Crossroads Publishing, $5.00, ISBN 1-58338-013-2
Sci-fi, 2000

It is the distant future in the distant world – insert “once upon a time in a distant galaxy” Star Wars rip-off theme song here – and interplanetary travel is conducted via rainbow slides. Two Selkade men, bestowed unique abilities to see these bridges, have four minutes left to find an employer – any employer – before a contract would see their services being given to some undesirable employers. Lura Luke, an inexperienced and pregnant free-trader seeking to expand her fortunes, hired these two men Tock and Doll, and this book deals with their adventures together.

Now, first off, I like the story. There is no messy love triangle thing here. It flows easily from one location to the next, in gentle, easy pace that I can’t help but to go along the flow. Tock and Doll start out total simpletons, but thankfully they mellow as the story proceeds, and their gradual erosion of naïveté is rather bittersweet to read. Along the way, somehow I begin to care for Lura.

Having said that, the first half of the book is very easy to put down. Sometimes too easy. It is only towards the end when everything spirals into one exciting rescue that things begin picking up tremendously. The writing at the first half sometimes feel forced and awkward, especially in the dialogues. Also, the overuse of BLOCK LETTERS like THIS in ALMOST EVERY OTHER PARAGRAPH is very IRRITATING. I feel really being put on by the author. Come on, I can understand when a point is being reiterated WITHOUT BEING KNOCKED IN MY HEAD LIKE THIS!

Sorry, I got carried away.

At the end of the day, Heroes Need a Captain is a pretty decent read for that hot, lazy, sunny afternoon when there’s nothing fun to do except to laze around. Which, come to think of it, isn’t often, as far as I’m concerned. Oh well.