The Zarkazian Incident

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

The Zarkazian Incident is an early adventure of the Passive Swindler and her crew. The events of this story happen about five years before the events in The Last Flight of the Passive Swindler.

Recently incarcerated, the crew of the Swindler is offered a sweet deal, full pardons upon the completion of a simple mission. Get in, make the exchange, and get out. Easy, right? The crew isn't fooled; nothing is ever simple or easy.

Information

Status
Completed
Year
2024
Author
Michael.Hammor

Tags

ACTIONADVENTUREANTI-HERO LEADSCI-FIMALE LEADSHORT STORYWAR AND MILITARYSOFT SCI-FISPACE OPERADYSTOPIATIME TRAVELHARD SCI-FI

Royal Road Stats

Rating
4.8/ 5.0
Followers
4
Views
1,527

Chapters(5 total)

Reviews

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Community Reviews(1)

  • MichelleTheBelleRoyal Road
    ★★★★★ 4.5
    This story is a great peek into the characters and setting for a gritty-feeling sci-fi space opera with a classic scoundrel-with-a-heart-of-gold protagonist, with some Han Solo flavored overtones.  It appears to tilt a little to the cynical side of the sci-fi spectrum, with morally complex characters and lack of paragons figures.  The characters are well-defined and the dialogue and interactions between them are fluid and natural.  Enough history is introduced to hook the reader while still leaving mystery to the setting and their backgrounds, especially Riordan.  The story leaves you with a solid impression of the characters and a desire to learn more.
    The internal politics of the futuristic setting are intriguing without slowing the pacing.  It avoided the 'Phantom Menace" issue where the politics eats the plot and presents them organically to the reader as part of the progression of the story.  The pacing was solid throughout the chapters, and it didn't get bogged-down in technobabble.  It's soft sci-fi that feels plausible without getting bogged down in explaining the underlying science or engineering; delivers a kind of Firefly/Battlestar straddling, quasi-failing humanist future a la Asimov's Foundation.  Generally, it's a great appetizer for the setting, and I hope the sequel is as rewarding.  No notes, please write more, thanks for the read!