This humorous science fiction novel displays a future where corporations run the galaxy and the employees are bought and sold as slaves from department to department selling products as models, performing as musicians, driving shuttles buses, and so on.
With mildly funny sarcastic pokes and satirical probes, Space Tripping uses an ensemble of young musicians (and an acrobat) known as the Shredded Orphans who play a genre known as seismic rock. Their adventure begins with a fateful crash landing, leading them to a group of “misplaced” advertising slaves and causing them to miss their scheduled concerts. Each leg of the misadventure amplifies the flatness of the characters who struggle to improve their image points in order to keep from being sold off by their current owner. They move about the city committing indecent and obscene acts in public and asking for reviews.
Where the characters are wanting, the world building makes up some of the image points for the book. Brand names become characters in and of themselves, developing a universe where everyone is subjected to materialism at its height and pleasure is purchased with credits.
3 Stars – Flat characters but interesting world-building.
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