# Blanchland Blues

By Tom Dell'Aringa · The John and Alvis Sessions, book 1

Profile: https://hahafiction.com/books/blanchland-blues-e193ca26/

Discharged Star Corps pilot John MacAlister scrapes by on poor contracts with Alvis, a robot he salvaged. A chance to escape a lunar jail comes with a job: return a runaway named Ril. John chooses to protect her instead, making himself a target.

## What makes it funny?

John keeps acting on impulse while Alvis supplies the logic, ethical objections and limited patience. Their partnership gives John’s questionable decisions a persistent critic who travels with him.

### The comedy at work

The comic pressure comes from incompatible habits: John leaps into trouble, and Alvis reasons through what his partner would rather rush past. A rescue mission becomes another test of how this pair can function together.

### Try this if…

For readers who enjoy a space adventure carried by an uneasy human-and-robot partnership. The pilot’s bad judgment and the robot’s blunt reasoning give the pursuit a recurring source of friction.

### Good to know

This begins The John and Alvis Sessions. John’s attempt to redeem himself and protect a vulnerable runaway gives the adventure an emotional purpose alongside the humor.

## What to expect

- Genre: Adventure · Science fiction
- Kind of humor: Dry wit
- Format: Novel
- Audiobook: 12 hr 18 min
- Published: 2022

## A few distinguishing details

- A disgraced pilot and a salvaged robot
- A prisoner who chooses to protect the runaway he was hired to return

## Sources & further reading

- Book information: [Apple Books lists Blanchland Blues: The John and Alvis Sessions, Book 1 (Unabridged) by Tom Dell'Aringa, narrated by Connor Brannigan, length 12:18.](https://books.apple.com/au/audiobook/blanchland-blues-the-john-and-alvis-sessions-book/id1757720647)
- Author commentary: [Author introduction](https://www.patreon.com/posts/blanchland-blues-107004394)
- Book information: [Publisher description and print edition](https://bookshop.org/p/books/blanchland-blues-a-sci-fi-adventure-tom-dell-aringa/ab74a7ebf1ca573a)
- Author commentary: [Author website](https://books.tomdellaringa.com/)