When Crossline debuted this spring, i had no idea the kind of reception it would receive. So far, I have been humbled by the great reviews it has garnered, Over at Goodreads, one recently wrote a detailed analysis which I just had to share with everyone:
I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised by Crossline. It’s an adventurous tale of space ships and dimensional travel…of warring cultures and dopplegangers…of spirituality and technology…of the breadth of time and the power of the moment. I entered into this book expecting another comedic and trippy tale from Russ Colchamiro. What I got was much, much more.
I’m a big fan of Russ’s first book, Finders Keepers, especially the wild mix of comedy and science fiction that reminded me (fondly) of Douglas Adams and Christopher Moore. Finders Keepers was very funny with just the right amount of wacky WTF? moments that I couldn’t put it down. Specifically, Russ is excellent at describing the sensory overload found in a severe hallucinogenic trip, and that excellence is found again in Crossline, though this time he uses it to describe the buffet of sensory input found in warping through the solar system. Those moments come alive easily, and when combined with his ease at writing comedic dialogue, the narrative in Crossline comes alive.
In the hopes of keeping this review spoiler free, I will simply state that Crossline is – at its heart – the story of two men and what they will do for their families set in two different versions of Earth. That story is wrapped up in a multiple plots and conflicts and supporting characters, but that’s the story that stuck with me the most. It’s a very real question that is even more poignant to me as Father’s Day approaches. What will a father do for his family? How far – how low? – will a man go to protect and love his own? Russ answers this in similar yet different manners through his two main characters, and those answers are powerful even when delivered in a comedic sci-fi wrapper.
That’s a fairly heady concept, and I don’t mean to imply that Crossline is a deep and brooding book. It’s quite the opposite. It’s funny and fast paced and takes chances when you least expect it. As with Finders Keepers, it provided me with some honest laugh out loud moments (fellatio vs. rodeo…that’s all I have to say). However, more so than Finders Keepers, it poses a question answered by the two main characters that carries some depth and weight that I enjoyed.
I also want to comment on the characters found in Crossline. Russ has created a group of memorable characters to populate both Aretha and Earth. I have to admit that I enjoyed those from Aretha more (Dolores and Chill being my favorites) though I think this has more to do with their comedic relief when I needed it most. Regardless, the characters all have unique voices, personalities, and clear motivations. They live and breath and – yes – die in ways that will both entertain and move the reader.
I really enjoyed Crossline. It made me think and laugh, which is all that I can ask for from an author. I highly recommend it, and would love to hear what others think of it as well…especially if you’ve read Russ’s first book.
