Whole bunch of reviews

Reviews are like buses: you wait around in vain for one, and as soon as you decide to walk home a whole bunch of them run you over.


Australian Speculative Fiction in Focus has not one, but two reviews of Hal Spacejock Second Course. From the first review:

This "second course", then, while it offers much to entertain the reader, also manifests a slightly bitter undertaste that makes the amusement of the narrative the more delightful.

And from the second review:

As with the first, I liked the balance of humour and action within the narrative, giving the reader a story that they are interested in the outcome of, not merely to serve as an obligatory backdrop for the comedy [... ] readers who enjoyed Hal Spacejock (whatever the reason for reading in the first place) will enjoy the second helping. The book is very faithful to the theme and style of the first and fans of the characters will be finding themselves laughing away once more at their (mis)adventures.

You'll find the reviews here. (Minor spoiler warnings for the first one.)


EM Sky of the Mind Unbound newsletter just posted a review of Hal Spacejock Second Course.

Book two in the Hal Spacejock series by Simon Haynes is as good as the first. Maybe better. I know what you're thinking: "No way! Even better?" Indeed.

Read the full review here


Finally, Fiction Focus is a reviewing journal published three times a year by the Western Australian Education Department. It's a selection and buying guide for secondary schools and other institutions serving teenagers. And, according to my publicist, their latest edition contains a 'great' review for Hal Spacejock Just Desserts.

I'm very glad the Hal Spacejock series is finding an audience in high schools. When I were a lad, we were lucky to get a couple of Clarkes and a dusty old Gollancz yellow jacket in the school library. Youth of today don't know how good they have it ;-)

As soon as I get a copy of the review I'll post more.

Simon Haynes is the author of the Hal Spacejock and Hal Junior series (Amazon / Smashwords / other formats)