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I first encountered the author's wonderful speculative fiction in another short e-story, Harvest of War; I took a chance on it, since he and I are Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ friends, and I like to support the work of friends who are writers when I honestly can. This time, there was no element of chance; I knew the kind of literary artistry he brings to his tales, and I had no doubt he would have as deft a touch with science fiction as with fantasy. He didn't disappoint me!

This fast-paced, action-packed story is "sword-and-planet" SF, set on a far-future, terra-formed and human-colonized Mars. It's quite openly a homage to the work of Edgar Rice Burroughs (an author's note at the end explains how it came to be written), and very much in the tradition of the small-r "planetary romances" in that sub-genre's heyday. But where smooth, easy-flowing prose style, plausibility of premise and coherent, credible world-building are concerned, IMO, at least here, the pupil has outstripped the master (and I've read quite a few Burroughs novels, in various genres). Gramlich is as good a story-teller, and definitely the more disciplined writer of the two. His plotting here is taut and well-constructed, and employs a surprise denouement, with a masterful ending.

If action-oriented adventure with a science-fiction flavor is your thing, this tale will be right up your alley! It's also whetted my appetite to experience the author's long fiction as well, which I hope to do sooner rather than later.