Space Opera Fans discussion

The October 2018 INDIE Pick is Aye, Robot by Robert Kroese. Please use this thread to post questions, comments, and reviews, at any time.

Official description:
After interstellar con man Rex Nihilo hijacks a cargo freighter on a whim, he decides that he and his long-suffering robot sidekick Sasha have found their calling as space pirates. But when the ship's cargo turns out to be a cryogenically frozen religious fanatic who holds the secret to a vast galactic conspiracy, Rex and Sasha find themselves on the run from real pirates--as well as agents of the oppressive Malarchy, crazy space cultists and the Ursa Minor mafia. If Rex is going to get out of this jam alive, he might just have to save the galaxy... again.

Is this a sequel to Starship Grifters?

Trike wrote: "Is this a sequel to Starship Grifters?"
Yes.

Congratulations again, Robert, on the win for Aye Robot. It still amazes me that we are from the same town. Small world...

I love this series. The prequel was especially great.

Can't wait! Loved book #1!!

This is the first I’ve read one of this series, and so far, I’m about 2/3 of the way through. I’m enjoying the humorous style, reminiscent of Terry Pritchett and Douglas Adams. I really liked the variation of “Who’s on First?” in one of the early chapters.

I'm reading book 1. I hope to finish in time to get to 2.

Well, I went from 2/3 done to all the way pretty quickly. Turned out I only had three chapters left. The rest of the e-book was a bonus novella focused on the minor character Penny.
In all, I thought it was hilarious. Not much to say about the adventure behind it all, it was fairly contrived, but that's what you would expect for this kind of thing. The characters are pretty stock, like "Heinous Vlack" (love that name), but again, that's the kind of book this is meant to be.
I didn't read #1, and I really didn't think I needed to. #2 seems to stand on it's own.

I forgot to mention my favorite line:

“A cosmic martini,” said Rex, still wide-eyed. “My God, it’s full of olives.”

I won't be moving on to book 2. I can barely get through Starship Grifters. This is not for me. I don't find it amusing.

Rick wrote: "I forgot to mention my favorite line:
“A cosmic martini,” said Rex, still wide-eyed. “My God, it’s full of olives.”"

I have to say, my favorite line was the one involving the name of the ship the villain escapes in.

I note that in one respect it's very different from Grifters -- the parody aspects are more general SF tropes, not so much specific plot lines.