Alien Safari

Reminiscent of Old-School Sci-Fi

Review by: The Audiobook ReviewAlien Safari, written by Robert Appleton, had me thinking of old-school pulp sci-fi space adventure style books. Nothing too complicated, but a decent plot, the hard-boiled tough-as-nails main character, alien worlds, murder, and political maneuverings.

Like old-school sci-fi, the hero came with a solid helping of misogynistic attitude and a damsel in distress who was often simultaneously extremely competent in what she was doing while being helpless and in need of saving by our hero Ferrix Vaugn.

Fortunately, most of that is contained in small sections, so you don't need to hear too often how Jan, our damsel, could be pretty if it wasn't for the alien scars on her face.

Moving on past that, though, the book delivers a solid sci-fi adventure. Based on the description, I thought there would be a lot of "bug-hunt" style action going on, but that wasn't the case. The planet filled with strange creatures was merely the setting. Sure, the creatures came into the story as needed, but they didn't take centre stage for the most part.

What starts as a potential murder investigation quickly evolves into something much more. As the plot starts to form, we get an interesting glimpse into the factions vying for control in the far future, and a mysterious prize everyone is after - the fleece.

Narration by B.C. Archer was decent, a gruff voice for most of it since the plot stuck close to Vaugn for most of it. The pacing was too slow for my liking, so I had to crank up the playback speed a few points to get it moving along at a pace I could enjoy.

All up, an enjoyable sci-fi adventure with the feel of the classic style. Plenty of tech, gadgets, and creatures to feed the imagination, and a solid storyline that ticked along nicely and kept me listening.

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I was given this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review. I have not let this gift affect nor influence my opinions of this audiobook and have left an honest review.