Synopses & Reviews
The copter began to spin in the opposite direction, faster and faster until sky and ground were just a blur. Hal heard Clunk cry out, but was too busy mashing the pedals and yanking the stick to all points of the compass to take in any instructions.
Somehow, by pressing and pulling everything in reach, he managed to get the copter level. He looked round to give Clunk a comforting wink, then stared in astonishment. The co-pilot seat was empty.
A beautiful and mysterious female passenger, a loony inventor with a basement full of deadly weapons, and a dangerous run-down teleporter built by a long-lost alien civilisation...these are just some of the challenges facing Hal Spacejock and his metal sidekick Clunk as they fight for survival in the cut-throat interstellar cargo business.
Featuring the incompetent Hal and the long-suffering Clunk, Second Course serves a piping hot dish of interplanetary chaos stuffed with more laughs than a cracker factory and more action than a politician's expense account.
Review
"A very funny follow-up from sci-fi supremo Simon Haynes." TravelLink
Review
"It's still too early in his career to assess Haynes' full potential...he's been writing for roughly the same length of time as Pratchett had in 1977, when he had just published The Carpet People. But Pratchett had to wait until 1983 for success with The Colour of Magic. I don't think Haynes will have to wait that long. He's too talented, the jokes too funny, the stories too well plotted." Colin Harvey, Strange Horizons
Review
"Hal Spacejock brings a breath of fresh air to a genre that often takes itself far too seriously. It's rollicking, slapstick and without a hint of self-importance. From his first appearance in Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine...Haynes has scaled obstacles that have made many others throw in the towel. His perseverence and talent have been rewarded, as will be the readers of this book." The West Australian
Review
"After reading the first Hal Spacejock book I wondered what Haynes could possibly write to equal its zany humour and rat bag characters. Well, the greatest rat bags in space are back in spades, folks. Hold onto your hats for another wild ride across the Great Unknown." The Specusphere
Synopsis
A beautiful and mysterious female passenger, a loony inventor with a basement full of deadly weapons, and a dangerous run-down teleporter built by a long-lost alien civilization are just some of the challenges facing Hal Spacejock as he fights for survival in the cut-throat interstellar cargo business. Incompetent Hal and his long-suffering metal sidekick, Clunk, are back with another round of interplanetary chaos.
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.