Angry Young Spaceman

by Jim Munroe

Sam Breen, earthling, is pretty much standard issue for a recent college graduate. He’s got a bad attitude, a massive student loan, and his eye on a snappy jetpack. So he does what any graduate of the class of 2959 would He signs up to teach English as a foreign language. Sam ends up on the underwater planet of Octavia, populated by eight-armed beings that have a voracious appetite for English ... and a few other things, as Sam discovers. But at the spaceport, someone steals his Speak-O-Matic translator, he gets into a barfight, and things go downhill — or underwater — from there. Still, Sam learns more than he from Mr. Zik, a singer of melancholy songs; from a robot named 9/3; and from Jinya, whose undulating tentacles make Sam forget all about human appendages.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Humor, Canada

252 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Anarchist (Though as far as I can tell the non-violent type), Vegan, Dad. Jim Munroe is also a talented young author particularly notable for his novel "Flyboy Action Figure comes with Gasmask" and his indie DIY-leanings. See his website for more information, especially regarding those 'indie DIY-leanings' which he is particularly passionate about.

Reviews

[Noah Adams]

This book is about a young man who has finished high school and is kind of aimless. He lives in Toronto, which is part of the Greater New York area and it's in the near(ish) future. It's a world in which there is nothing new on Earth and all fads are manufactured for advertising purposes. The main character gets involved in this fad that everyone believes is new, which is called pug and involves having street fights. He later learns that it was part of a deep advertising project. His mother is an advertising executive.

He gets bored with Earth and decides to take a job teaching English to aliens on another planet. The planet is underwater and he falls in love with a local octopus girl? The planet has special dispensations from the intergalactic government that allow it to preserve its culture. This is because their language is unique and unlearnable by humans. When the main character learns to speak it and demonstrates this to the intergalactic people the planet loses their special status. He is forced to stay on the planet by the intergalactic government.

[Erin Newton · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not a big sci-fi reader but I have enjoyed sci-fi books before. Not this one. I was so fucking lost. There are aliens and robots and humans and half-breeds, different languages, different atmosphere's, different cultures. It felt like I walked into the middle of a conversation and never caught up. The best parts were when Sam was in the classroom interacting with his students--those moments had a wonderful, carefree vibe. I cared if Sam was a good, kind teacher but that's all I cared about in this book. I did enjoy the humor and sarcasm--it was great.

[Brian Gaston · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sam goes on a trip to teach off planet and ends up learning about life. I think you have to be a SF fan to appreciate the book but I am, so I did!

[Nick Carraway LLC · Rating 3 out of 5]

1) "'Thanks for the beer, asshole,' I said as I turned away.
A few steps from the door there was the familiar music of cheap bar glass smashing against... what was that? I turned around. Ah. Fuckwad had thrown his glass into the display of expensive liquor bottles. His back was to me, and his arms were crossed in a sullen way.
The charliebot was immobile. One of the lights in his neck way through the door.
'You owe the bar 450 credits for the damages incurred.'
It made me smile, but it wasn’t a real smile, just skin pulled tighter."

2) "'Hmm,' I said, thinking about my more successful quest for tribe. 'I became a ghost walking around the school. The conversations didn’t die on my approach, and so I got to listen to vacuous stupidities which simply deepened my gloom. Nattering about clothing without talking about aesthetics; they discussed scandal after scandal, but never ethics; drinking and self-destruction without nihilism; sport without catharsis.'"

3) "I followed her back into the Living Garden and into the tunnels. I was thinking about how awful it would be if she actually did want to have sex now, finally, when all she inspired in me was despair. But what the hell did I want, anyway? A militant Earth-resister? Of course she thought Earth was great — it was like her hobby. Was she supposed to look at the loss of a few traditions that were probably really boring to her as some kind of crime? When it brought with it new, modern, liberating ideas? When it made her as a female — and as a female who spoke English — a lot more powerful?"

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved this book. It's about Sam Breen, an earthling who has decided to teach English on far away and vastly different water-atmosphere planet Octavia, where the native species has eight tentacles. Sam, being fed up with Earth's cultural domination across the galaxy, chooses Octavia precisely for its difference and distance. A lot of the book is about not culture shock per se, but getting used to different cultures and kinds of people.

The book has a meandering quality that might annoy readers hoping for a bit more space opera or some overarching plot, but I really liked all the characters and was happy enough just watching them wander around in their lives for a bit. The alien world of Octavia and its residents were fascinating and beautifully rendered. The ending seemed a little disjointed and confusing, but overall was not a huge letdown because the book was not spent building up to something that wasn't there. In the end, though I might have preferred an ending that was a little longer and more cohesive, I still really liked the book.

[KWinks · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are some great laugh out loud moments in this book! I really enjoyed it. Sam has gone to Octavia to teach English to students. He's there because he has realized that everything he stood for on Earth was meaningless. This is part reflection about the human (male) condition, part reflection on stronger government influence on surrounding governments (here, planets). Sam is not alone. He has a core group of fellow teachers. The book delves into many deep ideas (such as racism) and can be read on a deeper level or taken at face value as an entertaining read. I have never read anything like it before, but I saw some correlations that made me smile. Dolphins, in this story, are monsters that terrorized the poor Octavians in a war (Hitchhiker's Guide-Dolphins are like supreme beings). And no matter how hard I tried, I could not help picture Octavia to look like Bikini Bottom. The "pug" subculture harks back to Fight Club (not surprising in a book called "angry young" spaceman). This is a good read.
What brought me to this book was the really great cover. I know, I know.

[Alyssa · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is like the young man's early-20s self-discovery road trip book, if it takes place in the distant future, and if you substitute the road trip with a teaching job in outer space. This book has a ton of detail about interplanetary conditions and a pretty rich cast of planets and aliens, and the interaction between characters is depicted in a very natural, and fairly entertaining way.

However, it seems the author's detail was expended on these aspects of the book, leaving the rest of it somewhat dwindling. The book reads like a timed essay test -- a great start coming out of the gate, but wrapped up abruptly at the end with some logical gaps, as if the author suddenly realized he had to wind the story up in short order. Overall, it wasn't a painful read or anything, but it was sort of a let-down.

[Emily · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn't get very far in this book because I disliked it so much, so maybe the ending gets much better, but I doubt it.

As a current Peace Corps Volunteer who is a TEFL teacher, I feel like the author is trying to write about personal experiences, although they come across poorly. There is very little character development or description, so much so that I couldn't picture what any of the non-humanoids looked like at all. I'm personally upset that the main character couldn't remember any of his training on the first day of school, nor did he even consider making a lesson plan.

I feel very close to this topic so I am probably extra sensitive about it. I hope others enjoyed it.

[Matt Tremblay]

You will get this (maybe only) if you've taught EFL in South Korea. Between the Ujos (soju), Sokchu (Chuseok), corporal punishment, and Earthification (Americanization), there are many sentiments I related to as an ex-pat in SoKo. Plot-wise, perhaps not captivating enough if you aren't "in" on the jokes.

[Sean Randall · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really felt for the characters here and enjoyed it a great deal, but it didn't really seem to go anywhere or progress much. Despite it working well as a lesson on just how much of a strong arm the Earth and Humanity could present to aliens with touching sincerity, there was also a thread of incomprehension and the elements didn't quite harmonise.

[Ryan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Starts off really well and has a good concept and character but once it gets going it doesn't go anywhere. Just a guy going through the day on an alien underwater planet with breathable water atmosphere. I had such high expectations from the amazon sample but it didn't deliver. hardly any info given about the alien culture which i thought i'd get. just a ok story that kinda drags on.

[Juliana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some aspects of this are a bit heavy-handed, but as usual Jim Munroe tells a fun (and funny) story with interesting characters and thoughtful social commentary. I'd especially recommend it to people interested in reading about the experience of living in a culture very different from one's own.

[Damon · Rating 3 out of 5]

A well written allegory about the Peace Corps, with a kind of charming sci-fi twist. I read this book when I first moved to San Francisco, and identified with the whole "fish out of water" aspect of the book.

[Dylan · Rating 3 out of 5]

pretty good piece of contemporary science fiction. primarily about gentrification and bias on an intergalactic scale. quick, entertaining read.

[Will · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book so much more than i expected to.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I've read from Munroe, I have to say I really enjoyed it.

[Victoria O'Neal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recommended by a friend. It was pretty good character driven sf. Not too deep, but diverting.

[flajol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Student travels with a difference.

[D.J. Sylvis · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favourite books by an incredibly entertaining writer. Highly recommended!

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun fun read, Very charming.