Barry Hutchison is the new John Steinbeck or rather a Space Steinbeck. As there are billions of stars in our galaxy it’s a crime to only give Space Team five of them.
The space narrator did a great job also with plenty of space voices & stuff.
The tail involves a group of travelers on a reluctant journey. The protagonist Cal Carver fills the story with thoughtful wisdom in the tradition of Tom Joad. I think of him as a Space Joad. He is not the leader and yet his commentary and thoughtfulness guide the group of travelers and this humble space reader along. The travelers are swindled, cheated and exploited by evil corporate types and yet through their hardships they only become stronger.
If in the Grapes of Wrath Rose had been a Space Werwolf and Uncle had been a Space cyborg then I’d say Steinbeck was on par with Hutchison. As it sits, Steinbeck needs to up his game.