Retro Space Digest 2589 is a wild ride of non-stop satirical comedy reminiscent of Monty Python Flying Circus meets National Lampoon. Presented as four seasonal editions of the Retro Space Digest periodical in the year 2589 (passed back in time to 2019), each edition contains editorials, reviews, ads (commercial and personal), weather reports, and short stories with a science fiction theme. Eagle Monsoon has artfully placed continuing subject threads between editions, e.g. the shift in political winds from a “Dear Leader” regime to regular kinder-gentler tyranny along the way. Each edition features a lead story as well as numerous supporting snippets. The featured short story plots include a high-stakes gauntlet run, runaway AI, dual citizenship in one head, and dual unscheduled gender transitions.
The author promises sex, spaceships, and swearing; any one of which would have had me through the door in a trice normally regardless. Eagle Monsoon writes very well and conveys a full impression of varied staff member writing styles, many of whom appear to have substance abuse issues. I especially enjoyed the fine details such as writer/character names, personal ads, liberal use of legal disclaimers illustrating the timeless idiocy of liability lawyers, and not to forget creative use of profanity in the higher service of low comedy. Retro Space Digest 2589 reminds me more than a little of National Lampoon’s High School Yearbook and Sunday Paper satires, where you had to read every word to fully appreciate the embedded humor. The situations and characters had me laughing so much, others wondered if my meds needed adjustment. The short stories are not nominally comedic, but each would be worthy of any science fiction anthology on their own merit. I highly recommend Retro Space Digest 2589 without reservation.
