Red Dust

May 18, 2020
Cuban author Yoss (Condomnauts) brings a hard-boiled noir aesthetic to this uproarious space opera about a wisecracking, Raymond Chandler–loving robot detective. Raymond, an android cop on the Galactic Trade Confederation outpost William S. Burroughs, is tasked with capturing an alien fugitive, Makrow 34, whose psychic power to scramble the laws of probability makes him particularly dangerous. Inspired by the film 48 Hours, Raymond recruits criminal Vasily Fernández, a human imprisoned for the illegal use of the same ability as Makrow, to help track down the alien. Vasily uses his connection to a Romani crime lord to help Raymond hunt for clues, leading to an ill-planned showdown at an asteroid hideout that the two only escape thanks to Vasily’s physics-defying mental skill. Yoss plays the mix of sci-fi and square-jawed detective fiction for some big laughs while layering in loving allusions to the greats of both genres. Though the mile a minute plot briefly stalls for some late-night philosophizing between the heroes, it regains its footing and barrels into a cinematic shoot-out of a finale, complete with bullets, blasters, and samurai swords. This is good fun.

May 1, 2020
Cuban sf writer Yoss adds a dash of detective noir to his latest space opera. Set on an intergalactic trading post wryly named William S. Burroughs, this tale is narrated by Raymond, a robot clothed in a trench coat and fedora, a futuristic homage to detective-fiction great Raymond Chandler. The trading post robots were created to enforce the law and to handle customs among the three races who control intergalactic trading: Colossaurs are hulking, armadillo-like beings; Grodos are insect-like creatures that communicate via pheromones; and Cetians are aliens that closely resemble humans, but live for thousands of years. Humans still exist, but they are mostly small-time purveyors who trade Earth materials for sophisticated extraterrestrial technology. Making money is paramount and violence is to be expected in such high-stakes commerce, but no one is prepared to encounter a mysterious Cetian who possesses unusual powers. Raymond is tasked with subduing the rogue alien with whatever means necessary. Yoss has created inventive and dimensional characters within a meticulously orchestrated, richly detailed, world-building mystery that will appeal to Terry Pratchett fans.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)

June 15, 2020
The latest novel by acclaimed Cuban writer Yoss is a quirky blend of science fiction and hard-boiled mystery that follows a robotic police officer as he attempts to catch an infamous criminal--and save humankind in the process. A thinly veiled homage to Raymond Chandler, the novel's main character is a humanoid robot named Raymond, after his favorite writer, whose main character he emulates by wearing a trench coat and broad-brimmed hat. A police officer working on the William S. Burroughs trading station--which orbits around Titan and is the only station in the solar system where humans can make intergalactic deals with aliens--Raymond finds his mundane existence turned upside down when a wanted alien escapes his bounty-hunter captors while on the station. The criminal, Makrow 34, has unparalleled psionic powers and kills another alien while fleeing. Raymond's bosses--the Galactic Trade Confederation--want the potentially volatile situation resolved as quickly as possible and tell the positronic police officer to apprehend Makrow 34 before he leaves the system. After asking himself "What Philip Marlowe would do," Raymond enlists the help of a human with similar psionic abilities who's currently imprisoned on the station, and together the unlikely duo set out on a highly dangerous escapade. The trench coat-wearing robotic detective makes for an appealing and at times comedic protagonist, and Yoss' clear and focused writing style keeps the reader turning pages throughout. But while the worldbuilding is exceptional in some parts (an independently owned space station held together by superglue and staples, for example), the characters never rise above two-dimensionality. The narrative, however, is action-packed--literally jumping from one adventure to another--and the conclusion's highly satisfying. No real thematic punch but a fast, furious, and genuinely fun read.

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