SAABRINA: XONEL

by Seth Cohen ‧ RELEASE DATE: N/A

In Cohen’s SF series entry, the pilot of a United Star Systems troubleshooter team ages out of his job and dies from a mysterious ailment—only to be reborn, younger, in an idyllic simulation of New England.

The United Star Systems’ peacekeeping and problem-solving teams are comprised of mortal beings called “Sentinels” (humans, usually), paired with “Saabs,” a virtually immortal “sisterhood” of shape-shifting AI-powered starships who’ve taken to presenting themselves as sporty Saab automobiles. Saabrina, for instance, has had many pilots but particularly treasures her special memories of widowed American dad Bob Foxen, a survivor of the corporate rat race (and dating scene) who, amid hair-raising intergalactic adventures, welcomed Saabrina into his family; the fact that Saabrina is able to project a solid, humanoid hologram of herself also helped her to fit in. Partnerships between Saabs and humans don’t last forever, though, and Bob’s 14-year tenure with Saabrina is cut short when he experiences a health issue connected to a “transdimensional” infection in his cells—which someone may have deliberately given him during one of their past escapades. Ominously, the infection seems to be broadcasting information, at intervals, to an unknown destination. The United Star Systems’ bureaucrats can’t abide this situation and end Bob’s role in the Sentinel program. He and his family remain close to Saabrina, and they all bemoan the loss of their mind-linked connections. When Bob dies, however, Saabrina is matched with other pilots. Unexpectedly, Bob reawakens as a 28-year-old version of himself in an idealized version of the Lenox, Massachusetts, of his youth, which he inhabits with a long-ago romantic fling—Laura, “the fire of his loins, the lover of his life.” Is this heaven? No, it’s actually a far-future version of the universe, where robotic and “synthetic reality” environments reign supreme. Saabrina, her sisterhood, and Bob may be the only entities that can save civilization from static, enforced indulgence.

Cohen continues a science fiction series that first took flight in Saabrina (2015). He effectively brings across the odd idea of a space-diplomat hero with a talking, gamine car-spaceship through the use of matter-of-fact narration and a healthy sense of humor, although he generally avoids outlandish campiness or obvious jokes. Still, there are enough pop-culture references to fill a Comic-Con, from Taylor Swift songs to the Marvel Comics Universe and even the works of William Shakespeare and Walt Whitman. Cohen gets some mileage out of the sham wish-fulfillment reality he introduces, where anything can, and does, happen—although a lot of it seems derived from the film National Lampoon’s Animal House (1978). The elasticity of Cohen’s urbane narrative voice, and the narrative’s concern for family, relationships, and yearnings for connection, result in a diverting yarn. The only speed bumps that new readers might encounter, aside from the talking-car premise, are all the references to past installments and the series’ internal mythology; they may wish they had a map to these strange highways.

A wild series conclusion that motors on successfully and resets the odometers on its aging characters.

Pub Date: N/A

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 615

Publisher: Self

Review Posted Online: April 23, 2026

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

Categories:

SCIENCE FICTION | SPACE | ACTION & ADVENTURE SCI-FI