Status Updates From Space and Beyond (Choose Yo...

Ha! How did I get stuck in a forever war on a distant planet? Surely this wasn't the purpose planned for me when I joined the research team studying violent uprisings. A real nub of an ending here, too.

Since I've been watching Nickelodeon's Rugrats of late, I'll head to Planet Cynthia! :-)

Every time I reach this choice in the book, I go for the research team instead of Command School. Captaincy of a ship feels romantic and adventurous, but I know from real-world experience that such things are choked with politics, and there are no exceptions to that. I'd rather do some good as a researcher than become trapped as a slimy intergalactic politician serving no purpose but my own lust for power.

I should be competing my review of Robby Weber's Everything About You, but I've been drowsy all week and I'm not up to creating the final draft tonight. Instead I'll revisit R.A. Montgomery's Space and Beyond, a gamebook I love despite its objectively poor quality.

The early space storm ended. Let's proceed to Phonon.

How about I attack the gelatinous blob in self-defense?

Let's ask the politician some questions!

Does this book ever stop being weird?

Let's agree to help the gelatinous alien mass.

So weird.

Such a ridiculous ending. R.A. Montgomery is at his worst when his delusional political fantasies seize control of the story.

Let's forget our gelatinous tormentors and join the space adventurers! Though...am I still interested in reaching Phonon?

I want a diagnostic on my ship before I head off alone.

Let's return to the mother ship. I don't run my life on baseless instincts.

Zermacroyd really did nothing for me. How about I check out Phonon, my father's planet.

That ending sure was to the point!

"We can experiment with the past...The past is not lost. It is just changed into a different form."

—Pherantz, P. 17

This is the line R.A. Montgomery comforted himself with after his son Ramsey died at age forty. Powerful.

Let's start out slow and visit the contemporary revolt on the planet Cynthia.

I have no desire to order others around, so I'll sign up for research school.

Why is the research head being weird? Yes, I'll attend real Space Academy courses.

Of course I'll enroll in the Space Academy before I go galavanting off into space. I was only born a few days ago.