Zero World

Starred review from June 1, 2015
This massive brick of a science fiction thriller smashes The Bourne Identity together with The End of Eternity to create a thrilling action rampage that confirms Hough (the Dire Earth Cycle) as an important new voice in genre fiction. Peter Caswell, a cybernetically enhanced assassin from a futuristic Earth, and Melni Tavan, a deep-cover operative from a strange incarnation of the 1950s, are two deeply complicated and conflicted spies. Neither can complete their objectives without the other, and their superiors—and enemies—have hidden and often competing motives and plans. Melni and Peter frequently take turns narrating the story, allowing Hough to show off his prodigious linguistic imagination. Melni is a wonderful and nuanced character with precisely defined speech patterns, displaying a marvelous attention to detail, which reflects Hough’s worldbuilding. Peter’s narration, in contrast, occasionally feels stilted and artificial—perhaps appropriate for a cyborg—but that’s hardly enough to distract from Hough’s otherwise immersive prose. Both protagonists are racial minorities in their respective times and places, which influences but never overwhelms the suspense story. Hough’s longtime fans will be especially pleased that the bonus content includes “The Dire Earth,” a prequel novella to his debut, The Darwin Elevator. Agent: Sara Megibow, KT Literary.

July 1, 2015

Hough made a big splash in the sf world with his "Dire Earth Cycle" (Darwin's Elevator; The Exodus Towers; The Plague Forge), and this new series set several centuries in the future is likely to be equally acclaimed. Peter Caswell is an assassin whose memory is reset after every job, rendering him ignorant of his dozens of missions. Sent on an emergency assignment to the wrecked remains of a fabled lost space ship, Caswell finds his position expanded when his handler gives him a new task that casts him off in the wrecked ship's only surviving lander. He arrives on a world that is eerily similar to Earth and is ordered to kill an escaped Terran scientist. As his mission extends past the deadline, Caswell begins to trust rebel agent Melni and question his entire existence. VERDICT Fast-paced and full of action, this mix of sf adventure and spy thriller doesn't skimp on character development, particularly that of the memory-damaged Caswell. Suggest to fans of James S.A. Corey's "Expanse" series.--JM

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