The Marine Moon of Mongo by James Richardson

Robots. Psychic Cephalopods. Gladiators. In Space. Must be Tuesday.Crash Corrigan was fighting Nazis in wartime Europe.Now? He’s standing beneath an impossible ocean sky on the Marine Moon of Mongo.Declared an “inmate” by an alien empire, Crash is thrown into a brutal gladiatorial arena where survival means killing for the entertainment of billions. Armed with nothing but his training, stubborn decency, and an unlikely telepathic companion, a small alien translator with a mind of her own, Crash must navigate a prison world built on spectacle, oppression, and calculated cruelty.But Crash Corrigan is not a gladiator by nature.And he refuses to become one.As he forms uneasy alliances with other exiles, including an exiled fire-wielding prince, Crash begins to uncover the hidden machinery of the Empire of Mongo: a system that feeds on fear, obedience, technology, and blood.Escape is impossible. Rebellion even more so.Yet sometimes the most dangerous weapon in any empire is a man who won’t play by its rules.The Marine Moon of Mongo is a fast-paced pulp science-fantasy adventure in the tradition of classic space serials, reimagined with modern sensibilities, sharp character work, and a moral core that refuses easy answers. Part of the interconnected Public Domain Super Heroes universe, this novel stands alone while opening the door to a much larger cosmos.Welcome to the arena.Survival is optional.