#112. TAKE BACK PLENTY By Colin Greenland

Published : 1990
Pages : 482
Overall Mark : 8/10

It is carnival time on Mars, but Tabitha Jute isn’t partying. She is in hiding from the law, penniless and about to lose he livelihood and her best friend, the space barge ‘Alice Liddell’. Then the intriguing Marco Metz offers her some money to take him to Plenty, and the adventure begins…

This fast-moving space adventure was the first novel to win both the BSFA and Arthur C Clarke Awards.

COLIN GREENLAND (1954-)
Born in 1954 and educated at Oxford, Colin Greenland is the author of a number of acclaimed sicence fiction and fantasy novels, including the BSFA and Arthur C Clarke Award-winning Take Back Plenty. He has contributed short stories to many anthologies and magazines as well as reviews of new fiction for the Guardian, Independent, and many other publications. He has also had stories broadcast on BBC Radio 4.

VERDICT
This is an entertaining story that creates characters that are both likeable and intriguing, but it does get a little bogged down and confusing towards the end. It's obvious why Tabitha became such a popular character, and why this book spawned spin-offs over the years, and fans of female-lead sci-fi will find this a fascinating and wonderful addition to their collection.