 | An arrogant yet insecure spy mostly saves the day in the enjoyable science fiction romp Waypoint Kangaroo. We meet Kangaroo during a mission-gone-wrong in Kazakhstan. He’s stopped by border patrol, one of whom he deduces is a Hungarian secret agent. In his words: If this guy’s not a field agent for a national intelligence outfit—a spy like me—I’ll eat my shoe. And shoes taste terrible. Trust me, I know. Long story. A high-speed chase ensues, and Kangaroo draws from his “pocket,” an interdimensional portal only he can access, to retrieve a super-secret weapon. He justifies using the ultra-expensive emergency equipment to himself, knowing his superiors will be displeased. |
We learn several things about Kangaroo in this opening: He’s smart, resourceful, has a wry sense of humor, sensory enhancing augmentations, and an interdimensional “pocket. ”
Also, he's a loose cannon in terms of following protocol.
Also, he's a loose cannon in terms of following protocol.
 | Predictably, his superiors are unhappy when he returns despite Kangaroo wearing a suit (he usually wears jeans and a T-shirt). We learn the unit is being audited by the Director, and because he’s such a chronic screw-up, a fuming Kangaroo is sent on a mandatory vacation on a luxury spaceliner. This futuristic world with its space elevators and gravity-generating spaceships is revealed as we journey with Kangaroo. On the ship, Kangaroo meets the Chief Engineer, an attractive woman inappropriately insecure about her social skills—who takes an immediate liking to Kangaroo. |
It isn’t long before two dead bodies are found in a stateroom, and the head of security, aware of Kangaroo’s secret identity, asks him to assist in the investigation. Kangaroo uses his enhanced vision to find clues the others missed, but also learns they’ve all been exposed to radiation and need treatment.
 | Needing more help, Kangaroo spacewalks and attaches a communication dish on the outside of the ship, having pulled the equipment out of his “pocket.” He uses the satellite dish to send a message to his unit asking for help with the radiation treatment. Once inside, he’s accused of colluding with a suspected terrorist. Meanwhile, his boss and co-workers back home are showing signs of stress from the ongoing audit, and Kangaroo risks implicating them in unauthorized communication if he continues to use the satellite dish. |
Kangaroo fumbles his way through his budding romance with the Chief Engineer, but things on the ship go from bad to worse when Engineering is taken over by a terrorist. Desperate to save his beloved and the ship, Kangaroo tries a variety of rescues, but whoever is behind this attack has anticipated his every move.
I enjoyed Kangaroo's humor and found his moments of intense self-doubt endearing. Although his playing fast and loose with the rules gets him in trouble, and potentially endangers others, it’s his creative spirit that helps him solve complicated problems and survive. We get a smattering of his backstory, enough to understand why his boss’s approval is so important to him. Despite all his bravura, Kangaroo is essentially a kind-hearted soul longing for approval.
Waypoint Kangaroo has a similar sardonic tone as the Murderbot Diaries, but in a glitzier setting and with a protagonist who, unlike Murderbot, consciously yearns for social connection. And although it's well-written, this debut novel doesn't match the authority and ease of the writing in Murderbot. But it's still a fun romp.
I enjoyed Kangaroo's humor and found his moments of intense self-doubt endearing. Although his playing fast and loose with the rules gets him in trouble, and potentially endangers others, it’s his creative spirit that helps him solve complicated problems and survive. We get a smattering of his backstory, enough to understand why his boss’s approval is so important to him. Despite all his bravura, Kangaroo is essentially a kind-hearted soul longing for approval.
Waypoint Kangaroo has a similar sardonic tone as the Murderbot Diaries, but in a glitzier setting and with a protagonist who, unlike Murderbot, consciously yearns for social connection. And although it's well-written, this debut novel doesn't match the authority and ease of the writing in Murderbot. But it's still a fun romp.
Read more about Murderbot: All Systems Red, Artificial Condition, Rogue Protocol, Exit Strategy
