Derelict (Halcyone Space)

Fairly fast 5 read, but it has flaws that were tolerable at first, but which crept in by page 300 and destroyed the story line. The story has way too much parental disfuntional confliction in the start and the one relationship dynamic is much too short to have developed to the level it attains at the end. The computer integration starts as magical in the beginning and enthralls the reader, but when it lapses into musical composition to communicate with a "Fried" AI it became unfathomable. "Right the Ship" was just too much of an oxymoron for a ship in space. Maybe stabilized the ship and give me gravity control? Yet, I think we did not lose the gravity control. Derelict with gravity control. OKAY The "ship glided down in the wake' of the skimmers on tow to the asteroid. Cute, but I hope the ship retracted it's wings for the landing. Give me a ship for compensation. Facts are it is good beach or swimming pool read, but the author lost control in the end. My suggestion, the writer should rein in the parental/child problems, develop the adult relationship to a more plausible level before the crash take off. Develop a station character in security to do the "bad man" twist on the ship after first rescue attempt. The parent made NO sense for the others to allow to go over the ship. Develop the AI into a survivable condition before returning to the station, as far as I can tell it is still a psychotic moron. "An ansible is a fictitious machine capable of instantaneous or superluminal communication." I could NOT understand the how/why of the communications arrays, it seemed the expense of upkeep and establishment made NO sense in what is presumed to be an uninhabitable system/place. Still, an outstanding effort, except for the cheerless dysfunctioning of people, and the end. The one interpersonal relationship flavored the story with a plausible, unseemly relationship between and adult and near adult. Summary, take it apart, rewrite and finally make the science fiction understandable. Thanks, Harry!

Loved this book by LJ Cohen.
Derelict isn't just sitting there, it's traveling at light speed. Great story and ideas.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I've been in love with sci-fi ever since my first anthology purchased in 4th grade many, many years ago. To me a good book draws me into the story, and keeps me there to the point of not wanting to do anything else but continue the story. Not sleep, not go to work, just continue in the story, and I want to keep going when the book ends. And LJ Cohen's storytelling did just that.
Even though I am way past being a young adult, I was engaged and identified with the characters, reminding me of my struggles at that age and later, although I must say Ro is far more self aware than I was at that age. I didn't want to put the story down, and I didn't want it to end.
I don't nitpick much at the science, unless it is really poor, but I felt the science was strong and believable, even to the point of introducing some alternatives, like the way they found tocommunicate with the AI. All in all an enjoyable read that left me anticipating the sequel, Ithaka Rising!

I thought this was an enjoyable story geared to young adults.