Red Limit Freeway

Skyway #2

by John DeChancie

Space trucker Jake McGraw hits the road on a perilous race through the universe as the Skyway story continues. Jake McGraw is a man on the run from half the universe. After stumbling upon what seems to be the fabled roadmap to the stars, Jake must outrun the most detestable vermin and roadbugs in the galaxy and the only thing separating him from them is his tattered starrig. In the lawless region of space Jake must keep his rig running if he knows what’s good for him. He has something that everyone wants and they will stop at nothing to get it. But how long can he keep going on the road where there is no relief for light years? 

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction

368 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 1984

About the author

From his website:
John DeChancie is the author of over two dozen books, fiction and nonfiction, and has written for periodicals as widely varied as Penthouse and Cult Movies. His novels in the science fiction and fantasy genres have been attracting a wide readership for more than fifteen years, and over a million copies of his books have seen print, many in foreign languages.

John's first work was Starrigger (Berkley/Ace ,1984), followed by Red Limit Freeway (1985) and Paradox Alley (1987), completing the Skyway Trilogy, one of the most imaginative, mind-expanding series in science fiction. Beloved of SF readers around the world, the trilogy has become a cult classic. It is no exaggeration to say that the trilogy has found a place in the hearts of readers along with the works of Heinlein, Asimov, and Clarke. Jerry Pournelle, co-author with Larry Niven of the classics The Mote in God's Eye and Lucifer's Hammer, has compared the series to the best of A. E. van Vogt, and better written. The convoluted plot takes the reader on a mind-bending journey to the end of the universe and back.

His humorous fantasy series, beginning with Castle Perilous, became a best seller for Berkley/Ace. William Morrow published MagicNet, which Booklist said was "a welcome sigh of comic relief ... shamelessly droll, literate, and thoroughly entertaining. Magicnet is the fantasy genre's whimsical answer to Neuromancer." He has also written in the horror genre. His short fiction has appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction and in numerous original anthologies, the latest of which is Spell Fantastic. His story collection, Other States of Being, was recently published by Pulpless.com, Inc., an online and print-on-demand publisher.

He currently lives in Los Angeles and is at work writing novels, articles, short stories, and screenplays. His latest book was the short story collection THE LITTLE GRAY BOOK OF ALIEN STORIES published by Borderlands Press. John's most recent short story publication was in the original anthology SPACE CADETS, edited by Mike Resnick and published by LAcon IV, the 64th World Science Fiction Convention. The book was published in both limited and trade hardback editions. The book is available here . He has just completed a mystery novel and information on this new book (something different from anything he has ever written) is forthcoming. He will also have two new film articles in the second big issue of the new cult film magazine MONDO CULT, also forthcoming.

Reviews

[Ethan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't care much for this book, or for book one in this series. I'm not quite sure why, but I just bought the final book in the trilogy. I must be a glutton for punishment...

[Jacob Proffitt · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is second in a sci-fi adventure story. If you don't read in order, nothing will make sense, even though the author did a great job with the remindery bits in the first chapters.

This is maybe the perfect example of middle book syndrome. It meanders. The plot loses direction. Lots of kinda random things happen. And it doesn't help that the skyway is, at this stage, a one-way trip since Jake and friends are beyond anything they have maps or knowledge of.

It doesn't help that the author's thumb is heavy on the scale of events at times. Like, there are a couple of people who really need to die. And a time or two where Jake has them dead to rights. And then something happens and they get away. I don't know if this is an authorial quirk, but it struck me while reading how contrived it was that some truly horrible people just kept on keeping on way past where I was tired of them cropping up over and over. And I really don't need more torture scenes to cement how awful they are along the way (not on-screen, but plenty of aftermath with concomitant emotional trauma). And this is only the most frustrating example of thumb-on-scale. Some random things are just very convenient and it kind of stands out when the story is meandering.

And I hate to say it, but I very nearly stopped reading in the middle of this. Even though I can't wait to get to the good stuff. I seriously contemplated skipping to the next book. It doesn't help that Jake spends this book screwing around with (yes, literally) Susan and being a bit cold to Darla. Yeah, Darla has some questionable interactions and motivations. But have the conversation, clear the air, and take a shot, you blockhead!

I stuck it out because I like the story and the characters are still fun. Plus, I want to see how the paradox resolves. Yes, I know how it resolves. Even my memory will have things stick with how often I have read this series. And I can't wait to get there.

I was going to find some way to round this up to four stars, but after writing all this out, I'm just not up to the task. Three stars it is.

A note about production and publication: I only caught one place where an obvious OCR error crept into the Kindle version this time. It's is much improved from the first book. I don't know if they scanned a more pristine copy or if they were just better at the editing, but I was completely relieved to see the quality improve.

A note about cosmology: I don't think I've ever caught this before, but a lot of the astrology astronomy discussions of this are patently absurd. And would have been absurd at the time of writing. Yeah, our observation of the universe is hampered by the speed of light so our view of distant galaxies come from millions of years in the past. That doesn't mean that the roadway expands into the past, though! The roadway moves you in space, not in your observation of space! You aren't following light back to its source. You're taking an alternate path. Man this bugged me every time someone mentioned that they were going back to the start of the universe on the skyway. This is stupid.

A note about Steamy: There's less explicit content while Jake screws around with Susan (still literally). It's enough to trip the steam tag, but on a very light setting.

[Craig · Rating 3 out of 5]

Red Limit Freeway is the second book of the Skyway trilogy and was DeChancie's second published novel. It's a fun and fast-paced space-opera adventure series, with the neat twist that the orientation and culture of the interstellar travel is based on long-distance highway truck drivers, not space cadets zipping about in rocket ships. As I thought of the first book, Starrigger, it's not a great novel; the characterization is a little slim, and there are long stretches where not much happens to advance the plot (which is perhaps typical of a long-distance haul? Hmmm...), but it's a fun story. It suffers from middle-book syndrome, and the darn thing doesn't end, it just stops. If you're hanging over a cliff, the cab of monster truck is not where you want to be left. (I don't recommend reading this one unless you have the third book, Paradox Alley, on hand.) The story follows Jake and his ever-expanding crew (Susan? Really? Poor choices...) and their quest to find the roadmap to the end of the universe and keep their business going and to stay a step ahead of the ever-expanding cast of bad guys opposing them. It's a fun, clever romp. Your soundtrack options include Deep Purple's Space Truckin' and/or C.W. McCall. "Eleven long-haired friends of Jesus in a chartreuse microbus" indeed. The Ace edition came out with a cool James Berkey cover that looks a lot like the James Gurney from Starrigger.

[John B. · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 Stars. This book has a lot of potential but fails to make use of many interesting story possibilities. The Starrigger series was summed up by Goodreads reviewer Aricia Gavriel as "Smoky and the Bandit meets Stargate meets Doctor Who meets Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy."

A story about an interstellar highway system has many opportunities to immerse the reader in imaginary realms, histories, and cultures. The author senses this and makes an attempt to fill in on paper the vast canvas in the author's mind. As the book continued on I kept wondering what was in the author's mind?

Perhaps that vast canvas in the author's mind is empty. Much of the world building seems to happen in the dark. Creative writing students take note of this tactic--it might get you some credit on your next world building assignment. Have your character get lost in an underground alien city and wander around for two weeks before he is rescued. Be sure to mention several times that it is dark and he stumbles around not knowing where he is.

Jake gets lost a lot. Often he wanders off and (!) surprise he gets lost--a signal for the author to invoke a labored plot twist. Several times the places he is lost in are dark and not worth describing to the reader: a dark forest at night, an underground cave system without any lighting. Even when the lights haven't been turned off the author is able to take the lowest energy path to take the reader to exotic alien worlds. Describing the wonder of the open road on strange planets as: "dragging freight from mudball to mudball". Perhaps the open road is mind numbing and ninety percent of the time if you have seen one mudball you have seen them all. But it seems the author cares even less about the alien mudballs than the characters who have to be dragged across space and time in support of a story that begins to go flat as the excitement leaks from the sealed passenger compartment.

Here is a description from an important stop along the way (p.209) "We roamed through an expansive multileveled area, a tiered arcade built around a bottomless central well. Spiral ramps connected the levels. We plied these, up and down, trying to find a way out. Giving up, we tried doubling back but took a wrong turn and lucked into a different area, this one an immense circular arena with a domed roof at least 500 meters high at the apex. A short tunnel led out of there into an identical room, from which we took a passageway into yet another vast airless crypt, this one cubical in shape. Like everything else in this subterranean necropolis it was without distinguishable features and without discernible function."

Encountering something with no distinguishable features and without discernible function once might be forgivable. Why write about something you can't distinguish or discern? Time and again it wears on the reader.

This quote resonated (p.180) "Well, I'll admit that life on the road has its appeal...at times. Most of the time, though, it's boring. And ding dang it, most of the time it don't pay doodly squat." Sam, commenting on how he likes being on the road. Or is this the author lamenting about having to write a few more pages to make deadline?

I really enjoy the premise of this Starrigger series: an interstellar highway built by an advanced alien race that may have died off millennia ago yet maintained by their machines that have outlived their civilization. The idea of learning more about this alien race and their technology kept me reading. In fairness, an observation from a Reddit contributor made me think about why I was so anxious to read about the various planets the story takes us to. The observation from a Reddit contributor: "If you can make a single star system interesting enough, you don't need the rest of the galaxy." Perhaps there is a certain truth in that statement. Similarly if you can make your basement interesting enough you don't need the rest of the house or even to go outside. The selling point is that it doesn't take much to make a single star system even mildly interesting and the expectation is that adding in the rest of the galaxy amps up the interest level.

I am going to be on the hunt for books that are similar in theme, but hopefully better executed, than this series. The author has some great key ingredients, but the recipe needs a bit more effort and attention to the dough that holds the yummy bits together.

Here are two possible books that are on my reading radar that involve similar intergalactic road travel: Roadmarks by Roger Zelazny, first published in 1979 and Night Train to Rigel by Timothy Zahn, first published in 2005.

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Perhaps I should have waited a little longer after Starrigger to jump into this one. You can read my gushing review of the aforementioned if you want, but this sequel was not as great at the original.

True, it was a lot of fun. It was funny, at times, and there were more interesting planets to discover, but I there were some things about it I didn’t like:

1. The whole Susan thing came out of absolutely nowhere and was really annoying (especially the whole cave situation)

2. Lori went from being tough to kind of a burden

3. There were two random guys introduced that contributed nothing to the plot

4. The bad guys in this one weren’t really all that threatening.

5. Where the original was outlandish at times, I never found it unrealistic; everything Jake did made sense according to the physics of the book. But in this novel things tended to bend belief a bit more. Like when Jake takes on not only one, but two 2.5 meter (which I figured out was 8.2’) tall exoskeletal aliens that spend their lives hunting, and then he kicks their ass. I don’t really believe that’s possible. Jake is not a Navy SEAL. Had someone else showed up to save him, ok, but the way it played out was stupid.

6. There was a pregnancy cliché. Seriously?

So yeah, while it was still a lot of fun, I probably wouldn’t read this one again. I’m definitely going to finish the series but I kinda wish I’d stuck to just the first one. Damn you Amazon for having the books available!

[Aricia Gavriel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as good as the first part of the trilogy by a long shot, but still highly entertaining. This installment could be called "Jake Gets Lost a Lot." Lost in the woods. Lost in a basement the size of Philadelphia. Lost in the caves. Lost in time and space. In each instance, he wanders around for a looong while; yes, I started to skim in places. However, the plot gets itself back on the road and drives forward (!) to a conclusion that must have made readers tear their hair out in 1984, when this book appeared...

DeChancie ended it on a joking cliffhanger, so that the book doesn't end, it just STOPS, in mid-scene. There's no proper punctuation point, just a full stop ... okay. But then he didn't return with the third and final Starrigger book for three YEARS!! Paradox Alley appeared in 1987. It's fine for me, I can just put down #2 and pick up #3, but if I'd been reading this work fresh off the presses in 1984, I suspect I'd have been fuming (rather as readers continue to fume over the continued non-showing of the last installment(s) in George RR Martin's series, which shall remain nameless, ahem!).

Anyway -- am on to the third part, 10% through that one already. Good thing I had the whole trilogy to hand, because that ending on #2 would have made me throw the book out the window! Overall, am enjoying this a great deal, and with any luck the finale will be terrific.

[Shawn Fahy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished “Red Limit Freeway” by John DeChancie (1985) today, the sequel to “Starrigger”. It picks up where the last novel left off, with the group of adventurers evading pursuit by TATTOO henchmen and in possession of a mysterious cube and an alien species, either or both of which could be the key to unlocking a map of the Skyway, the interstellar road system that allows for instant travel throughout the galaxy without need for spaceships but whose layout is unknown to all races, except perhaps the mysterious Roadbuilders, if they even still exist.

This was another quick and entertaining read, filled with action, humor, and imaginative backdrops. It’s a story that’s not afraid to poke fun at itself (Jake and his companions seem to get captured and escape almost daily, which they acknowledge at one point and discuss how unrealistic it is for such a thing to happen; I actually didn’t really notice, as it just seemed like a natural thing to happen in an adventure story). $5 words are kept to a minimum and I never felt like I was getting lost and not really understanding what was happening, even when things got pretty surreal at times. Overall, it’s a great bit of humorous sci-fi escapism and I look forward to the third and final book in the series, which I already have on order.

[Bradley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I generally want to like this more than I do. I mean, I enjoy a different kind of SF, and one with truckers in an SFnal situation is just weird enough to tickle me (I mean, space roads, really?)

And honestly, that is pretty great.

As for this novel in particular, it was ... kinda all over the place with fractured and even half-baked plots designed more for the comic value and snark than a cohesive thread. The stake-creep was pretty obvious and not very well grounded. And even if I may be a bit un-generous compared to my normal reading habits, I will say it kinda matches the whole 80's shtick--half Smokey and the Bandit, half Piers Anthony. Which isn't bad, always, but it CAN get old. And having done my time with both as a kid, I think I'm gonna tap out again.

Not bad if you want this kind of thing, of course, I think I would have preferred more plot, less throwaway tv-episode feel.


Personal note:
If anyone reading my reviews is be interested in reading my SF (Very hard SF, mind you), I'm open to requests.

Just direct message me in goodreads or email me on my site. I'd love to get some eyes on my novels.

Arctunn.com

[Pack Raven · Rating 3 out of 5]

In my review of Starrigger, the first book of this series, I described that book as a "check your brain adventure". It is true, you didn't have to pay much attention to the overarching time paradox narrative to enjoy that book. But, in this one, the time paradox starts to be explained, so more thinking is required. But, there is still a lot of adventure to be enjoyed.
We start adding a number of characters to the Jake's merry band in this book. This is a bit of a negative, since it becomes hard for the author to spend much time developing each character. Darla, for example, seems to have her place in the story diminished, and I found myself "missing" her.
But, still, there is a lot of imagination in this book. There are fascinating creatures the crew encounters along their journey, and interesting cultures. We learn more about the Roadbuilders (at least the Roadbugs), which is cool.
I look forward to the third book in the series.

[William E. Ferreira · Rating 3 out of 5]

More clever ideas complete with contradictions

John is a better actor than writer. Lots of filler. Without losing anything, this series of 3 books could be reduced to 1. Hopefully book 3 is better.

[Wolverinefactor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid enough sequel. Suffers a bit from dragging things along and ending on a big cliffhanger

[Beth Friedman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good middle book.

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was mostly enjoying it, right up until realizing it had a punch line instead of an ending. The action scenes are quite good, but the parts involving human emotions and characterization are much weaker. By the end of this book, both of the main character's romances felt phony, as if he would gladly fall in love with whichever of Susan or Darla was in the room at the time.
Also, a bit too much time is spent with the central characters wandering off and getting lost, voluntarily. That just isn't a survival trait. It's one thing to do it while being chased by the bad guys, but to voluntarily wander off into an alien cave complex without backup made the characters seem a bit dim.
I really enjoyed the aliens more than some of the human characters, because the detachment wasn't as big of a drawback.
At the end of Starrigger, I was really looking forward to reading Red Limit Freeway. At the end of Red Limit Freeway...I'll read the third volume if it turns up, but I won't look as hard.

[Mark White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not viable as a stand alone, you need to read Volume 1 - StarRigger - first. And I'll warn you the story doesn't end here, you need to read Volume 3 - Paradox Alley - to tie up the loose ends.

In this one the chase continues with Jake picking up more strays along the way, both human and alien. There are even more inventive planets and people to meet and even more bizarre occurrences (don't worry, it's all explained in the end). It isn't quite the ride of the first book but still very good.

Given the episodic nature and colourful new planets just a truck drive away, I'm surprised this one hasn't been the basis of a TV series. It's got a wide and changing cast of characters, a talking truck (smarter than KITT too) plus the "planet of the week" format and a long story arc already built in. First rate old school (80s) Sci Fi.

[Jon · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second book in the Starrigger series. Again, they're fun to read. There's lots of action, although the gratuitous foul language doesn't help the story. Jake and his crew meet some more good aliens, some very bad aliens and end up being dragged to the end of the universe.

There's a lot of physics and astronomy, but I don't know enough physics and astronomy to know if it's accurate of not.

[Bob Phule · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my all time favorite books. Starrigger. Jake is an interstellar trucker who picks up a hitchhiker and things go bad, as you would expect. Most of the interstellar roadway is unmapped and of course he heads off the map to shake those after them, Jake, the truck and the hitcher.

Book two, Red Limit Freeway. Book three, Paradox Alley.

[Travis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent cast and some good ideas, but meanders all over the place and goes on so long that by the end you were just glad to have reached the end and had lost enthusiasm to track down book 3.

DeChancie is a solid writer, but it just doesn't feel like he has a trilogy worth of story here.

[Robert Haight · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pulp fun

[Glenn Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second of the "Skyway" trilogy. The well-written and exciting adventures of Jake McGraw and his many friends across the universe continue.

[Mark Palmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent continuation. The mystery deepens.

[Keelan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as the first one (the whole Susan thing just bothered me) but still enjoyable pulp. I hope the last book can explain some things while picking up the pace.