Tuesday 11 May 2021

Space Traipse Hold My Beer Season 4 - Karina Lumbert Fabian

Space Traipse: Hold My Beer, Season 4
Karina Fabian
Laser Cow Press
ISBN 9781733447195
ASIN B092YQNWXC


I have read several books by Karina Fabian. I love her wit, her witticisms, and her wisdom. He stories are in a wide range of genres. And her Series every growing. This is the fourth in the Space Traipse: Hold My Beer, Series. I have read 1 and 2. But had not read 3 before laying my hands on this volume. Last year I read 3 novels, and 2 collections of short stories edited by Karina Fabian. Prior to that there had been a n 8-year gap in my reading one of her offerings. That was my loss. And I am making up for lost time. I cannot seem to put her books down. I have read these, and already picked up 4 others. Those I have added to my reading queue. I have read some of her contributions in anthologies and love her short form fiction. I love her religious themed fiction. The space Traipse books are completely different than any of her other works. Well maybe not completely different, the humor infuses much of what she writes. In some ways like Catholic version of Douglas Adams or Tom Holt.

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 volume and the first book took 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! The dedication to this book states:

“To William Shatner, and all the shirts he ripped in the making of Star Trek
 
And to Robert Picardo – Doc Sorcha may not agree about striving to be human, but that doesn’t mean I loved your character any less!”

I snorted ginger beer all over when I read that. And instantly recalled Shatner removing is shirt in the season 1 episodes and tearing it in almost every later episode.

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?

The cast breaks the fourth wall in a most Dead Pool like manner, and in this volume they might even surpass his 16 walls. The stories in this volume are:

Love is Many Stars
Captains’ Cage Match
Naked Impulse

At the beginning of the book we are told yet again:

“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!”

Having now read three of the volumes in this series, and a total of 12 stories set in this world. I can say this is my favorite volume to date. And in this book, there are more than a few dates we get to sit in on.

Join the unique crew as they navigate the minefields of space, time, and place. And also, family. This volume contains three excellent stories or episodes. Captain’s Cage Match is a piece written in homage par excellence. Love is Many Stars is I believe the longest stories across all the collections. It spans from Intergalactic Date 676952.89 to Intergalactic Date 676959.34. And an awful lot happens during that time. Naked Impulse is an intriguing story. And one similar to others we have seen, in Firefly even. And the reference to Marvin the Martian from Looney Tunes is hilarious, and I only caught it on my second read through. Keep your eyes pealed. 
Another great read in a terribly fun series. And one that leaves you hanging absolutely desperate to find out what happens to the Impulsive and her crew next. 

This is another wonderful collection of tales. I said it before and even more so 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. It is a great ensemble crew. More interesting adventures. And a whole lot of fun.
 
Many of Fabian’s earlier works and Anthologies are out of print, but they are well worth tracking down. I suggest you grab these new stories I am sure you will be entertained. Give this book or series a try, I am certain you will be entertained. It is a whole 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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