The Ultra Thin Man
By Patrick Swenson
If you saw the title and were maybe hoping for the adventures of Nick and Nora Charles in space, you will be disappointed. Instead, The Ultra Thin Man is a sprightly SF-thriller featuring a pair of twenty-second century, federalized gumshoes investigating a terrorist organization known as the Movement that has just crashed a moon into one of the Union’s populated planets.
Heavy on action and plot twists, this is a novel you probably don’t want to think about too much. The obscure conspiracy has something to do with a race of hulking aliens, a tent city of displaced drug addicts, a giant weather-making device, and a very sophisticated copying machine. It all makes for a puzzle “beyond scrutiny,” but fans of future noir should enjoy the ride.
Alex on SF 