Beasts of the Wild Black (A Deep Space Novella), by R.J. Barker

Beasts of the Wild Black is certainly an interesting novella, as it takes a seemingly simple premise and uses it as the vehicle to introduce a marvelous story about our relationship with other species, especially animals, while giving the reader many points to think about it; all wrapped by an adventure full of humour and heart, that almost made me cry as there's so much packed into this novella.

Years ago, cadet Min Law was abandoned in the Deep Space during what was meant to be a simple operation; he survived and was rescued, but the trauma almost ended his career. Now, as captain of the DST Thunberg, he's on an expedition to follow a distress signal into an unexplored planet; after an attack, they are forced to land, finding strange ships and corpses that shouldn't be there. A mystery that captain Law and his loyal crew must investigate while they survive all the Wild Black can throw at them.

Part of the inherent charm of this novella is the augmented animals that are part of Law's crew; each one has their own personality, from the murder of crows and their complex society, to the two cats that are well, you know, cats, intelligent, with their own quirks but at the end, loyal to their humans, and Sitka Peter, a big bear. At the same time, Barker uses this opportunity to ask interesting questions about the ethics behind science and our relationship with other species; it was super heartwarming, especially as Law and Hinder share a long story (and totally, Barker is a cat person, I can sense it).
It is true that maybe the other humans outside of Law are a bit overshadowed by the energy radiated by the animals; however, could you resist the charisma of SPACE CATS?

As said, while this might seem like a small, simple adventure, we are invited to think about climate collapse and how close we are to it nowadays; in certain ways, we could see how this is an invitation to reestablish a healthier relationship with the world that is around us. The writing is pretty much on the spot, the scenes are super clear, easy to follow, but always full of a snappy humour that suits perfectly this novella; you can devour it in a single session.

I loved reading Beasts of the Wild Black, and honestly, it's simply excellent; if you are looking for a bite-sized sci-fi proposal that will reach your heart with its characters, this is a perfect choice. Can't wait to continue reading more instalments of the Deep Space series.