I loved the classic Traveller RPG as a kid. As I grew up, I grew away from it, but it always held a sweet spot in heart. Occasionally, I would purchase a JTAS reprint or Challenge magazine pdf and reminisce.
In late 2015, I came across a Kickstarter project by Marc Miller. He is the creator of Traveller in many of its incarnations, from the first "classic" days right up to today's 5th edition. The Kickstarter was to fund Miller's writing an "official" novel set in the Traveller universe - Agent of the Imperium. I couldn't join fast enough and followed its progress excitedly.
Just before Christmas 2015, I received notification that the novel was available for download in kindle format and I got it!
Wow!
It took a little while for me to get into the story, but once I did, wow!
Reading Agent of the Imperium gave me a strong sense that I was experiencing something akin to a re-interpretation of Asimov's The Foundation Trilogy. As reader, one only sees little vignettes in passing, through space and time. No one really knows the end-game until the end...
Quite impressive.
From the working of jump drive to the harsh Imperium-wide politics of the Moot on Capital, the inner workings of the Traveller universe are explained as the novel's vignettes and crazy intrigues are revealed. Agent of the Imperium succeeds in translating RPG game mechanics into a compelling narrative, and stands on its own as a fine piece of traditional sci-fi.
I hope for more.
Good evening...
