Spaced Out

Dash lives on MBA, a moon-based establishment, with his family. He talks to an alien life form, Zan, whom only he can see and hear. When Nina, the commander, disappears, the residents, except for the rich Sjobergs, look in every crevice but find no sign of their leader. Zan even jumps in to help, informing Dash that Nina is alive, but just barely. When Dash finds moon rocks in Nina’s cabin, they immediately look outside the base to find her, assuming she left to gather more of the highly-sought-after souvenirs. Dash has to deal with broken helmets, meteor showers, and a tear in his suit, all of which could lead to instant death, and the anti-social behavior of the Sjobergs’ children, which could at least lead to pain and agony. He just wants to find the commander–how hard can it be? This sequel to Space Case can be read alone, but it’s preferable to read it following the first. Zan provides a dash of fantasy in a science fiction mystery, with just a smidge of social commentary about humanity. Dash is smart and quick-witted, and many readers will enjoy the toilet humor that appears quickly and often, as is usual with Gibbs’s books.