Arizona Colony, Mars. Matthew Cole doesn’t want anyone else aboard his ship. But the notorious solo freelancer is persuaded against his better judgment to guard a dangerous prison transport along with an exo-suit-clad former rival. Outmaneuvered when the crook’s cronies spring the inmate with heavy firepower, the poncho-wearing captain vows to scour the solar system to restore his rep and claim his paycheck Reluctantly banding together with his seven-foot partner in her powered armor, Matthew has his hands full leading an unwanted ragtag crew. But the headache of dealing with people again is nothing next to the prickling between his shoulders as he continues to run afoul of greedy politicians and criminal syndicates. Is this space cowboy’s moral compass sending him to a fatal crash landing?
If the blurb for After Moses sounds like a Firefly/Serenity rip-off you are not alone. When the book was first recommended to me I dismissed it out-of-hand for just that reason.
When After Moses was again strongly recommended I gave it another look. Having been released (self-published) in 2019 there are more than a few reviews out there and they are consistently positive. So I gave it a chance.
Moses AI
The title After Moses refers to a time after an AI-construct, named Moses, helped lift humanity but then vanished without a trace. Moses in now gone and humanity is in a slump.
Again, it is almost impossible to avoid comparing the setting of After Moses with Firefly/Serenity. Except After Moses is set in our Solar System. I am happy to relate that After Moses is not Firefly/Serenity with the serial numbers filed off; Kane does incredible worldbuilding that is as rich as—if not deeper—than Firefly/Serenity.
Characters and Catholics
After Moses is, literally, four novellas bound in a single volume. Each story can be read independently but reading them in the order of presentation builds a larger story arc. Many reviews of After Moses talk about the excellent character development. Here I heartily agree; every character—even ostensible villains—is interesting. Nobody is perfect but the character qualities, positive and negative, are believable. To recreate any of the main characters in a roleplaying game likely would be challenging as no character fits the archetype they outwardly present in as clear a manner as one finds in characters from other space westerns.
After Moses also has religious overtones, specifically Catholic. As one review put it, After Moses, “makes one think of the famous 2002 TV series Firefly crossed with the 2010 film The Book of Eli.” I can understand the religious overtones might turn some potential readers off but, in my view, the religious points are not preachy nor overbearing; indeed, they help advance the plot in interesting ways. For myself they made the story that much more interesting.
Bearing a cross for After Moses
I am, unashamedly, a fan of Firefly and Serenity. I am not a rabid fan but I enjoyed the TV series and movie and over the years picked up more than one graphic novel. I also proudly own (and occasionally play) the both the Serenity and Firefly Role Playing Games. Firefly: The Game has landed on my gaming table more than once along with Firefly Adventures: Brigands and Browncoats.
All of which to say is that, as much as people try to compare After Moses to Firefly/Serenity, the reality is that After Moses is very distinct from the much more popular IP. When I was done reading I did not reach for all my Firefly/Serenity games to create an After Moses campaign or scenario because it stands on its own; I do not want to debase it by trying to fit it into those other game systems.
Instead, I think I will order the next book in the series; there are six total so I reckon I got some good reading ahead of me.
Feature image courtesy RMN
The opinions and views expressed in this blog are those of the author alone and are presented in a personal capacity. They do not necessarily represent the views of U.S. Navy or any other U.S. government Department, Service, Agency, Office, or employer.
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