Firefly: Big Damn Hero by James Lovegrove and Nancy Holder - Book Review #274

It was a joy to see the crew in the ‘verse once again!

This is the first instalment in a three-book run of tie-in novels in the Firefly universe.

I truly believed these stories were never going to see print.  Joss Whedon has been reluctant to open the universe he created to expansion.  Perhaps he’s come to the conclusion that this is the medium where Malcom Reynolds and the rest of the crew can “keep flying.”

As a story, it was pretty good.  Most of my giddy fan-boy self needed a few chapters to settle down and enjoy the story for what it is - a new adventure!

I do like how the book went back to the TV show’s roots and began the story with Badger consigning a cargo to the crew of Serenity.  It had a nice symmetry.

But things go wrong quickly when Mal is kidnapped, the crew is split up and Zoe must take the ship out to make the time-sensitive delivery.

If you’re a fan of Firefly do not hesitate to buy the book.  It is a lovely thing to hold and will make any Browncoat happy to have it on display.

The author had a perfect grasp of the characters and the universe they inhabit.  It also had fantastic passages that shed light on Mal’s early years.  This is where the book sang for me.  Getting to know these terrific characters a little bit better is welcomed.

Recommended.

James Lovegrove’s website - https://www.jameslovegrove.com/

Nancy Holder’s website - http://nancyholder.com/

James Lovegrove

Nancy Holder

The Hebras and The Demons and the Damned by Brenda Cooper

Even though this is a story about colonists trying to survive on a new planet it really lacked the SFness I like.

To me, there has to be some technology involved otherwise it's just literary fiction hiding on another world.

These colonists are trying to cope with the indigenous wildlife by domesticating a herd of "space-horses" while being aware that they could be attacked by a pack of "space-wolves" at any moment.

This is rally just a western, a ranching story; I'm well aware of the Space Western sub-genre but at least that type of fiction has fun blending the tech with the tumbleweeds.

I was constantly taken out of the story by my thoughts that this could just as easily been set in Africa or Wyoming in the 19th century.

Sure, it all works as SF, but just not for me. I guess I found it too western and not enough space.

Cooper's writing, however, is superb, she kept me engaged enough that I kept reading to the end. I'm not afraid to quit a story if I'm not enjoying it. Cooper had a confident way of telling the story that kept me reading.

To me, the best example of space-western is Firefly.

Would I read more from Cooper? Absolutely, she's that good.

Brenda Cooper

The author's website is HERE.

Brenda Cooper's Bibliography is HERE

First published in Analog December 2010