Traitors, Thieves, and Liars
By Rick Griffin
It's only been about 3 reviews since I reviewed Argo, another story by Rick Griffin. So I won't repeat another thumbnail biography of the man. I figured since my biggest frustration with Argo was that it was honestly too much story for its small page count, I should give Mr. Griffin another shot to see what he could do with some actual room to let his characters develop and his themes unwind. Traitors, Thieves and Liars is that work, a 300-page rewrite of his short story Ten Thousand Miles Up. Now I haven't read Ten Thousand Miles Up, so I'll be approaching Traitors, Thieves, and Liars as a completely new work. Mr. Griffin published this work through Amazon in February of 2019. I will note that this book is set in a universe shared with Greg Luterman
This novel is a space opera featuring anthropomorphic aliens, or rather, aliens that look like earth animals (Excellent the furries are back. Privet tovarisch). This is honestly a recurring theme in science fiction and fantasy although usually, you have a host of human-looking aliens with a few creatures that look like Earth animals thrown in for flavor. The most popular animal to be turned into an alien race in science fiction is cats as far as I can tell (In Deathworlders it’s raccoons.). In the universe of Traitors, Thieves, and Liars, there are no humanoid alien races, however, although not all species are one-to-one matchups to earth creatures. Case in point the Geroo, who are a kind of kangaroo/otter mix in their looks only they are bipedal and stand about 5 and a half feet tall. Most of the book is told through the viewpoint of Geroo characters, with the main characters being Captain Ateri and his chosen successor SubCommander Gert. Before I discuss them, let me discuss the situation of the Geroo species.
The Geroo's homeworld was destroyed generations ago and the Geroo exists mostly as refugees with many enslaved by the Krakun, a massive reptilian species that is incredibly advanced in technology, but brutal in its morality and their treatment of pretty much everyone else. The Krakun destroyed the Geroo's homeworld while trying to terraform it into a copy of their own (Jesus. They are dicks. Terraforming an already inhabited planet is messed up.{Oh the Krakun elite class is made up of monsters, no excusing it}). Since the Krakun are sulfur breathers and the Geroo breath oxygen this would have genocided the Geroo by default (Generally, if you need to terraform a planet, you’re going to kill the inhabitants except for some hardy bacteria {Wouldn’t introducing Terran plants and animals to a different planet, even if had the same atmosphere set up as Earth count as Terraforming though?} Kind of? I’d call it soft terraforming). However, deciding that they could be profitable the Krakun enslaved a number of the Geroo population. As will no doubt excite my editor's prejudices, the Krakun seem to practice a form of crony capitalism. The corporation that Ateri and Gert are owned by a company named Planetary Acquisitions which receives massive government support and aid. The Geroo live scattered across the galaxy in small colonies providing disposal labor, in remote stations and outposts or vast generation ships surveying the galaxy for more worlds for the Krakun to terraform (Krakunform?) into copies of their homeworld. Many of these communities are completely unaware of the other Geroo and are not allowed to interact. They have no say in their own affairs. Down to the Krakun dictating how many Geroo may be born in any generation and even when the Geroo will die because they execute any that reach the age of 60 years (Holy shit). They have no rights (Well yes, that’s what a slave is.{Being a slave is always a bad thing, but slaves in several cultures had rights, some could even own property, testify in court and leave property to their heirs. Not the Southern US of course but the slave code practiced in the Americans was an extremely harsh and inhumane one even among slave codes} Leaving Marxism aside for a moment, without due process, it cannot be said that someone has rights, because the ability to arbitrarily kill or beat someone into submission rather puts the kebash on all the others.{That’s just it, under some codes, masters didn’t have the right to put their slaves to death. They were still slaves so their lives sucked and enforcement of such laws were always a problem but we have trouble enforcing a vast number of our own laws. I’m not arguing in favor of slavery, I’m saying their position is pretty bad even compared to historical slaves}), as the Krakun can execute them for any reason without any sanction or even eat them if they feel like it. The Geroo on the generation ships have the closest thing to freedom in their lives as they can go years without even seeing a Krakun. However, the ships are remotely powered through stargates via a device called the Trinity. Any tampering or any detected research on the Trinity can lead to extreme punishments. For example, the story opens with a Krakun slave master declaring that he will turn off the power to a ship caught researching their power source... Unless the Geroo present him with the skins of 200 officers when he arrives on their ship in a few hours. He also broadcasts what happens on the ship in question to every other generation ship.
The broadcast was especially terrifying for Captain Ateri because he had been running his own conspiracy to study the Trinity that he dubbed the exit plan. Which was fairly bold of him since he was already in disfavor, having lost an eye and been whipped for some unmentioned prior act of defiance. Faced with the possibility that if his plan is found out, that his crew won't be so lucky as the last... He gives up... Or does he? When a group of alien pirates approaches him with a complex but barely possible plan to steal a piece of secret Krakun technology and offer in exchange a way to power his ship without ever needing the Krakun again, Ateri can't help but say yes. With his 60th birthday weeks away, who can blame him? Especially since the plan involves making the Krakun think they've found a viable planet for Krakunforming and Captain Ateri knows an obscure company rule that states no one can be killed while investigating a viable planet, no matter how long that takes. Of course, there are complications. First of all, they're going to have to hack the computers surveying the planet to make sure that it reads as viable, no matter what. This means bringing in a bunch of aliens while keeping it a secret from his 10,000 strong crew and his masters, who are going to be paying closer attention to him given the new planet. Too close for him to devote any time to working with a bunch of pirate aliens whose very presence could get everyone killed. Everyone is in danger of being killed as well because their new master is the daughter of the CEO and can't wait to order the entire officer corps of the ship executed so she can be sure she's properly feared (...Wow. I mean, she could just do it arbitrarily, right? Just go full Belgian Congo on a ship. {She is subject to company rules just like everyone else, company rules state that as long as there is a possibility that the planet is viable, No One Gets Killed}). Captain Ateri simply can't afford to place one foot wrong with her. So he's gotta tap the one Geroo besides his mate that he can trust to do this job. That would be SubCommander Gert.
SubCommander Gert is a good guy, fairly honest, good-natured and straightforward if a tad naive. At first, I was seriously struggling to see how he was in the running for Captain, he has next to no command presence, is kinda socially awkward and can be honestly a bit of a doof at times. However, Captain Ateri points out that Gert has never failed at anything major in his life, being able to succeed through a combination of natural talent, determination and pure luck. This would be a case of telling and not showing but the book does make a case for Gert subtly, showcasing that he's very brave, able to choose a course quickly and commit to it in a crisis and able to do what it takes to achieve an objective even when things keep getting worse. Which they do. Elements of the plan go wrong from day one, from their genius alien hacker screwing up her first covert insertion, to needed equipment explosively malfunctioning. Course this is when the two other traits that Gert has come into play. Gert is lucky. A lot of that luck comes from his determination but some of it is just the sheer dumb luck that can separate insanely successful leaders from failures and object lessons. The second is in the grand tradition of space captains, most famously Captain Kirk (And G’Kar). Gert is really into alien girls and it seems alien girls are really into him (Oh Dear God.). Gert is going to have to summon every scrap of wit and talent he has because he's operating alone and unafraid with no support from his unknowing crew and his Captain only really able to cover for him after the fact. Of course, there's the question of whether or not Gert can stand up to this stress test from the acid bowels of hell or is he going to finally break and fail during the most important mission of his life?
Mr. Griffin does a good job fully illustrating the many problems the Geroos face living under a frankly merciless and brutal regime that doesn't even value them as sapient but as self-directing cogs in the vast machine of profit and expansion (I mean, that’s how the average corporation sees its workers, just look at Amazon.). By keeping the story from their point of view we are forced to experience the universe the same way they do, a dangerous, uncertain place where any safety is an illusion because it can all be snatched away at the whim of a reptilian sociopath. The one Karkun we do see in the story openly sneers at “mammalian emotions”, just as an example. Which does bring up one flaw, that every Karkun we met is an utter monster. I mean that may be due to the isolation of the Geroo from their masters, they only met rich and powerful Karkun who profit massively from their labor but I would have liked some indication that the Karkun weren’t entirely made up of the kind of psychopaths who think eating sapient creatures is a wonderful hobby. Otherwise, I’m asking how did these manics avoid fucking each other over before they ran into aliens to exploit?
Mr. Griffin also does a good job keeping the Geroo from being too human but human enough that a reader doesn't have problems empathizing with them. When you're writing nonhuman viewpoints you do have to be careful to walk that line. Make your characters to human and readers begin to ask what's the point of having them be aliens, make them too alien and most of your readers won't be able to stay interested. Mr. Griffin also does a good job of giving us hints through dialogue and action that there is a wider universe out there but since most of our characters don't have a lot of contact with it, he preserves the mystery just enough to encourage the reader to want to find out more. That said Gert carries the story on his furry back, a lot of whether the story works for you will depend on your opinion of Gert. Because in the end, this book is about Gert and him becoming an adult and officer, which means finding out just what it’s like to make decisions that impact a lot of people quickly and on imperfect information. His naivety and general stumbling about can be a bit wearing at times. Additionally, there are times when it feels he only succeeds on pure luck or plot fiat. On the other hand, I do like his honesty and bravery. He's willing to literally step between his people and danger and pay whatever that costs. So I can see both sides here and I can't say I'm a full-blown fan of Gert, just that he doesn't irritate me. Also while Mr. Griffin tries to tell a complete story and stop at a natural stopping point in the story, it still feels kinda abrupt as an ending. I do also want to note that this is an adult book, there are characters that very clearly engage in sexual relations, although there are no graphic of explicit scenes (honestly you won't see me review books that are graphic or explicit enough to edge into erotica, as that's just not where I'm wanting to take the review series). Either way, I wouldn't hand this book to the kids. I also feel that a lot of the plot hinges on Gert's dumb luck which detracts from the story. Still, I found the characters and the world interesting enough and Mr. Griffin’s willingness to inflict rather drastic and meaningful setbacks to make up for Gert's luck balances it out to a point. I do hope that future books tone Gert's luck down a tad and give us more of him succeeding based on his wits and talents, however. All things considered, this is a great improvement over my last experience with Mr. Griffin’s work. I’m giving Traitors, Thieves, and Liars by Rick Griffin a B-.
If you enjoyed this review consider joining us at https://www.patreon.com/frigidreads, where for as little as 1$ a month gets you a vote on what books will be reviewed. Additionally, vote for theme months and for 3$ see the behind the scenes brawling between my editor and I. Next week with Holloween is coming up, let’s celebrate with a treat. Join me for Demon Slayer by Koyoharu Gotouge and we’ll review a bit of the anime as well because why not? Keep reading!
The broadcast was especially terrifying for Captain Ateri because he had been running his own conspiracy to study the Trinity that he dubbed the exit plan. Which was fairly bold of him since he was already in disfavor, having lost an eye and been whipped for some unmentioned prior act of defiance. Faced with the possibility that if his plan is found out, that his crew won't be so lucky as the last... He gives up... Or does he? When a group of alien pirates approaches him with a complex but barely possible plan to steal a piece of secret Krakun technology and offer in exchange a way to power his ship without ever needing the Krakun again, Ateri can't help but say yes. With his 60th birthday weeks away, who can blame him? Especially since the plan involves making the Krakun think they've found a viable planet for Krakunforming and Captain Ateri knows an obscure company rule that states no one can be killed while investigating a viable planet, no matter how long that takes. Of course, there are complications. First of all, they're going to have to hack the computers surveying the planet to make sure that it reads as viable, no matter what. This means bringing in a bunch of aliens while keeping it a secret from his 10,000 strong crew and his masters, who are going to be paying closer attention to him given the new planet. Too close for him to devote any time to working with a bunch of pirate aliens whose very presence could get everyone killed. Everyone is in danger of being killed as well because their new master is the daughter of the CEO and can't wait to order the entire officer corps of the ship executed so she can be sure she's properly feared (...Wow. I mean, she could just do it arbitrarily, right? Just go full Belgian Congo on a ship. {She is subject to company rules just like everyone else, company rules state that as long as there is a possibility that the planet is viable, No One Gets Killed}). Captain Ateri simply can't afford to place one foot wrong with her. So he's gotta tap the one Geroo besides his mate that he can trust to do this job. That would be SubCommander Gert.
SubCommander Gert is a good guy, fairly honest, good-natured and straightforward if a tad naive. At first, I was seriously struggling to see how he was in the running for Captain, he has next to no command presence, is kinda socially awkward and can be honestly a bit of a doof at times. However, Captain Ateri points out that Gert has never failed at anything major in his life, being able to succeed through a combination of natural talent, determination and pure luck. This would be a case of telling and not showing but the book does make a case for Gert subtly, showcasing that he's very brave, able to choose a course quickly and commit to it in a crisis and able to do what it takes to achieve an objective even when things keep getting worse. Which they do. Elements of the plan go wrong from day one, from their genius alien hacker screwing up her first covert insertion, to needed equipment explosively malfunctioning. Course this is when the two other traits that Gert has come into play. Gert is lucky. A lot of that luck comes from his determination but some of it is just the sheer dumb luck that can separate insanely successful leaders from failures and object lessons. The second is in the grand tradition of space captains, most famously Captain Kirk (And G’Kar). Gert is really into alien girls and it seems alien girls are really into him (Oh Dear God.). Gert is going to have to summon every scrap of wit and talent he has because he's operating alone and unafraid with no support from his unknowing crew and his Captain only really able to cover for him after the fact. Of course, there's the question of whether or not Gert can stand up to this stress test from the acid bowels of hell or is he going to finally break and fail during the most important mission of his life?
Mr. Griffin does a good job fully illustrating the many problems the Geroos face living under a frankly merciless and brutal regime that doesn't even value them as sapient but as self-directing cogs in the vast machine of profit and expansion (I mean, that’s how the average corporation sees its workers, just look at Amazon.). By keeping the story from their point of view we are forced to experience the universe the same way they do, a dangerous, uncertain place where any safety is an illusion because it can all be snatched away at the whim of a reptilian sociopath. The one Karkun we do see in the story openly sneers at “mammalian emotions”, just as an example. Which does bring up one flaw, that every Karkun we met is an utter monster. I mean that may be due to the isolation of the Geroo from their masters, they only met rich and powerful Karkun who profit massively from their labor but I would have liked some indication that the Karkun weren’t entirely made up of the kind of psychopaths who think eating sapient creatures is a wonderful hobby. Otherwise, I’m asking how did these manics avoid fucking each other over before they ran into aliens to exploit?
Mr. Griffin also does a good job keeping the Geroo from being too human but human enough that a reader doesn't have problems empathizing with them. When you're writing nonhuman viewpoints you do have to be careful to walk that line. Make your characters to human and readers begin to ask what's the point of having them be aliens, make them too alien and most of your readers won't be able to stay interested. Mr. Griffin also does a good job of giving us hints through dialogue and action that there is a wider universe out there but since most of our characters don't have a lot of contact with it, he preserves the mystery just enough to encourage the reader to want to find out more. That said Gert carries the story on his furry back, a lot of whether the story works for you will depend on your opinion of Gert. Because in the end, this book is about Gert and him becoming an adult and officer, which means finding out just what it’s like to make decisions that impact a lot of people quickly and on imperfect information. His naivety and general stumbling about can be a bit wearing at times. Additionally, there are times when it feels he only succeeds on pure luck or plot fiat. On the other hand, I do like his honesty and bravery. He's willing to literally step between his people and danger and pay whatever that costs. So I can see both sides here and I can't say I'm a full-blown fan of Gert, just that he doesn't irritate me. Also while Mr. Griffin tries to tell a complete story and stop at a natural stopping point in the story, it still feels kinda abrupt as an ending. I do also want to note that this is an adult book, there are characters that very clearly engage in sexual relations, although there are no graphic of explicit scenes (honestly you won't see me review books that are graphic or explicit enough to edge into erotica, as that's just not where I'm wanting to take the review series). Either way, I wouldn't hand this book to the kids. I also feel that a lot of the plot hinges on Gert's dumb luck which detracts from the story. Still, I found the characters and the world interesting enough and Mr. Griffin’s willingness to inflict rather drastic and meaningful setbacks to make up for Gert's luck balances it out to a point. I do hope that future books tone Gert's luck down a tad and give us more of him succeeding based on his wits and talents, however. All things considered, this is a great improvement over my last experience with Mr. Griffin’s work. I’m giving Traitors, Thieves, and Liars by Rick Griffin a B-.
If you enjoyed this review consider joining us at https://www.patreon.com/frigidreads, where for as little as 1$ a month gets you a vote on what books will be reviewed. Additionally, vote for theme months and for 3$ see the behind the scenes brawling between my editor and I. Next week with Holloween is coming up, let’s celebrate with a treat. Join me for Demon Slayer by Koyoharu Gotouge and we’ll review a bit of the anime as well because why not? Keep reading!
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