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Hal Spacejock (Hal Spacejock #01)

by Simon Haynes

Hal Spacejock (Hal Spacejock #01) Cover

ISBN13: 9781920731892
ISBN10: 192073189x
Condition: Standard
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Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

Hal glanced round at the fugitives, then jerked his thumb at the taller, bronze robot. 'You can be Clyde, and he can be Albion.'

'I think that's Bonnie,' said the shorter robot, in a deep voice.

Hal looked pleased. 'I'm glad you like it. My name's Hal, by the way. Hal Spacejock.'

An incompetent, accident-prone pilot is given one last chance to save his ship. An ageing robot is trusted with a midnight landing in a deserted field. And a desperate businessman is prepared to sacrifice both of them to get what he wants...

Combining relentless action with non-stop laughs, Hal Spacejock explodes onto the science fiction scene with the subtlety of a meteor strike and the hushed reverence of a used car salesman.

Review:

"The quirkiest genre satire to hit bookshelves since Terry Pratchett's Discworld." The West Australian

Review:

"Riddled with slapstick humour and glib one-liners." Courier Mail (Brisbane)

Review:

"A space opera full of humorously cringe-worthy moments." Dominion Post (New Zealand)

Review:

"An underground cult hit...just the thing to read when all you want is to forget your troubles for a while and enjoy someone else's engaging and well-crafted world." January Magazine

Synopsis:

Hal Spacejock explodes onto the science fiction scene with the subtlety of a meteor strike and the hushed reverence of a used car salesman. A perennial loser, Hal borrowed heavily to fund his intergalactic cargo business. His loyal customers evaporated after several highly publicized mishaps, and mounting bills have confined him to planet Lamira. As the book opens, the finance company is despatching heavies to all points of the compass, desperate to track Hal down and extract money and/or vital organs. Meanwhile, on a nearby planet, a wealthy businessman needs a freelance cargo pilot for a suicidal cargo mission. Ideally, he wants a desperate, debt-ridden loser. Hal Spacejock works on several levelsstraight humor, rousing adventure and social satire, and will appeal to fans of Red Dwarf, HitchHikers Guide and works by Terry Pratchett, Tom Holt and Robert Rankin.

Synopsis:

An incompetent, accident-prone pilot is given one last chance to save his ship; an ageing robot is trusted with a midnight landing in a deserted field; and a desperate businessman is prepared to sacrifice both of them to get what he wants in the hilarious science fiction adventures of cargo businessman Hal Spacejock.

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About the Author

Simon Haynes is the author of three Hal Spacejock novels, a number of articles on writing and publishing, and several short stories, one of which collected an Aurealis Award in 2001. He divides his time between writing fiction and computer software, with the occasional round of golf thrown in for a laugh.

Born in the UK and raised in the south of Spain, Simon emigrated to Australia with his family in 1983. He's a founding member of Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine, and lives in Perth with his wife and two children.

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What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 3 comments:
Laurie Bishop, October 15, 2007 (view all comments by Laurie Bishop)
Hal: Not your typical hero. He isn't ambitious; his spacecraft is a flying deathtrap; he's fleeing his creditors; and he is fond of Hal, and no one else in particular.

Along comes Clunk, a personable robot who is nearing the end of his useful life. Clunk bears a similarity to C3P0, except he is smarter and fastidious only about things that matter.

Clunk teams up with Hal in the line of duty, tactfully making up for Hal's deficiencies in knowledge and technical skill, putting up with Hal's surliness, cavalier attitude and generally self-serving nature.

Together they make a space comedy act that is quite hilarious at times, while keeping you on the edge of your seat with their combined antics. It's a nice hero's journey, too: we discover Hal's heart under all his attitude by the end of the book.

I've always loved quirky humor, and Hal Spacejock is just my cup of tea. I'm ordering the second book because I just have to see what this pair gets up to next.
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Kayabound, August 5, 2007 (view all comments by Kayabound)
Han Solo meets Hitchhikers Guide! This is some funny stuff. It really is laugh out loud funny. I just came off a binge in the Star Wars universe so I couldn't help but see similarities and enjoyed every one of them!

I have dabbled myself with writing and actually came across Simon's site, the author, due to a software application he made for writers I had seen good reviews in other locations. I certainly wasn't looking for something to read as I have a HUGE backlog of other books just waiting for me to have some spare time to pick up. However, I ended up with a copy of Hal and it was a joy to read. Its a quick read, not too intellectual, which too much sci-fi tries to do these days, and just the right mix of humor, excitement, and adventure.

The interaction between characters is a roller coaster of good times for all. I read 3-4 books a month and rarely do I put one down and immediately start seeking out more of the same. I like to jump genres to keep my mind fresh, right now all I want is more of Hal and Clunk!

If you enjoy a world of quirky characters and side splitting humor. Here is your new base of operations! You will not regret it!
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EM, July 19, 2007 (view all comments by EM)
I just finished the first book in the Hal Spacejock series by Simon Haynes, and I couldn't possibly count the number of times I laughed out loud.

I do know it started with the very first page. To set the scene, our hero, Hal Spacejock himself, is playing chess against his spaceship's navigational computer:

-----------------------

'Your turn,' said the Navcom, in a neutral female voice.

'I'm thinking.'

'While you're planning your opening move, can I tell you about a special offer?'

'What kind of offer?' asked Hal suspiciously.

'Planet Books have a chess title on sale.'

[...]

'Chess for the intellectually challenged?' said Hal, staring at the cover in disbelief. 'Is this some kind of joke?'

'It's part of a popular series,' said the Navcom.

'What are the others? Interstellar navigation for nutters? Moon landings for morons?'

'Shall I add those titles to your basket?'

-----------------------

This book had me roaring. From the first page to the last, Hal Spacejock is a comically lovable idiot -- the dubious hero with a heart of gold buried under a whole cargo load of impatience, underhandedness, laughably questionable habits and an indomitable devil-may-care attitude. His faithful sidekick robot, Clunk -- with enough common sense for two and a healthy dose of good guy morality -- saves Hal's foolish hide at every turn and steals the show on every glorious page.

Add in a smart-mouth shipboard computer, a debt collector with a burly robot henchman, and two competing industrial tycoons who would do just about anything to get their hands on a shipment of robot parts, and you have the perfect recipe for one wild and uproarious ride across the galaxy and back again.
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Product Details

ISBN:
9781920731892
Author:
Haynes, Simon
Publisher:
Fremantle Arts Centre Press
Subject:
Science Fiction - General
Subject:
Science Fiction and Fantasy-A to Z
Subject:
Action & Adventure
Copyright:
2006
Edition Description:
Second Edition, Second edition
Series:
Hal Spacejock
Series Volume:
01
Publication Date:
September 2005
Binding:
MASS MARKET
Language:
English
Pages:
400
Dimensions:
7 x 4.5 x 1 in 0.29 lb
Age Level:
from 10
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Related Subjects

Fiction and Poetry » Science Fiction and Fantasy » A to Z

Hal Spacejock (Hal Spacejock #01) Used Mass Market
0 stars - 0 reviews
$10.95 In Stock
Product details 400 pages Intl Specialized Book Service Inc - English 9781920731892 Reviews:
"Review" by , "The quirkiest genre satire to hit bookshelves since Terry Pratchett's Discworld."
"Review" by , "Riddled with slapstick humour and glib one-liners."
"Review" by , "A space opera full of humorously cringe-worthy moments."
"Review" by , "An underground cult hit...just the thing to read when all you want is to forget your troubles for a while and enjoy someone else's engaging and well-crafted world."
"Synopsis" by , Hal Spacejock explodes onto the science fiction scene with the subtlety of a meteor strike and the hushed reverence of a used car salesman. A perennial loser, Hal borrowed heavily to fund his intergalactic cargo business. His loyal customers evaporated after several highly publicized mishaps, and mounting bills have confined him to planet Lamira. As the book opens, the finance company is despatching heavies to all points of the compass, desperate to track Hal down and extract money and/or vital organs. Meanwhile, on a nearby planet, a wealthy businessman needs a freelance cargo pilot for a suicidal cargo mission. Ideally, he wants a desperate, debt-ridden loser. Hal Spacejock works on several levelsstraight humor, rousing adventure and social satire, and will appeal to fans of Red Dwarf, HitchHikers Guide and works by Terry Pratchett, Tom Holt and Robert Rankin.
"Synopsis" by ,

An incompetent, accident-prone pilot is given one last chance to save his ship; an ageing robot is trusted with a midnight landing in a deserted field; and a desperate businessman is prepared to sacrifice both of them to get what he wants in the hilarious science fiction adventures of cargo businessman Hal Spacejock.
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