The As*trobiologists series by Olga Gromyko, which started off with a bang, gradually began to grow dull over time. The last novel, in which the main characters of the series didn’t participate at all, was a particularly tough read for me. However, I generally enjoy Olga’s books, so I decided not to give up on the series, even though, to be honest, I was afraid that this eighth book would be a real slog. But the novel See You on Cassandra! turned out to be livelier and more fun than the previous one. With this book, Olga has taken a few experimental steps.
First of all, the book was released only in digital format and hasn’t been printed on paper yet.
Secondly, in this novel, she seems to have decided to bring together practically all the characters previously mentioned in the series—both from the novels and the short stories.
The main focus, however, is not on the primary heroes, the crew of The Space Brain-Eater, but on the organization protecting cyborgs, which was gifted an entire planet—Cassandra—in one of the earlier books. The plot revolves around this very gift, as many are eager to share in such a fortune. So, at the center of the story are the guardians of the sentient cyborgs and their intelligent (and not-so-intelligent) wards, who find themselves embroiled in legal and other shenanigans to defend their property and good name. All the other characters either lend a hand or drop by for a visit.
And this “variety show” turned out to be both a plus and a minus for the book. The plus is the return of familiar faces and the lively narrative style, rather than the introspective woodland reflections we saw in The Cyborg and His Forester. The minus, however, is that there are simply too many characters, making it difficult for any one of them to stand out with their own plotlines. The main characters get enough attention, but the rest feel rather fleeting and episodic. And if a reader isn’t familiar with all the novels and stories, it might be hard to grasp all the references and subtleties.
As in the earlier books, it’s not the main plot that captivates, but rather the situations the characters find themselves in and how they manage to navigate out of them. Olga, who seemed a bit more melancholic in the previous book, has once again found her stride here. This is great, as the novel reads quickly and with that same energetic flair.
What particularly delighted me was that a representative of the Avshur race, who in the series tend to mimic every stereotype about Jews, takes center stage here. But they do it in a way that works really well. If it were a Jewish character depicted this way, it wouldn’t be believable, but a race that turns such stereotypes into their own style—now that’s a success. Avshur Sara was especially fun to read!
I’d give the novel a solid four-plus. It’s not a world masterpiece, but it’s a great way to brighten up a few evenings.
However, the book also includes a short story called Glass, which tells the backstory of the very cyborg from The Forester. Some facts about his biography were hinted at in earlier books, but here Olga decided to show how it all unfolded in detail. And this story is drastically different in tone from the rest of the book. It’s dry and even a little harsh. Yes, I believe it fits perfectly with the setting portrayed, but it feels out of place in the series. While the series does touch on serious issues of human-cyborg relations, it’s still mostly a romp, more buffoonery and fun. The short story, however, is something else. It’s good, but it’s different.
In conclusion: the book is good, and there’s still some fire left. It feels like the series has gotten a second wind.
My rating: 4+/5
