Niall Slater. The Second Death of Daedalus Mole. London: Unbound, 2018. Print.

The Second Death of Daedalus Mole has an intriguing title, but it really is a Star Wars-ish space opera. Daedalus Mole pilots a small space ship, usually by himself, carrying freight and smuggled goods. Han Solo anyone? The galactic area is governed by an oppressive, tyrannical green, four-armed race known as the Entari, and there is a rebellion. Empire vs. the Rebellion? It is fun if you like that sort of thing.

Captain Mole picks up a couple of non-human aliens who are escaping the tyranny. Erin is half human and half Entari. Ram is a large, plated, almost reptilian alien. We get their back stories and motivations. The author does a decent job of creating this interstellar world.

There are a couple of interesting details. The Entari conquer other planets—including Earth at one time—and then absorb the conquered culture into their own, thus making themselves to appear intellectually superior to those they rule. For example, we learn that the myth of Icarus told nowadays is about a young Entari , not a young human.

There are also at least three references to Bible verses embedded in the story in a manner similar to what the first Matrix film did. For example, one small planet is known by a numerical designation LK/XVII-29. Anyone familiar with Bible nomenclature would recognize this as a reference to Luke 17:29, perhaps hinting as what happened to that planet at one time.

There has been some controversy in recent years among science fiction fans that some mediocre stories have received more recognition than they deserve because they have embraced political correctness. The “rebellion” to this “empire” call themselves the Sad Puppies. Daedalus Mole jumps on the p. c. bandwagon as Erin and Ram develop an inter-species lesbian relationship. It adds nothing to the overall story, nor is it explicitly pornographic, but, clearly, the story is not for everyone.