Starship Summer by Eric BrownMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is the story of David Conway and his new life on Chalcedony, a planet renowned for its Golden Column, an artifact that is mysterious and strange, no one knowing why it is present there. Conway meets some locals in the town of Magenta Bay and buys an old starship from Hawksworth, who runs a scrap yard in the town full of old and disused starships. Conway sets up the ship on his land and uses it as his home, but the presence of what can only be described as an alien ghost starts a string of events that lead to a revelation that will change everything for humanity.
I've said it before, Eric Brown fails to disappoint again with what is probably the best sci-fi novella that I've read to date. I can't quite work out an exact reason why I love this story so much, but maybe it's just the wonderful combination of setting, characters and storyline that does it. I ended up feeling a connection with every member of the cast, people who share a common bond in that they're running from their pasts and the demons therein. Brown relies on his often used 'burnt out' main character that he does so well and I love the way he builds the character relationships. I found myself almost wanting to be a character in this story and therefore was drawn in easily. A bloody good yarn and the perfect length with a great triumphant conclusion, a fine example of why the short forms suit this genre so well. I am now suitably eager to devour the other three novellas of the 'Starship Seasons' series. Eric Brown writes fantastic stuff, it's as simple as that.
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