There is quite a bit of bad science fiction on the market today. Written at the highest level, this genre offers more interesting content than any other. However the novelists who dwell in this realm often fail to ground their imagination in the truths of human nature and let the story escape them, or they fail to use their imaginations at all, churning out overworked stories, wrought with clichés. In his first novel, Simba Wiltz manages to avoid both of these pitfalls and produces a fun adventure that is highly worth reading.

Mainframe - Beginnings opens in the world of Pellcia where the ruling body, the InterTerri Council, is in trouble. Negotiations with the terrorist Naiko Powers have gone sour, and fear is the constant state of being. While the vastly ill-prepared ITC military primes to combat the threat, a secret team, called Mainframe, trains to take on the forces of evil itself, and the Naiko Powers move forward with their own agenda at an alarming pace.

While this scenario is reminiscent of so many stories in science fiction, Wiltz manages to create a tale that is crisp with originality. Heroes, villains, and bystanders alike are neither human nor alien, instead taking a range of animal forms. While each character's temperament often seems to mimic the personality of its physical appearance, position on the food chain does not govern morality or position in society. A ram is head of the ITC military; one lion commands Mainframe, and another is his counterpart in the Naiko Powers; and the InterTerri Council is made up of everything from squirrels to panthers. Instead of creating an aura of silliness, putting the characters in these anthromorphic bodies adds a dimension to the story that is part of its appeal.

Mainframe - Beginnings is full of Wiltz's creative flourishes. Unlike many who write this sort of tale, he is unwilling to put a bulletproof vest on his protagonists, and their ability to die keeps the story sharp and the pace rapid. An air of mystery permeates itself throughout the work. Uncertainty swirls around Mane, the enigmatic leader of Mainframe, and his nemesis in the Naiko Powers is even more shadowy. The origins of the team itself are undefined, as the government has no clue of its existence, but its budget seems unlimited. Throughout the work, these secrets, along with the other questions Wiltz creates, add spice that keeps the reader hungry.

Wilt's novel is not without its imperfections. In points, the story drags, the terminology takes some getting used to, and the dialogue can be a bit slanted. However, these are common symptoms of first novels, and the bigger story is how infrequently these low points occur. Mainframe - Beginnings deserves recognition for its achievement. Wiltz's book fits in the tradition of creature adventure, like that of Brian Jacque's Redwall series, but stands out because of its complexity. This is not a book written for a child. Perhaps Mainframe is not quite as fluid as Jacque's fiction, but the first novel smacks with believable seriousness. Simba Wiltz is a damn good storyteller, and I look forward to his next installment.