RNWY: A Space Adventure

As a huge fan of classical science fiction and something of a skeptic that anything modern can lay a hand on the works of Asimov, Adams, and other masters of the genre, I was pleasantly surprised by RNWY. Its quirky premise was immediately interesting to me; the idea that humanity has evolved to a point where people no longer age is an interesting one that poses all kinds of questions. It is the sort of thing youd expect to see explored in classic Star Trek.

I had some reservations with the idea of this being set against the backdrop of the fashion industry. I wasnt quite sure what to expect. I found Pablo to be surprisingly relatable and sympathetic; someone who seems to have it all but is still longing for the one thing he doesnt. I felt for Samantha as well, as someone who is obviously much more than what she seems but who is not taken seriously. Its a very relevant issue for todays world.

Much has been made of the humor in the story, and I will admit it was a tremendously fun read. A little slow to get going, but when youre crafting an entirely new universe you have to spend some time on worldbuilding. For me, it never felt overly slow, but rather very naturally paced. I relished in the time the author took to build things up and get moving. And once things take off, they really take off.

There was a lot of subtle, nerdy humor worked into the story (right down to the name of the robot, DOS) that I really enjoyed. Im hesitant to compare it to existing properties because in a way, this does it a disservice. RNWY is a fresh and inventive sci-fi story, the kind Ive been longing for. It contains some great humor, lots of adventure, and a surprising amount of depth and emotional resonance. These things combine to make it its own, unique creation. Im very much looking forward to seeing where it goes.

RNWY is a galactic adventure that is an entertaining read for fans of the sci-fi and fantasy genre. The story follows multiple characters as the point of views switch from chapter to chapter. Samantha, Pablo, DOS, Santoria, and others join up to fight the forces of evil in order to save the galaxy from being overtaken by a power hungry being.

This is novel is incredibly detailed and it really helping in the overall world building process of setting up a futuristic world with amazing technology, gadgets, fashion, robots, etc. It was such an immersive reading experience and I like that there were illustrations of some of the tech gadgets being used by the main characters. I wish there were more illustrations of these.

Sometimes the novel was a bit hard to follow since there were a lot of things happening at the same time and constant switch up of povs also got a bit confusing. I think it would be helpful in the next novel in this series to have a glossary of some of the characters or space gadgets used to make things a bit clearer. I also felt that some parts of the story were a bit longer than others. But I did enjoy getting a in-depth background of our main cast.

If youre looking for a space adventure, give this book a try.

RNWY: A Space Adventure (aka A Social-Media Space Opera) (RNWY Universe Book 1) by P. A. Lopez

This is a story that takes place four centuries in the future, where humans no longer age or die (they don’t die of old age, anyway). The main protagonist is Pablo Starr. He is antisocial, yet is a fashion editor where styles of pretty much everything are as ephemeral as a mayfly and social media have run amok.
Other characters include DOS, a bot nearing sentience, Samantha, a holo star and a host of others.
The story begins with a search for a lost love and proceeds to an existential threat by super-powerful aliens from the galactic core. Pretty serious stuff!
What I Liked:
The story asks and answers question about what would happen if humans have essentially unlimited life spans while they interact with intelligent bots and synthetic humans. The author has created a remarkable world. It is so creative and complex that it is difficult to describe. Reading the novel is to experience the mental equivalent of a sensory overload. It is imaginative, quirky, fast paced, and immersive. I do like the creativity, but reading the novel is like trying to drink from a fire hose.
What I Did Not Like:
It would have been nice to have some character development, but there was little of that. Dostoevsky this is not. Other than that, there is too much of nearly everything. Sci/Fi is all about new technology, but a good Sci/Fi novel needs sensible limits. The book glibly mentions, for example, a passenger capsule that transports people 6,000 kilometers from New York in a matter of seconds. This sort of thing should only be include: 1. If it is essential to the plot, and 2. If some explanation is given showing how it could be possible. I asw neither , in this case, and I could give other examples. Too much. Too hard to swallow. The overall effect is too confusing.
Conclusion:
This novel is an amazing feat of the imagination, but for most people it simply covered too much, too fast for one story. It nevertheless could be an enjoyable read for true-blue Sci/Fi fans. For that reason, I think it deserves a 4-star rating.

Well this book was quite a surprise! Sometimes you get to the point where you can no longer come across an original sci-fi story, they all start to blend together with cliche and similar plots. This one definitely broke the mold! What a fun concept. I love that the lost, wandering main characters find purpose and adventure set in a truly unique world built by a truly talented storyteller. There’s elements of our present day that were worked into this bizarre fashion obsessed future world, in a really clever way. The books a bit long, but it’s a quick easy read. What a fun trip!

Many authors have considered the possibility of what would happen to society if humans no longer faced the prospect of bodily decay and death. P. A. Lopez is by no means the first, but RNWY nevertheless takes a fresh approach to the whole idea. Rather than rehashing the tried and tested tropes of technological advance, Lopez introduces new concepts of established AI rights and takes the scene of new technology into the field of high-end fashion: an ingenius combination.

The characters in this are brilliantly written and down to earth, and although the exposition is occasionally a little extensive, its well worth it for the depth that Lopez manages to convey in each of their arcs throughout the novel. The story itself is thrilling too, but as in any great sci-fi, its the world-building that really shines through in RNWY.

I recommend checking out RNWYUniverse.com, either before reading this novel, to check out some of the foundational concepts, or as a supplement to reading it – its a great way of making the whole world totally immersive, and is a real testament to the thoughtful composition of this universe.