F.M. Busby won the Hugo Award for Best Fanzine. And no, I didn't know that a Hugo for Best Fanzine was a thing until I came across it on Busby's Wikipedia page. He spent most of his writing career living in the Seattle area, where he passed away in 2005.
In Rebels' Seed a group of "space pirates" are attempting to reintegrate into intergalactic society. Their emissary to this end is a young girl, Lisele, who becomes part of a military expedition. After her ship is stranded in orbit around a distant planet, both her training and her decisive nature become crucial factors in her shipmates' survival on a hostile world.
It's fairly standard stuff in the realm of science fiction, with the scientific aspects being the orbital mechanics involved in the ship's journey, and the engineering challenges related to rescuing a downed spacecraft. Aside from these mostly convincing assays into future technologies, the characters in this novel are well written and believable.
It's just too bad this book was burdened with such a terrible cover. Really, that spooky face above the stupid-looking spaceship is one of the worst ever. Who commissioned that?
Two other problems with this novel: the first chapter, which tries and fails to recapitulate the three books that came before it, and the engineering problem near the end, which is described in WAY too much detail. These problems don't completely undermine the story, but they're annoying imperfections in what was otherwise a worthwhile book.
Rebel's Seed won't impress anyone already versed in the genre, but it's an engaging read. The author took his craft seriously and it shows.
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