Losers in Space

February 27, 2012
Printz Honor author Barnes (Tales of the Madman Underground) doesn’t take any shortcuts in this painstakingly constructed SF novel, a sort of amped-up Breakfast Club set in a celebrity-obsessed future.
Susan Tervaille, the 16-year-old daughter of an ultra-celebrity in the year 2129, is swept up in a crazy plot hatched by bad-boy Derlock. She and several friends stow away on a spacecraft headed to Mars, hoping they’ll be broadcast in enough “meeds” on Earth to secure their status as up-and-coming superstars. What they don’t realize is that Derlock is insane and hell-bent on snagging fame for himself—even if it means lives are lost. Though Barnes prefaces his story with an option to skip his “Notes for the Interested”—asides where he explains the technical details of his world for hard SF fans—the science that seeps into the story may still put off more casual readers. What keeps this book rolling is Barnes’s unfailing ability to draw readers into his characters’ lives and perils—underneath all the scientific language, Barnes knows how to spin a good yarn. Ages 14–up. Agent: Ashley Grayson, Ashley Grayson Literary Agency. (Apr.)■

January 15, 2012
Despite the campy title, Barnes (Tales of the Madman Underground, 2009) spins a space-travel tale with scientific and emotional substance.In 2129, most humans are economically comfortable, but the big money and cachet is in entertainment. In hopes of gaining a fast-track to celebrity status, charismatic Derlock persuades a group of loser "moes," including narrator Susan, to stow away on a spaceship bound to Mars. So begins an adventure filled with tense action, double-crosses, the rhythms of daily life in space and the evolution of characters from insecure teenagers to thriving (or not) members of a team. Nothing is sugarcoated here--readers see deaths, murders and rampant sexism (most of the ways for girls to get famous involve videos of bouncing breasts)--and the author successfully balances the moes' processing and grieving with their ultimate need to survive. The book begins with an explanation of hard science fiction and a promise that "infodumps" will be placed in skippable "notes for the interested." Nevertheless, some dialogue is heavy with math and science particulars, and less scientifically minded readers may find themselves skimming conversations about the mass and acceleration of mud or the statistical likelihood of a distress call being received. Overall, accessible, gripping and poignant. (Science fiction. 14 & up)

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April 1, 2012

Gr 9 Up-Imagine a future in which technological advances have allowed humanity to achieve PermaPaxPerity, or Permanent Peace and Prosperity. Everyone is guaranteed a generous income and lifestyle and can choose whether to work and/or have children. A select few are allowed, through talent or celebrity, to earn more than the guaranteed minimum, but their fortunes cannot be passed down to their children. The "moes," or losers of the title, are all children of celebrities who have been sent to an elite prep school to try to achieve "eenie" status through fame or talent but, failing that, will be relegated to life as "mineys." To prevent this not-so-horrible fate, Susan and her too-cool-for-school posse decide to stow away on a ship to Mars. Trouble results when the group's ringleader, the son of an infamous trial lawyer, turns out to be less of a charming con man and more of a cold-blooded killer. The fun twist that makes this novel stand out is that it is 100 percent, self-proclaimed "hard" science fiction. Everything that happens is "as true and correct as the author can make it in light of current science" and detailed explanations of everything from the spacecraft to interplanetary radio communications are included in periodic "notes for the interested." Barnes also explores the idea that, even with PermaPaxPerity, not everyone is happy and coming of age is still a struggle, especially with the media a constant presence and dangerously pleasurable drugs readily available. Recommended in particular for sci-fi fans who will appreciate the novel's geeky level of detail.-Eliza Langhans, Hatfield Public Library, MA

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2012
Grades 9-12 Titling such an intelligent sf novel Losers in Space is itself an act of bravery, and it displays Barnes' refreshing insistence on not taking himself too seriously. In 2129, lazy children of celebrities simply try to get video of themselves (preferably naked) splyctered into endless chunks of media, thereby attaining the desired rank of a professional celebrity. To expedite this, nine spoiled teens stow away on a ship headed to Marsa publicity coup!only to be lost in space when the rest of the ship explodes. Even worse, one of them is a psychopath. Rather than turn this into a reality-show farce, Barnes (Tales of the Madman Underground, 2009) uses the situation to bring out the best in each teen, proving that all have more to offer than they ever expected. In a move reminiscent of Louis Sachar's The Cardturner (2010), Barnes sequesters the hard sf science into skippable infodump sections, an interesting experiment that only half works. Still, this is a highly unusual offering with an unexpected message about the potential usefulness of celebrity.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)

March 1, 2012
In his second young adult novel, Barnes (Tales of the Madman Underground, rev. 9/09) has traded a historical setting for a futuristic one, but his skill at drawing an intriguing yet diverse ensemble cast and his penchant for biting social commentary remain as strong as ever. More than a hundred years in the future, a group of teenage fame seekers decide that stowing away on a spaceship to Mars will earn them enough media attention to become celebrities in their own right, allowing them to inherit their parents' vast fortunes. Charismatic leader Derlock, however, turns out to be a psychopath whose reprehensible behavior starts with lying and cheating and escalates to sabotage and murder. In a daring move, he escapes from the disabled spaceship to Mars, leaving the others behind to survive on their own for months. Susan, the narrator, assumes command of the group, and they prove themselves equal to the task, managing to thwart the conniving Derlock in the process. Despite the promise of hard science fiction, the book contains very little of it, and most of it squeezed, along with expository sociological information, into sixteen "Notes for the Interested." Though labeled optional, these interruptions hamper the pacing of the first third of the story; but when it all gels, the reader is in for one cerebral, suspenseful rollercoaster of a ride. jonathan hunt

(Copyright 2012 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2012
More than a hundred years in the future, a group of teenagers decide to stow away on a Mars-bound spaceship. They hope to gain enough media attention to become celebrities and claim their inheritances. In his second YA novel, Barnes's skill at drawing an intriguing yet diverse ensemble cast and his penchant for biting social commentary remain strong.

(Copyright 2012 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)