LitPick Review
Baxter Moon: Galactic Scout is a fun science-fiction novel about a young, ordinary space cadet who is surrounded by an unordinary cast. A boy-genius, a super-strong girl, and a genetically altered chimpanzee complete Baxter Moons shuttle team. The book accounts Baxter's training as a pilot at the Galactic Academy of Scouts, and it also describes Baxter's unlikely first mission. Much like a sinister plot from a James Bond movie (see Tomorrow Never Dies), a group of evil robots called TVTrons attempt to ignite a war between Earth and the planet Aqua. The TVTrons main weapon: a TV signal that leaves victims in a zombie-like state while being addicted to watching TV. In such a perilous situation, Baxter Moon is Earth's only hope to prevent an unnecessary intergalactic conflict. Loaded with action and humor, Baxter Moon: Galactic Scout is a fun and entertaining adventure.
Opinion:
My first reaction when I finished the book was: "That was a lot of fun." For literary readers looking for great universal messages, this probably isn't the book for that. Still, the author subtlety raises some interesting themes. Baxter Moon, the protagonist, is really the only character in the book from "our generation" - the only one not genetically enhanced or influenced by future technology, making it easy for readers to relate to him. By examining the motives of the TVTrons, readers might see some realism in a futuristic setting: in our world of globalization and free trade, our society is bent on consumption and the dollar, just as to the TVTrons, this staged war is all about getting ratings. Maybe there is something to be said about this. The author also pokes fun at politicians in the end of the story saying, "They made more progress on that one-day trip than they had in weeks of negotiating." Thus, in the concerns of today's intellectuals, the author shines a cheerful light on the subjects. What made this work so enjoyable was the author's ability to expand our imaginations of science- fiction while providing an escape from our society's worries about an uncertain future.
