Andrew Moriarty

Andrew Moriarty is one of those indie writers whose space operas are not likely to make the Hugos shortlist but are nevertheless told well and immensely entertaining. Despite the grandiose title of the series, Imperial Hijacker has more in common with James Wheaton’s Firefly than with anything by Edward Gibbon. In this one, Dirk and his crew set out to rescue their “baby marine” Scruggs from not-so-vile durance onboard a fancy starliner. She spends her time creating weapons from the luxury goods available.… (more)

Moriarty, Andrew. The Military Advisors. Kindle, 2023. Adventures of a Jump Space Accountant 6.
Andrew Moriarty’s jump space accountant series continues to amuse. Jake, Nadine, and their crew take the good ship Accounting Error to a colony that has lost most of its postindustrial technology. Jake and Nadine find themselves advising rival factions attacking the capital city. Can Jake be as kick-ass as Nadine? Can Nadine solve complex problems in logistics? 3.5 stars. But I round it up.… (more)

In Imperial Smuggler, Dirk and his merry band of desperate but well-meaning space pirates take on a simple job of smuggling. Of course, it turns out to be no such thing. Moriarty does a good job of developing his characters and their relationships. His work reminds me of the science fiction novels of Nathan Lowell. Lowell focuses on working stiffs in space. Moriarty wants to make sure they fill out the paperwork and keep the ship fueled. Imperial Smuggler may not deserve 4 stars, but it is getting them from me.… (more)