"Deathstalker" by Simon R. Green

Can you have too much of a good thing?

I had never heard of Simon Green before but this book came recommended by Amazon so I tried it. What a ride. Like a big summer blockbuster movie, this book has everything - every single thing from every other sci-fi story in the past 20 years.

The overarching theme appears to be the story of Buddha - a rich kid who grew up with privilege while others suffered in pverty. He has a n experience where he finds out how everyone else lives and it changes the way he sees things and he decides to change his life. Instead of remaining a vapid rich person, he becomes a crusader for good.

The environment for the story's events is a corrupt (space-age) Roman empire. A brutal society with rigid family structure, an evil empress, a gladiatorial games, and much family intrigue. (Something like the backdrop for Asimov's Foundation).

Take the story of personal crusade for justice, put it in a corrupt empire and add every sci-fi element and cliche you can think of and you get Deathstalker. Sort of a twisted Lake Woebegone, where the men are all handsome, amazingly proficient with weapons and feats of strength and the women are the same.

You like aliens? He's got aliens like the movie Aliens plus mysterious unseen aliens from other galaxies with mysterious technology and moives.

You like computers? He's got computers like the movie Matrix as well as rogue AI's and hackers. There are "family" AI's as personal servants and even a planet of AI's who fight the empire.

Like Han Solo? Just about everyone, man and woman, is a swashbuckling Han Solo character, complete with blaster and sword. It is a large cast of characters where every one of them is tougher than everyone else alive (which makes from some interesting battles). Not to mention the bounty hunters, cyborgs, undead wariors with chemical blood.

Technology runs the gamut from amazingly powerful "artifact' tech from the past to amazing powerful alien tech from the future. There are also people with ESP, force screens, hyper-space, personal shields, incomprehensible aliens gizmos and an all-power device that extinguishes suns in an instant.

This is one of those summer reads. A fun book with constant action. I enjoyed it, especially the novelty of it. I couldn't believe how much stuff he kept throwing into the mix. A fun read but im not sure I will pick up one of the numerous sequels.