Book Review: Hard Luck Hank: Basketful of Crap by Steven Campbell

Hard Luck Hank

Basketful of Crap

by Steven Campbell

Hank was a dying breed on the space station Belvaille. The criminal gangs that had once made their homes there were forced out by the corporations that had taken over since the facility became an Independent Protectorate.

Instead of the gentlemanly gang wars that had once dominated the scene, and made Hank's services prized as a negotiator, the city was now plagued by the clash of corporate armies using heavy weapons. Even tanks roamed the streets regularly.

Most everyone from the olden days had either fled the station or was killed due to the organizational changes. Changes that Hank personally brought about when he had negotiated Belvaille's status with the Navy.

As Hank contemplates whether he can survive in this increasingly hostile environment, he realizes that things aren't as bad as they seem--they are quite a bit worse. The constant power plays among corporations might have further reach than just the alleys of a backwater space station at the edge of the galaxy.

NOTE: Sequel to Hard Luck Hank - Screw the Galaxy.

Hard Luck Hank: Basketful of Crap can be found on Amazon (Kindle Edition).

Check out http://www.belvaille.com/ for HARD LUCK HANK T-shirts, a 5 minute movie of Hard Luck Hank - Screw the Galaxy, and the making of the movie!

Our Thoughts
Hard Luck Hank: Basketful of Crap - Set 7 years after the events in Screw the Galaxy, much has changed on Belvaille. The days of mob bosses and gang wars are coming to an end because a new, much more sinister force is taking over: The Corporations.

With Belvaille no longer subject to Colmarian law, what better a place for big businesses to setup and move goods which are otherwise illegal?

The virtually indestructible Hank finds himself being pulled into multiple intrigues throughout the novel. Everything from waging war on a Corporation to settling a labor dispute.

Written as a sequel to Screw the Galaxy, Basketful of Crap is written to stand on its own. Some references are made to Screw the Galaxy, but the characters and multiple storylines (plans within plans within plans, to steal from Frank Herbert) in Basketful of Crap are fleshed out well enough that reading Screw the Galaxy is not a prerequisite (although recommended, because it’s a good story as well).

If anything, the characters have more depth in Basketful of Crap than Screw the Galaxy. Much is learned about Garm’s past, and as the story unfolds, one cannot help but develop a sense of empathy for Hank once the true cost of his mutation is revealed.

In the right hands and with the right cast, Basketful of Crap would make a fantastic movie. It’s very easy to picture Kate Beckinsale playing the role of Garm and Dwayne Johnson (a.k.a. The Rock) as Hank.

Fast-paced and perversely humourous Hard Luck Hank: Basketful of Crap will keep you turning pages and is a story that can be enjoyed time and time again.