Reviews

Hecate by J. B. Rockwell

kim_hoag's review against another edition

4.0

I am always looking for the good space adventure with a humanity that has been changed over the years. One that reveals more than just the ride it takes you on. And this is one of the good ones. You can see Rockwell's background influences in her books (I'm on the second now): dual bachelor’s degrees in anthropology and environmental science and currently working for the US Coast Guard developing and maintaining IT systems. Hecate is a ship that appears only in the beginning but its death — of the AI governing it — haunts Captain Henricksen throughout. This is a prequel to the Serengeti Series and while very helpful to backstories, it isn't necessary to read first. I feel that women who are good authors are often better at showing the nuances of feelings and attachments than men. (I'm a guy.) There are exceptions, of course, but Rockwell does a fantastic job of ferreting out the mesh of human/AI bonds. I was surprised that the author was a woman because of her characterizations of Henricksen and his best friend which seemed very masculine. That's all to the good. She also has a great space battle that is complex in its movements and happenings, as well as a revealing look of how black ops might work in the far future. The heart of this book is human, but on the periphery is the heart of the AIs who run the ships. Another good reason to read this one first before diving into the series. It gives you a heads-up to the state of the universe at this time and the life humanity had inadvertently created.