0
0
Back in the ‘80s, adventure was king. Audiences flocked to see fun, action-packed movies—everything from the Star Wars movies and Harrison Ford’s Indiana Jones adventures to silly family films like The Goonies. Now, authors Matthew Costello and the late Rick Hautala revive the classic quests of the ‘80s in their sci-fi thriller, Star Road.
Star Road joins a motley group of outer space travelers as they journey through the galaxy on the mysterious Star Road. It seems like just another routine journey for Captain Annie Scott; she simply has to transport passengers and supplies to Omega Nine, the last known stop on the Road. But it isn’t long before she and her gunner, Jordan, are forced to help a mysterious stranded traveler. And when they reach the first stop in their journey, it becomes clear that things have gone horribly wrong on the Star Road. Though Annie realizes that she and her passengers could be in danger, her only option is to continue on to their final destination.
Star Wars meets Indiana Jones in this action-packed sci-fi thriller. From the beginning, it’s clear that the Road can be a dangerous place—and when things start to go wrong for Annie and her fellow travelers, the suspense skyrockets. What would have been a risky journey on a normal day turns into a harrowing adventure as Annie pilots her vehicle through treacherous conditions, facing deadly beasts and road rebels with guns blazing.
Along the way, the authors create an imaginative futuristic world—one in which daring travelers can visit strange, distant planets…and the not-so-daring can experience the thrills vicariously, with the help of adrenaline junkies called Chippies, who record their own experiences using implanted chips. This is the kind of universe that could spark George Lucas’s imagination and tempt him to get back behind the camera.
As is often the case with sci-fi adventures, though, the story is light on development. Each of the characters on the journey has some kind of storied past—or is on some kind of important mission. And while some of the details come out eventually, others are left for readers to figure out on their own. At times, the lack of context can be frustrating—and you might find yourself wondering if you’ve missed an earlier book in the series (you haven’t).
Still, despite its lack of development, Star Road is more than just another science-fiction novel; it’s a classic-style adventure that’s just plain fun to read. So if you miss the entertaining thrills of your favorite action-packed ‘80s movies, you won’t want to miss it.
Listen to the review on Shelf Discovery:
