In Ashes Born By Nathan Lowell - Another Brilliant Installment Of The Solar Clipper Series

In Ashes Born: A Seeker’s Tale From The Golden Age Of The Solar Clipper By Nathan Lowell (2015)

It was just about this time last year I visited with my friend, J.P. Harvey, on Skype so he could tell me about the Golden Age Of The Solar Clipper series of books by Nathan Lowell. There are six books in that series that I started reading at the beginning of the holiday break from school and was so taken by the series that I proceeded to read five of the six books during that not quite two week break. I finished reading the sixth book soon after break was done. If you are interested, you can find my reviews of the first three books by clicking HERE and the second half of the saga by clicking HERE.

The events of In Ashes Born begin just a few days short of six months after the end of Owner’s Share, the sixth book of the Solar Clipper series. At the end of that segment, we left Captain Ishmael Wang, the owner of his own small freighter, healing from a wound he sustained in an attack from an unknown assailant who also took the life of his newly found love, Greta. Previously, Ishmael, or Ish as he is often referred to, had come upon a freighter whose crew fell to a tragedy thanks to neglect. Ish and some of his fellow crewmates went aboard the ill fated and adrift derelict Chernyakova and returned it to a port.  While Ish stood to gain financially for the salvage rights, he was also sickened at the condition of the ship and especially at seeing how the crew had all perished.

It is now May and Ish has sold his business and has banked enough credits that he will never have to work another day in his life. He has many options open to him but cannot seem to decide what exactly he wants to do. The only other home he has ever known, other than ships he has served on or commanded, is the officer’s academy on Port Newmar, where he has returned. As a captain and graduate of the academy, he is welcomed by his former captain and now commandant of the academy, Alys. He also runs into other friends such as Cookie who supervised him at the beginning of his career and, more importantly to this story, Philip “Pip” Carstairs, with whom Ish had learned the fine art of trading.

While Ish is looking for a new path, Pip has been planning to go into business for himself, and his plan includes Ish. Pip plans to purchase the Chernyakova, restore it to space worthiness and begin hauling freight. He wants Ish to be the captain, but the latter refuses the offer and comes back with a counteroffer to become Pip’s partner in the venture as well as captain of the ship.

Ish and Pip have many challenges facing them as the make arrangements for financing, but the challenges for Ish go even deeper as he faces what has transpired in the more recent past. Out of the ashes of the past, Ish and Pip rise like a phoenix and form their company, which brings about a whole new bunch of challenges and makes one great story.

Dr. Lowell continues to pen brilliant stories in this series of books. One does not necessarily need to be a fan of science fiction literature to find enjoyment in The Solar Clipper series of books. The “hero” of the story, Ishmael Wang, is an orphan who, partially by luck, and mostly by hard work and study, has risen to the top of his game as a captain of freighters that just happen to be delivering cargo between spaceports. All of the characters in Lowell’s stories are basically ordinary people doing ordinary jobs under extraordinary circumstances. The ships that travel from place to place are not armed, are not equipped with transporters, and the crews are not bigger than life. They are just people with particular talents and they use those talents to haul the freight and stay alive in the “Deep Dark” between star systems.

This story is clearly written as we follow Ishmael through his adventure. There isn’t a lot of technical jargon to get through, and the author only explains the technical aspects that really need to be explained. The chapters are short, each being a snapshot of a scene, and are often a small story in themselves. While I think that the story in this book could stand alone, it is even better when one is familiar with the universe created by Dr. Lowell.

One of my favorite aspects of this author’s writing is how he quickly develops characters that the reader can care about, and I am eagerly awaiting the next installment in the series which Dr. Lowell promises will be very soon.

Well, there it is…

Q’aplaH!

Nathan Lowell's Trader's Tales From The Golden Age Of The Solar Clipper - Part Two: Books Four - Six

This post is a continuation of an earlier post on the Trader’s Tales From The Golden Age Of The Solar Clipper series by Nathan Lowell.  In the last post, I summarized the first three books of the series, Quarter Share, Half Share, and Full Share.  In those first three books that span a period of about two years, we follow the early years of Ishmael Wang serving aboard the Lois McKendrick, a clipper that travels between systems delivering cargo and making a profit.  As Ishmael works and learns, gains the respect of the officers and crew of the Lois, and at the urging of almost everyone, decides to attend the Academy to train to become an officer himself.

Ishmael’s story picks up following his graduation from the Academy almost five years after the events of the third novel in the series, Full Share.

Double Share: Book Four of the Trader’s Tales From The Golden Age Of The Solar Clipper by Nathan Lowell

The events of this book take place between May 22, 2358 and November 26, 2358.

Almost immediately after graduating from the academy, and after a leisurely trip to the Diurnia Orbital space station, Ishmael prepares to begin his first appointment as an officer for the Diurnia Salvage and Transport company.  His first assignment as a third officer is aboard the William Tinker, commanded by Captain Rossett.

Ishmael soon learns that the ship he has been assigned to is nothing like the Lois.  What he actually finds aboard can only be described as appalling.  First, he notices that there is a strange odor on the ship, then he learns that the food and coffee is less than desirable.  As time goes on, he also finds that the ship has been poorly maintained and that there seems to be very low morale amongst the crew, which consists of all women with the exception of himself, the Captain and a very crude First Mate named Burnside, and a couple of other thuggish characters.

As Ishmael sets about doing his best to improve conditions on the ship, he finds that he is being fought every step of the way.  Morale improves, but Ishmael pays a cost for every improvement he makes on his one-man crusade to make the Tinker a better place to live and work.

During his time on the Tinker, Ishmael makes some friends, but he also makes enemies that threaten his very life. However, in the end, it is the crew of the ship that wins as the owner hired Ishmael specifically to clean up the ship and help him get rid of the undesirable captain and first mate.

Captain’s Share: Book Five of the Trader’s Tales From The Golden Age Of The Solar Clipper by Nathan Lowell

The events of this book take place between August 22, 2371 and September 13, 2372.

It is some thirteen years later and Ishmael is now the First Officer on the William Tinker.  He is also married.  

On their way back into port, the ship gets a report that there is a derelict ship that is causing a navigations hazard and the crew of the Tinker takes on the task of investigating the situation.  Ishmael goes on board and finds the entire crew dead and takes command of the derelict.  They guide the ship back to the orbital and Ishmael soon learns that he is to be a captain and will be getting his own ship.

While in port, Ishmael goes to his apartment and spends time with his wife, but when he informs her that he is to become captain and that he will be shipping out again soon, an argument breaks out.  This has become a regular pattern in his relationship.  Later, when he learns about the ship he will be commanding, his wife seems to have a change of heart and is happy that he will be captain of his own ship.

Ishmael takes command of the Agamemnon, which has the reputation for being the worst ship in the fleet for many reasons.  As he assumes command, he uses his usual charm and people skills to get his ship in shape for business.  As this happens, He also learns that the change in his wife’s attitude is because she is having an affair.  He promptly begins divorce proceedings.

So Ishmael gathers his crew and sets sail for the Deep Dark once again.

Owner’s Share: Book Six of the Trader’s Tales From The Golden Age Of The Solar Clipper by Nathan Lowell.

The events of this book take place between December 10, 2372 and January 1, 2374.

Ishmael has managed to turn the Agamemnon around and has made it a profitable ship.  After starting with a rough crew, he manages to get them trained and they work well together.  He also learns that he is very likely going to become a very wealthy person thanks to his part in the salvage of the found derelict, which brings him some unwanted attention and a very annoying celebrity status.   Pictures of him show up everywhere documenting almost his every move in every port he enters.

Meanwhile, the owner of the company that he works for passes away and he is urged by many to become an owner in his own right, but those urging him on have an ulterior motive; while the owner’s daughter stands to inherit the entire company, he has made a stipulation that before she is allowed to take over, she has to spend a year working on a ship from another company.  Several investors come together to help Ishmael get his company started and running.  While it is assumed that the daughter is somewhat of a selfish brat, it actually turns out that she becomes a valuable and excellent member of Ishmael’s new crew.

As often happens, celebrity status and high stakes also come with high risks, and soon Ishmael find himself, unwittingly in the middle of a power struggle that almost costs him his life.  All of this causes Ishmael to reassess his life and his future, which is quite uncertain at the end of this book.

When it was recommended to me that I read this series, I was not sure what to expect.  I guess I expected to find a typical sci-fi with all the usual elements of the space opera that I normally read.  I was pleasantly surprised, right from the start, that I was in for a different kind of sci-fi than what I normally read.

The Trader’s Tales is not about war, the ships aren’t armed, and there are no people in impossible situations finding solutions by impossible means, rather these are just good stories about ordinary people doing their jobs as best they are able and solving problems as they come along.  I would like to put an emphasis on ordinary, but also stress that the prose here is extraordinary.

The hero of these books is a man of Asian descent named Ishmael Wang.  He is a brilliant person who really knows how to handle people without compromising his own standards.  Once he makes up his mind to do something, he does a fine job, but he is not a flawless character; he does make plenty of mistakes, but he faces the consequences for all of his actions with honor and dignity. Ishmael tries to surround himself with people that are of high quality, but sometimes falls short of the mark.  But as a natural born leader, he almost always finds a way to bring oout the best on those around him just by being who and what he is, a good person.  In the series, he takes some of the most seemingly impossible characters and helps them rise above themselves and see their own self-worth.  This is exactly the kind of person I would love to work for, but all to rarely find.  No matter what problems come up, Ishmael handles them with a cool head and compassion, treating those around him as equals and rewarding them on their merits as opposed to what they have done for him.  One prime example of this, throughout his entire career as a Spacer is his policy that one doesn’t “screw with crew.”  Yes, that is exactly what it means, even though opportunities abound on every berth he is on, he refuses to get into personal relationships with members of the crew he is serving with.  That is not to say that he is made of tempered steel though, he is quite often tempted by the strong female characters and his convictions are quite often challenged.

The stories are told from Ishmael’s point of view.  The writing is in the form of a narrative prose that is easy to read.  This is truly the story of people doing jobs, so there is little time spent on the technical aspects of the ship’s operations.  There are a few brief explanations of how some of the systems work, but we don’t get bogged down in a lot of jargon, which keeps the stories flowing smoothly.  While one might think that such mundane material might get boring, these stories are anything but mundane thanks to the brilliant pacing of the narrative.  The way the story is told, one can easily visualize what a ship or an orbital station might look like.

Nathan Lowell holds a Ph.D. in Educational Technology and specializes in Distance Learning.  He learned about live aboard ships by working on fishing boats and while in the Coast Guard.  Nathan now lives in Colorado.  Recently, I friended him on Facebook and a few weeks ago assured me that the adventures of Ishmael Wang will continue, but he gave no details on when to watch for a new installment of the Trader’s Tales.  Links to the books and audiobooks can be found on the author's Solar Clipper Diary webpage.

In July of 2012, Dr.Lowell was interviewed by the SciFi Diner Podcast.  Just click the link to listen to that interview in which the author talks about his work.

I give these works my highest recommendations for some great reading.

Well, there it is…

Q’aplaH!

Summaries Of Three Of The Six Books In Nathan Lowell's Trader's Tales From The Golden Age Of The Solar Clipper

I read a lot of science as you know if you regularly visit this blog.  I was very fortunate recently to get a heads up from a good friend and Babylon Project Podcast guest host, JP Harvey of Las Vegas, Nevada.  While we were working out some technical bugs in preparation for recording an episode, JP told me about a series of books that he really enjoyed and thought that I might too.  I had no idea how much of an understatement JP made when he said I would enjoy Nathan Lowell's Trader's Tales From The Age Golden Age Of The Solar Clipper series.  

I began reading the first of the six books the day before we got holiday break from school, and in the two weeks of vacation, I managed to read five of the six novels, and will soon begin reading the last of them

Most of what I read involved a violent conflict of some kind, or a post apocalyptic world, or an alien invasion, or a war.  While there is some conflict in this series, very little of it is violent, there is no ruined worlds, no aliens, and no wars.  There is, however space travel, but as far as I can tell to this point, the ships that the characters travel in aren't even armed.

So what's the deal?  There are none of the elements that make up a good Scifi story?  How does that work?

The novels are told from the point of view of Ishmael Horatio Wang (pronounced 'Wong'), an ordinary person who found himself in a bad position and then stumbles into a career that allows him to live an extraordinary life.  

This is going to be a two-part post and I will reserve my remarks about what I think of these stories for the second part.  So at this point, I will post a synopsis of the first three books in the series and suffice it to say that I loved everything I have read as of the end of the fifth book in the series.

Quarter Share: Book One of the Trader's Tales From The Golden Age Of The Solar Clipper Series by Nathan Lowell

The first book covers the life of Ishmael from August 13, 2351 to February 17, 2352.

Young Ishmael is preparing to attend the University on the planet, Neris.  He lives with his mother, a professor at the University in an apartment that is just large enough for the two of them.  

One evening, while Ishmael was home alone, two strangers knock on the door and inform Ishmael that his mother and the man she was out on a date with have been killed in a "flitter" accident (a flitter is a sort flying car).  Before the shock of losing his mother can set in, Ishmael is informed by university officials that he will have to leave the apartment and find passage off of the planet or face being deported.  Next he is informed by lawyers that any assets his mother had saved and any earnings due to her would be retained to pay for the property damage caused by the flitter crash.

With little time, and no money, Ish had to find something quickly.  He walked into the Union Hall to sign up to go aboard and work on a solar clipper.  Solar clippers are space-going vessels that transport cargo between star systems.  Just like the clipper ships of old, they would contract for cargos and make money by delivering goods on time to numerous ports of call.

The person who took Ishmael's application sees promise in him and he manages to get hired aboard the Lois Mckendrick owned by Federated Freight.  Ishmael is to be a quarter share rating on the mess crew.  A share is money over what the normal pay is when the ship earns a profit.  It is an incentive to make sure the job is done as contracted.  While officers made the highest shares, when there was a profit, everyone received shares or parts of shares.

Ishmael soon shows that he is a good hand on the ship and takes interest in other jobs.  His goal becomes to become a half share rating on all areas of ship’s operations, and to explore all of the possibilities.  He gets noticed and soon becomes an important part of the crew.

Just a word about the ships themselves here before I move on.  It seems that the average trip from one planetary system to the next takes about ten weeks.  Using solar sails to propel the ships through the “Deep Dark, “ it takes several weeks for a ship to climb out of a star’s gravity well, and about the same to go from the edge of a system safely into the stations in orbit around the habitable planets.

Among Ishmael’s many talents is that he is good with people, and he learns quickly.  When his friend arrives back on the ship after being mugged for his private cargo he intended to sell while in port, Ishmael takes in interest in the private trading which is not only tolerated, but is encouraged, as long as the items up for trade are not illegal or a danger to the ship.  Soon, Ish and his friend and coworker on the mess deck are trading and making good money on the stations that they visit.

Quarter Share is an excellent exposition to the rest of the series.  We find that the Lois McKendrick is staffed by people that are caring and offer a great deal of encouragement to young Ishmael to continually improve himself and his situation.  Ishmael himself is a fine young man who becomes focused on whatever he is doing and performs his duties with a high degree of efficiency.  Ishmael is also a very studious who takes his duties very seriously, but maintains a good sense of humor.

Half Share: Book Two of the Trader's Tales From The Golden Age Of The Solar Clipper Series by Nathan Lowell

The second book of the series include events beginning almost immediately after the first book and covers the next two months up to April 19, 2352.

Ishmael and Pip are having a great deal of success with their Cooperative trading arrangement.  Most of the crew are in on what is turning out to be a very lucrative venture for everyone involved.  With the help of the officers, there is space provided and the business is benefiting the ship in many ways, including morale of the crew.

Ishmael studies for exams and is promoted to work in the environmental section.

Full Share: Book Three of the Trader's Tales From The Golden Age Of The Solar Clipper Series by Nathan Lowell

The events of Full Share take place between April 23, 2353 and July 20, 2353.

Ishmael has performed well on the job, and has also done well with his trading activities.  He continues to prove himself a valuable member of the crew and is well respected, but he learns that he will have to leave the ship.  He is being bumped out of his job because the company has hired and assigned a more senior rating to take his place on the Lois.

While this is a sad state of affairs for everyone on board, Ishmael learns that since he has gained some seniority, he is also allowed to bump someone else and take their berth if he wishes.  Being true to his character, he refuses to do this and makes preparations to leave the ship.

During his entire time on the Lois, Ishmael has been encouraged by his fellow crew and officers to improve himself, both through his trading activities and by advancing up through the ranks.  But it doesn't stop there, the officers also begin encouraging him to attend the academy where he would also become an officer. He isn't sure he wants to do this and also observes that it is very expensive to go to the academy.

When he looks at what he has earned, he figures out that he has about half of what it would take to pay for going to the academy.

The entire crew rejoices when it is learned that Ishmael is allowed to stay on the ship to fill a new position that was created to avoid a disaster that took place on the Lois.  The power on the ship was interrupted temporarily and an officer and Ishmael managed to find the trouble, but it was also discovered that there was something else wrong when carbon dioxide levels began to rise.  The new position created was most likely temporary, but it bought Ishmael some time, and his job was to improve the ship's systems to avoid future power interruptions.

Finally, Ishmael is called before the captain who once again encourages him to attend the academy.  She, the captain, has already filled out the application for him and secured far more recommendations that is required and Ishmael decides to attend the academy.

As he leaves for the academy, Ishmael Wang has earned full share ratings in every area of ship operations as well as the respect of his fellow crew and officers.  The next book in the series, Double Share, picks up after he graduates from the academy and takes his first berth as an officer.

This post is more of a summary of the books in the Trader's tales series.  So far, I have read five of the six books in the series.  I began reading the first book on the last day before the holiday break from school and in I read all five books over the break. I found myself reading at almost every spare minute during those two weeks.

I set aside reading the sixth book until I could find the time to do some blogging, so stay tuned for my summary of the next three books and my thoughts about them in the next post.

Well, there it is...

Q'aplaH!