Jiao Tu's Endeavour: A Furry Sci-Fi Adventure by Donald Jacob Uitvlugt
Episode 1: The Kidnapped Mousling

Uitvlugt states, "It started as a challenge on Twitter." Three friends spit-balling ideas on social media. One friend wants to write a story with a space opera setting and Uitvlugt encourages him but adds, "If I were to try it, I'd probably make it furry and go all Space Usagi with it..." To which another friend states, "Dooo eeeet! Because the world needs more Rabbit Ronin in it." This idea of a rabbit swordsman refused to remain unwritten. In the spirit of the pulps Uitvlugt began serializing the story online at www.jiaotusendeavour.wordpress.com.”

As a fan of many genres of fiction, I still find it hard to pin a label to this collection. This world is a massive spacecraft populated by sentient bipedal animals. This existence has persisted for so long that there are myths and legends about the creation of this world. At some point the world went off course until the day a new oracle or pilot is born.

In the first story, “The Kidnapped Mousling,” we are introduced to Jiao Tu of the Mid Decks, a wandering swordsman. Jiao Tu has been hired to locate and return a young female who has been taken. With little to go on, he ventures below seeking answers. At every turn he seems to only unearth more questions. Eventually he will be confronted by a creature seemingly made of mist that has been hunting and terrorizing the locals, leaving a wake of dead in its path. What connects the abducted female, Jiao Tu's sword, and the mist creature? The Cult of Reclamations holds many of the answers.

The second story, “The Festival of Sweets,” is a direct continuation of the events that transpired in the first story. While visiting a prosperous farm Jiao Tu is told of a specter that has been haunting the premises. The matron dismisses the stories as fiction. Undaunted, Jiao Tu seeks answers. The success of the farm hangs in the balance.

The final story, “The Last Oracle,” is about all new characters. The action starts immediately. Insurrectionists are murdering the oracles and burning down their home. One lone female manages to escape with help from an inner voice and generous people along the way. Lieutenant Lang, leader of the Insurrectionists, refuses to let her escape and hunts her across the world. An animal is most dangerous when it has become cornered.

Jiao Tu's Endeavour was a welcome change of pace for me. I eagerly look forward to Episode 2 later this November.