I think Ish needs a vacation on a planet. He seems to have no incentive to do anything but mope. Instead of changing the school system, why does he not start a school in toe holds. They are trying to change a system from the outside. If they started a school in toe holds it would give the people direction to get involved. Making money is a good incentive but i would imagine it would get old fast. Starting a school in toe holds would have a lasting effect on everyone. It would also shine a brighter light and give the old school some competition. Nothing like a little competition to make people who are closed to change wake up and smell the coffee. ( )

Nathan Lowell is one of the few science fiction writers who treat starships not as battle zones but as workplaces. Ishmael Wong’s new ship, the Marva Collins, is as familiar and comfortable as the bar on Cheers. Lowell and Ish tell us how an interstellar shipping company should operate and how it should train its officers and crew. Some might complain that nothing much happens, but that is what one should expect with well-run businesses. Lowell realistically ages his characters and moves them along plausible career paths. The Solar Clipper series should be read in order, so start with Quarter Share and save Working Class until it comes up in the rotation. ( )