Angel Station by Walter Jon Williams

Angel Station by Walter Jon Williams


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


From Goodreads.com: Orphans born in the depths of space, they were engineered to range the galaxy in search of fortune. Misfits and outlaws, they defied the huge interstellar cartels that ruled space, always one jump ahead of the authorities.  Ubu Roy was the strong young bossrider of the starship Runaway, who held all of history in his remarkable memory. Beautiful Maria was an ace star shooter and cybernetic witch, who could bend spacetime to find the perfect singularity

July 2012 bookgroup selection.


I initially read this about 1990, while I was in college, probably suffering though some math or calculus class. I remembered enjoying it. Fast forward 23 years, add in the world of social networking, and it came to my attention that this might be worth a second read. I have to say it was, and I know I got more out of the universe portrayed in the book now than when I first read it. A little life experience can do that.


We have the economics of space life, where it’s every trader for himself and family. Where one bad run can end one’s livelihood and indenture that spacer and spacers family to planet life or indentured to one of the big Companies.


We have first contact. Not between governments, but between the little guys. Both sides want to make a buck and keep doing what they want to be doing.


We have cool aliens. I like a book with interesting aliens.


We have rivalry between the traders themselves as they fight tooth and nail to keep doing what they are doing. And what happens when one trader ultimately succeeds in doing what the rest have been striving for.


We have some good science fiction with the singularity jumps and the shooters who navigate space. We have an electronic witch, able to manipulate electrons, but not always good enough to stay out of trouble.


So, ultimately, I thought this was a pretty darn good read the second time round.



View all my reviews