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The Process Server
Bob is a Process Server, a lowly functionary. Worse, he's a "Smith," lowest on society's rung in 2253. Well, almost: the poor bastards still living on Earth have it worse than anyone, addicted to the fully immersive MultiNet and doomed to short, pointless lives working for the Big Six Corps. Now Bob's been given a job, to deliver a summons to a bureaucrat halfway across the Galaxy. His 251-year-old pilot Jayde Chen -- a war veteran trapped in the body of a 14-year-old -- is by his side as Bob dodges intergalactic gangsters, rogue AI, religious extremists and marauding corporate tycoons. Can Bob and Jayde free an enslaved race, uncover a murderer and save their ship?
- GenresScience Fiction
220 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 8, 2012
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71 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 11, 2012
Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction used a common plot device, called a ‘MacGuffin’, which is a like a little plot football: it’s an object of desire; a character magnet; a device to keep the story’s players in motion when the natural tendency would be to go to ground until the shooting stops. What the object actually is, in most stories, isn’t very important. In Pulp Fiction the MacGuffin was a briefcase with unknown contents. It didn’t matter so much what was in that case; what mattered was that everyone wanted it.
Well, Thomson uses a MacGuffin also, but he’ll do you two better than Tarantino did. He’ll tell you what it is that the characters want, and he’ll tell you why they want it. He’ll even throw you a juicy bone: you and the protagonist get to share a special connection around this MacGuffin, a conviction (unless you’re one of those pro-slavery types) that’s unique in a galaxy where power is the raison d’etre for sentient life, though Thomson makes no bones about showing that everyone is enslaved to something.
The story is engaging, though tension is low. He pulls that off though detailed world-building and good characterization. The character arcs aren’t what I’d call ‘sweeping’, but the main personalities are unique, quirky, and each has their own, strong, voice.
Speaking of world-building, that’s an area where Thomson shines. Stories like this, wherein an entire galaxy with a history and a variety of sentient races is the setting, require the author to mix a lot of info with the narrative. In this case I rarely noticed that I was being spoon fed. Only a couple of times did I clamp my mouth shut and shake my head vigorously, but Thomson’s instincts are good and he understands people. Whenever I felt like protesting, he reached into his bag and produced a rubber chicken; he’d slap me with this chicken, I’d open my mouth to laugh, and he’d spoon in the last bit of info that I needed to grasp the complexities of the situation, all while keeping the story humming along without much disruption.
This story also poses ethical and moral quandaries, but there are no soap boxes to be seen. That’s not easy to do, but Thomson manages well: he respects the reader (too many authors need to learn this) enough to present a dilemma without presuming to tell you what to think about it.
This is a clever book. I found the conclusion a bit muddy, but plausible (just so you know, author, the end was the only point in the whole story where I narrowed my eyes at you) and the very good outweighs the not so good. I may add more to this review at a later date. For now, I give it 4 stars.
Well, Thomson uses a MacGuffin also, but he’ll do you two better than Tarantino did. He’ll tell you what it is that the characters want, and he’ll tell you why they want it. He’ll even throw you a juicy bone: you and the protagonist get to share a special connection around this MacGuffin, a conviction (unless you’re one of those pro-slavery types) that’s unique in a galaxy where power is the raison d’etre for sentient life, though Thomson makes no bones about showing that everyone is enslaved to something.
The story is engaging, though tension is low. He pulls that off though detailed world-building and good characterization. The character arcs aren’t what I’d call ‘sweeping’, but the main personalities are unique, quirky, and each has their own, strong, voice.
Speaking of world-building, that’s an area where Thomson shines. Stories like this, wherein an entire galaxy with a history and a variety of sentient races is the setting, require the author to mix a lot of info with the narrative. In this case I rarely noticed that I was being spoon fed. Only a couple of times did I clamp my mouth shut and shake my head vigorously, but Thomson’s instincts are good and he understands people. Whenever I felt like protesting, he reached into his bag and produced a rubber chicken; he’d slap me with this chicken, I’d open my mouth to laugh, and he’d spoon in the last bit of info that I needed to grasp the complexities of the situation, all while keeping the story humming along without much disruption.
This story also poses ethical and moral quandaries, but there are no soap boxes to be seen. That’s not easy to do, but Thomson manages well: he respects the reader (too many authors need to learn this) enough to present a dilemma without presuming to tell you what to think about it.
This is a clever book. I found the conclusion a bit muddy, but plausible (just so you know, author, the end was the only point in the whole story where I narrowed my eyes at you) and the very good outweighs the not so good. I may add more to this review at a later date. For now, I give it 4 stars.
August 7, 2012
(Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com]. I am the original author of this review, as well as the owner of CCLaP; it is not being reprinted illegally.)
I never quite appreciated the distinction when I was younger and simply a fan, but now that I'm a full-time reviewer of such work, I've come to realize that there are actually two different strata of success in the world of science-fiction: there is the cream of the crop that bleeds through into the general culture, the William Gibsons and Neal Stephensons and Charles Strosses of the world, and there are the much greater number of authors who aren't exactly bad, but who deliver exactly what that genre requires and not a single tiny bit more, the "pushers" of the fetishistic "highs" that come with that genre for that fan, which is all that they're looking for to have considered that project not a waste of their time. (Or to think of it another way, many of these second-tier SF authors also double as screenwriters on syndicated SF and fantasy shows, Buffy and Fringe and whatnot, successful and popular shows all, but purposely designed to mostly be consumed once then never thought of again, except for that small number of convention-going hardcore fans who keep that author's mortgage payments coming in each month.) And that's what L.H. Thomson's The Process Server is, basically, a very serviceable cyberpunk-tinted space opera but not much else, that will satisfy fellow fans of cyberpunk-tinted space operas but make most everyone else say, "Eh, okay, whatever." Set among a dystopian humanity that now spans the galaxy, it posits a complexly Doctorowian political situation that essentially makes our hero a planet-hopping noir-like server of court papers, with a saucy 250-year-old stuck in a 14-year-old girl's body as a spaceship pilot, stuck as pawns within a blackly comic thriller played out among nation-sized corporations and a galactic population terminally addicted to a sensurround virtual reality. A well-done story for what it is, it breaks not even a single step of new ground within the genre but will be a minor treat anyway for fans of this type of work, which is why it's getting a good score but not a great one, and a limited recommendation instead of a general one.
Out of 10: 8.2
I never quite appreciated the distinction when I was younger and simply a fan, but now that I'm a full-time reviewer of such work, I've come to realize that there are actually two different strata of success in the world of science-fiction: there is the cream of the crop that bleeds through into the general culture, the William Gibsons and Neal Stephensons and Charles Strosses of the world, and there are the much greater number of authors who aren't exactly bad, but who deliver exactly what that genre requires and not a single tiny bit more, the "pushers" of the fetishistic "highs" that come with that genre for that fan, which is all that they're looking for to have considered that project not a waste of their time. (Or to think of it another way, many of these second-tier SF authors also double as screenwriters on syndicated SF and fantasy shows, Buffy and Fringe and whatnot, successful and popular shows all, but purposely designed to mostly be consumed once then never thought of again, except for that small number of convention-going hardcore fans who keep that author's mortgage payments coming in each month.) And that's what L.H. Thomson's The Process Server is, basically, a very serviceable cyberpunk-tinted space opera but not much else, that will satisfy fellow fans of cyberpunk-tinted space operas but make most everyone else say, "Eh, okay, whatever." Set among a dystopian humanity that now spans the galaxy, it posits a complexly Doctorowian political situation that essentially makes our hero a planet-hopping noir-like server of court papers, with a saucy 250-year-old stuck in a 14-year-old girl's body as a spaceship pilot, stuck as pawns within a blackly comic thriller played out among nation-sized corporations and a galactic population terminally addicted to a sensurround virtual reality. A well-done story for what it is, it breaks not even a single step of new ground within the genre but will be a minor treat anyway for fans of this type of work, which is why it's getting a good score but not a great one, and a limited recommendation instead of a general one.
Out of 10: 8.2
April 8, 2012
Thomson’s novel is rich in detail that fills the story with a sense of historical authenticity without falling into the sci-fi trap of impractical “wouldn’t this be cool” and smacks of William Gibson’s classic, Neuromancer. In that same respect there is a very real danger of becoming hopelessly lost in the foreignness of a world so far removed from our own, the reader is enfiladed by foreign terminology with roots just firm enough to get a grasp on them without being completely lost, but Thomson preserves a few human foibles that allow us to anchor ourselves while we familiarize ourselves with the rest of the universe. For the curious and persistent, like a good sci-fi reader, you’ll settle in.
Mixed into the tale are a few unobtrusive observations about smoking and a book-long theme of the class system of the future, of which the main character, named with tongue in cheek, Smith, and the self- and surrounding-destructive nature of an obsessively hedonistic and predictably escapist human race controlled by megabusinesses.
The Process Server is decidedly anti-big business, or at the very least, the main character is, rightly laying blame for the slow environmental destruction of Earth at the feet of the Big-6 corporations and capitalism-at-all-costs that supplanted government—the culmination of a capitalist’s wet dream.
Apart from the jarring experience of acclimating oneself to a new reality, to which sci-fi readers learn to welcome that moment of epiphany when the new environment begins to click comfortably, the story breezed along smoothly and kept me interested once I understood (fairly early on) what Bob Smith, the process server, intended to do.
This is a story of discovery, about where humanity finds itself in the future, and is fascinating in learning how things shake out. It is a universe in which conservative, capitalist, and hawkish ideology wins out, for the most part, and depending on your perspective this may seem a utopian or dystopian outcome. From the point-of-view of the main character, a disrespected member of the lower caste who assesses the state of things with a tone of grim resignation, it’s clearly the latter, and like most folk in his situation in the present and the past, his goal is not to try and change the world to suit him better, but to get by in it as best he can.
Thomson has created a fascinating (or forbidding) future, populated it with a few gritty, Sisyphus-like characters with varying levels of addiction to alternate-reality escapism, whose primary goal is to survive, not unlike the crew of Serenity. The dialogue is sharp, the descriptions snappy, the conclusions sensible, and the story wholly engaging. It isn’t often that I enter a world that has not been heavily critiqued and seasoned for a few decades, but with those reservations in mind, this is a world I leave that was well worth the time to get to know before everyone else had a chance to tell me to check it out.
Mixed into the tale are a few unobtrusive observations about smoking and a book-long theme of the class system of the future, of which the main character, named with tongue in cheek, Smith, and the self- and surrounding-destructive nature of an obsessively hedonistic and predictably escapist human race controlled by megabusinesses.
The Process Server is decidedly anti-big business, or at the very least, the main character is, rightly laying blame for the slow environmental destruction of Earth at the feet of the Big-6 corporations and capitalism-at-all-costs that supplanted government—the culmination of a capitalist’s wet dream.
Apart from the jarring experience of acclimating oneself to a new reality, to which sci-fi readers learn to welcome that moment of epiphany when the new environment begins to click comfortably, the story breezed along smoothly and kept me interested once I understood (fairly early on) what Bob Smith, the process server, intended to do.
This is a story of discovery, about where humanity finds itself in the future, and is fascinating in learning how things shake out. It is a universe in which conservative, capitalist, and hawkish ideology wins out, for the most part, and depending on your perspective this may seem a utopian or dystopian outcome. From the point-of-view of the main character, a disrespected member of the lower caste who assesses the state of things with a tone of grim resignation, it’s clearly the latter, and like most folk in his situation in the present and the past, his goal is not to try and change the world to suit him better, but to get by in it as best he can.
Thomson has created a fascinating (or forbidding) future, populated it with a few gritty, Sisyphus-like characters with varying levels of addiction to alternate-reality escapism, whose primary goal is to survive, not unlike the crew of Serenity. The dialogue is sharp, the descriptions snappy, the conclusions sensible, and the story wholly engaging. It isn’t often that I enter a world that has not been heavily critiqued and seasoned for a few decades, but with those reservations in mind, this is a world I leave that was well worth the time to get to know before everyone else had a chance to tell me to check it out.
April 25, 2012
The Process Server is a science fiction novel revolving around a crime mystery set in a futuristic world evolved from innate human tendencies and frailties to the nth degree. Off-world aliens of the Spielburg variety provide contrast to a capitalistic and aggressive society gone a-muck. Our heroes, Bob and his 251-year-old pilot Jayde Chen are low on the caste totem pole. They do what they must to survive, yet they've harbored a few core principles that cause the duo to clash with the Big 6 corporations, mob bosses, and religious zealots--all the working of a well developed characters and plot.
The writing is concise and successfully descriptive, which is quite a feat given the ambitious task of world-building Mr. Thomson has undertaken. I'm reminded of Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash where a virtual world lives alongside the 'real' one. Both The Process Server and Snow Crash project the virtual world replacing real life for many in the future. Easy to see now how close to the truth this may become on a large scale.
Despite the heaviness of the subject matter, the tone of this novel is often humorous, even cartoon-ish at times. Most effort seems to have been placed in the world building and reasoning behind its probable development. However, the characters stay front and center, as does their mission.
My overall rating is 4.5 stars, but I'm inclined to round up because I enjoy thoughtful work, and clearly Mr. Thomson has put quite a bit of effort towards constructing a world whose foundation logically flows from forces at work in the world today. Books such as this should serve as a warning to a possible future if we fail to take heed.
The writing is concise and successfully descriptive, which is quite a feat given the ambitious task of world-building Mr. Thomson has undertaken. I'm reminded of Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash where a virtual world lives alongside the 'real' one. Both The Process Server and Snow Crash project the virtual world replacing real life for many in the future. Easy to see now how close to the truth this may become on a large scale.
Despite the heaviness of the subject matter, the tone of this novel is often humorous, even cartoon-ish at times. Most effort seems to have been placed in the world building and reasoning behind its probable development. However, the characters stay front and center, as does their mission.
My overall rating is 4.5 stars, but I'm inclined to round up because I enjoy thoughtful work, and clearly Mr. Thomson has put quite a bit of effort towards constructing a world whose foundation logically flows from forces at work in the world today. Books such as this should serve as a warning to a possible future if we fail to take heed.
June 17, 2012
Note: This review is my opinion, and it is skewed to my likes and preferences.
I enjoyed this book, and found myself wanting to find out what was going on. However, I will only give it a 4 due to a personal bias…
Cast:
Bob Smith – one of the universes unwanted, relegated to life as a “Smith.” He is a process server, drives a dilapidated relic of a spaceship because of ethics.
Jayde Chen – 250 years old, yet looks like 14. She is a RDH (reclaimed deceased human), someone who was cryogenically preserved until a cure for their disease could be found. She was cured, but now doesn’t age. She pilots Smith’s ship, is a hand to hand specialist, and can carry a gun.
Robert Cardale – oldest man alive, leader of the most powerful of the Big 6 corporations. He hires Bob and Jayde find the item.
Story:
Bob and Jayde pick up a contract to server papers to the Archivist. They track him down, only to find him dead. The story progresses into a mystery novel from there. While it was a bit predictable who had the item everyone wanted, you don’t know why until the end.
Thomson does a great job with the science in his book, give plausible explanations for how his ships travel through space. You learn enough backstory regarding the big six corporations and how Smith and Jayde have to interact with them during their pursuit of the item. Thomson did a good job creating a believable version of his universe with enough backstory.
They only thing I found that detracted from my enjoyment of the book was the book becoming a soapbox to make a statement on religion, but to each his own…
I enjoyed this book, and found myself wanting to find out what was going on. However, I will only give it a 4 due to a personal bias…
Cast:
Bob Smith – one of the universes unwanted, relegated to life as a “Smith.” He is a process server, drives a dilapidated relic of a spaceship because of ethics.
Jayde Chen – 250 years old, yet looks like 14. She is a RDH (reclaimed deceased human), someone who was cryogenically preserved until a cure for their disease could be found. She was cured, but now doesn’t age. She pilots Smith’s ship, is a hand to hand specialist, and can carry a gun.
Robert Cardale – oldest man alive, leader of the most powerful of the Big 6 corporations. He hires Bob and Jayde find the item.
Story:
Bob and Jayde pick up a contract to server papers to the Archivist. They track him down, only to find him dead. The story progresses into a mystery novel from there. While it was a bit predictable who had the item everyone wanted, you don’t know why until the end.
Thomson does a great job with the science in his book, give plausible explanations for how his ships travel through space. You learn enough backstory regarding the big six corporations and how Smith and Jayde have to interact with them during their pursuit of the item. Thomson did a good job creating a believable version of his universe with enough backstory.
They only thing I found that detracted from my enjoyment of the book was the book becoming a soapbox to make a statement on religion, but to each his own…
July 26, 2012
In the deep future where normal living in the real world is boring. The new "MultiNet" world is more intriguing. We go on a ride through space looking for Archivist Dregba of G'Farg. The process server working for the NTC joins forces with Jayde my favorite character A 250 year old trade war vet, sky pirate who doesn't look a day over 14 years old.
It would be pretty cool to be able to log into a server. Use yourself as an avatar, with a command stroke of keys be able to pull things out of mid-air, travel to any country during any time period. I would get some smoke and spark it with some cavemen, or maybe something else or somewhere.
What caught my eye was a reviewer said the author used an item similar to the idea of Pulp Fiction. To keep the reader entertained. I found myself lost at some times it was a little tough to get through. In the beginning of each chapter the author refers to "The Handbook of Joshua" with quotes from the book. I found these to be rather interesting. A big thanks to LH Thomson for a chance to read The Process Server
It would be pretty cool to be able to log into a server. Use yourself as an avatar, with a command stroke of keys be able to pull things out of mid-air, travel to any country during any time period. I would get some smoke and spark it with some cavemen, or maybe something else or somewhere.
What caught my eye was a reviewer said the author used an item similar to the idea of Pulp Fiction. To keep the reader entertained. I found myself lost at some times it was a little tough to get through. In the beginning of each chapter the author refers to "The Handbook of Joshua" with quotes from the book. I found these to be rather interesting. A big thanks to LH Thomson for a chance to read The Process Server
June 20, 2012
Take a future dystopia run by corporations instead of governments, add a Maltese-Falcon-like plot with a game-changing drive instead of a bird statue, and you have The Process Server. I'm looking forward to more adventures with Bob and Jayde!
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