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The Bantam: Phantom Traveler Book One
Ehli is an iscillian, designed in a lab to serve as a bantam, a ship custodian for a merchant crew. She imagines no future beyond the care of her starship and the quiet hours between ships spent painting in her quarters.
But when she discovers a vague clue that undermines the clear purpose of her existence, the satisfaction she once found in her simple routine dissolves into an unsettling, deadly obsession to learn the truth.
Her job is to put the needs of her ship and its crew before her own, but every step she takes to investigate her origins—the origins of all iscillian across the galaxy—drags her away from the life she knew and deeper into danger.
But Ehli can’t ignore what she’s learned. She must know what secrets have been kept from her, and she’s willing to risk everything to uncover them.
But when she discovers a vague clue that undermines the clear purpose of her existence, the satisfaction she once found in her simple routine dissolves into an unsettling, deadly obsession to learn the truth.
Her job is to put the needs of her ship and its crew before her own, but every step she takes to investigate her origins—the origins of all iscillian across the galaxy—drags her away from the life she knew and deeper into danger.
But Ehli can’t ignore what she’s learned. She must know what secrets have been kept from her, and she’s willing to risk everything to uncover them.
- GenresScience Fiction
96 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 11, 2018
4 people are currently reading
16 people want to read
About the author
R.J. Theodore
14 books55 followersR J Theodore* (they/she) is an author and graphic designer. Their short fiction has appeared in Lightspeed and Fireside Magazines as well as the award-winning Glitter + Ashes and Unfettered Hexes anthologies from Neon Hemlock Press.
Their Peridot Shift trilogy comes to an adventures conclusion in December 2022! Learn more at rjtheodore.com
*Note the preferred spelling, please. Spaces, no periods.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 10, 2020
(Read the original on my blog: https://wordcauldron.blog)
I really enjoyed this novella! I read it very quickly, which is unusual for me because I tend to be a slow reader, especially with sci fi. But, I couldn't put it down!
Ehli is an Iscillian, all of whom are living beings designed and perfected in a lab for a very specific purpose: to be ship custodians. They are sold as kind of non-optional "add-ons" to the owners of these ships, and are integral to the functionality and safety of these vessels.
Ehli is not exactly happy, but neither is she particularly discontented with her monotonous duties in engineering and the predictable nature of her life, until, after running out of reading material with no way to acquire more, she resorts to reading a seemingly innocuous operating manual for the ship.
As she nears the end of the manual, a set of lines changes her entire perspective in an instant.
She may not be just the product of a lab.
She may have a home world.
Although she tries to dismiss these thoughts, they niggle at the back of her mind. Deep down, it seems that Ehli knew she has always been different from other Iscillians, even though that should be impossible due to her programming. Maybe this possibility of a home world is a missing link that could help her understand her place and purpose better.
It could explain why Ehli felt the need to establish a secret real name for herself (Ehli), instead of the generic identifier (LE01) assigned to her by her creators. It could explain why Ehli always seems to paint using the same colors and style, as though memories of somewhere she has never been are trying to work their way out. It could explain why Ehli seems to be a cleverer and more prone to curiosity than other Iscillians, traits which always get her into trouble. It could explain why she seems both willing and able to, in some circumstances, to override the programming given to her in the lab.
To try to find answers, she enlists the help of another Iscillian, LS01, on the ship who works in the science department. She learns that LS01 is a bit of a kindred spirit in several ways, including that she also has chosen a secret real name (Laness) and that she painted in the same color scheme as Laness, though her style was a little different. When Ehli tells Laness of her discovery, the two work together to form a plan for how to find out the truth. As a start, Laness takes DNA samples from them both to examine in the lab.
Very shortly after, Ehli is summoned to the lab... where she comes upon a pile of goo that used to be Laness. Clearly, Laness was murdered. But, why? And, by whom (or what)? After being questioned by the authorities on the ship about any part she may have played in what transpired, Ehli is put on tight restrictions and her movements are heavily monitored. She does her duty faithfully, all the while mourning the loss of Laness, investigating out who killed Laness (even using clues that Laness left behind right before she died), and continuing to explore the mystery of what those two lines of text could mean in the operating manual.
As to the latter problem, Ehli uses to her advantage an opportunity presented in a persistent request from Commander Chezni to perform some questionable upgrades to the ship. Although Ehli knows that these upgrades are still dangerous (her refusal in the past to do these upgrades because they are too dangerous resulted in the Commander retaliating by filing multiple unfavorable reports on Ehli), Ehli bribes the Commander by telling her she will approve the upgrades IF the supervisor helps her in return by using her contacts at their next stop to find out some information (I don't think it's ever stated outright, but it's implied that Ehli asks the Commander to find out more about Iscillians and where they may be located).
In many ways, this story is a fascinating exploration of self-identity and how that is formed and altered, as well as the assumptions and expectations others have of us. For example, bribery is a concept completely foreign to Iscillians because they literally are not programmed to be capable of duplicity, yet Ehli manages it. And, even if the request seems odd to the Commander, she agrees to it (aside from fulfilling her goal of upgrading the drive in hopes of furthering her career) because it would simply never occur to her to be suspicious of Ehli's motives—it is inconceivable that an Iscillian could override their programming in such a way for gain, so Ehli's request is assumed to be to the benefit of the ship and crew.
Eventually, Ehli approves the upgrades, which instantly results in disaster for the ship and its crew.
The only survivors are Ehli (with strange effects) and a drone called BEETL, and they have somehow ended up in dimspace, with a broken gate drive and no way to get back to their own dimension.
I cared about Ehli and empathized with her, her growth as a character felt natural, and I was interested in what happened to her. I am excited for the next installment to see if Ehli finds the answers she needs about her people and if she figures out how to get back to her own dimension. I am also intrigued with the aspects of her identity crisis, and how she will handle essentially being the captain of her very own ship instead of being a custodian of someone else's.
I thought the descriptions of the components of Ehli's body (which I gathered is cephalopodic in nature) when she was eating or doing tasks, and of the colors that indicated her emotions, were interesting and fun. I also liked the overviews of the mechanical tasks she performed, as they didn't feel over-my-head or gratuitous.
Theodore has a unique rhythm to her writing style, and this novella is a good starting place to grow accustomed to it, especially if you plan to read The Peridot Shift series.
I really enjoyed this novella! I read it very quickly, which is unusual for me because I tend to be a slow reader, especially with sci fi. But, I couldn't put it down!
Ehli is an Iscillian, all of whom are living beings designed and perfected in a lab for a very specific purpose: to be ship custodians. They are sold as kind of non-optional "add-ons" to the owners of these ships, and are integral to the functionality and safety of these vessels.
Ehli is not exactly happy, but neither is she particularly discontented with her monotonous duties in engineering and the predictable nature of her life, until, after running out of reading material with no way to acquire more, she resorts to reading a seemingly innocuous operating manual for the ship.
As she nears the end of the manual, a set of lines changes her entire perspective in an instant.
She may not be just the product of a lab.
She may have a home world.
Although she tries to dismiss these thoughts, they niggle at the back of her mind. Deep down, it seems that Ehli knew she has always been different from other Iscillians, even though that should be impossible due to her programming. Maybe this possibility of a home world is a missing link that could help her understand her place and purpose better.
It could explain why Ehli felt the need to establish a secret real name for herself (Ehli), instead of the generic identifier (LE01) assigned to her by her creators. It could explain why Ehli always seems to paint using the same colors and style, as though memories of somewhere she has never been are trying to work their way out. It could explain why Ehli seems to be a cleverer and more prone to curiosity than other Iscillians, traits which always get her into trouble. It could explain why she seems both willing and able to, in some circumstances, to override the programming given to her in the lab.
To try to find answers, she enlists the help of another Iscillian, LS01, on the ship who works in the science department. She learns that LS01 is a bit of a kindred spirit in several ways, including that she also has chosen a secret real name (Laness) and that she painted in the same color scheme as Laness, though her style was a little different. When Ehli tells Laness of her discovery, the two work together to form a plan for how to find out the truth. As a start, Laness takes DNA samples from them both to examine in the lab.
Very shortly after, Ehli is summoned to the lab... where she comes upon a pile of goo that used to be Laness. Clearly, Laness was murdered. But, why? And, by whom (or what)? After being questioned by the authorities on the ship about any part she may have played in what transpired, Ehli is put on tight restrictions and her movements are heavily monitored. She does her duty faithfully, all the while mourning the loss of Laness, investigating out who killed Laness (even using clues that Laness left behind right before she died), and continuing to explore the mystery of what those two lines of text could mean in the operating manual.
As to the latter problem, Ehli uses to her advantage an opportunity presented in a persistent request from Commander Chezni to perform some questionable upgrades to the ship. Although Ehli knows that these upgrades are still dangerous (her refusal in the past to do these upgrades because they are too dangerous resulted in the Commander retaliating by filing multiple unfavorable reports on Ehli), Ehli bribes the Commander by telling her she will approve the upgrades IF the supervisor helps her in return by using her contacts at their next stop to find out some information (I don't think it's ever stated outright, but it's implied that Ehli asks the Commander to find out more about Iscillians and where they may be located).
In many ways, this story is a fascinating exploration of self-identity and how that is formed and altered, as well as the assumptions and expectations others have of us. For example, bribery is a concept completely foreign to Iscillians because they literally are not programmed to be capable of duplicity, yet Ehli manages it. And, even if the request seems odd to the Commander, she agrees to it (aside from fulfilling her goal of upgrading the drive in hopes of furthering her career) because it would simply never occur to her to be suspicious of Ehli's motives—it is inconceivable that an Iscillian could override their programming in such a way for gain, so Ehli's request is assumed to be to the benefit of the ship and crew.
Eventually, Ehli approves the upgrades, which instantly results in disaster for the ship and its crew.
The only survivors are Ehli (with strange effects) and a drone called BEETL, and they have somehow ended up in dimspace, with a broken gate drive and no way to get back to their own dimension.
I cared about Ehli and empathized with her, her growth as a character felt natural, and I was interested in what happened to her. I am excited for the next installment to see if Ehli finds the answers she needs about her people and if she figures out how to get back to her own dimension. I am also intrigued with the aspects of her identity crisis, and how she will handle essentially being the captain of her very own ship instead of being a custodian of someone else's.
I thought the descriptions of the components of Ehli's body (which I gathered is cephalopodic in nature) when she was eating or doing tasks, and of the colors that indicated her emotions, were interesting and fun. I also liked the overviews of the mechanical tasks she performed, as they didn't feel over-my-head or gratuitous.
Theodore has a unique rhythm to her writing style, and this novella is a good starting place to grow accustomed to it, especially if you plan to read The Peridot Shift series.
October 6, 2021
Sci-Fi that's Different, Mesmerizing and Wonderfully Evocative
Ehli is an iscillian, commonly called a bantam: a wonderfully flexible creature who is responsible for the upkeep of a starship, the Landor, and who can squeeze into very small spaces to make needed adjustments and repairs. Sold as part f the ship package, she’s no more than a thinking cog in a much larger machine. And yet, as Theodore paints her, she is delightful and fascinating, a whole world unto herself.
In many sci-fi shows, books and films, the aliens are very human-like – maybe they have different skin tones, or antennas, or big eyes, or all three, but they’re bipedal creatures with fingers and toes, two symmetrical eyes, and easily classifiable male/female gender.
Which is why I was so taken by the main character in The Bantam.
The book deals with two alien races – the iscillian and the xendari. Theodore only gives us a brief description of the xendari as “four-armed vertebrate sentients,” but the bantam are described in much greater detail.
Apparently bred to work with a starship’s systems as caretakers and upgraders, these alien beings have no bones, all the better to allow them to slip into tight spaces. They use vacillating skin colors to communicate with one another, and can stretch themselves out as needed, like rubber.
Although Ehli’s vastly different from human beings, Theodore uses a few tricks to her more relatable to us readers.
First off, the species/book name. A “Bantam” is a small breed of chicken, and little bits and pieces of the description reinforce this throughout the book – talking about her beak, her crop where she stores food until she needs it, and other little similar details give us something familiar to tack this strange creature onto. I can almost see her strutting down the halls like a giant, phosphorescent chicken, clucking happily away.
Theodore also gives Ehli very human wishes and desires: the urge to paint beautiful things. The longing for someone to call “friend.” And the pang of loss when someone close to her is murdered. These are universal themes that help bridge the gap between alien characters and readers, in this case to make Ehli memorable and relatable.
Oh and there’s another one. The protagonist’s official name is LE01 – short for Landor Engineering Oh-One. It’s a very dry, mechanical name, but in her own mind, our protagonist has renamed herself Ehli. Self-reinvention – how human is that?
Ehli discovers a secret, hidden in plain sight in the ship’s manual. It calls into question everything she thought she knew about herself and her kind’s origin, and sets her on a dangerous journey of self-discovery that will have grave consequences for Ehli and everyone around her.
The Bantam is a quick read at about 80 pages, a scintillating dive into an alien mind and a mystery at the same time. I read it with a sense of discovery and delight that I don’t feel with many books anymore. It’s also different from just about anything else I’ve read before, which is high praise. And the cover, by Galan Dara, is wonderfully evocative, and sets the tone well for the story and its glowing protagonist. Grab a copy and settle in – I’ll bet you read the whole thing in one go. I dare you to try to put it one down!
If you enjoy The Bantam, pick up The Silent Fringe too. It starts right where The Bantam leaves off. And Theodore’s book Underway is set in the same universe.
Ehli is an iscillian, commonly called a bantam: a wonderfully flexible creature who is responsible for the upkeep of a starship, the Landor, and who can squeeze into very small spaces to make needed adjustments and repairs. Sold as part f the ship package, she’s no more than a thinking cog in a much larger machine. And yet, as Theodore paints her, she is delightful and fascinating, a whole world unto herself.
In many sci-fi shows, books and films, the aliens are very human-like – maybe they have different skin tones, or antennas, or big eyes, or all three, but they’re bipedal creatures with fingers and toes, two symmetrical eyes, and easily classifiable male/female gender.
Which is why I was so taken by the main character in The Bantam.
The book deals with two alien races – the iscillian and the xendari. Theodore only gives us a brief description of the xendari as “four-armed vertebrate sentients,” but the bantam are described in much greater detail.
Apparently bred to work with a starship’s systems as caretakers and upgraders, these alien beings have no bones, all the better to allow them to slip into tight spaces. They use vacillating skin colors to communicate with one another, and can stretch themselves out as needed, like rubber.
Although Ehli’s vastly different from human beings, Theodore uses a few tricks to her more relatable to us readers.
First off, the species/book name. A “Bantam” is a small breed of chicken, and little bits and pieces of the description reinforce this throughout the book – talking about her beak, her crop where she stores food until she needs it, and other little similar details give us something familiar to tack this strange creature onto. I can almost see her strutting down the halls like a giant, phosphorescent chicken, clucking happily away.
Theodore also gives Ehli very human wishes and desires: the urge to paint beautiful things. The longing for someone to call “friend.” And the pang of loss when someone close to her is murdered. These are universal themes that help bridge the gap between alien characters and readers, in this case to make Ehli memorable and relatable.
Oh and there’s another one. The protagonist’s official name is LE01 – short for Landor Engineering Oh-One. It’s a very dry, mechanical name, but in her own mind, our protagonist has renamed herself Ehli. Self-reinvention – how human is that?
Ehli discovers a secret, hidden in plain sight in the ship’s manual. It calls into question everything she thought she knew about herself and her kind’s origin, and sets her on a dangerous journey of self-discovery that will have grave consequences for Ehli and everyone around her.
The Bantam is a quick read at about 80 pages, a scintillating dive into an alien mind and a mystery at the same time. I read it with a sense of discovery and delight that I don’t feel with many books anymore. It’s also different from just about anything else I’ve read before, which is high praise. And the cover, by Galan Dara, is wonderfully evocative, and sets the tone well for the story and its glowing protagonist. Grab a copy and settle in – I’ll bet you read the whole thing in one go. I dare you to try to put it one down!
If you enjoy The Bantam, pick up The Silent Fringe too. It starts right where The Bantam leaves off. And Theodore’s book Underway is set in the same universe.
February 23, 2020
"The Bantam" was well-written and intriguing, but one caveat: it's not a complete story. It's just the setup for The Silent Fringe. I'm not sure the story finds a satisfying conclusion even there. But the journey's interesting so far. You have to judge if you want to start a rather open-ended commitment to a series.
November 21, 2018
This is the first of Theodore's work that I have read, and I am looking forward to reading more!! This novella is beautifully written, with every detail intricately considered. I loved Ehli's paintings in particular--art and creative pursuits (and the humanities in general) have historically been underrepresented in science fiction, so I loved how much it enriched the setting.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews