Currently Reading

Your Name Here Abbreviated

I’ve come to the realization that I no longer know how to relax. College can do that to you, but a bit of light reading puts me at ease and can really do the trick when attempting to take it easy. Although I have an insane amount of work, I decided that I wanted to read a fun book that did not require me to write a paper. Enter The Sheriff of Yrnameer, by Michael Rubens, a wacky, totally out-there, sci-fi, space-comedy. The main thing to take away here is that this novel is a comedy.

The book centers on protagonist Cole, who is perhaps not the ideal “hero.” Cole is a space-renegade/smuggler who is deeply in debt and must run and run fast, unless he wants an alien laying eggs inside his skull. In fact, think more Han Solo, but Chewie is replaced with a rogue-alien bounty hunter and a ship full of frozen, orphaned children. It is while running away that Cole finds himself inside a top-notch space cruiser that in fact belongs to a true space hero, Teg; however, with Teg away Cole decides to play and steals the ship. Cole is unaware that the ship is actually filled with two humanitarians, a despicably gross alien, and frozen children. Somehow, Cole ends up having to deliver the children and the two humanitarians to the planet Yrnameer, short for “your-name-here,” which is considered utopia, a place simple and free from big companies and selfish corporate sponsors. Once on Yrnameer, Cole is again expected to do the right thing and fight against the thugs who wish to exploit the citizens of this peaceful planet.

The sharp and quick language, and the colorful (and sometimes way too up-close and personal) descriptions of aliens are what make this book awesome. It’s well written; the story isn’t so original, but the characters are. This is Rubens’ first book and he does a very good job of capturing humor and parodying the space adventure story.

-Celia Vargas

Image Source:
http://suvudu.com/files/mt-files/SheriffYrnameer.jpg