Today, we’re continuing our focus on female writers of science fiction space opera (or at least, my interpretation of this category) with a look at the most recent works of R.M. Meluch: her Tour of the Merrimack series. Jo Walton has already discussed these books here on Tor.com, but I want to take another look at them from a slightly different perspective. (Because I’m contrary like that.)
Right, so. I like to play cheering section here, and I find there’s a lot to enjoy in R.M. Meluch’s first four Tour of the Merrimack books. (I have yet, I confess, to read the fifth one.) I enjoy them bunches—but I also want to acknowledge the fact that there’s a hell of a lot of problematic shit floating around here.
[And it’s not just limited to Meluch’s millennia-long conspiracy that led to Romans In Space.]