When writer/filmmaker D.R. Schoel contacted me by email to introduce me to his Galactic Culinary Society story, The Secrets of Umami, I was surprised and pleased. In his email to me, he mentioned that during these (COVID) times; he wanted to make something lighter and fun, much like stories he enjoyed as a child.
Of course, I am always happy to look at new material and agreed to read and comment on his story.
Overall, I found Umami hilarious and satisfying. It is a quick read at 44 pages, but in those pages is a tremendous story. The writing style is in the vein of Douglas Adams. It is loaded with unusual names for aliens and ironic prose. I think Schoel has met his goal in what he promises to be a series of such stories involving Jeane Oberon, Galactic Chef Hunter.
The story opens with an epigraph explaining that, despite being human, Jeane Oberon is a top agent for the Galactic Culinary Society (GCS), a body that is sworn to "Preserve and Serve" information on culinary delights from all races throughout the galaxy. Jeane has never failed on a mission before the accounts in this story.
Jeane looks for and finds a memory chip on a crashed ship on Alpha Bootis. The chip contains information on a strange food item that is shrouded in mystery, The Edible Sonnets of Umami. Yes, poetry that is edible. Apparently, one has to partake of the words and the flavors in the verse to appreciate it fully.
At any rate, Jeane finds herself before an assembly of the GCS. She appeals for backing to find and return the secret of how the esculent sonnets are produced and how they work. Some of the GCS say she will be successful as always, others say she is doomed to failure. She is commissioned by the Society to seek the secrets of edible poetry, but if she fails, there will be a price to pay.
She does what it takes to gain access to the single person who can give her the secret, but there is also another being who will go to great lengths to secure the secret for himself. Xstersiisterpeeze, a member of the Greelon race, makes it to the planet Umami before Jeane. The monk who possesses the secret puts them through several challenges promising the secret to the winner of the contests.
As stated in the opening epigraph, Jeane loses. But does she really?
The principal character, Jeane Oberon, is an adventurous young woman whom I would compare to Lara Croft and Indiana Jones. Croft is a strong, intelligent, athletic character while Jones is all of those things, he doesn't seek profit from his adventures. Jeane is always in command of herself, and through that, also in command of situations she finds herself in. She can assess a situation and make an analysis on the spot. There's no backstory offered in this story, but I hope that through future stories, we learn what makes her tick.
Jeane's rival in seeking the secrets of the edible poetry, Xstersiisterpeeze, is unlikable, but is also endearing at the same time. He seeks the secret for sheer profit. Always cautious when he encounters an unfamiliar situation, he holds back, letting Jeane face the danger before plunging ahead to meet challenges.
The owner of the secret of edible poetry, Brother Otin, seems to be a simple monk charged with protecting the mystery, but there's more to him than appears. Jeane figures out what he is doing and ignores it in favor of securing the secret. Xstersiisterpeeze also knows what's going on, but also lets it pass in favor of the immense profit he can make.
It is also worth mentioning the characters in the GCS gathering. Some were rather vocal and played a small part in the opening and closing of the story.
I usually try to identify favorite plot points in a story, but there is no single item I can point out without spoiling a large part of it. I'll just say the entire story is excellent.
My takeaway from this story is not all is what it appears to be. There are many twists and turns in this story creating amusement for me. Brother Otin first appears to be challenging Jeane and Xstersiisterpeeze to several contests, but he is actually reducing the challenge to himself. I'll let you figure that point out yourself.
Another important theme is the inclusion of a strong, highly intelligent female character. Jeane is amazing in her demeanor and is cool under fire. I want to know more about her and look forward to her role in future stories.
The Secrets of Umami may be short on word count, but it is long on intelligence and imagination. It is also long on humor and there were many times I laughed out loud. If you are looking for a break from serious Sci-Fi and wanting something quick and light, this is the book for you. Having a bad day? Umami will make you smile, and for that alone, I highly recommend it.
When Schoel sent me the book, he mentioned he is a fan of the Dune books. Then he mentioned he had included a huge reference to the Dune in the story and challenged me to find it. I did, so I am passing the challenge on to you. If you know Dune, you should be able to pick it out. Enjoy!
I'm a writer and filmmaker with a Master's degree in film production. But they say it's the experience that counts: I've worked for nearly twenty years with the Inuit of the Arctic on many, many television programs. I've also worked with Chad McQueen (son of movie icon Steve McQueen) on an un-produced project for Netflix, and wrote a feature film about a Jewish-Arab love story, Adam's Wall, released globally. I've presented a short film at Cannes (an autobiographical piece, The Fantastic Bus), won a Canadian screen award (the equivalent of the Canadian Oscars; is that worth mentioning?) and had aTop-10 documentary at the Tornto Film Festival, Sol, about an Inuit circus performer who died in RCMP custody.
I like to travel, having been all across China - excluding Xinjiang, where Uyghurs were put into detention camps, and I had to go through police checkpoints, sometimes twice a day - to Cuba, Mexico, Venezuela, The Dominican Republic, pretty much everywhere in Europe, and the Arctic. Lastly, I'm a lifelong fan of Sci-Fi and since I can't (yet) go into space... I like to daydream about it.
You can follow me on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/DRSCHOEL), and on Twitter (https://twitter.com/@drschoel2013).
The Secrets of Umami is the first in my new series, The Galactic Culinary Society. I have lots of surprising ideas to explore. To keep up-to-date on all things related to the GCS and Intergalactic Chef Hunter, Jeane Oberon, you can sign up for my newsletter at GCS NEWS.
Well, there it is...
Qapla!
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