Zeta Base

Judith Alguire

Completed 5/6/2020, Reviewed 5/6/2020

1 star

Wow, this was a lousy book.  The characters were one-dimensional, the plot convoluted, the science terrible, and the prose, well, nearly non-existent.  It’s another short lesbian sci fi novel from the early ‘90s, but this one had no redeeming qualities.  Usually I can see some good in a book.  Even some of the ones I’ve read recently, while amateurish, were still fun.  This one wasn’t fun, or even so bad you’d call it campy.  Somehow, this was nominated for a Lambda Literary Award for Lesbian Sci Fi/Fantasy in 1992, back when the gay and lesbian categories were separate.  It must have been a dry year for this subgenre.

Five hundred years in the future, humans have colonized many worlds, and have even created a synthetic new Earth called Zeta Base.  Antiquity, a science-philosopher, has discovered using old technology that the sun has begun cooling, which will destroy the Earth.  She has a plan to detonate a bomb in the sun to start up the neutrino production again.  The President, who is from the outer colonies, and Marcus, a lead technician at SOLCOM, the solar computer, have been ignoring Antiquity’s request to be heard regarding her research, citing the outmoded technology she’s using, and the mental decline.  Antiquity had recently been diagnosed with quickly advancing memory loss.  When they finally do bring someone in to check SOLCOM’s system, she uncovers a conspiracy to abandon Earth regardless of the ability to rejuvenate the sun.

In the meantime, Antiquity’s protégés have returned to Earth for the half-millennium gala of the galaxy:  Morgan, a daredevil performance artist; Deidre, a caretaker of animals; and Jaffey, a brilliant engineer who does the system check of SOLCOM.  Deidre and Morgan have some kind of relationship.  Jaffey had one with Deidre back when they were much younger.  Now, after all these years, Jaffey wants Deidre back.

There’s not much more to discuss.  I summed up my opinion in the first paragraph.  I give this book one star out of five.  I did not enjoy it at all.  At times the dialogue was beyond clunky.  And the villain had some of the cheesiest info dumps I’ve ever read.  This is definitely one book to avoid.