MASTERS OF THE GALAXY by Mike Resnick

Jake Masters is the spiritual descendant of Philip Marlowe, Sam Spade, and all those other fallen angels who wander down today’s dark alleys. They know they’ll be lied to by their clients, betrayed by their friends, hunted by their enemies, paid late if at all – and yet they stick to it, because they possess what all around them have lost: a sense of justice.

In Jake’s case, some four millennia from now, those dark alleys have become dark spaceways, and his allies and enemies aren’t always human, but like his predecessors he’s got an urge to cut through all the lies and corruption in search of the truth, no matter the consequences.

Come join him as he becomes the “Guardian Angel” of a criminal kingpin’s son; watch him tackle the puzzle of “A Locked-Planet Mystery”; learn how a man in his business sometimes has to deal with “Honorable Enemies”; and watch him do whatever’s necessary “If the Frame Fits…”

Rounding off his adventures is a never before published tale, “Real Jake”. 

Ed here: Yes there have been numerous attempts to write private eye science fiction stories, some notably more successful than others. I've always thought Mike Resnick's Jack Masters stories managed this fusion of genres best of all. He's got the characters, the mystery elements, the attitude and the pacing of all those p.i. novels of the Fifties and Sixties down just right along with shiny new sf adventure inventions and worlds that lend an exoticism to the milieu.

But I want to emphasize what knock-out tales these are. Mike is a master storyteller and if you've never read him here is a good place to start. The man can work in numerous genres and sub-genres and work well in them. I'd only read two of the stories here so this was a particularly enjoyable book for me. I should note here that Mike lists me as one of his p.i. references. I appreciate the shout out. But given the iconic names that fill out the list make me wonder wonder a bout him. I said he was a great storyteller--I didn't say he was sane did I?

A fail-safe book for p.i and sf readers alike. It comes with the Gorman Guarantee of Full Reader Satisfaction.