The Historic Mission - Raymond F. Klein - A Short Summary and Review
The Historic Mission - Raymond F. Klein - A Short Summary and Review
By: a.d. elliott | Take the Back Roads - Art and Other Odd Adventures
A Rite of Fancy Book Recommendation and Review
A Short Summary:
Jeff Trent and Genghis Khan are members of the Interstellar Police Force, sent to Earth on a historic mission to track down dangerous fugitives who have escaped into the human population. Their assignment should be simple enough: locate the criminals, blend in with the locals, and bring them back into custody.
Blending in, however, proves to be a little more complicated. Their transportation takes the form of a flashy 1959 Thunderbird, Genghis appears to humans as a Doberman, and their investigation soon brings Twinkie into the mix. What follows is a strange, fast-moving combination of police procedural, science fiction, and comedy as the unlikely team attempts to stop a killer while navigating life on Earth.
My Favorite Quote From the Book:
Questions to ponder while reading:
My Review:
The Historic Mission is silly space fun in the best possible way. Raymond F. Klein takes the familiar idea of extraterrestrial visitors arriving on Earth and turns it into a slapstick buddy-cop adventure. Jeff and Genghis are capable interstellar police officers, but their attempts to pass unnoticed among humans don't always go according to plan.
A surprisingly dark criminal investigation sits at the center of the novel, but the story never loses its playful tone. The contrast between dangerous fugitives and the absurd situations the officers find themselves in gives the book much of its charm. It reminded me a little of Men in Black: serious business conducted by people surrounded by increasingly ridiculous circumstances.
Jeff, Genghis, and Twinkie also make an entertaining little team. They are, as the book itself suggests, a couple of odd ducks, and eventually something of an odd flock. Their interactions keep the story light even when the plot turns toward murder and danger.
This is not science fiction that asks the reader to study complicated technology or wrestle with enormous philosophical questions. It is an easygoing, slightly ridiculous adventure meant to entertain. Sometimes that is exactly what a book should be.
And now I kind of want a Thunderbird.
The Sirens of Titan - Kurt Vonnegut
She shares her journeys at Take the Back Roads, explores new reads at Rite of Fancy, and highlights U.S. military biographies at Everyday Patriot.
You can also browse her online photography gallery at shop.takethebackroads.com.
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