Space Captain Smith

Space Captain Smith: A Penny Dreadful Review

            You know it is going to be a wonderful book when you start chuckling on the first page. I laughed all the way through Space Captain Smith by Toby Frost, and I bet you will, too.

            Isembard Smith is a desk-clerk from the British Empire, which spans several planets. He is given a run-down spaceship, a pilot who is a sexbot who faked her credentials, and a mission he was never supposed to complete. He must transport a magical hippie chick to a safe location, despite aliens and cultists who want to use her for their own nefarious purposes.

            Toby Frost is a comic genius. He has an excellent grasp of the absurd. Space Captain Smith is loaded with satirical jibes and pop culture references. There’s a cyberpunk planet, there’s a War of the Worlds Martian, and there’s a chapter entitled, “Ho-Down Of The Damned.” This is a silly, silly book. It reminds me a bit of Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy with a Steampunk twist.

            I give this silliness four and a half gears out of five. It is an excellent addition to any adult’s library. Space Captain Smith is the perfect book-shaped companion for when you need a good laugh and feel like reading something with aliens in.

Your Correspondent from the Bookstore,

Penny J. Merriweather

Steam Wars

Steam Wars, by Fred Perry: A Penny Dreadful Review

As I hope you know, Gearhearts is not the only Steampunk title from Antarctic Press. Here are my thoughts on Steam Wars, a delightful title from mastermind Fred Perry: I love this thing!
If you have ever wondered what a TIE fighter would look like as a dirigible, you need this comic. It is a fantastic mash up of Star Wars and Steampunk.  One immediately recognizes the opening scene as the start of A New Hope, yet it takes its own direction almost at once, traveling a peculiar parallel to the story of a particular space opera. It is full of clever references and groan-worthy puns, ie: Captain Hansel Lowe, the rogue who makes a habit of rescuing the princess, er, duchess. His companion and copilot is a large, hairy bear named Smokey. Yes, it is quite silly. Yet in classic Fred Perry style, serious and ridiculous share the same panel. On one hand, there is an engineer who is a bear, and on the other, there is an evil Quantum Dragoon who can make heads explode.  It has more of an edge than a pure parody, and I like that.  Steam Wars is quite well-balanced, and a great deal of fun.
I give Steam Wars five gears out of five.  It strikes a perfect balance of originality and homage to the source material. If you like Star Wars and Steampunk, if you’ve ever seen Steampunk Boba Fett and thought, “How cool,” you need to read this comic. I hope to see someone cosplaying a Quantum Dragoon at the next convention I attend with Antarctic Press.

Your Correspondent From The Bookstore,
Penny J. Merriweather