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Passengers & Perils: A Novel of the Archonate
PASSENGERS AND PERILS continues the story of the two central characters from the Jack Vance-influenced 2008 novel, TEMPLATE (PS Publishing and Paizo).
(SPOILERS, if you haven't read TEMPLATE)
Conn Labro is a manufactured human, created as the template for a legion of vat-grown super soldiers, but raised to be a professional duelist in a gaming house on one of the planets of the Ten Thousand Worlds. Jenore Mordene is a former showgirl who helps him navigate the strange ways of “normal” people. After surviving many perils in Template, the couple acquired a space yacht and are now hiring out for charters and small cargoes. This brings them into contact (and conflict) with cultists, thieves, organized criminals, various constabularies, and the deeply inbred aristocrats of Old Earth.
They'll also meet up with a confidential operative from the world Novo Bantry, as well as the foremost freelance discriminator of Old Earth and a corpulent master criminal.
(SPOILERS, if you haven't read TEMPLATE)
Conn Labro is a manufactured human, created as the template for a legion of vat-grown super soldiers, but raised to be a professional duelist in a gaming house on one of the planets of the Ten Thousand Worlds. Jenore Mordene is a former showgirl who helps him navigate the strange ways of “normal” people. After surviving many perils in Template, the couple acquired a space yacht and are now hiring out for charters and small cargoes. This brings them into contact (and conflict) with cultists, thieves, organized criminals, various constabularies, and the deeply inbred aristocrats of Old Earth.
They'll also meet up with a confidential operative from the world Novo Bantry, as well as the foremost freelance discriminator of Old Earth and a corpulent master criminal.
320 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 22, 2022
14 people are currently reading
12 people want to read
About the author
Matthew Hughes
202 books281 followersBorn in Liverpool, his family moved to Canada when he was five years old. Married since late 1960s, he has three grown sons. He is currently relocated to Britain. He is a former director of the Federation of British Columbia Writers.
A university drop-out from a working poor background, he worked in a factory that made school desks, drove a grocery delivery truck, was night janitor in a GM dealership, and did a short stint as an orderly in a private mental hospital. As a teenager, he served a year as a volunteer with the Company of Young Canadians.
He has made his living as a writer all of his adult life, first as a journalist in newspapers, then as a staff speechwriter to the Canadian Ministers of Justice and Environment, and, since 1979, as a freelance corporate and political speechwriter in British Columbia.
His short fiction has appeared in Alfred Hitchcock’s, Asimov’s, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Postscripts, Interzone, and a number of "Year’s Best" anthologies. Night Shade Books published his short story collection, The Gist Hunter and Other Stories, in 2005.
He has won the Arthur Ellis Award from the Crime Writers of Canada, The Endeavour Award for his historical novel What the Wind Brings, and the Global Book Award in the dark fantasy category for The Ghost-Wrangler.
A university drop-out from a working poor background, he worked in a factory that made school desks, drove a grocery delivery truck, was night janitor in a GM dealership, and did a short stint as an orderly in a private mental hospital. As a teenager, he served a year as a volunteer with the Company of Young Canadians.
He has made his living as a writer all of his adult life, first as a journalist in newspapers, then as a staff speechwriter to the Canadian Ministers of Justice and Environment, and, since 1979, as a freelance corporate and political speechwriter in British Columbia.
His short fiction has appeared in Alfred Hitchcock’s, Asimov’s, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Postscripts, Interzone, and a number of "Year’s Best" anthologies. Night Shade Books published his short story collection, The Gist Hunter and Other Stories, in 2005.
He has won the Arthur Ellis Award from the Crime Writers of Canada, The Endeavour Award for his historical novel What the Wind Brings, and the Global Book Award in the dark fantasy category for The Ghost-Wrangler.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 1, 2022
Matthew Hughes has written a number of works in his Archonate universe. This is I believe the second novel set in that world, and was originally going to be released in episodes. That experiment didn't work out for him and when he went to send out the whole thing I bought it. I'm glad I did.
Hughes' prose, at least in this universe, is very old-fashioned, almost Edwardian. Also, as befits a work that was going to be released in parts, the novel feels very episodic. Feels is doing a lot of work here - when you get to the end you will see that all of the episodes really fit together quite nicely.
The work is told from the point of view of Conn Labro, a manufactured human, first introduced in a 2008 novel. You don't need to have read that earlier work, as it's quickly explained that Conn has acquired a spaceship, a friend and a girlfriend. He's in the passenger and specialty cargo business, which leads to a number of seemingly-unrelated problems.
Conn is an entertaining character, largely because his prior socialization makes him think he's not as human as in fact he is. Several characters from Hughes' other works in this universe make an appearance; however again knowing of those characters is not required to enjoy this book. I found Passengers and Perils a very satisfying novel.
Hughes' prose, at least in this universe, is very old-fashioned, almost Edwardian. Also, as befits a work that was going to be released in parts, the novel feels very episodic. Feels is doing a lot of work here - when you get to the end you will see that all of the episodes really fit together quite nicely.
The work is told from the point of view of Conn Labro, a manufactured human, first introduced in a 2008 novel. You don't need to have read that earlier work, as it's quickly explained that Conn has acquired a spaceship, a friend and a girlfriend. He's in the passenger and specialty cargo business, which leads to a number of seemingly-unrelated problems.
Conn is an entertaining character, largely because his prior socialization makes him think he's not as human as in fact he is. Several characters from Hughes' other works in this universe make an appearance; however again knowing of those characters is not required to enjoy this book. I found Passengers and Perils a very satisfying novel.
May 2, 2022
Another Satisfying Read
Matthew Hughes continues to provide insights into times and spaces initially imagined by Jack Vance, but onto which he has placed his on stamp. In many respects I find His views superior to Mr. Vance's.
Matthew Hughes continues to provide insights into times and spaces initially imagined by Jack Vance, but onto which he has placed his on stamp. In many respects I find His views superior to Mr. Vance's.
December 13, 2024
More of Hughes' Vancian hijinx in the far far future. I have to say I enjoyed this read much more than my previous foray into The Spray (_Barbarians of the Beyond_). This was much less a novel and more of a collection of related short stories, which kept the pace brisk and entertaining. I liked all the main characters and their backstories, though I feel I may have already missed out on some of their escapades; perhaps they are recounted in a previous book or short story. I also enjoyed Hughes roping in characters from his other books, including Henghis Hapthorn and Luff Imbry.
Part of the joy of any Vancian-related work is the imaginative character names and this book was jam-packed with good ones.
I would give this book a 3.5 if I could. Recommended for a quick entertaining read, especially if already a Hughes or Jack Vance fan.
Part of the joy of any Vancian-related work is the imaginative character names and this book was jam-packed with good ones.
I would give this book a 3.5 if I could. Recommended for a quick entertaining read, especially if already a Hughes or Jack Vance fan.
May 24, 2023
A sequel to Template and in some respects even better, as Conn and Jenore travel and work
March 7, 2025
very enjoyable
and more so the second time : )
and more so the second time : )
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews