Quarter Share
by Nathan LowellGenres: Fiction / Science Fiction / Space Opera
Length: 7:44
Published on August 9, 2013
Pages: 223
Format: Audiobook, eBook
What if we sent freighters instead of frigates? In a universe run by corporations, where profit matters more than life, how can an orphan with no skills, no money, and no prospects survive? When Ishmael Wang's mother dies in a senseless accident, he's given a choice. Leave the planet on his own or the company will remove him. To avoid deportation, Ishmael finds work as a mess deck attendant on an intersteller freighter. Find out what Ishmael must do to earn his Quarter Share.
One of my all time favorite audiobooks is The Wizard’s Butler by Nathan Lowell. There is a plot but mostly it is a very quiet book where most of the time nothing is happening. I generally hate that in a book. I don’t know why Nathan Lowell fascinates me when he writes this type of book but he does.
I tried to pick up another one of his books after The Wizard’s Butler but I didn’t get on with it. So this book sat on my reader for a long time. Once I finally started reading, I was hooked immediately. I got about 25% in and then switched to audio.
The vibe is seafaring story in space. You can tell that from the first lines.
“Call me Ishmael. Yeah, I know, but in this case it’s really my name. Ishmael Horatio Wang.”
When faced with only bad choices after his mother’s death upends his life, Ishmael signs on to work on a space freighter. He ends up as a mess attendant. He is in charge of making sure there is always coffee available for the crew and for setting up for and cleaning up after meals. That’s going to be the next two years of his life.
The story consists of learning along with Ishmael how space freighters work. He never wants to end up vulnerable again so he decides to spend his time in space maximizing his education to make himself as employable as possible. He also starts learning from his fellow mess attendant how to do some trading at space stations during his shore leaves. That’s it. That’s the story. And it is oddly soothing and fascinating. It is cozy and low stakes. There are no battles or treachery. It is just slice of life world building on a space ship. And coffee, so much coffee!!
“Hundred creds for ten?”
The old woman grinned. “Child, my husband would beat me if I took so little. You cannot ask that of a frail old woman such as myself. But perhaps I could sell you seven…” She continued smoothly working the leather.
“Eight,” Beverly answered after a single heartbeat.
“Sold,” the woman replied as she put the finishing touches on the spider web.
(at 56%)
Book Beginnings is hosted by Rose City Reader. Friday 56 is hosted at Head Full of Books.
