God Emperor of Didcot

March 30, 2009
Frost follows the characters from 2009's Space Captain Smith as the battle for galactic domination focuses on the planet Urn, which provides the majority of the galaxy's tea, source of the British Space Empire's moral fiber (or fibre) and strength. Isambard Smith and the alien Suruk the Slayer forge an alliance between Suruk's people and the British Empire to reclaim Urn, and more importantly, tea. To free the planet, they must battle the Ghast battle leader 462 and the human religious fundamentalist Johnny Gilead, who have created a messianic figure to rule Urn as a figurehead. Although part of a series, this outing stands on its own. Frost's attempts at comedy often detract from his intriguing story and characters, but aliens and strange societies build a pleasantly old-fashioned space opera atmosphere.

August 15, 2009
In the 25th century, war rages between the British Space Empire and the insectoid aliens of the Ghast Empire. In the first volume of a new sf comic adventure series, square-jawed Captain Isambard Smith is sent on a special mission to retrieve New Age herbalist Rhianna from her home on the New Francisco orbiter. He sets off in his slightly damaged light freighter, equipped with an equally unsettling crew, including best friend Suruk, a ferocious skull-collecting member of the blood-thirsty M'Lak aliens. Pursued by void sharks, android assassins, and an alien warlord with a personal vendetta, Smith collides with the universe in a raucously funny series of encounters that end in a smashing conclusion.

In the second volume, Smith goes to the planet Urn in the Didcot System to ensure that the empire's supply of tea continues to flow freely despite the sudden fall of the planet's government to the fanatic rabble-rousing Grand Hydrax. Joining him are a group of tea-obsessed nomads, a five-member elite commando unit, and other odd characters. Frost has created a likable bumbler in the person of Smith, a man with more character than intelligence and a heart much greater than his brain. VERDICT Fans of comic sf in the tradition of Douglas Adams should appreciate this very British, very funny addition to the genre.

Copyright 2009 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.