It can be a bit of a crapshoot reading a self-published book by someone you know. Okay, I didn’t actually know James R.D. Hilton. But during my audit of our critique group, he mentioned his book, so I bought it.
Turns out it’s my favorite book I’ve read this year! And to be clear, I’ve read John Scalzi, Douglas Adams, Connie Willis, Jasper Fforde, Seanan McGuire, Margaret Atwood and others, thirteen in all. I’ve enjoyed most of them, loved many of them—but this one wins my “Best Book So Far This Year” prize.
The Story has it ALL
Space travel, whimsical aliens, corporate supervillains, interplanetary monster battles, love triangles. All of this and more is woven through a string of mishaps and twists that unfold like a sci-fi roller coaster ride. And every bit of it is funny as hell. Hilton’s world building is fresh and exciting. His characters are complex, engaging and loveable.
He launches us into a wacky future run by a dystopian corporation, as experienced by a loyal-but-clueless corporate ladder climber in the Reclamations Department named Stuart Bode. In order to be promoted to an office on the 170th floor, he must “reclaim” some missing cargo lost somewhere in Corporate Space. It’s bad enough that he’s completely terrified of space travel, but then he discovers the missing “cargo” is his boss’ runaway bride, Janna. And she is quite a piece of work.
Janna is everything Stuart is not. She’s wild, brave, gregarious, adventurous. And she doesn’t want to go back home. Their tug-of-war relationship, all told from Stuart’s very stubborn POV, crosses the galaxy and involves space pirates, a war with giant crabs, captivity in multi-species mating pods set up by curious aliens, and more. They go through a lot.
It’s Freaking Hilarious
I laughed out loud so many times reading this book. I finally got to the point where I started underlining lines I loved. “Who needs adventure when you’ve got a loaded stapler?” “His crisp blue eyes were blazing, and his blocky chin was large enough to accommodate a second face.” Many more, but no spoilers here.
The Douglas Adams influence is undeniable, but Hilton adds on a very satisfying layer of human feeling, dedicated POV and lots of heart, something that I find lacking in Hitchhiker’s Guide. Hilton ups the stakes and somehow makes it all even funnier.
More to Come
This one is listed as “Book 1 of the Known Universe Trilogy.” Thank God there is more coming, because by the end of this book, I was totally invested in these two characters. It’s one of those books where you feel the people are your good friends.
The book is also structured beautifully. A zany intro from “our corporate benefactors” precedes “Part 1: The Office on the 170th Floor”. Each of the four Parts is broken into short, zoom-through-them chapters. And after the cliffhanger ending, he tacks on a satisfying one-paragraph epilog.
Yes, it ends on a cliffhanger, but not an annoying one. Hilton offers an ending that leaves you somewhat confident about guessing what’s going to happen next though you’re not entirely sure. A good, satisfying ending where you can relax, knowing more is coming.
Highly Recommend. Two Thumbs Up!
This book is the escape we need right now. If you want something to lift you up, entertain you, and remind you how improbable, imperfect and unpredictable love can be, this book is for you. If you want inspiration to do things you never thought possible, this book is for you. If you’re sick of big corporations being run by asshats, this book is for you. And, if you just love great science fiction, written with loads of skill, style, heart and humor, this book is definitely for you. Dive Into the Known Universe now and join me in eagerly awaiting Book 2 from James R.D. Hilton!
Dana Cain, a lifelong science fiction fan, has written hundreds of published articles, along with several poems and songs, and nearly a dozen non-fiction books. Her decades-long journalism career focused on entertainment, art, film and music. Cain’s collectibles books have explored UFOs & Aliens, Film & TV Monsters, Dinosaurs, Japanese Movie Monsters and more.
Cain’s most notable science fiction work is The Android’s New Soul, a post-apocalyptic romcom rock musical, released as a double album in 2018 and staged last September at Denver’s popular Bug Theater. To her delight, the show drew large crowds, gushing reviews, and several awards. Cain is now focused on her next sci-fi romcom project, set in space and wrapped around an alien abduction parody. Originally designed for TV, she is converting it into a book series.
When she’s not reading, watching or writing sci-fi, Cain owns and operates a number of large festivals in Colorado, including The Unicorn Festival, Cat Fest Colorado, The Denver Dog Fair and four chocolate festivals. She has won 16 Westword Best of Denver awards.