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Tropical Punch (Bubbles in Space) Paperback – March 31, 2021

by S.C. Jensen (Author)

4.2 339 ratings

Book 1 of 5: Bubbles in Space

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Strippers, drugs, and headless corpses? All in a day’s work for Bubbles Marlowe, HoloCity’s only cyborg detective.

Does she like her job? No. Is she good at it? Also no.

She can’t afford to be too good. The last time she got curious it cost her a job, a limb, and almost her life.

But when a seemingly simple case takes a gruesome turn, and Bubbles discovers a disturbing connection to the cold-case death of an old friend, she is driven to dig deeper.

And deeper.

Until what she uncovers can never be buried again…

Blade Runner meets The Fifth Element in this eccentric cyber-noir thriller series about a bleak world ravaged by corrupt leaders, mega-corporations, and crime lords… and the washed-up detective who might be the only one crazy enough to take them on.

Bubbles in Space is a darkly funny mashup series for fans of space opera, cyberpunk, and hard-boiled noir thrillers. Delve into the secrets of this gritty future world, and buckle up for an adventure full of unusual characters, dark humour, and non-stop action.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

S.C. Jensen is a Canadian fiction writer, sci-fi enthusiast, and literary advocate. She lives on the windswept prairies with her husband, three children, and various fuzzy friends. When she's not writing, she can be found trying to avoid mosquitoes, sunburn, and/or frostbite in the great outdoors. She loves to talk about books almost as much as she loves writing them, and is often chatting away on bookstagram @scjensen.author when she should be working. Shhh. Don't tell her kids that's what she does in the office all day. Visit www.scjensen.com to see what S.C. Jensen is up to. Sign up to the VIP Reader's Club to get free books and special deals on new releases!

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Northern Edge Publishing (March 31, 2021)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 300 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1990306004
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1990306006
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.5 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5 x 0.75 x 8 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #2,372,825 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,427 in Mashup Fiction
- #2,951 in Humorous Science Fiction (Books)
- #4,666 in Technothrillers (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.2 339 ratings

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S.C. Jensen is a Canadian fiction writer, sci-fi enthusiast, and literary advocate. At least, that’s what her replicant ID states. She lives on the windswept prairies with her husband, three children, and various fuzzy friends. When she's not writing, she can be found trying to avoid mosquitoes, sunburn, and/or frostbite in the great outdoors while waiting, somewhat impatiently, for the singularity.

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339 global ratings

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GhostintheShell

A whirlwind in pink

Reviewed in the United States on December 4, 2022

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Tropical Punch is a unique book I had a lot of fun with! Cyberpunk, space opera, detective story, noir and pink--all mixed together into a wild potpourri.
As the author says in the foreword, the book is an homage to classic noir detective novels from the 1940s and Raymond Chandler certainly had a great influence on her.
But the story is also a wild whirlwind filled with neon holograms, snarky robots and eccentric characters.
We follow PI Bubbles Marlowe into the biggest and craziest adventure of her life. The pink-haired ex-cop with the prosthetic arm has been hired by a mysterious woman to find her sister, who's a hooker in one of the shadiest clubs Holo City has to offer. Sounds like an easy job but ends up with a lot of people dead and Bubbles on the run from the authorities. By coincidence, she ends up on a space cruise and that's where her trouble really starts...
The story is a fun well-crafted detective tale but I think the major attraction of the book is its heroine Bubbles. She's clumsy and chaotic, a recovering ex-alcoholic and yet she somehow manages to uncover the biggest conspiracy Holo City has ever seen. She's a character everyone has to love.
Often cyberpunk is perceived as bleak and filled with tropes and stereotypes, but not Tropical Punch. This book is funny, colorful and original.
I highly recommend this book to all fans of humorous science-fiction and detective stories.

2 people found this helpful

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vonrickstr

A Fun 1920s private eye style story set in a Apocalyptic/dystopian crime ridden world.

Reviewed in the United States on July 19, 2022

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I was lucky enough to find Bubbles in Space: Complete Series for free. This is how I feel about the series by S.C. Jensen. The protagonist "Bubbles", earned her nickname under very unfortunate circumstances. She may not have been the greatest cop that ever looked over this advanced post-Apocolypse city, but she was honest and truly cared about people. Graft and corruption were more than just rampant in the city and Bubbles looked into a friend's death just a little too much. Powers that be tried to kill her. She lost her arm but kept her head. So now retired from the force Bubbles becomes a private detective and this book is written in a 1920s private dick style which makes it fun. To say that Bubbles has issues is the understatement of the year. But, she is persistent and this series follows her escapades trying to solve murders, corralling a rag-tag group of followers as she goes, and trying not to get killed herself. A fun, very in-depth story line, the mysteries are great but the solutions usually come too fast to fully grasp how she figures out the truth. (Very 1920s private eye style). I did enjoy the characters who were, as a whole, true-to-life-like persons. I recommend this series for a great change of pace from your standard syfy story line.

5 people found this helpful

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Eric Malikyte

I want a Hammett now!

Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2023

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I'm a huge fan of pulpy noir fiction. Film noir is also one of my favorite styles of movie-making. The lighting, the somber attitude, the down-and-out characters. But, what I love more than any of that stuff is when noir is applied to science fiction, and cyberpunk as a genre makes for a great bedfellow with this sensibility.

Tropical Punch by S.C. Jensen is so far up my alley it's not even funny. Jensen's prose paints a dirty, industrialized far future world that feels like it would be perfectly brought to life as a nightmarish mish-mash of Norman Rockwell paintings, Art Deco, 1920s fashion, and grimy, bright neon pastels. Now, the world I pictured in my mind might be different from how you imagine it, but the world Jensen painted for my imagination was unlike any else in the genre. Often, the immediate criticism some modern cyberpunk books that feature a nice, greasy coating of noir flavoring is that they're carbon copies of Blade Runner or Neuromancer. And I can tell you that while Tropical Punch is definitely inspired by 80s cyberpunk, that's the key word here, INSPIRED. It is 100% it's own unique thing. There is a smattering of influences here, as well, including Dick Tracey and The Fifth Element (really I got major Mobius vibes from this whole affair, and I'm here for it).

The characters are vibrant and fun! I absolutely love "Bubbles" Marlowe. She's witty, resourceful, a recovering alcoholic ex-cop who suffered a major mishap on the job that resulted in the loss of one of her arms and some damn near fatal wounds. She wouldn't be alive if it weren't for the cybernetics holding in the contents of her gut, and whenever her cybernetic arm is missing, you really get the sense that she feels naked without it. She's a flawed, yet endearing female protagonist that I could not help but root for. However, her relationship with her smart pet, Hammett, a smart pet that projects a cartoon pig skin around its spherical metallic body, is one of the most endearing relationships in the book. I'm not at all big into AI, but I want a Hammett of my own. For a simulated pet, Hammett feels just as real as any of the other characters in the book.

The plot is a complex mystery involving holograms, space drugs, doppelganger dames and pushers, and all the tongue-in-cheek noir humor and colorful prose you can shake a cybernetic limb at. The opening chapters are a bit slower-paced as they set the tone and the world of HoloCity, and personally, I loved this as it helped me to get used to the characters and the setting before we inevitably changed scenes. But once Bubbles is finally in space, the pace skyrockets. I wasn't quite sure where this case was leading Bubbles, but all of the clues to the eventual reveal are absolutely there, and the climax totally worked for me.

A note on slang for the uninitiated.

My approach to slang in cyberpunk settings is really a grab bag of what might make sense based on what current slang trends are right now. I try to make slang as immediately obvious in context as possible, cause I know not every reader is gonna look at the glossary. But, you know, sometimes, slang doesn't really develop in the way you'd expect. And sometimes, it can transform what is otherwise clearly English into a wholly new language. 1920s-40s slang totally fits this. I mean, without knowing anything about the 1920s and Speakeasies, would you know what a flapper was? (It means a young woman who enjoys a free, energetic lifestyle, and who also enjoys the Speakeasy party life). The answer is, probably not. Tropical Punch uses its 1920s-1940s slang brilliantly, illustrating a fascinating difference between the people who use it like it's their first language (and being from the streets of HC, it basically is) and the people who are paying the planet of Terra Firma an orbital visit aboard the Island Dreamer. One of the side characters Bubbles interacts with even responds to Marlowe's slang with, "I don't know what any of that means."

If you love cyberpunk, if you love 1920s-40s detective noir, you simply have to read this book. No two ways about it, kid. Trust me, it's better than any glow-up you could get at a Speakeasy. While the ebook is free everywhere, I would suggest the paperback version. The book deserves more love.

I give Tropical Punch: Bubbles in Space Book 1 by S.C. Jensen 5 out of 5 stars. Already ordered the next one.

4 people found this helpful

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Brian

Not bad.

Reviewed in the United States on March 29, 2023

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A very fast paced read, with a old school detective flair. I found it hard to take someone named Bubbles serious though....

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JFSIV

Delightfully enjoyable

Reviewed in the United States on July 17, 2022

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Tropical Punch is a fun, sci-fi detective thriller with a delightfully quirky heroine. This is the first in a series about Bubbles, a private detective, set in Holo City and, in this novel, a luxury Space Cruise liner. I do not believe in reiterating a storyline because it takes away from a reader's enjoyment of a good read and this one is definitely a good read. While the story is a bit disjointed, it is designed by the author that way and it all comes together in the end. With AI robots, holographic skins for both Android sand people and a delightful group of well-crafted characters this is a tail that delights the reader from beginning to end. I highly recommend this novel.

4 people found this helpful

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Una Maxwell

What's black and white and pink all over?

Reviewed in Canada on June 6, 2021

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Pulp noir and cyberpunk come together to create a setting that’s perfect for S.C. Jensen’s latest character, Bubbles Marlowe. You could tell that dame was trouble, the minute she walked in the door...

As a fan of sci-fi, the setting drew me instantly, while the story appealed to my love of thrillers and mysteries. The pacing is really good. I mean, really REALLY good. Even in the "slower" parts, the story doesn't feel slow. There's just enough in the slower parts to give more information about the characters and the plot to keep you moving forward, and then things pick up again. It’s like riding a really good roller coaster – you have just enough time to catch your breath before the build up to the peak. Jensen is careful to not give away too much and keeps you guessing “whodunnit.”

The snappy dialogue and writing is straight out of pulp noir – if pulp noir had a cyberpunk baby. It's got a kind of rhythm to it without being choppy and was fun to read.

Bubbles' characterization is fun and realistic enough to make you relate to her, without slipping into the "flawed, tragic heroine" trope. She's very well balanced and though she’s not entirely human, her character is. It’s refreshing to see a sober character in a genre that’s normally rife with addictions. A sly streak of humour runs through the entire book, as the main character doesn’t take herself too seriously.

The characters are all really great, especially Bubbles, Hammett and Cosmo. I really like the little nod to Dashiel Hammett (author of hard-boiled detective novels) and hope we see more of Cosmo in the future.

What drew me in the most was the world building. Jensen’s descriptions are lush and full without being too prosy, as she’s able to paint pictures and still be sparing with adjectives. She creates a world where human beings have gotten better at living greener lives with recycled materials and clean energy, but our fundamental human nature is still dirty and grimy. HoloCity is filled with slick synthetic surfaces, dazzling holopop ads and glittery lights to try and distract from the fact that the detritus of humankind continue collected in filthy puddles and discarded piles. Jensen acknowledges that even though we may turn the corner with the physical damage we’ve done to the world, the socio-economic damage that exists will continue to widen.

I’m looking forward to seeing this series expand and you can bet I’ll be reading the next books, faster than you can shake a grapefruit spoon!

One person found this helpful

David Renfrew

Clever Little Space Noir..

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 17, 2023

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A mix of Noir, Space Ooera and Steam Punk..

If you like humour with your Sci fi this is one you should consider

roger montgomery

Good book welk written

Reviewed in Australia on May 24, 2021

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It's got a good storyline with just enough twists and not too many red herrings. Would consider following issues.btry it

Dave McIlmoyl

Science Fiction with a Hardboiled Twist

Reviewed in Canada on March 30, 2021

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Tropical Punch (Bubbles in Space Book 1) is kind of like a Stephanie Plum book except Bubbles is a cyborg PI who goes on a cruise, except the cruise is into outer space. The setting is futuristic but the dialogue is right out of a Mickey Spillane book. The world writer SC Jensen has created is interesting and Bubbles has an intriguing cast of friends and robots. The pace is fast and the action is non-stop. It has the reluctant heroine carried by events that she has little control over. There is even a police chief who smuggles drugs into the city who is her nemesis. That Bubbles is a cyborg, who is just learning to fully use her new arm, makes the story even more entertaining. In the end the good guys win and the villains are dispatched. I want this series to continue as I want to explore the world of Bubbles and her friends and see what other story lines develop. I really like the hard boiled dialogue from the futuristic characters. Fast paced and entertaining with a world you want to explore and characters you want to know. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

2 people found this helpful

M. A. Knights

More awesome pulp style similes than you can shake a cybernetic stick at!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 29, 2021

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Tropical Punch by S. C. Jensen is a cyberpunk love letter to the pulp stories of writers like Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett. It's also a fantastic read! Full transparency, I am friendly with the author on IG. But I wouldn't say I thought a book was good if I didn't genuinely enjoy it.
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I've had a rocky reading road so far in 2021. Despite reading more than my usual intake over the last three months I have, unfortunately, been left rather dissatisfied with the majority of the books I've read so far. None have been awful... Just not as good as I'd hoped.
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That all changed however when I picked up this book! I don't want to get into spoiler territory so I'll keep this brief. But if you enjoy murder mystery, cyborgs, blade runner vibes, snarky quips and casts of vibrant characters then this novella could just be for you.
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It's also liberally littered with more pulp style similes than you can shake a cybernetic stick at, which is wonderful 😂
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It kept me guessing right to the last pages and I'm excited to pick up the next volume when it's released later this year, and at the end of the day, what more can you ask from a book! 😊

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