After Moses
Matthew Cole is a quintessential freelance cowboy with a mysterious past. He rides into towns, not wanting any trouble, but always finding it. And in his futuristic world of colonized planets and moons, there’s plenty of trouble to find. Michael F. Kane’s novel After Moses follows its likeable hero into a solar system that’s struggling to survive after AI collapses and humanity grows corrupt. Cole himself grounds this story with his down-to-Earth integrity and kindness. But his next mission will team him with a motley crew whose members keep their own secrets. Kane fuses themes of grace and redemption into this sci-fi story with a classic Western feel.
Best for: Teen and adult fans of Westerns like Justified and The Magnificent Seven as well as Western/sci-fi blends like Firefly.
Discern: Infrequent mild language, alcohol use, alcoholic family member, smoking and drug use, undetailed references to human trafficking and slavery, Western-like violence such as gun battles and fist fights, mentions of gunshot wounds.
The review gives it a Firefly vibe. If it pulls off the floor without Whedon’s knee-jerk glorification of prostitution and running down of faith in Christ, it’ll be a treat.
In the novel After Moses! the Reader finds a futuristic cowboy moving about the Solar System with his trusty spaceship Sparrow in search of work. Whether it’s moving cargo like a freighter, working as an armed escort to a space tanker of expensive fuel, chasing down pirates, or freeing agricultural slaves, Matthew Cole is your man.
Atmospheric Venus, the Martian surface, Ceres, and the moons of Jupiter are humankind’s colonies. Earth has gone silent following a massive war and an apparent ice age. There are few details. But about one hundred years ago, Moses – an AI – appeared and worked his magic for humankind’s benefit. Now he’s gone. The colonies struggle on, hampered by humankind’s darker side for exploitive benefit.
Enter Matthew Cole, master of the Sparrow, seeking work. Marked with a strong moral compass from a religiously educated background, Cole takes on only certain jobs. Usually crewless, he manages to get the job done until on one assignment; an unwanted accomplice is forced upon him.
Events get more interesting from there.
Interestingly, each story or chapter stands complete. Yet each one dovetails into the larger build of the advancing novel. Eventually, character details become more fully revealed rendering full and satisfying personalities.
After Moses! is a fun and satisfying read – the first novel in a five novel series. Family friendly, highly recommended.