Ms. Hen reviews The Godel Operation

 

The Godel Operation

James L. Cambias

2021

Baen Publishing

Ms. Hen decided to read this book because she might go to a book club that is discussing this. She has never been to a book club before, and she's not sure why. It might be because she doesn't like the idea of someone telling her what to read, but she likes the idea of talking to people about books, which is her passion in life.

When she read the first four pages of this book, she hated it. There are so many adjectives in this book! When Ms. Hen was in writing school, she was taught not to use that many adjectives or adverbs in her writing. She gave the book another chance, and somehow got used to the descriptors.

This novel is described as a "space opera." This novel takes place eight centuries in the future, and it starts on Raba, which is in the Uranus system. It's about a boy named Zee who has a friend that's a droid, and they go on an adventure together. The novel is told through the point of view of Daslakh, the droid. 

They are working together in a mine, and Daslakh notices that Zee has been slacking off, so he asks God for help. God, in the form of a penguin, inserts memories into Zee that never existed, that he was in love with a girl named Kusti Sendoa, who is actually a character in an entertainment. They try to acquire the Godel Trigger, on the way meeting Adya, a woman from Miranda.

Ms. Hen thinks there are some very good world building descriptions in this novel. The character Adya's skin turns different colors when she is in different moods, like a mood ring. Adya's ship is in the form of a whale. Printers are everywhere that print clothes for people and food, but real things are coveted. An auction occurs where people are trying to purchase antiques.

Ms. Hen found a few Shakespeare references. The deceit that happened to Zee reminds Ms. Hen of MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING in the way that it is silly, but not predictable. The moons are also named after Shakespearean characters, Puck and Miranda. Those are the actual names of the moons around Uranus. Most of the moons around Uranus have similar Shakespeare inspired names.

Ms. Hen liked this book, but she found she had to take breaks from reading it. It might have been because of the adjectives. She thought it was fun, and would recommend it to people who like heavy science fiction. It reminded her of STAR WARS and STAR TREK, which she loves, but she doesn't usually read books similar to this. There's adventure, and love, and vivid descriptions of a universe that doesn't exist yet, but might someday.