One of the great things about science fiction is that there are all sorts of stories that can be told in the context of the overarching genre. There are "hard" science fiction tales, dripping with heady concepts and technical jargon, that coexist with more whimsical efforts, which tend to be more vague and fantastical where the elements of science in them are concerned, and everything in-between. "Special Delivery" leans more toward the latter, with its story taking place in "another galaxy" that's decidedly similar to our own, with a race of interplanetary humans having colonized many worlds within it, and thus sharing a common tongue that the author presents as English. How did all of that happen? Why are so many characters, items, behaviors, and events reminiscent of those from our own culture? It doesn't matter. Just go with it and you'll have a much better time.

This is a book that's clearly been influenced by all sorts of science fiction and popular culture that came before it, and unflinchingly wears those influences on its sleeve. "Starship Troopers" (the movie,) meets "The Dirty Dozen" and "The Fifth Element," with a little "Aliens" sprinkled in would be an apt summary that film buffs could employ to quickly get an accurate gauge of what to expect from this one, which could be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on the sort of read you're after.

Fortunately, even with its frequent overt and subtle references to various other works, "Special Delivery" still manages to tell enough of its own unique story, with its own style and flair, to keep things interesting, even for those such as myself who have experienced much of what it has to offer many times before. A lot of that comes down to the author's confident proficiency with the craft of writing, consistently delivering engaging and descriptive scenes that keep the reader's attention on the things that really matter when telling a good, satisfying story.

Is it perfect, or particularly noteworthy beyond a few clever, standout moments? No, however, I did find "Special Delivery" to be an entertaining and worthwhile light science-fiction reading experience that I believe would be appealing to most fans of the genre, both new and old. 4.25 stars for me, rounded up so as not to underrate it.