As a science-fiction writer, you would expect me to be constantly reading sci-fi. There are scores of classics out there, and a lot of great stuff from modern writers. Sadly, I've not kept abreast of the genre as much as I ought to. I decided to rectify that with the Black Ocean series, written by a writing bro of mine, JS Morin.
Tech, Lies & Wizardry is a short-story prequel to the Black Ocean series. It takes place on Orion Space Station Echo Nine, and features a large cast, the crew of the Mobius. Attempting to complete a job for their nefarious employer, the crew stumbles when one of their newest members--who also happens to be carrying the most important part of the mission--is jumped by thieves. They scramble to find the men who stole the part, and appease their employer, all while time is quickly ticking down.
Morin has a fun, fluid prose that's both verbose and easy to read. He excels at interweaving words like "synthevore" that although are invented are easy to infer the meaning. He wrote what is possibly my favorite phrase in the history of literature: "incorporeal telekinetic defenestration." Hell yeah.
It's an enjoyable short story, although it may be tough for a reader to immediately jump in. The cast is large and introduced all at once at the beginning, making it difficult to remember who is who. But the pacing is good, and the characters are interesting and unique enough that you slowly get a good feel for them.
I immediately got a "Firefly" vibe from the story, which is no wonder because Morin specifically mentions that as his inspiration. Hell yeah!
The Black Ocean series is currently six books long, with plenty more to come. Check out JS Morin's webpage here.