IGNITING THE REACHES

Drake (The Jungle, 1991, etc.), a leading purveyor of military science fiction, offers a trade war/piracy/post-Imperial adventure inspired by the Elizabethan Age of Discovery. Following the collapse of a rigid human empire in space, various groups from the Solar System vie for trading rights to former colonies and access to surviving ancient technologies. One such group is the Venusians, led by daring young spaceship captain Piet Ricimer and his loyal henchman, weapons expert and trade-baron scion Stephen Gregg. The purpose of their voyages is to steal advanced and unmatchable computer chips still turned out on remote worlds by automated factories that survived the collapse of the empire. But the cruel and autocratic Earth Federation, utterly opposed to the free-spirited Venusians, will do everything in its power to stop them. Complications include: the Molts, intelligent insect-like humanoid aliens with genetically programmed knowledge of computer-chip manufacture, kept as slaves by the Federation but treated by Ricimer as people; the presence of a mirror universe, rich in computer chips, that the Federation also intends to occupy and control; and opposition within the Venusian camp itself. Drake does a convincing job of constructing a 16th-century- style scenario without resorting to hoary and false naval metaphors; the upshot is a violent, hard-nosed swashbuckler, set forth with discernment and skill.