Rescue One: Deep Space Thrillride

Review: Rescue One

Rescue One on GoodReads


by Michael Gardner

Genre: SF/Thriller

Review

A tightly written SF thriller, and I do mean thriller - this kept me hooked for the several hours, almost a single sitting, in which I devoured this shortish novel. Make no mistake, short is not bad. It's relatively short (about 35k words) because it's so tightly written and well edited.


A dynamite package lands in the lap of commander Sam Swain and his flawed but feisty crew, and they must keep up with the different ways it bounces. Characterization is just one of the outstanding things about this work; there is also the pace, plot, and their tangibly envisioned ship, Rescue One, almost a character in itself.


The presentation of the story unfolds in a nicely levelled and accessible way: Gardner is careful to present his oh so human characters individually, while never allowing the pace of the story to slacken. The ending has a very nice twist, about which I will say no more than... enjoy! Highly recommended, without any reservations. 

Fans of Felix R. Savage's The Vesta Conspiracy will almost certainly enjoy this, and vice versa.