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Hal Spacejock by Simon Haynes - and Hal Spacejock: Second Course by Simon Haynes
01/04/2004 . Source: Joules Taylor 
pub: Bowman. 271 page paperback. Price: $17.95 (Aust). ISBN: 1-877034-00-2 and Bowman. 311 page paperback. Price: $17.95 (Aust). ISBN: 1-877034-18-5. Buy from Amazon US - Buy from Amazon UK
nb: US titles may only be available from Amazon US, and UK titles from Amazon UK. check out website: www.spacejock.com
I like Australian humour. I find it bawdy, occasionally crude, but generally refreshingly unpretentious - and the 'Spacejock' books are all of that.
Hal Spacejock is a bargain basement Han Solo, interstellar 'man with a van' - the van in question being the Black Gull, which is in even worse state than the Millennium Falcon. Hal will transport anything, anywhere, anytime - with the exception of drugs.
He doesn't do drugs. So what does he get, all unwittingly, for his cargo in the first book? You got it.... You can't help but like Hal. He thinks quite highly of himself as a pilot (actually he's completely inept: the ship's Navcom does all the flying) and has absolutely no fashion sense whatsoever, but he's not arrogant and his heart's in the right place.
It's just a pity that's not the right place for him to make a success of his business... Then he acquires Clunk, the robot. Well, android, strictly speaking - he's human in shape, with a cheerful personality and is astoundingly intelligent and resourceful, which is just as well, given Hal's general incompetence.
What follows is Sci-Fi slapstick as Hal tries very hard to deliver his cargo of 'aromatic herbs' while being chased by loan sharks, assorted other unpleasant people and a very large, very murderous robot.
Unfortunately, the second book follows pretty much the same plot - at least until about two-thirds of the way in, when it suddenly picks up and grabs the reader's interest again. I suppose, given the characters and setting, some repetition of plot is only to be expected ...
Homages to SF films abound - 'Star Wars', 'Stargate', 'Star Trek' amongst others - some of the humour is literally scatological, and there are some strange, almost surreal gags: 'How much is that robot in the window?
The one with the squeegee and pail? 'How much is that robot in the window? I'm not sure if that robot's for sale.' The farcical elements work very well and overall it's a fine and chuckleworthy read.
Hardly great literature, but then, it never set out to be.
I look forward to the third book.
Joules Taylor
www.wordwrights.co.uk
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