Book review: Space Oddity by Catherynne M. Valente

The cover of Space Oddity by Catherynne M. Valente. A David-Bowie style lightning bolt is on a starry background behind the title of the book.

I received this as an ARC via NetGalley.

This sequel answers the question “what happens after you save the Earth?” How do you then go on?

A welcome return to Valente’s Space Opera universe, where the Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Galaxy meets EuroVision as a way to avoid interplanetary war. Space Oddity continues the prose style from the first book, with numerous comedic and outlandish descriptions, approaches, and reassurances from sentence to sentence that some things in the universe really do hold true, no matter how ridiculous. Decibel Jones is back, older, and not much wiser, but he’s doing his best, okay? It turns out that winners and survivors of the Intergalactic Grand Prix have … obligations, as well as charitable societies devoted to their ostensible care. This novel packs a punch, because under the flash, glamour, and comedic turns of phrase is a fierce adherence to the experience of being more experienced and a bit cynical when the universe needs you to not pay quite so much attention to what it’s up to.

Goguenar Gorecannon’s First Unkillable Fact is still true: Life is beautiful, and life is stupid.

To fight the darkness, humans have an adage about lighting a candle. This novel is what happens when you use a spotlight and a disco ball instead, in the best possible way.

Highly recommended.