Tuesday 18 May 2021

Space Traipse Hold My Beer Season 3 - Karina Lumbert Fabian

Space Traipse: Hold My Beer, Season 3
Karina Fabian
Laser Cow Press
ISBN 9781733447157
ASIN B08DKHSQVX


This marks the seventeenth book I have read, or reread that was written by or edited by Karina Fabian. And I admit I am a fan boy of her works. The Fabian Space Worlds are as fabulous as they are diverse. Stories about a Dragon exiled to earth who works as a PI, her religious themes space fiction. To be honest all of her stories are wonderful. But the Space Traipse Stories hold a special place in my heart. This volume is the third in here Space Traipse Trilogy. But I have read them out of order; I read Season 1, Season 2, Season 4, Doall's Do-Over and then circled back to this one. So, I had an idea of some of what would happen. But not how. And boy was it worth the read.

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 takes me back to that early reading, but with a much more humorous slant. These stories are part homage, part satire, part commentary, part parody, and they are a whole lot of fun! 

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.
• Xenologist and Ship’s Sexy, Loreli: A plant-based life form with a perfect figure, she keeps up ship morale – and ratings.
• 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?

The cast breaks the fourth wall in a most Dead Pool like manner. The stories in this volume are:

Trouble in Filedise
Phantom of the Cybersphere
Kippers & Chaos

At the beginning of the book we are told the tag line for the series:

“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!”

In this collection we join the crew as they navigate the minefields of space, time, place, and emotional entanglements. And also, family. At the beginning of the second episode we are informed that:

“So, that was heavy. Now, we lighten things up with… Space Traipse: The Musical! 

Oh, yes, I did. You may want to play songs from The Phantom of the Opera, Little Mermaid, and West Side Story, just to mentally prepare yourselves. Who am I kidding? I don’t know if anyone can prepare themselves for what’s coming. Certainly, the crew didn’t! While I hope this is less of a dumpster fire than the Cats movie, I will take complete responsibility for any lame lyrics that don’t scan. However, if you don’t like the singing, you’ll have to blame yourself because it’s totally in your head.”

We are also dealing with a robot in love. But not just a robot, a cleaning bot. That has been modified by the cybers. The bot is not only in love but has access to require your brain. And the final bonus story echoes episodes from both ST TOS and TNG. So we have a super tense story, a humorous story in a musical stylings, and then a story that is just … something else. 

This is another wonderful collection of three tales. I have said it before and say it again this 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. It is a great ensemble crew. More interesting adventures, and at least 2 after this one if you read them in order. Just a whole lot of fun. 

Some of Fabian’s earlier works and Anthologies are out of print, but they are well worth tracking down. And a few of them have had reprints recently. I suggest you grab these new stories I am sure you will be entertained. I cannot wait for the next season or stand-alone story in this universe. Give this third volume a try, I am sure you will be entertained. It is a lotta fun in a small package.   

Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2021 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:
?.0 Magic, Mensa and Mayhem (Revised edition)
?.0 Live and Let Fly (Revised edition)
...  

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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