The Tropic of Skorpeo

Michael Morrissey

Storm Press

Otago Daily Times, 2012

There is a fine line between deliberately writing something so bad it is good and accidentally producing something unreadable, a challenge that Michael Morrissey confronts head on in The Tropic of Skorpeo. From its garish cover to its lurid cast of sexually voracious aliens, the novel is proudly and unapologetically B-grade science-fiction.

In the best tradition of pulp publishing that pays homage to all the common tropes of the genre, and to writers as diverse as Shakespeare and Pratchett: Will pounamu-hued Prince Rhameo, heir to the throne of Skorpeo, survive man-eating Amazons and the amorous attentions of the dreaded Octopus to wed the beautiful Princess Juraletta of Qwerty (a purple, four-breasted virgin and the only living member of her race) or will the evil Lord Maledor thwart the path of true love?  Will the tale end happily ever after or will a bite from the time tortoise doom them to exist in a glacial eternity?

Which side of the quality divide the story falls into will be a matter of opinion. As much fun as it is uncovering the answers, there is only so much melodrama that a gal can take, and I think it would have been better as a short story. But if you still have a copy of the 1980’s version of Flash Gordon in your DVD collection, this is certainly worth a try.