''Void Dogs''
is a
fantasy Space Opera by
Alexandra Erin, better known for the adult fantasy series
Tales of MU. This lighter, more comedic story follows the misadventures of the crew of the
Shays Rebellion, a deep space cargo ship owned by a shady businessman and manned by nameless
RedShirts and a crew of "lovable" rogues, including:
- Lilliana Corsair, scheming "den mother" and manager of the ship's affairs.
- Dick Unger, the pilot.
- Regan Bard, delusional mechanic. Possible exiled prince.
- Galatea Adams, oversexed computer expert.
- Leo Parda, a genetically altered cat man.
- Nick Bradley, a practitioner of the "clone lifestyle."
- Handy, AKA Handjob, one of a group of mass-produced parahumans with another set of arms instead of legs.
The ship's owner, Daniel Shays, doesn't care what the crew does as long as they keep the money coming in.
Provides examples of:
- Anvil On Head: When the ship is boarded, Handy drops various items including a bowling ball and an anchor onto the intruders.
- Author Filibuster: In a couple places, the action halts while the narration or a character explains something that bugs the author about science fiction. It's Played for Laughs.
- A Wizard Did It: Faster-than-Light Travel, Artificial Gravity, anything else that's impossible or wildly improbable according to the laws of physics is said to be magic instead.
- Badass: Cicada, Shays' hulking cybernetic bodyguard/enforcer/possible girlfriend.
- BFG: Cicada's GSMR gun.
- BFS: Regan's monoedge sword.
- Cool Starship: The Rebellion.
- Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: Regan, full stop. Most of the time, she barely sees competent. When the fighting starts, it's a different story. It helps that she's also The Berserker.
- Space Is an Ocean: Completely averted. A ship that loses engine power has to shunt back to sub-light speed or risk destruction, but will continue to move in the same speed and direction. Quite a lot of Space Does Not Work That Way is avoided, actually.
- Cloud Cuckoolander: Regan. Half of what she says is delusions. The other half is lies.
- The Caper: The museum job.
- Deadpan Snarker: Leo.
- Dirty Coward: Daniel Shays. Is willing to throw non-essential personnel to a pursuing necromancer in order to make sure he gets away. Lilliana is a more pragmatic version of this.
- Future Imperfect: One chapter includes references to David's statue of Michaelangelo and Edvard Munch's famous poster.
- Not to mention Regan's favorite author, the great Irish writer Mac Twain!
- Plus New York city was believed to be a myth for a long time, "An English colony on the American coast, seriously?"
- Police Code For Everything: The Fickle Finger's security has a code for "exiled royalty has detonated a bottle". They also have one for "exiled royalty has detonated a turtle".
- Schedule Slip: Seems to be getting better, though.
- Space People: Liliana is a "space gypsy" while Handy is designed for zero-g work.
- Unspoken Plan Guarantee: The museum job.
- Wrench Wench: Regan, but don't call her a wench. She's actually the exiled prince of Nova Hibernia.
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