Slow Freight

Slow Freight #1

by F.M. Busby

Brilliant scientist Dr Habegger gives humanity the stars with his new drive system and finally interstellar exploration begins as spaceships head out into the cosmos. Our hero Rance Collier is there at the beginning and goes along for the ride. Among other stimulating exploits he gets caught up with Commander Irina Tetzl, a sex-crazed despot intent on world domination. Even while forced to submit to the sexpot despot's abnormal desires, he remains faithful to his loyal, beautiful and brilliant crew member and girlfriend, Su Tang. This is an average teenage action read. There are good ideas but the writing is dull. Pretty much everything else is OK. I loved the title, liked the cover and have always admired the author's name ("FM Busby" has a mysterious yet decisive air, on the other hand, Francis Marion was perhaps too indeterminate). What has it got? TriV TV, some aliens, a novel FTL drive system plus some sex scenes to help one through the more boring sections.

Genres: Science Fiction

Mass Market Paperback

First published September 1, 1991

About the author

Francis Marion Busby

see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F._M._B...

Reviews

[Kevin Phyland · Rating 3 out of 5]

An experiment to create a space drive has unintended consequences when it not only repels space…but time as well! The Habgates thus invented are matter transmitters with a slight wrinkle - anything sent through takes 2 years to reach the destination gate, regardless of the distance in 3-space. This allows for an ingenious method of crewing long space voyages: Have a gate on board and send crews back and forth for 6 month stints. During the trip of the Starfinder a violent event nearly wrecks the ship and a theoretical explanation involves them having crossed the wake of an FTL ship. Meanwhile, on the alien FTL ship crewed by the Liij, they too have been disturbed by the interaction and follow the path backwards to Earth. They do not recognize it as being inhabited and their scoop drive ‘eats’ small planets for fuel. The danger to Earth is obvious. The dynamics on board the Starfinder and the attempts to stop Earth being accidently destroyed by the Liij make up the bulk of this novel by F. M. Busby. After a slow first half things heat up enough for it be an enjoyable read.

[J McEvoy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Quite the worst sf book I've ever read. So bad, in fact, that it keeps you reading, much like the "device" in the novel itself - a teleport machine with a time lag. Eventually good sense catches you up. I bailed at around two thirds, where the former Soviet Iron Lady Captain is servicing or being serviced by her male harem crew. Sexist, racist; oh, and the aliens are sex-mad too. When they're not being stupid.

[Caer Glas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really solid SF of the old school! Yah dream up an invention (in this case a teleportation device3 with a time lag) and explore the ramifications. Well written, solid read, very worthwhile for those of us that tire of the unicorns and dragons that seem to dominate the F&SF field.

[Brett]

Science Fiction