Avengers of the Moon

An orphaned boy, raised on the moon by mechanical caretakers, sets his sights on revenge against the corrupt politician who murdered his parents. And on this mission, he encounters the wonders of space, adventures, aliens, mysteries, and more. But when the young man dubs himself Captain Future, he discovers that dime-store heroics are far, far harder than he expected.

Avengers of the Moon is a curious beast, as Captain Future, a forgotten pulp hero who patrols the solar system, gets an updated look, backstory, and nemesis in Allen Steele’s revamped version of the character’s first adventure. Along the way, Captain Future manages to harvest all the best of his dime-novel origins without feeling behind the times.

The supporting cast of characters is similarly evolved from humbler origins, and for the better, as an android and a man whose disembodied brain controls a robotic body become hilariously sweet stand-in parents. Their banter and interactions with Captain Future are one of the highlights of the novel.

Avengers of the Moon is an excellent mix of the old and the new, one that feels inventive and familiar all at once.