Jake Stonebender, Long-Drink McConnigle, Fast Eddie and the
rest of the gang are all back. For those of you who have
read previous books in the Callahan series, you will know
who I’m talking about. Those of you who haven’t are in for
quite a surprise in the sixth installment in the saga of the
denizens of Callahan’s Place.
This book takes place after Mary’s Place (opened after
Callahan’s Place was blown up) is shut down, after saving the
earth yet again. Jake Stonebender(the ex-proprietor of Mary’s
Place) is in a deep depression, until the one and only Nikola
Tesla shows up, telling Jake that he has to round up all of his
old friends and save not only the world, but the entire
universe.
This is the set up for a road-trip down to Key West, Florida to
establish a new bar, save humanity, and have a great time in the
process.
Callahan’s Key is a very well written book that holds the reader's
interest from the beginning through the road-trip to Key West,
which could have been very tedious, to the tension-filled ending.
The entire book is loaded with the details that have come to be
expected from Spider’s books: plenty of allusions to contemporary
authors and musicians, characters both new and old that anyone can
relate to, startling insights into humanity’s quirks, and more
puns than anyone should be forced to deal with..:)
Throughout the novel Spider Robinson proves that he is one of the
most witty, eloquent and insightful science fiction authors currently
writing. This book can be read, and completely understood by anyone,
even if they have never even glanced at any of the other books in the
series. Once they’ve finished this book, they will likely want to
read the other books just for the fun of it.
Potential readers should be warned, though, that once you have begun
to read the series it will be almost impossible to get Mike Callahan’s
motto, and the main theme of the books and stories, out of your head,
"Shared pain is lessened, shared joy increased."
So please, pull up a chair to the bar, order a drink, make a toast by
the fireplace, and prepare to be delighted at the antics of the
characters, enthralled by the tightly woven plot, and horrified at the
(true) quotations of Dan Quayle at the beginning of every chapter.
