for it!
August 19, 2024
A good, funny story story
This is a book about a clueless young man who comes to a strange world to save and uplift the masses. He stumbles through the destruction of several gang businesses, gets kidnapped and enslaved by aliens, and grows into a business tycoon with the help of a street urchin who isn't what he seems. With near-slapstick humor and improbable timing this book is a ripping good yarn in the best traditions of science fiction.
This is a book about a clueless young man who comes to a strange world to save and uplift the masses. He stumbles through the destruction of several gang businesses, gets kidnapped and enslaved by aliens, and grows into a business tycoon with the help of a street urchin who isn't what he seems. With near-slapstick humor and improbable timing this book is a ripping good yarn in the best traditions of science fiction.
November 6, 2022
This book has it alll
Some books can be described as plot-driven, others as character-driven. A few have a setting that's as important as any character. This one has all of those. The setting is nearly unique and is vividly described. The characters are written with depth, and the plot is well-paced. Highly recommended.
Some books can be described as plot-driven, others as character-driven. A few have a setting that's as important as any character. This one has all of those. The setting is nearly unique and is vividly described. The characters are written with depth, and the plot is well-paced. Highly recommended.
March 24, 2024
A Must for Vance and Heinlein Fans
Why not five stars? Because five means perfect and not of this Earth. I am late to the Freer feast, having backed this way, because of the "Witches" pick-up. Nor does MGC often misdirect. If scrappy Heinlein families, and Vance's innocents abroad, a razor edge from disaster, intrigue, try this.
Why not five stars? Because five means perfect and not of this Earth. I am late to the Freer feast, having backed this way, because of the "Witches" pick-up. Nor does MGC often misdirect. If scrappy Heinlein families, and Vance's innocents abroad, a razor edge from disaster, intrigue, try this.
October 22, 2023
Funny Comedy of Errors
The bumbling hero does great things, mostly unintentionally. This humorous romp set in another universe and time showcases the author's usual humor and love of language. It falters now and then, but overall is a good read.
The bumbling hero does great things, mostly unintentionally. This humorous romp set in another universe and time showcases the author's usual humor and love of language. It falters now and then, but overall is a good read.
February 27, 2022
fun
Delightful positive unique read. Australian Slang was hard to figure out, but the book explains it in a natural way.
Delightful positive unique read. Australian Slang was hard to figure out, but the book explains it in a natural way.
August 4, 2023
I loved this quirky book, though I’m not sure readers who aren’t Australian or haven’t lived here would appreciate it as much. A breath of fresh air.
March 29, 2022
This is entertaining science fiction about the virtues of being a late bloomer who refuses to quit.
Dave Freer's world-building is slapdash, because the book depends more on character than on setting. I thought that the planet involved was a gas giant for most of the story, except in one section it's clearly described as a gas dwarf. Similarly, the "Outbackers" living on "skyfrond" in the habitable portions of an alien atmosphere have the same folkways as rural Australians on Earth do, right down to using "kangaroos loose in your top paddock" as a synonym for "daft," despite the conspicuous absence of any animal we'd call a kangaroo in their world.
That said, haphazard world-building is a quibble that doesn't rob this story of its sly humor or heart. Augustus Thistlewood and Briz make wonderful company.
Dave Freer's world-building is slapdash, because the book depends more on character than on setting. I thought that the planet involved was a gas giant for most of the story, except in one section it's clearly described as a gas dwarf. Similarly, the "Outbackers" living on "skyfrond" in the habitable portions of an alien atmosphere have the same folkways as rural Australians on Earth do, right down to using "kangaroos loose in your top paddock" as a synonym for "daft," despite the conspicuous absence of any animal we'd call a kangaroo in their world.
That said, haphazard world-building is a quibble that doesn't rob this story of its sly humor or heart. Augustus Thistlewood and Briz make wonderful company.
October 21, 2024
Thoroughly enjoyed this one.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews