By pure happenstance, I read Lyn Brittan's LANA'S COMET and KS Augustin's OVERCLOCKED back-to-back. It
turned out to be a great double feature reading experience for a number of
reasons.
Both novellas feature scientist/doctor
PoC heroines and "good guy" (yet flawed) heroes. What really floated
my boat, though, were the stories' progressive elements and themes and
thoughtful social commentary. LANA'S COMET and OVERCLOCKED aren't the only SFRs
to accomplish such goals, of course, but it was pretty neat that two books in a
row hit my sweet spot in ways that were both different and similar.
I'm going to pull a quote from each of
these stories since the passages perfectly embody two of the main reasons I read and
adore sci-fi romance. To avoid possible spoilers, I'm not going to reveal the source of
the quotes.
Quote
#1
"Intimacy was as much part of the
human condition as acquiring knowledge."
Quote
#2
"He'd saved her. Twice.
"She'd saved him. Twice."
Aren't they great? The first quote
captures the spirit of SFR while the second reflects the dual-heroic journey
narrative often found in this genre. In other words, the awesome fantasy of the
hero and heroine taking turns saving each other!
Both stories also deliver equality between the hero and heroine. There were power imbalances at
the start, but not of the sexual kind. All four of them are ambitious professionals
with numerous skill sets, meaning that the "extraordinary character" playing field was level for each couple. They also shared equal responsibility regarding
saving the day, to put it generally. Yet their heroics weren't without cost,
which lent both tales a bittersweet note.
I wish the stories had been longer
because I enjoyed visiting their worlds.
Here are the covers and blurbs for each
book, followed by a few non-spoiler tags:
LANA'S COMET
Drill Instructor Cyprus Dhoma lives and
dies by the Outer Settlement Agency badge on his shoulder. Every soldier in the
solar system wants to be him and just as well, he's trained half of 'em. But
when a loud, obnoxious and completely insane recruit signs up for the next
round of basic training, it'll test the famous control and reputation he's
spent years building up.
Lana hates the military. Everything
about OSA completely, totally and unredeemingly sucks - except for the hottie
instructor with the bad attitude. He may be annoyed with her now, but she's on
a secret mission and needs his help. It'll take a lot of work to bring him in
line, but she'll be doggoned if she doesn't get him in tow. Besides, a man that
cute shouldn't be that pissed off.
Tags
* Forbidden romance
* action-adventure quotient: moderate
* diversity bonus at the end
* heat level: steamy
* equal balance of romance and external
plot
* worldbuilding includes cli-fi element
* the story's social commentary touches
upon themes of racism, privilege, and gender roles. Some of it plays out in
the dialogue between the hero and heroine, which is awesome.
OVERCLOCKED
In a new world, there are new challenges, new dangers…new ways to die.
Carl Orin, Basement Five’s first cybernaut is lost in a universe of bits and bytes. His rival, Dr. Tania Flowers, should be happy that karma has bitten Carl in the backside, but she’s itching to get into cyberspace herself and what better excuse than a one-woman rescue mission?
Tania thinks she’s prepared for what she’ll find, but she’s about to discover that the digital world is more dangerous than she imagined. When she finds Carl, she faces a bigger issue than her injured pride. An AI-fuelled botnet is devastating the digital landscape, and only a suicide mission into its core will avert total disaster. In the midst of their rekindled passion, hard decisions need to be made. Who will attempt the impossible? Who will stay behind? And what happens if either of them fails?
Tags
* reunited lovers
* plausible, fully-realized cyberpunk
setting; hard SF elements
* chilling exploration of malware
threats
* erotic heat level with lots of external
plot
* action-adventure quotient: low
* intellectual stimulation: high
* social commentary examines gender
roles, particularly as they relate to the workplace.
***
Happy reading!
Joyfully yours,
Heather