The Centrifugal Rickshaw Dancer

by William John Watkins

Uwalk Wenn, a rebel agent, and the centrifugal rickshaw dancers join forces with charismatic rebel leader Roger Count Aerowaffen to wrest control of the Grand Sphere from the repressive LeGrange Corporation

223 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1985

About the author

Up to 1980 he published as William Jon Watkins

Reviews

[Marianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though the title sounds like a creation of MadLibs, the story of the drivers (dancers) of the centrifugal rickshaws taking control of their orbiting colony is pretty solid. The first chunk of the book gives a good feel for the world and the setting, the motivations and characters. The last third of the book just wraps it up. I knocked a star off because the book loses it's momentum for the end, though it's still satisfying.

[Kevin Phyland · Rating 4 out of 5]

The space habitats have been controlled by Corporation for a long time, but rumblings of revolt have been percolating the populace after handguns were used to put down a rebellion a decade ago. Handguns are rightly feared on an enclosed habitat due to the risk of decompression and so shock-canes are usually used and have become ritualised in habs. Transport on habitats is by Rickshaw drivers, colloquially known as Dancers due to their exquisite control and are also a means of communicating secret messages to and from rebels in the different habs. UWalk Wenn is the top Rickshaw Dancer and when he teams up with the secretive but crazy Count Aerowaffen it seems the rebellion is nigh. The owner of the Corporations and the habs is Old Spence LeGrange and he is not going to cede his habitats without a fight and when he ships three cases of guns to a habitat and runs his underlings through an addictive mind-dot called The Universal Tickler, the battle for space will be dirty and ruthless. Surprisingly good space adventure by William John Watkins which I enjoyed immensely.