Death’s Head
David Gunn
Del Rey, May 2007, $24.95, ISBN: 0345498275
reviewed by Harriet Klausner

On a remote dangerous desert planet, the brass whips Sergeant Sven Tveskoeg within an inch of his life before booting him out of the military for insubordination. As he struggles with his critical wounds, he finds he can telepathically communicate with the strange sentient native life form the ferox. This skill saves his life when the ferocious ferox attack the military encampment leaving no one else alive except the 98.2 % human.

As Sven recovers, the Emperor Octo V orders Death’s Head General Jaxx to locate him and test his loyalty to the empire, his ability to follow orders and his will to live. If Sven fails the exam, OctoV explains Jaxx will pay the consequences. When Jaxx finds Sven he also learns he deserted so he incarcerates him on the frozen prison planet Paradise. Sven shows leadership skills when he leads a successful revolt against the guards. Jaxx enlists Sven in Death’s Head and sends him in charge of a squad facing suicide as they battler the emperor’s enemy, the Enlightened, former humans changed into invincible cyborgs.

This is a lighthearted mocking of the military science fiction in outer space sub-genre where greater than life superheroes save the day against unbelievable odds. Ironically, Jaxx is an antihero whose escapades are over the top of Olympus Mons with lampooning being the prime directive. Readers who take pleasure in intense satirical science fiction will want to join Jaxx on his misadventures in the Gunn galaxy.