James Cobb, Cibola

Cibola

James Cobb

Five Star, Jan 2004, $25.95, 228 pp.

ISBN: 1594141088

United Nations Marshal Gain Chandry and his partner outside cyber citizen Lobo work a lunar technology theft case with no cooperation from so called law officials on the moon or within the earth based Hindi Confederacy. The two agents resolve the fiasco by their usual way of tossing a brick through a glass window when diplomacy fails. Their superior inside cyber Lilith applauds the solution that has embarrassed the Hindi Confederacy.

Though normally agents coming in from the cold receive an R&R, Lilith assigns Gain and Lobo to the Cibola Project. Johannesburg United Metals Combine, noted for asteroid catching, plans to grab the cometary Cibola because it appears to be a rich noble rock filled with precious metals not found amidst the asteroids. Someone easily broke through the company's security to attain the navigational plan. Fearing that a fanatic will use Cibola to cause Armageddon on earth, Gain and Lobo are assigned to ride the comet safely home.

In some ways this tremendous futuristic tale is two novellas connected by the United Nations staff. The action packed story lines are terrific as James Cobb uses the Hindi Confederacy subplot to initially paint his universe so that the audience can vividly see this space sector in a century or two and follows up with the Cibola tale to augment the view. The key players that transcend both plots are a delight whether they are cyber or human and the villains are either fanatics or avaricious. Fans of action-packed space adventure science fiction with powerful characterizations will want to read Mr. Cobb's hyperspeed novel.

Harriet Klausner