What do you think?
Rate this book
Galaxy Cruise #1
Galaxy Cruise: The Maiden Voyage
Humanity needed a hero. It got a karaoke DJ. Leo MacGavin is not the brightest specimen of humanity. But when he inadvertently rescues a flirty alien heiress, he's promoted from second-rate lounge entertainer to captain of the galaxy's most sophisticated cruise ship. Before he can flee in terror, a human-hating executive gives Leo an ultimatum--complete the vessel's maiden voyage or mankind's last colony will be turned into a sewage dump. To make matters worse, a militant cyborg is undermining his authority, a giant spider is terrifying the passengers, and a sentient plant keeps stealing all the beer. If Leo ever wants to see his home again, he'll have to keep the guests happy through seven days of onboard antics and madcap shore excursions. As strange malfunctions tear the ship apart, can he hold his rag-tag crew together, or will he flush the last bastion of humanity down the crapper? Galaxy The Maiden Voyage is a hilarious science fiction comedy adventure for readers who love The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Space Team. And moviegoers who love Galaxy Quest, Spaceballs, and Guardians of the Galaxy. And TV watchers who love Red Dwarf, Futurama, and The Orville. And people who basically just want to see The Love Boat on a spaceship. Don't get left on the spacedock! Grab your copy of Galaxy Cruise now!
262 pages, Paperback
First published June 22, 2021
377 people are currently reading
229 people want to read
About the author
Marcus Alexander Hart
18 books61 followersYour old pal Marcus Alexander Hart is an award-adjacent author, self-proclaimed karaoke star, and default awesome dude. He has been a roller-derby skater and a real-life quidditch player. He once won an overnight road rally in a fake ice-cream truck. Marcus lives in the Pacific Northwest with his wife and two imaginary children.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
November 27, 2021
I really loved this book!
I’ve been trying to find some sci-fi humour that resonated with me on an emotional level and as over-the-top and goofy as these characters were I was so invested in them!
Hart is a fantastic storyteller. His plots follow a tried and true structure the likes of Disney/Pixar films. There’s a familiarity and a trust involved in this kind of perfectly plotted book, and Hart does not disappoint!
Now, a solid structure does not imply “formulaic” or predictable plotting. I was entertained the entire time I was reading, and while I was right about some things I was surprised by how we got there, and some twists I totally didn’t see coming. It was a great balance.
To me, Galaxy Cruise represents the perfect kind of sci-Fi humour. It’s light and funny, and it has compelling characters, and a heart that a lot of humour books lack.
Plus, you can tell that Hart’s voice is his own, where a lot of SF humour becomes Douglas Adams parody... this was a refreshingly amazing read for me!
I’ve been trying to find some sci-fi humour that resonated with me on an emotional level and as over-the-top and goofy as these characters were I was so invested in them!
Hart is a fantastic storyteller. His plots follow a tried and true structure the likes of Disney/Pixar films. There’s a familiarity and a trust involved in this kind of perfectly plotted book, and Hart does not disappoint!
Now, a solid structure does not imply “formulaic” or predictable plotting. I was entertained the entire time I was reading, and while I was right about some things I was surprised by how we got there, and some twists I totally didn’t see coming. It was a great balance.
To me, Galaxy Cruise represents the perfect kind of sci-Fi humour. It’s light and funny, and it has compelling characters, and a heart that a lot of humour books lack.
Plus, you can tell that Hart’s voice is his own, where a lot of SF humour becomes Douglas Adams parody... this was a refreshingly amazing read for me!
April 22, 2023
I was a little bit apprehensive about Galaxy Cruise: The Maiden Voyage because while I do like reading funny and weird books sometimes, I wasn’t sure if this was quite the style I prefer for those. Sadly, I turned out to be right. While there were a couple of things I could appreciate, overall this just was not my type of book.
The two big things that stood out to me that didn’t quite work for me were the characters and the world-building. Most of the characters either felt really flat or were just too ridiculous for me. While I understand that this is supposed to be a humorous book, I still would’ve preferred if these characters were a bit smarter with backgrounds that would make more sense in their positions. I also like a little bit more nuance to my characters. I did like though how many different types of aliens were introduced and how their strengths and weaknesses were used to propel the story forward. Another thing I really would’ve liked to know more about were the history and current state of the galaxy. I was struggling to get invested in the outcome of humanity’s fate and choosing a side without knowing more about the state of things overall since the main character himself wasn’t the type to make me root for him.
Now here is where my review will get a little spoilery. I cannot stand villain confessions. They’re silly, they pull me out of the story, and they make the next couple of scenes a bit too predictable for me a lot of the time. That definitely happened here. I knew exactly how this dilemma was going to be turned around and I wanted to yell at the villain the entire time. I just don’t find that a very elegant way to wrap things up. Though I did like the reveal of who ended up sabotaging the cruise ship so much. That bit was cleverly done. I also liked how the very end turned out. That was a bit more unexpected and a cute way to wrap things up but also set up the next book.
While I did find some of the humor in regards to human capitalism really funny, overall the author relied too much on ridiculousness and too little on realism for me. I still like there to be a little more sense and detail in my books, which will then make me care more about the humor in a story.
The two big things that stood out to me that didn’t quite work for me were the characters and the world-building. Most of the characters either felt really flat or were just too ridiculous for me. While I understand that this is supposed to be a humorous book, I still would’ve preferred if these characters were a bit smarter with backgrounds that would make more sense in their positions. I also like a little bit more nuance to my characters. I did like though how many different types of aliens were introduced and how their strengths and weaknesses were used to propel the story forward. Another thing I really would’ve liked to know more about were the history and current state of the galaxy. I was struggling to get invested in the outcome of humanity’s fate and choosing a side without knowing more about the state of things overall since the main character himself wasn’t the type to make me root for him.
Now here is where my review will get a little spoilery. I cannot stand villain confessions. They’re silly, they pull me out of the story, and they make the next couple of scenes a bit too predictable for me a lot of the time. That definitely happened here. I knew exactly how this dilemma was going to be turned around and I wanted to yell at the villain the entire time. I just don’t find that a very elegant way to wrap things up. Though I did like the reveal of who ended up sabotaging the cruise ship so much. That bit was cleverly done. I also liked how the very end turned out. That was a bit more unexpected and a cute way to wrap things up but also set up the next book.
While I did find some of the humor in regards to human capitalism really funny, overall the author relied too much on ridiculousness and too little on realism for me. I still like there to be a little more sense and detail in my books, which will then make me care more about the humor in a story.
February 4, 2023
I'm normally not a big fan of Sci-fi comedies, ( especially ones with aliens), but I really liked this one. It was a good introduction to the characters and the different alien species. I also liked the way they turned what looked like a "One and done" cruise into a multi book series
January 8, 2023
This hilarious and action-packed ride into absolute sci-fi imaginative mayhem opens with a bunch of aliens doing human (or "American" as they call it) karaoke. It is, in short, perfection.
Humanity escaped the dying Earth in an assortment of ships, their occupants in cryogenic suspension. Most of them were lost or destroyed, and one - the ship launched from the USA - meandered off into space and was picked up four thousand years later by representatives of a strange alien union. They arrived at their own preconceptions of what these odd mammals were like based on their fragmented computer archives, then thawed out the actual people and put them on a refugee moon they called Eaglehaven.
Fast forward (I'm not sure how many, I think I missed it) years or generations. Our hero, Leo MacGavin, is an unwilling Dave Listeresque / Arthur Dentian space adventurer, stuck in a role he's not happy with and looking forward to getting back to his home. At first I was puzzled because his job seemed amazingly fun and exciting, but yeah, no - all the aliens he's forced to deal with are awful and the rest of humanity are right to not have any interest in leaving their new atmosphere. And humans are hysterically misunderstood and held in hilariously low regard.
I can really do no better than to copy-paste Hart's own summary, which nails every single reference and homage I otherwise would have pointed out, and a couple I would have missed:
---
Galaxy Cruise: The Maiden Voyage is a hilarious science fiction comedy adventure for readers who love The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and Space Team. And moviegoers who love Galaxy Quest, Spaceballs, and Guardians of the Galaxy. And TV watchers who love Red Dwarf, Futurama, and The Orville. And people who basically just want to see The Love Boat on a spaceship.
---
Yes. There was also a Jurassic Park joke in there that should be acknowledged. And the cat people being from the planet Gellico is just *chef's kiss*.
Leo is quickly flung into the thick of things as he is adopted by a Ba'lux human (American) fetishist. The Ba'lux are basically a highly technological and advanced race of evil aliens who rule the "union" into which the humans of Eaglehaven have been dropped. And when Leo is dragged into a bet between competing Ba'lux executives, he quickly ends up in an impossible situation. He has to captain a luxury starship, crewed by aliens who hate him and filled with tourists who think he's a pet, on a vacation cruise - and if the cruise fails, his homeworld will be covered in poops.
It's simple, it's hilarious, and it's the plot of this book.
This is a comedy, it is colourful and surreal, and it is crammed with outlandish aliens the likes of which I have been starved in this Star Trek dominated "aliens look like humans with alterations according to makeup budget" landscape. It is in no way sacrilegious to put this story in the same breath as Hitchhiker's Guide. It's valid. Valid, I say.
But let's look past the jokes, because some readers (and a fucking exhausting number of critics) are so stuffy and serious and grimdark these days. Is there more to this story than just slapstick action, hyper-colourful wacky aliens, hilarious dialogue and entertaining sci-fi adventure scenarios? I know, there doesn't need to be any more than that. That is more than enough. But is there?
Yes. Yes there is. The stakes are real. The xenophobia, the unfairness, the cultural blindness and hypocrisy and self-righteousness, is perfectly balanced and the humour of it is a perfect way to make the medicine go down. The lampshading of planetary single-culture homogeneity we see in most sci-fi is flawless. And the characters, though cartoonish, have complex personalities and motivations. You could not ask for a deeper study of cultural appropriation, the fetishisation of the exotic, and the well-meaning yet harmful attitudes that exist at the far end of the xenophobia and supremacy scale. Not while also making you laugh. The closing exposition was so hilariously drawn-out, but so perfectly weighted and paced, I was left in awe.
Sometimes a story is good enough to make you think. But if you don't want to think, then it's a rare story that can still be good on that level. And there are absolutely hidden depths to this book that you will only appreciate on a second reading. I could not recommend it more, and I'm going to add the sequels to my to-read pile just as soon as I can. There's a whole-arse series, and I may have to get them in paperback.
Sex-o-meter
At last, we get interspecies rumpy pumpy between a sexy cat girl and a hot houseplant (that is a quarter catnip on her mother's side). Bless this man and every moment he spends with his hands on the keyboard. This book scores a James T. Kirk out of a possible Charlie Kirk on the sex-o-meter.
Gore-o-meter
For a book that is a comedy at heart and a light-hearted adventure first, second and third, there is a decent amount of violence and gore. Yes, most of the grossness is just in the lurid descriptions of the aliens, and a lot of the violence is comedic slapstick, but there's a very real sense of the danger - Galaxy Cruise: The Maiden Voyage gets two quivering flesh-gobbets out of a possible five.
WTF-o-meter
I mean ... the Waylade Tour Fleet's initialism is literally "WTF", and they talk about it a lot. And all these aliens! So many questions. Did T. S. Eliot have contact with Gellicles at some point, leading to his creation of Jellicle Cats? And what is a blue hole? Does it spew time? Engines dead? Air supply low? Advice please. This one gets a wibbly wobbly orange swirly thing in space out of a possible Vogon poetry jam on the WTF-o-meter.
My Final Verdict
On a personal level, I should have been infuriated by this book. It's like a surrealist comedy version of one of my own stories, right down to the unfair bet made by the snooty federation-leaders and the human captain backed up by the true believer ... but nope. I'm here for it, and I couldn't approve more. Huck is the funniest swear ever. I'm giving this book five stars, but only because I can't give it six.
Humanity escaped the dying Earth in an assortment of ships, their occupants in cryogenic suspension. Most of them were lost or destroyed, and one - the ship launched from the USA - meandered off into space and was picked up four thousand years later by representatives of a strange alien union. They arrived at their own preconceptions of what these odd mammals were like based on their fragmented computer archives, then thawed out the actual people and put them on a refugee moon they called Eaglehaven.
Fast forward (I'm not sure how many, I think I missed it) years or generations. Our hero, Leo MacGavin, is an unwilling Dave Listeresque / Arthur Dentian space adventurer, stuck in a role he's not happy with and looking forward to getting back to his home. At first I was puzzled because his job seemed amazingly fun and exciting, but yeah, no - all the aliens he's forced to deal with are awful and the rest of humanity are right to not have any interest in leaving their new atmosphere. And humans are hysterically misunderstood and held in hilariously low regard.
I can really do no better than to copy-paste Hart's own summary, which nails every single reference and homage I otherwise would have pointed out, and a couple I would have missed:
---
Galaxy Cruise: The Maiden Voyage is a hilarious science fiction comedy adventure for readers who love The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and Space Team. And moviegoers who love Galaxy Quest, Spaceballs, and Guardians of the Galaxy. And TV watchers who love Red Dwarf, Futurama, and The Orville. And people who basically just want to see The Love Boat on a spaceship.
---
Yes. There was also a Jurassic Park joke in there that should be acknowledged. And the cat people being from the planet Gellico is just *chef's kiss*.
Leo is quickly flung into the thick of things as he is adopted by a Ba'lux human (American) fetishist. The Ba'lux are basically a highly technological and advanced race of evil aliens who rule the "union" into which the humans of Eaglehaven have been dropped. And when Leo is dragged into a bet between competing Ba'lux executives, he quickly ends up in an impossible situation. He has to captain a luxury starship, crewed by aliens who hate him and filled with tourists who think he's a pet, on a vacation cruise - and if the cruise fails, his homeworld will be covered in poops.
It's simple, it's hilarious, and it's the plot of this book.
This is a comedy, it is colourful and surreal, and it is crammed with outlandish aliens the likes of which I have been starved in this Star Trek dominated "aliens look like humans with alterations according to makeup budget" landscape. It is in no way sacrilegious to put this story in the same breath as Hitchhiker's Guide. It's valid. Valid, I say.
But let's look past the jokes, because some readers (and a fucking exhausting number of critics) are so stuffy and serious and grimdark these days. Is there more to this story than just slapstick action, hyper-colourful wacky aliens, hilarious dialogue and entertaining sci-fi adventure scenarios? I know, there doesn't need to be any more than that. That is more than enough. But is there?
Yes. Yes there is. The stakes are real. The xenophobia, the unfairness, the cultural blindness and hypocrisy and self-righteousness, is perfectly balanced and the humour of it is a perfect way to make the medicine go down. The lampshading of planetary single-culture homogeneity we see in most sci-fi is flawless. And the characters, though cartoonish, have complex personalities and motivations. You could not ask for a deeper study of cultural appropriation, the fetishisation of the exotic, and the well-meaning yet harmful attitudes that exist at the far end of the xenophobia and supremacy scale. Not while also making you laugh. The closing exposition was so hilariously drawn-out, but so perfectly weighted and paced, I was left in awe.
Sometimes a story is good enough to make you think. But if you don't want to think, then it's a rare story that can still be good on that level. And there are absolutely hidden depths to this book that you will only appreciate on a second reading. I could not recommend it more, and I'm going to add the sequels to my to-read pile just as soon as I can. There's a whole-arse series, and I may have to get them in paperback.
Sex-o-meter
At last, we get interspecies rumpy pumpy between a sexy cat girl and a hot houseplant (that is a quarter catnip on her mother's side). Bless this man and every moment he spends with his hands on the keyboard. This book scores a James T. Kirk out of a possible Charlie Kirk on the sex-o-meter.
Gore-o-meter
For a book that is a comedy at heart and a light-hearted adventure first, second and third, there is a decent amount of violence and gore. Yes, most of the grossness is just in the lurid descriptions of the aliens, and a lot of the violence is comedic slapstick, but there's a very real sense of the danger - Galaxy Cruise: The Maiden Voyage gets two quivering flesh-gobbets out of a possible five.
WTF-o-meter
I mean ... the Waylade Tour Fleet's initialism is literally "WTF", and they talk about it a lot. And all these aliens! So many questions. Did T. S. Eliot have contact with Gellicles at some point, leading to his creation of Jellicle Cats? And what is a blue hole? Does it spew time? Engines dead? Air supply low? Advice please. This one gets a wibbly wobbly orange swirly thing in space out of a possible Vogon poetry jam on the WTF-o-meter.
My Final Verdict
On a personal level, I should have been infuriated by this book. It's like a surrealist comedy version of one of my own stories, right down to the unfair bet made by the snooty federation-leaders and the human captain backed up by the true believer ... but nope. I'm here for it, and I couldn't approve more. Huck is the funniest swear ever. I'm giving this book five stars, but only because I can't give it six.
Read
December 1, 2022Rating: minus 2
I am rewriting reviews to reduce rambling, check punctuation and spelling more or less. 🙂🙂 This is a sort of funny, spoofy book without the serious underpinning that gives humour a bite. The gags are a bit sophomoric.
I recommended James Frederick's review originally, so I shall continue to do so. At present, a "rogue" Goodreads tech will not "Allow" me to see other reviews, will not "Allow" me to see commenter ID, will not "Allow" me to remove my last lurker, sometimes grays out like buttons and does not respond to queries. 🤔🤔🤔
The lurker that I am "not allowed" to remove is Dr Susan Hamilton (a Maths professor at University of Tennessee ?). She posted nothing for the two years since her friend request and will not respond to five requests that she unfriend me. 🤔 I hope that she is not fascinated by my reviews, because I am just not that interesting. 🤗🤗
I wrote a brutal review of a "poorly written salute to the January 6, 2021 hero" and suddenly a "rogue" Goodreads tech finds my being a communist is a bad thing. Who knew.🤗🤗
For more Goodreads, see my review of "2041: Sanctuary", a racist apocalypse tale or Powers of the Earth (a poorly written salute to the January 6, 2021 hero) and comments from a Claes Rees, Jr/cgr710 (a self-identified NeoNazi and US patriot).
To Claes Rees, Jr/cgr710
Don't be a numpty. Be a smarty. Come and join the Communist Party.
I can not understand why US patriots (Tucker Carlson or Claes Rees Jr, for example) support Russia's army, when the UN has already opened cases on the mass of serial rapes of women as old as 80, boys and girls (and one four year old girl) already. She is certainly not the only, since gang rape is Russian policy with soldiers who are not being supplied with food regularly, are being issued Viagra. 🤔 In any case.
GLORY TO UKRAINE !!! and GLORY TO THE HEROES !!!
This book suffers from the fundamental failing of lack of world building. This was the most common weakness of all the books that I tried, which were failures as stories (regardless of the often virulent political message).
There is no sense of the main character's origins. I had no feel for humanity's place in this universe. The history of humanity that leads to this marginalized position is not addressed. The state of humanity and its society on the moon that it inhabits is a blank. The size of the population is not even hinted.
The main character is a corresponding blank. He is so lacking in agency that I wondered whether he could feed himself st home before ending up on this station. With this description, the humor around his bumbling has no counterweight and no value as a judgement on some failure on the human outlook. It is not slapstick because there is no normal, which is fundamentally different to the goofy behavior of the this central figure.
The aliens are even worse. There is a little more background for some of the species but there is no overall picture of how the various societies function. That is true for both their internal political structures and their cross species interactions and the power relationship between them.
This not quite a comedy of manners nor The Hitchhiker's guide to the Galaxy. It is more a child's cartoon and features less character development. I think about two cartoons that I remember. Revisit "Power Puff Girls" and "Dexter's Laboratory" and then compare those to this story.
All boats require ballast and/or a keel. Without that stabilizer, the craft will capsize sooner are late. This boat has neither. There really is no premise but the idea for the book could have been interesting.
For some this will be great fun and for others it will fall flat with no one cause.
The lack of commitment to disciplined writing pervades current low end US science fiction. I think that contributes to the ease with which, poor writers can be printed by publishers and advertised by Amazon. I have lost most of my feeling for the genre, because that lack of the attempt to write solid books is missing.
I find most of my fiction on the streaming services, all of which seem to carry science fiction. Their offerings are generally better written and more entertaining. In addition there is a large multinational selection in the Netflix collection, which for me at least is a bonus.
About two years ago, I discovered educational video sites and book tubers at the same time on YouTube. I chose Curiosity Stream/Nebula first at a cost of about $15 USD for a yearly subscription. It and the others are all worth a look.
The book tubers were the real find.😍 The reader communities are a welcome change. These are readers, who are thoughtful, usually polite and in love with the entirety of the bibliophilic experience. This is totally opposite to the Goodreads experience, whatever that is. I recommend a visit to several book channels for any reader and have listed several below.
My YouTube picks of the moment
Ozillo News, Philosophy Tube, Julie Nolke, Some More News, Mandy, Rina Sawayama, Cambrian Chronicles, Book Furnace, Real Time History, Geo Girl, Tom Nicholas, Engineering with Rosie, Cruising Crafts.
As for Goodreads, pleas consider treating this site as potentially hostile. 😐
I have several solutions. I minimized my profile information, removed my lurkers, screenshot oddities and the grosser comments and admitted that no queries will be answered. 🙂
Seriously, please protect yourself and may we all enjoy Good Reading. 🤗🤗
Some of my favorite channels are.
Second Thought, Tara Mooknee, Novara Media, Munecat, Some More News, Eleanor Morton, Chloe Stafler, Beautifully Bookish Bethany, Sabine Hossenfelder, Rebecca Watson, Sarah Z, Useful Idiots, Tulia, Dr Becky, The Juice Media, What Vivi did next, Kelly loves Physics and History, The Armchair Historian, Dr Ben Miller, Pro Robot, History of the Universe, The Mindful Narrowboat, Sort of Interesting, Cruising Alba, The Piano Guys, Between the Wars, Ryan Chapman, The Great War, Cold Fusion, Prime of Midlife, Invicta, Told in Stone, May Moon Narrowboat, Lorna Jane Adventures, Lilly's expat life, Digital Engine, Materials Lab, Cambrian Chronicles, The Carpenter's Daughter, Lantern Jack, Hello Future Me, Caspian Report, Up and Atom, Tibees, Quinn's Ideas, Ruri Ohama, Physics Girl, Books and Lala, Lindsey Stirling, Randy Rainbow, 2Cellos, Tale Foundry, Overly Sarcastic Productions, The Library Ladder, Two Bit Da Vinci, Timeline, The Science of Science Fiction, Slide Bean, JamCam and Cam, Boat Time, Ship Happens, Casual Navigation, Real Engineering, Autumn's Boutique, Vlad Vexler, WION, Karolina Zebrowska, Jill Bearup, Diane Callahan Quotidian Writer, Jenny Nicholson, A Life of Lit, Cari Can Read, Ancient Americas, Tech Space, Elliot Brooks, Then and Now, Kings and Generals, Book Odyssey, Kathy's Flog in France, The Mindful Narrowboat, Ben and Emily, Holly the Cafe Boat, Cruising Crafts, Half as Interesting, Patrick is a Navajo, Zoe Baker. Sarah Z, Alt Shift X, Denys Davydov, Eckharts Ladder, Certifiably Ingame, IzzzYzzz, Jabzy, A Cup of Nicole, Jack in the Books, Serena Skybourne, France 24, Alice Cappelle, Alize, AllShorts, GK Reads, Maiorianus, Paleo Analysis, Joe Scott, Big Think, The Gravel Institute, Spacedock. The Templin Institute, Alexa Donne, Terra Mater, The Shades of Orange, With Olivia, Adult Wednesday Addams, Cruising the Cut, Chugging Along, Traveling K, Elena Taber, DUST, MWG Studios, Celtica, Ancient Geographics, The Historian's Craft.
May you have the best morning, a wonderful afternoon, a brilliant evening, a splendid night and may we all keep learning.
Hope is not a four letter word, no matter what some say.
Dictum, Dark Sisters
I am rewriting reviews to reduce rambling, check punctuation and spelling more or less. 🙂🙂 This is a sort of funny, spoofy book without the serious underpinning that gives humour a bite. The gags are a bit sophomoric.
I recommended James Frederick's review originally, so I shall continue to do so. At present, a "rogue" Goodreads tech will not "Allow" me to see other reviews, will not "Allow" me to see commenter ID, will not "Allow" me to remove my last lurker, sometimes grays out like buttons and does not respond to queries. 🤔🤔🤔
The lurker that I am "not allowed" to remove is Dr Susan Hamilton (a Maths professor at University of Tennessee ?). She posted nothing for the two years since her friend request and will not respond to five requests that she unfriend me. 🤔 I hope that she is not fascinated by my reviews, because I am just not that interesting. 🤗🤗
I wrote a brutal review of a "poorly written salute to the January 6, 2021 hero" and suddenly a "rogue" Goodreads tech finds my being a communist is a bad thing. Who knew.🤗🤗
For more Goodreads, see my review of "2041: Sanctuary", a racist apocalypse tale or Powers of the Earth (a poorly written salute to the January 6, 2021 hero) and comments from a Claes Rees, Jr/cgr710 (a self-identified NeoNazi and US patriot).
To Claes Rees, Jr/cgr710
Don't be a numpty. Be a smarty. Come and join the Communist Party.
I can not understand why US patriots (Tucker Carlson or Claes Rees Jr, for example) support Russia's army, when the UN has already opened cases on the mass of serial rapes of women as old as 80, boys and girls (and one four year old girl) already. She is certainly not the only, since gang rape is Russian policy with soldiers who are not being supplied with food regularly, are being issued Viagra. 🤔 In any case.
GLORY TO UKRAINE !!! and GLORY TO THE HEROES !!!
This book suffers from the fundamental failing of lack of world building. This was the most common weakness of all the books that I tried, which were failures as stories (regardless of the often virulent political message).
There is no sense of the main character's origins. I had no feel for humanity's place in this universe. The history of humanity that leads to this marginalized position is not addressed. The state of humanity and its society on the moon that it inhabits is a blank. The size of the population is not even hinted.
The main character is a corresponding blank. He is so lacking in agency that I wondered whether he could feed himself st home before ending up on this station. With this description, the humor around his bumbling has no counterweight and no value as a judgement on some failure on the human outlook. It is not slapstick because there is no normal, which is fundamentally different to the goofy behavior of the this central figure.
The aliens are even worse. There is a little more background for some of the species but there is no overall picture of how the various societies function. That is true for both their internal political structures and their cross species interactions and the power relationship between them.
This not quite a comedy of manners nor The Hitchhiker's guide to the Galaxy. It is more a child's cartoon and features less character development. I think about two cartoons that I remember. Revisit "Power Puff Girls" and "Dexter's Laboratory" and then compare those to this story.
All boats require ballast and/or a keel. Without that stabilizer, the craft will capsize sooner are late. This boat has neither. There really is no premise but the idea for the book could have been interesting.
For some this will be great fun and for others it will fall flat with no one cause.
The lack of commitment to disciplined writing pervades current low end US science fiction. I think that contributes to the ease with which, poor writers can be printed by publishers and advertised by Amazon. I have lost most of my feeling for the genre, because that lack of the attempt to write solid books is missing.
I find most of my fiction on the streaming services, all of which seem to carry science fiction. Their offerings are generally better written and more entertaining. In addition there is a large multinational selection in the Netflix collection, which for me at least is a bonus.
About two years ago, I discovered educational video sites and book tubers at the same time on YouTube. I chose Curiosity Stream/Nebula first at a cost of about $15 USD for a yearly subscription. It and the others are all worth a look.
The book tubers were the real find.😍 The reader communities are a welcome change. These are readers, who are thoughtful, usually polite and in love with the entirety of the bibliophilic experience. This is totally opposite to the Goodreads experience, whatever that is. I recommend a visit to several book channels for any reader and have listed several below.
My YouTube picks of the moment
Ozillo News, Philosophy Tube, Julie Nolke, Some More News, Mandy, Rina Sawayama, Cambrian Chronicles, Book Furnace, Real Time History, Geo Girl, Tom Nicholas, Engineering with Rosie, Cruising Crafts.
As for Goodreads, pleas consider treating this site as potentially hostile. 😐
I have several solutions. I minimized my profile information, removed my lurkers, screenshot oddities and the grosser comments and admitted that no queries will be answered. 🙂
Seriously, please protect yourself and may we all enjoy Good Reading. 🤗🤗
Some of my favorite channels are.
Second Thought, Tara Mooknee, Novara Media, Munecat, Some More News, Eleanor Morton, Chloe Stafler, Beautifully Bookish Bethany, Sabine Hossenfelder, Rebecca Watson, Sarah Z, Useful Idiots, Tulia, Dr Becky, The Juice Media, What Vivi did next, Kelly loves Physics and History, The Armchair Historian, Dr Ben Miller, Pro Robot, History of the Universe, The Mindful Narrowboat, Sort of Interesting, Cruising Alba, The Piano Guys, Between the Wars, Ryan Chapman, The Great War, Cold Fusion, Prime of Midlife, Invicta, Told in Stone, May Moon Narrowboat, Lorna Jane Adventures, Lilly's expat life, Digital Engine, Materials Lab, Cambrian Chronicles, The Carpenter's Daughter, Lantern Jack, Hello Future Me, Caspian Report, Up and Atom, Tibees, Quinn's Ideas, Ruri Ohama, Physics Girl, Books and Lala, Lindsey Stirling, Randy Rainbow, 2Cellos, Tale Foundry, Overly Sarcastic Productions, The Library Ladder, Two Bit Da Vinci, Timeline, The Science of Science Fiction, Slide Bean, JamCam and Cam, Boat Time, Ship Happens, Casual Navigation, Real Engineering, Autumn's Boutique, Vlad Vexler, WION, Karolina Zebrowska, Jill Bearup, Diane Callahan Quotidian Writer, Jenny Nicholson, A Life of Lit, Cari Can Read, Ancient Americas, Tech Space, Elliot Brooks, Then and Now, Kings and Generals, Book Odyssey, Kathy's Flog in France, The Mindful Narrowboat, Ben and Emily, Holly the Cafe Boat, Cruising Crafts, Half as Interesting, Patrick is a Navajo, Zoe Baker. Sarah Z, Alt Shift X, Denys Davydov, Eckharts Ladder, Certifiably Ingame, IzzzYzzz, Jabzy, A Cup of Nicole, Jack in the Books, Serena Skybourne, France 24, Alice Cappelle, Alize, AllShorts, GK Reads, Maiorianus, Paleo Analysis, Joe Scott, Big Think, The Gravel Institute, Spacedock. The Templin Institute, Alexa Donne, Terra Mater, The Shades of Orange, With Olivia, Adult Wednesday Addams, Cruising the Cut, Chugging Along, Traveling K, Elena Taber, DUST, MWG Studios, Celtica, Ancient Geographics, The Historian's Craft.
May you have the best morning, a wonderful afternoon, a brilliant evening, a splendid night and may we all keep learning.
Hope is not a four letter word, no matter what some say.
Dictum, Dark Sisters
June 29, 2021
This was like a cross between the Orville and Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and perhaps a few others.
This was mostly a fun journey and I plan to tune in to find out what happens in Book 2. Yes, it is part of a series...or at least, two books. There is a "soft ending" to this book. In order to get any real resolution to the story, you will need to read the next book.
Likes: there is a fair bit of humor, which is always a good thing. Some of it is strained, but most is not. Characters are interesting and differentiated. There is a good bit of world-building. There is plenty of intrigue and lots of twists and turns.
Dislikes: strangely, for me...the main character/narrator is one of the least developed of the bunch. Much of the action swirls around him and he reacts to everything. But we do not know much about his history. We do not know why he does what he does, most of the time. He comes across as a bumbling bozo, that just lucks through life. Most of that luck is bad, until it isn't. I was not sure if I was rooting for him or against him or why.
The sci-fi is of the "lite" variety. You can get by without seriously understanding ANY of the "science" involved.
There are some cliches, but they are not overly done.
This was mostly a fun journey and I plan to tune in to find out what happens in Book 2. Yes, it is part of a series...or at least, two books. There is a "soft ending" to this book. In order to get any real resolution to the story, you will need to read the next book.
Likes: there is a fair bit of humor, which is always a good thing. Some of it is strained, but most is not. Characters are interesting and differentiated. There is a good bit of world-building. There is plenty of intrigue and lots of twists and turns.
Dislikes: strangely, for me...the main character/narrator is one of the least developed of the bunch. Much of the action swirls around him and he reacts to everything. But we do not know much about his history. We do not know why he does what he does, most of the time. He comes across as a bumbling bozo, that just lucks through life. Most of that luck is bad, until it isn't. I was not sure if I was rooting for him or against him or why.
The sci-fi is of the "lite" variety. You can get by without seriously understanding ANY of the "science" involved.
There are some cliches, but they are not overly done.
January 16, 2023
I enjoyed this quirky galaxy cruise with our human captain Leo. The author did a great job of writing zany and ridiculous chapters that kept me reading well past my bedtime. If you are looking to not take life so seriously and laugh at the smug alien life forms on this cruise, some of whom are Premium access VIP members thank you very much, then this is your book.
November 28, 2021
Flat out stupid
First I’ll address the fact that command is not a democratic function. The captain gives an order and it’s obeyed.
Second, no teenager is ever going to get into an elite military flight squadron. Ever. It takes years of training and discipline, by which time your teen years are long gone. And no military pilot speaks like a stoner.
Third, gumption and confidence do not make someone qualified to be a ship’s captain. The very idea is an insult to naval officers throughout the galaxy.
I realize this was supposed to be a silly science fiction comedy but I found myself amazed at the lack of thought put into this story. In fact, I realized just how little the author paid attention to detail when he called the deck the ground after the gravity was turned back on. The entire book could have used due diligence in research before pumping out a ludicrous story that’s so stupid it isn’t funny, but instead tragically indicative of the state of education these days.
First I’ll address the fact that command is not a democratic function. The captain gives an order and it’s obeyed.
Second, no teenager is ever going to get into an elite military flight squadron. Ever. It takes years of training and discipline, by which time your teen years are long gone. And no military pilot speaks like a stoner.
Third, gumption and confidence do not make someone qualified to be a ship’s captain. The very idea is an insult to naval officers throughout the galaxy.
I realize this was supposed to be a silly science fiction comedy but I found myself amazed at the lack of thought put into this story. In fact, I realized just how little the author paid attention to detail when he called the deck the ground after the gravity was turned back on. The entire book could have used due diligence in research before pumping out a ludicrous story that’s so stupid it isn’t funny, but instead tragically indicative of the state of education these days.
April 6, 2022
Preamble
An ad for the Galaxy Cruise books has popped up on my Facebook feed more than once over the past little while. And then the author, my (and your) old pal, Marcus Alexander Hart, popped up in on a Facebook group I’ve been in for a while, Funny Indie Authors. He mentioned his book, I had a look, and burned through it rather quickly.
A note about my reviews: I consider myself an appreciator, not a critic. I know first-hand what goes into the creation of art – the blood, the sweat, the tears, the risk. I also know that art appreciation is subjective and lernt good what mama tell’t me – if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. I’m not a school marm grading a spelling test – I’m a reader who enjoys reading. If a book is entertaining, well-written, and I get absorbed into it, five out of five. I have gone as low as three stars – anything less than that and I will not review a book (chances are I DNFed anyway). Regardless, I wouldn’t even put a star rating system on my reviews but for the reality of storefronts like Amazon.
Take from that what you will.
Review – 5/5
Sci-fi comedy has been a thing for a while. Growing up, the likes of Red Dwarf and Galaxy Quest were popular, though I only experienced the first one a little bit and the second one never. I adored Spaceballs, going through a phase where I kept renting it on VHS over and over again when I was eleven or twelve. But my first taste of this very particular genre came in the guise of an old PC game called Space Quest: The Sarien Encounter. We (read: me and my brother, and to a lesser degree my sisters) had it, along with King’s Quest and a host of the old brutally and unfairly difficult old text parser-based Sierra Games on ye olde Tandy 1000, which had no hard drive and we liked it that way. Space Quest starred a loser space janitor named Roger Wilco (yes, a reference to walkie talkie… stuff) who managed to survive his space station getting blown up by aliens by dint of sheer luck alone. Then he goes on to save the universe in the same manner.
If I’m being honest, most of the humour went over my five-year-old head. Most of it, though there was a scene, after the nigh-impossible speeder run that made me want to throw the floppy disks out, that sticks with me to this day. You wind up in a bar in the desert of an alien planet, wandering into some sort of parody of the Star Wars cantina scene and there’s a crappy space band populated with aliens with cheesy one-liners, replete with the pop culture references that filled the rest of the game. And there was more than one game – several sequels, even. They leaned into the cheeseball humour element harder as time went on, though they never really got rid of the action-adventure elements entirely.
But I digress.
If you know Space Quest, you have a general idea of what Galaxy Cruise: The Maiden Voyage is going to be like, at least in terms of vibe. It stars a loser hero with zilch in terms of self-confidence who gets hit on by a rich alien heiress in the first few pages, only to be offered command of a massive space-based cruise ship. She basically throws herself at him with a bit of the old wink wink, nudge nudge, time for the old in and out, he wets his pants because she’s a hideous alien, some near death happens, he magically saves the day by accident, then he gets thrown into the next situation where he puts his foot in his mouth as a speciesist, or tells his crew to do something that’s dumb as hell, or something else. And comes out smelling like roses.
The jokes are a mile a minute and they usually involve some pop-culture reference. The cruise ship is called the WTF Americano Grande, for instance. But it’s not one note- it’s a rich tapestry of ridiculous situations as well. The hospitality chief, a cat lady (literal cat alien humanoid) has to deal with the insufferable old rich folk who complain about everything and threaten to report everything to the manager. The aliens use plenty of American English idioms for reasons that are as contrived as they are absurd.
But there is a plot here, a reason to care for our extremely socially awkward hero, Leo MacGavin. He needs to save his planet, the last bastion of humans who everyone thinks are called Americans and are treated as pets or worse by the rest of the aliens. He is on a mission to prevent his planet from getting turned into a sewage dump – the alien who threatens him basically shows him a poo emoji engulfing the place. To save it, he must be a decent captain of a cruise ship in space. No, really, that’s basically the driving force, which is appropriately silly for the book.
The characters are likeable, too. There’s the cat lady hospitality chief, a punk rock lesbian mechanic tree woman, an arsehole gruff lieutenant who gives Leo the gears but for whom he develops a grudging respect, there’s the hideous alien President of the cruise liner who is all wide-eyed batty eyelashes and a one-lady hype train for whom Leo develops those oh-so-sexy feelings, a dastardly villain who is little more than a puffed up rich kid mama’s boy… and Leo is the only one of these who is human. I was well impressed with the cast, how, in spite of the comedy setting, they were compelling.
That, to me, is a real test of someone’s comedic chops. To make something that’s not just a farce. Don’t get me wrong, it’s pure space adventure – we’re not talking the new Hermann Hesse or next Great American Novel here. But it’s fun and compelling and makes for an easy breezy chortly read. It’s also filled with euphemisms with one letter differences between the curse word and the ‘space swear.’ It’s explained in the story as part of the whole contrived reason why English idioms are part of standard alien language, which was, again, pretty funny.
Beam this one up (your arze).
An ad for the Galaxy Cruise books has popped up on my Facebook feed more than once over the past little while. And then the author, my (and your) old pal, Marcus Alexander Hart, popped up in on a Facebook group I’ve been in for a while, Funny Indie Authors. He mentioned his book, I had a look, and burned through it rather quickly.
A note about my reviews: I consider myself an appreciator, not a critic. I know first-hand what goes into the creation of art – the blood, the sweat, the tears, the risk. I also know that art appreciation is subjective and lernt good what mama tell’t me – if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. I’m not a school marm grading a spelling test – I’m a reader who enjoys reading. If a book is entertaining, well-written, and I get absorbed into it, five out of five. I have gone as low as three stars – anything less than that and I will not review a book (chances are I DNFed anyway). Regardless, I wouldn’t even put a star rating system on my reviews but for the reality of storefronts like Amazon.
Take from that what you will.
Review – 5/5
Sci-fi comedy has been a thing for a while. Growing up, the likes of Red Dwarf and Galaxy Quest were popular, though I only experienced the first one a little bit and the second one never. I adored Spaceballs, going through a phase where I kept renting it on VHS over and over again when I was eleven or twelve. But my first taste of this very particular genre came in the guise of an old PC game called Space Quest: The Sarien Encounter. We (read: me and my brother, and to a lesser degree my sisters) had it, along with King’s Quest and a host of the old brutally and unfairly difficult old text parser-based Sierra Games on ye olde Tandy 1000, which had no hard drive and we liked it that way. Space Quest starred a loser space janitor named Roger Wilco (yes, a reference to walkie talkie… stuff) who managed to survive his space station getting blown up by aliens by dint of sheer luck alone. Then he goes on to save the universe in the same manner.
If I’m being honest, most of the humour went over my five-year-old head. Most of it, though there was a scene, after the nigh-impossible speeder run that made me want to throw the floppy disks out, that sticks with me to this day. You wind up in a bar in the desert of an alien planet, wandering into some sort of parody of the Star Wars cantina scene and there’s a crappy space band populated with aliens with cheesy one-liners, replete with the pop culture references that filled the rest of the game. And there was more than one game – several sequels, even. They leaned into the cheeseball humour element harder as time went on, though they never really got rid of the action-adventure elements entirely.
But I digress.
If you know Space Quest, you have a general idea of what Galaxy Cruise: The Maiden Voyage is going to be like, at least in terms of vibe. It stars a loser hero with zilch in terms of self-confidence who gets hit on by a rich alien heiress in the first few pages, only to be offered command of a massive space-based cruise ship. She basically throws herself at him with a bit of the old wink wink, nudge nudge, time for the old in and out, he wets his pants because she’s a hideous alien, some near death happens, he magically saves the day by accident, then he gets thrown into the next situation where he puts his foot in his mouth as a speciesist, or tells his crew to do something that’s dumb as hell, or something else. And comes out smelling like roses.
The jokes are a mile a minute and they usually involve some pop-culture reference. The cruise ship is called the WTF Americano Grande, for instance. But it’s not one note- it’s a rich tapestry of ridiculous situations as well. The hospitality chief, a cat lady (literal cat alien humanoid) has to deal with the insufferable old rich folk who complain about everything and threaten to report everything to the manager. The aliens use plenty of American English idioms for reasons that are as contrived as they are absurd.
But there is a plot here, a reason to care for our extremely socially awkward hero, Leo MacGavin. He needs to save his planet, the last bastion of humans who everyone thinks are called Americans and are treated as pets or worse by the rest of the aliens. He is on a mission to prevent his planet from getting turned into a sewage dump – the alien who threatens him basically shows him a poo emoji engulfing the place. To save it, he must be a decent captain of a cruise ship in space. No, really, that’s basically the driving force, which is appropriately silly for the book.
The characters are likeable, too. There’s the cat lady hospitality chief, a punk rock lesbian mechanic tree woman, an arsehole gruff lieutenant who gives Leo the gears but for whom he develops a grudging respect, there’s the hideous alien President of the cruise liner who is all wide-eyed batty eyelashes and a one-lady hype train for whom Leo develops those oh-so-sexy feelings, a dastardly villain who is little more than a puffed up rich kid mama’s boy… and Leo is the only one of these who is human. I was well impressed with the cast, how, in spite of the comedy setting, they were compelling.
That, to me, is a real test of someone’s comedic chops. To make something that’s not just a farce. Don’t get me wrong, it’s pure space adventure – we’re not talking the new Hermann Hesse or next Great American Novel here. But it’s fun and compelling and makes for an easy breezy chortly read. It’s also filled with euphemisms with one letter differences between the curse word and the ‘space swear.’ It’s explained in the story as part of the whole contrived reason why English idioms are part of standard alien language, which was, again, pretty funny.
Beam this one up (your arze).
September 12, 2021
What a quick, fun read! My “Old Pal Marcus” has a twisted sense of humor. This story takes place on the Waylade Tour Fleet’s newest cruise ship, the WTF Americano Grande (see what I mean). It’s filled with an interesting assortment of characters. My favorite is the head of security, Lieutenant Commander Marshmallow Hug Dilly Dilly. Just saying its name makes me snicker.
I received a free ARC of this book for my opinion. To sum it up, I’m really looking forward to reading the next book in this series!
I received a free ARC of this book for my opinion. To sum it up, I’m really looking forward to reading the next book in this series!
April 12, 2023
DNF. This was supposed to be a comedy, but I hadn't chuckled more than once by the 33% mark. There is too much obvious winking at the audience and an overabundance of "joke" aliens that only make sense if you know American pop culture. Not funny, not a good story, not going to finish.
February 6, 2023
Galaxy Cruise: The Maiden Voyage, is straight up comedy SF in the best possible way. Crazy aliens, silly misunderstandings, madcap antics, and at the heart of it all a guy who is just trying to keep his head above water, and his homeworld out of deep (and literal) doo doo.
That guy is Leo MacGavin, a lounge entertainer at an American-themed karaoke bar who, after an unlikely series of events (expect to see that happening quite a bit), ends up becoming captain of the galaxy’s most sophisticated cruise ship: the Americano Grande.
So, right off the bat, you learn quite a few things. Humans are the minority in this galaxy. In fact, Leo’s the only human we meet in the whole book. Everyone else is staying put on their new home, Eagle Haven, basically refugees in a larger and more confusing universe.
And yet, human culture has become a bit of a fad among alien races. Sorry, I should say, American culture. Sorry, I should say, “American” culture (with super heavy air quotes). Let’s just say that when humans were discovered in their colony cryoship, our rescuers got our historical records wrong in a way that would make the aliens from Galaxy Quest smack their foreheads in dismay.
The story draws from a number of familiar themes. The captain is in no way qualified to captain. The crew is a bunch of misfits who most of the higher-ups expect to fail (especially the captain), and yet that crew rises to the task… eventually. Their shakedown cruise also holds the future of the cruise company in its hands—not to mention Leo’s home.
A similar setup is used (albeit in a military SF context) in Robert Asprin’s Phule's Company series—the main difference being that Willard Phule is secretly brilliant, while Leo MacGavin is…. well, he’s doing his best, okay?
Now, if you’ve heard of a TV show called Avenue 5, well, I can tell you firsthand that Marcus really wishes you hadn’t. Both deal with space cruise ships dealing with catastrophe and… well, that’s about all they have in common. But it’s enough that comparisons are going to be made.
Basically, if you saw Avenue 5 and thought the show was mean-spirited and the characters unlikeable, then you’re not alone. It also means you’re probably going to really like Galaxy Cruise. It knows how to have fun, and have characters you care about.
Among them are Commander Rexel Burlock, a tough-as-nails cyborg who has zero confidence in Leo’s abilities—actually, make that a negative number. Low negative fifties at least. Hospitality Chief Kellybean is a feline alien charged with the Sisyphean task of keeping the passengers happy. The security chief, Marshmallow Hug Dilly Dilly, is a giant terrifying arachnid that scares the crap out of everyone it comes across for obvious reasons. The ship’s pilot, Swoosh, is chill to the point where it’s a serious liability—and I was surprised to learn that he wasn’t perpetually stoned.
There’s also a band on board called Murder Blossom, whose lead singer is a plant girl with a talent for mechanics and whose drummer is an obsolete robot who still uses a tape drive. I should point out that the president of the cruise line, Varlowe, has a thing for Leo… it’s how he got in this mess in the first place, really.
Despite the familiar themes, this book managed to surprise me. I thought I had it pegged in terms of how it was all going to end, only to find that it reached that conclusion about 2/3rds of the way through. Then it ends up setting up its subsequent books in a way I did not see coming—though in hindsight it is, again, also a familiar theme. No spoilers, though.
The Galaxy Cruise series is up to 4 books now… well, 4.67 if you include a free ebook novella that comes with the first book, and a short story you get for free by signing up for Marcus’ newsletter. It’s also available in audiobook format, read exceptionally well by TJ Clark (and comes with the novella at the end as a bonus).
If you like Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, I think you’re going to enjoy taking a ride on the Americano Grande.
That guy is Leo MacGavin, a lounge entertainer at an American-themed karaoke bar who, after an unlikely series of events (expect to see that happening quite a bit), ends up becoming captain of the galaxy’s most sophisticated cruise ship: the Americano Grande.
So, right off the bat, you learn quite a few things. Humans are the minority in this galaxy. In fact, Leo’s the only human we meet in the whole book. Everyone else is staying put on their new home, Eagle Haven, basically refugees in a larger and more confusing universe.
And yet, human culture has become a bit of a fad among alien races. Sorry, I should say, American culture. Sorry, I should say, “American” culture (with super heavy air quotes). Let’s just say that when humans were discovered in their colony cryoship, our rescuers got our historical records wrong in a way that would make the aliens from Galaxy Quest smack their foreheads in dismay.
The story draws from a number of familiar themes. The captain is in no way qualified to captain. The crew is a bunch of misfits who most of the higher-ups expect to fail (especially the captain), and yet that crew rises to the task… eventually. Their shakedown cruise also holds the future of the cruise company in its hands—not to mention Leo’s home.
A similar setup is used (albeit in a military SF context) in Robert Asprin’s Phule's Company series—the main difference being that Willard Phule is secretly brilliant, while Leo MacGavin is…. well, he’s doing his best, okay?
Now, if you’ve heard of a TV show called Avenue 5, well, I can tell you firsthand that Marcus really wishes you hadn’t. Both deal with space cruise ships dealing with catastrophe and… well, that’s about all they have in common. But it’s enough that comparisons are going to be made.
Basically, if you saw Avenue 5 and thought the show was mean-spirited and the characters unlikeable, then you’re not alone. It also means you’re probably going to really like Galaxy Cruise. It knows how to have fun, and have characters you care about.
Among them are Commander Rexel Burlock, a tough-as-nails cyborg who has zero confidence in Leo’s abilities—actually, make that a negative number. Low negative fifties at least. Hospitality Chief Kellybean is a feline alien charged with the Sisyphean task of keeping the passengers happy. The security chief, Marshmallow Hug Dilly Dilly, is a giant terrifying arachnid that scares the crap out of everyone it comes across for obvious reasons. The ship’s pilot, Swoosh, is chill to the point where it’s a serious liability—and I was surprised to learn that he wasn’t perpetually stoned.
There’s also a band on board called Murder Blossom, whose lead singer is a plant girl with a talent for mechanics and whose drummer is an obsolete robot who still uses a tape drive. I should point out that the president of the cruise line, Varlowe, has a thing for Leo… it’s how he got in this mess in the first place, really.
Despite the familiar themes, this book managed to surprise me. I thought I had it pegged in terms of how it was all going to end, only to find that it reached that conclusion about 2/3rds of the way through. Then it ends up setting up its subsequent books in a way I did not see coming—though in hindsight it is, again, also a familiar theme. No spoilers, though.
The Galaxy Cruise series is up to 4 books now… well, 4.67 if you include a free ebook novella that comes with the first book, and a short story you get for free by signing up for Marcus’ newsletter. It’s also available in audiobook format, read exceptionally well by TJ Clark (and comes with the novella at the end as a bonus).
If you like Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, I think you’re going to enjoy taking a ride on the Americano Grande.
June 16, 2021
A brand-new series that is great fun and classic Marcus Alexander Hart!
“Galaxy Cruise: The Maiden Voyage” is the latest venture from author Marcus Alexander Hart. This time Hart takes his readers on a humor-filled romp into the far future and deep space.
Leo MacGavin is a hapless human — the only one adventurous enough to leave humanity’s new home, a moon called “Eaglehaven,” where the remainder of humankind ended up after having to evacuate Earth — who works as a DJ for karaoke in an alien-filled space dock. That is, until the next thing he knows, Leo is very suddenly the captain of a humanity-inspired, space-based cruise ship, the Waylade Tour Fleet’s newest vessel, the WTF Americano Grande. And the Americano Grande is modeled after a 21st-Century-era, ocean-based cruise ship, encased in an atmospheric force field as it sails through the stars.
Aside from not having the slightest idea what he’s doing, Captain Leo MacGavin’s biggest problems are twofold: 1) The aliens who rescued the adrift humans way-back-when drew all of their information about us from our own messed up computers, so everything they think they know about humanity is askew, to say the least; and 2) Leo is getting pressured (blackmailed) into deliberately *failing* the Americano Grande’s maiden voyage; if he somehow succeeds, Eaglehaven will be flushed down the toilet — almost literally — and turned into a moon-sized sewage plant.
As always, Hart’s humor made me laugh out loud on several occasions, while his plot kept me guessing as to what might happen next. He has also done a tremendous amount of world-building with this series debut, introducing a menagerie of different characters, most of whom hail from completely different alien species. But as quirky as some of them can be (from a human’s perspective), they can be equally charming; in some cases, the more alien the character — such as the spider-like chief of security — the more endearing they can be.
In fact, the world-building here is so thorough and captivating, it reminded me in some ways of “The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet” — another 5-star book I highly recommend. But while “The Long Way ...” was equally enchanting in its character study, its plot could be, at times, a little thin.
Not so with “Galaxy Cruise,” in which Leo’s goal to somehow save his people’s planet *without* ruining the Waylade Tour Fleet and his biggest supporter, Varlowe (who now owns the Fleet and is counting on Leo to captain the Americano Grande to success) is in constant peril. With near disaster lurking at every turn, Hart keeps the stakes high and Leo hanging by a thread!
“Galaxy Cruise: The Maiden Voyage” is fun and funny and self-contained, yet ends on a sharp left turn that leaves the series wide open for continuation. And I am very much looking forward to its sequel (hopefully, the first of many), “Galaxy Cruise: Royally Screwed!”
“Galaxy Cruise: The Maiden Voyage” is the latest venture from author Marcus Alexander Hart. This time Hart takes his readers on a humor-filled romp into the far future and deep space.
Leo MacGavin is a hapless human — the only one adventurous enough to leave humanity’s new home, a moon called “Eaglehaven,” where the remainder of humankind ended up after having to evacuate Earth — who works as a DJ for karaoke in an alien-filled space dock. That is, until the next thing he knows, Leo is very suddenly the captain of a humanity-inspired, space-based cruise ship, the Waylade Tour Fleet’s newest vessel, the WTF Americano Grande. And the Americano Grande is modeled after a 21st-Century-era, ocean-based cruise ship, encased in an atmospheric force field as it sails through the stars.
Aside from not having the slightest idea what he’s doing, Captain Leo MacGavin’s biggest problems are twofold: 1) The aliens who rescued the adrift humans way-back-when drew all of their information about us from our own messed up computers, so everything they think they know about humanity is askew, to say the least; and 2) Leo is getting pressured (blackmailed) into deliberately *failing* the Americano Grande’s maiden voyage; if he somehow succeeds, Eaglehaven will be flushed down the toilet — almost literally — and turned into a moon-sized sewage plant.
As always, Hart’s humor made me laugh out loud on several occasions, while his plot kept me guessing as to what might happen next. He has also done a tremendous amount of world-building with this series debut, introducing a menagerie of different characters, most of whom hail from completely different alien species. But as quirky as some of them can be (from a human’s perspective), they can be equally charming; in some cases, the more alien the character — such as the spider-like chief of security — the more endearing they can be.
In fact, the world-building here is so thorough and captivating, it reminded me in some ways of “The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet” — another 5-star book I highly recommend. But while “The Long Way ...” was equally enchanting in its character study, its plot could be, at times, a little thin.
Not so with “Galaxy Cruise,” in which Leo’s goal to somehow save his people’s planet *without* ruining the Waylade Tour Fleet and his biggest supporter, Varlowe (who now owns the Fleet and is counting on Leo to captain the Americano Grande to success) is in constant peril. With near disaster lurking at every turn, Hart keeps the stakes high and Leo hanging by a thread!
“Galaxy Cruise: The Maiden Voyage” is fun and funny and self-contained, yet ends on a sharp left turn that leaves the series wide open for continuation. And I am very much looking forward to its sequel (hopefully, the first of many), “Galaxy Cruise: Royally Screwed!”
April 13, 2024
I wanted to like this book, described as a humorous space based sci-fi novel. I did not enjoy the book, as it was filled with ridiculously conceived "aliens", such as a crew member who was a member of a "cat" species, complete with four paws, claws and a fur-covered body. No explanation how such a creature works as a space cruise director. Another species presented is some sort of vegetation-based creatures, once again, with no explanation of how they manage to serve as crew members on a space ship. The book was full of species that defy explanation beyond simply concoctions of the author's imagination, but none of them are believable at all in the context of a massive spaceship devoted to the tourism industry in some far-off galaxy. Honestly, Star Trek and Star Wars presented us with a vast array of fantastic alien creatures, all of whom fit believably as space travelers in one way or another. This book doesn't even come close. Humans, the earth-variety, are represented by a colony of expatriates living on a small moon in a corner of this part of outer space, who fled earth as a result of humanity's destructive treatment of said home planet. The main protagonist of Galaxy Cruise is an earthling who somehow is hired to be captain of the space cruise ship, despite having no qualifications or experience to do so. His motivation is provided by a challenge that if he fails, the earthling colony will be used as a moon-sized waste disposal site. The book contained a few humorous scenes, but not nearly enough to qualify as a "humorous book." The book's story arc was as ridiculous as the species mentioned above, and I found I had to force myself to finish it (I hate not finishing reading a book I've begun). So, thanks, but no thanks, Mr. Hart; I will not be reading any more of this series. This one was painful enough.
September 6, 2022
Disclaimer - I received a free copy of this book to review for the Self-Published Science Fiction Competition (SPSFC).
Where is the line between satirical and absurdist writing? Is there a Science Fiction genre for either/both? Well, in the long and illustrious history of Buckaroo Bonzai and Galaxy Quest, Marcus Alexander Hart has entered the field with his four part series: Galaxy Cruise.
“Serious” science fiction readers be forewarned that there is nothing serious, reality based, or scientific in this book. If that doesn’t scare you off, this storyline has it all; adventure, ecological disaster, corporate backstabbing, an anti-hero, and aliens - LOTS of aliens.
We meet our protagonist, Leo MacGavin, while he is working as the MC for karaoke at an intergalactic dive bar. He stubbles into this adventure by accidentally saving the president of the galaxy’s largest tourist ship company who happens to be bar slumming. At this point the adventure, and comedy, begins with the perfect pairing of the inept Leo with Varlowe, the naive “damsel in distress”, as they face off against the evil bad guy.
I actually enjoyed this book. Since Buckaroo Bonzai is my cult favorite movie and Galaxy Quest my favorite Star Trek satire it isn’t a long leap to liking Galaxy Cruise. If you like your science fiction with a heaping dollop of comedy you need to checkout this book.
Where is the line between satirical and absurdist writing? Is there a Science Fiction genre for either/both? Well, in the long and illustrious history of Buckaroo Bonzai and Galaxy Quest, Marcus Alexander Hart has entered the field with his four part series: Galaxy Cruise.
“Serious” science fiction readers be forewarned that there is nothing serious, reality based, or scientific in this book. If that doesn’t scare you off, this storyline has it all; adventure, ecological disaster, corporate backstabbing, an anti-hero, and aliens - LOTS of aliens.
We meet our protagonist, Leo MacGavin, while he is working as the MC for karaoke at an intergalactic dive bar. He stubbles into this adventure by accidentally saving the president of the galaxy’s largest tourist ship company who happens to be bar slumming. At this point the adventure, and comedy, begins with the perfect pairing of the inept Leo with Varlowe, the naive “damsel in distress”, as they face off against the evil bad guy.
I actually enjoyed this book. Since Buckaroo Bonzai is my cult favorite movie and Galaxy Quest my favorite Star Trek satire it isn’t a long leap to liking Galaxy Cruise. If you like your science fiction with a heaping dollop of comedy you need to checkout this book.
June 17, 2021
Classic scifi parody - which means it is the book equivalent of a B movie that can be really funny, really bad, or so bad it is funny and ends up on MST3000. The way this one started I was worried it might be the latter category, but it surprised me by being a genuinely funny book with a well thought out plot. Now don't get me wrong, every trope you expect from the genre is in there and there were times I was calling play by play on scenes, but just as many other times that I was totally taken by surprise. Overall, it is an excellent blend of the comfortable story you expect with enough originality, scene stealing characters, and well thought out plot twists that it really works. Even if some of the aliens seem like they were designed by a deranged kid building creatures Spore was never meant to spawn.
First book in a series, the major conflict was completely resolved, but the characters were thrown straight into another catastrophe that they seem well equipped to handle - hopefully. Fast, entertaining read. Looking forward to more from this author!
First book in a series, the major conflict was completely resolved, but the characters were thrown straight into another catastrophe that they seem well equipped to handle - hopefully. Fast, entertaining read. Looking forward to more from this author!
February 8, 2023
Hart, Marcus Alexander. Galaxy Cruise: The Maiden Voyage. Kindle, 2022. Galaxy Cruise 1.
Galaxy Cruise is not the book for anyone who demands a modicum of reality in their space opera. The cover art provides a clue. What looks like an ocean-going yacht is in orbit above an Earth-like world firing missiles from pods hanging off both sides near the stern. We first meet Leo working as a bored master of ceremonies in a low-class Karaoke Bar in the steerage area of a battleship that has been converted to serve the interstellar luxury liner trade. A blobbish alien who can’t keep up with the tune is trying to sing “I’ll Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That).” When an accident with a champagne bottle gives him an unwarranted reputation for heroic quick thinking, he is hired as captain on a new vessel called the Americano Grande, owned by an alien who seems to have had a religious experience from her contact with a human barista. If you think that “Avenue Five” is the best show on television, you might enjoy going on this Galaxy Cruise. Silly. But fun at times. 3.5 stars.
Galaxy Cruise is not the book for anyone who demands a modicum of reality in their space opera. The cover art provides a clue. What looks like an ocean-going yacht is in orbit above an Earth-like world firing missiles from pods hanging off both sides near the stern. We first meet Leo working as a bored master of ceremonies in a low-class Karaoke Bar in the steerage area of a battleship that has been converted to serve the interstellar luxury liner trade. A blobbish alien who can’t keep up with the tune is trying to sing “I’ll Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That).” When an accident with a champagne bottle gives him an unwarranted reputation for heroic quick thinking, he is hired as captain on a new vessel called the Americano Grande, owned by an alien who seems to have had a religious experience from her contact with a human barista. If you think that “Avenue Five” is the best show on television, you might enjoy going on this Galaxy Cruise. Silly. But fun at times. 3.5 stars.
February 26, 2023
Your old pal Marcus Alexander Hart (Don't believe me? Look at the cover.) has written your basic sci-fi, action/adventure, mystery, comedy, cross-species romance novel. It has enough word play and pop references (The humanoid cat-like creature is a Gellico.) to satisfy any word nerd.
This is the story of the virgin cruise of Waylade Tour Fleet's "WTF" newest luxury cruiser, Americano Grande. The crew includes an assistant Commander that blatantly hate the Commander, the previously mentioned Gellico, an arachnid type creature that can carry multiple people with ease, a perpetually laid back crew member that suffers from Spicolli Syndrome, and Marshmallow Hug Dilly Dilly the Entertainment Director. Captain Leo, the only American in sight.I (Due to a misunderstanding of damaged computer information they think all humans are from the planet America.)
Be prepared to laugh, get caught up in the action, root for the good guys, and, hopefully, do some thinking while reading this delightful book.
This is the story of the virgin cruise of Waylade Tour Fleet's "WTF" newest luxury cruiser, Americano Grande. The crew includes an assistant Commander that blatantly hate the Commander, the previously mentioned Gellico, an arachnid type creature that can carry multiple people with ease, a perpetually laid back crew member that suffers from Spicolli Syndrome, and Marshmallow Hug Dilly Dilly the Entertainment Director. Captain Leo, the only American in sight.I (Due to a misunderstanding of damaged computer information they think all humans are from the planet America.)
Be prepared to laugh, get caught up in the action, root for the good guys, and, hopefully, do some thinking while reading this delightful book.
May 24, 2021
Leo is a human KJay suffering through alien renditions of authentic American karaoke in space, when through a series of mishaps he loses his pants and one shoe and saves the life of an alien heiress completely by accident. The alien heiress is the president of the Waylade Tour Fleet, abbreviated WTF. Varlowe Waylade has a cultish obsession for McDonald's, Starbucks and Walmart which she worships as a religion. Leo is appointed captain of the space ocean liner, the WTF Americano Grande. There is also a cute plant girl and cat girl romance side story that I enjoyed.
This book is silly, ridiculous and funny. One of those laugh out loud in public reads. I had a lot of fun reading it.
Leo is completely unlucky, everything including all of humanity depends on him not screwing up and unfortunately for everyone Leo is one supreme, if mostly by accident, screw up. Or is he?
A fun space romp with an exciting twisty ending.
This book is silly, ridiculous and funny. One of those laugh out loud in public reads. I had a lot of fun reading it.
Leo is completely unlucky, everything including all of humanity depends on him not screwing up and unfortunately for everyone Leo is one supreme, if mostly by accident, screw up. Or is he?
A fun space romp with an exciting twisty ending.
April 24, 2024
Humor is a subjective thing. What some people think of as humorous, others consider ridiculous, silly, nonsensical or just not funny. While there were a few humourous moments in this book, I thought most of it bordered on the ridiculous and nonsensical. That is not always bad. I did enjoy "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams, but Hart's farcical tale of a spacefaring cruise ship usually fell just a bit over the line between funny and ridiculous. I did appreciate the concept of a spacefaring cruise ship as a vehicle for a great deal of humor. Additionally, some of Hart's parodies of cruise ship passengers and crew members deserved a few chuckles, as did the abreviation for the Waverlee Tour Fleet cruise line, itself. I was releived when this book ended (two sequels have already launched) but I probably won't board the WTF Americano Grande again. (emphasis on "probably")
April 5, 2024
This is essentially incompetence comedy. Seems it's not so much to my taste. I suppose I prefer quirky competence comedy or accidental competence comedy *shrug*.
The first 80% of the book's incompetence gets "cleverly explained" with the author going full villain monologue infodump for an entire LONG chapter. That was just dumb. It does recover a bit after that, but the story is almost over by that point.
Some of the eccentricities do actually seems kinda clever (comedy is hard and all) but most of it just didn't land with me.
I figure this novel is just real hit or miss depending on the audience.
I'll try out the second book to see if it has a different tone with the change in plot direction.
The first 80% of the book's incompetence gets "cleverly explained" with the author going full villain monologue infodump for an entire LONG chapter. That was just dumb. It does recover a bit after that, but the story is almost over by that point.
Some of the eccentricities do actually seems kinda clever (comedy is hard and all) but most of it just didn't land with me.
I figure this novel is just real hit or miss depending on the audience.
I'll try out the second book to see if it has a different tone with the change in plot direction.
May 1, 2022
Hilarious Cruise Ship Antics
Having been on a few cruises, I can say I’ve met many of the passengers portrayed in this story. But, that’s really the backdrop for the evolution of a bunch of misfits into a crew that can hopefully survive and win.
There are so many cultural references that you clearly know this far in the future story is firmly grounded in satirizing American culture today: Starbucks, Cats, and many more.
This is a zany romp with touches of bravery, romance, and mistakes that lead to success. Nice conclusion that ties up the loose ends while setting up for many more voyages.
Have fun reading the story.
Having been on a few cruises, I can say I’ve met many of the passengers portrayed in this story. But, that’s really the backdrop for the evolution of a bunch of misfits into a crew that can hopefully survive and win.
There are so many cultural references that you clearly know this far in the future story is firmly grounded in satirizing American culture today: Starbucks, Cats, and many more.
This is a zany romp with touches of bravery, romance, and mistakes that lead to success. Nice conclusion that ties up the loose ends while setting up for many more voyages.
Have fun reading the story.
May 25, 2021
I literally laughed out loud at parts of this. You can’t help but feel bad for the predicament poor Leo finds himself in, but you root for him nonetheless. Everyone hates him because he’s the Human but he gets thrusted into a position of authority he didn’t want and is sabotaged at every turn- with twists I didn’t see coming! The characters were so much fun and I can’t wait to find out what happens next cruise! It’s such a good read! I’m not even a syfy type person but I LOVED every page of this!
July 6, 2021
Almost as much fun as not wearing pants.
Galaxy Cruise is as ridiculous as it sounds. A captain, who is clueless, gets put in charge of a cruise ship in space.
Then all the worst things start to happen. And it's all his fault..or...would you like some garlic bread with your spaghetti?
A captivating story, full of humor, guys, girls, and aliens you'll root for, and some of the most ridiculous situations you can imagine. You won't want to miss this adventure!
Galaxy Cruise is as ridiculous as it sounds. A captain, who is clueless, gets put in charge of a cruise ship in space.
Then all the worst things start to happen. And it's all his fault..or...would you like some garlic bread with your spaghetti?
A captivating story, full of humor, guys, girls, and aliens you'll root for, and some of the most ridiculous situations you can imagine. You won't want to miss this adventure!
November 15, 2021
Not necessarily the best,but A solid read if you're in the mood for it..
Sarcasm, wit, somewhat over the top. Enjoyable, smarta--, you know, a guilty pleasure type of read.
Interesting aliens, humans not at the top of the power chain, alien descriptions and naming conventions are endearing "Gellicle" for a feline race (a reference to the show Cats?) And the Lethargot's, and alien race of snail-like beings.
Give it a try, you might enjoy it.
Sarcasm, wit, somewhat over the top. Enjoyable, smarta--, you know, a guilty pleasure type of read.
Interesting aliens, humans not at the top of the power chain, alien descriptions and naming conventions are endearing "Gellicle" for a feline race (a reference to the show Cats?) And the Lethargot's, and alien race of snail-like beings.
Give it a try, you might enjoy it.
September 17, 2022
DNF - Not Funny
I quit at 38% because I did not chuckle even once, let alone laugh.
If you are 9 or 10 and think fart jokes are funny, you may enjoy this book. If your IQ is in at least double digits, this books comes off as stupid.
The author's bio is very telling. If you think his bio is funny, then you will like this book. Saying he has a wife and 2 imaginary children isn't funny, it is childish. Grow up and become an adult, not a man-child.
I quit at 38% because I did not chuckle even once, let alone laugh.
If you are 9 or 10 and think fart jokes are funny, you may enjoy this book. If your IQ is in at least double digits, this books comes off as stupid.
The author's bio is very telling. If you think his bio is funny, then you will like this book. Saying he has a wife and 2 imaginary children isn't funny, it is childish. Grow up and become an adult, not a man-child.
July 21, 2021
"Witty, current, and stuffed to the tentacles with comic space adventure, there is a real glee in Hart's invention of alien races, cool space ships, and interspecies relations. Think the Titanic had it bad? An iceberg is just the ice breaker for the first Pseudo-American intergalactic cruise ship. It's a little bit Red Dwarf, a little bit Hitchhikers, and a whole lotta rock and roll."
August 13, 2021
Good
I took a shot with this one and while it wasn’t as good as I was hoping it would be it was still enjoyable and interesting. I was hoping for it to be more like Robert Asprin or Terry Prachett but while a good story and start of a series it didn’t grab me as their works have.
Still I do like it and recommend giving it a read.
I took a shot with this one and while it wasn’t as good as I was hoping it would be it was still enjoyable and interesting. I was hoping for it to be more like Robert Asprin or Terry Prachett but while a good story and start of a series it didn’t grab me as their works have.
Still I do like it and recommend giving it a read.
September 13, 2021
The main character is supposed to be portrayed as a bit of an idiot, but the author takes it way too far. Leo is all but incapable of basic functions. The character is so cringey and stupid that it makes the book extremely unenjoyable to read.
Almost like the author has never had any social interactions in their life, so doesn't know how people behave and act.
Almost like the author has never had any social interactions in their life, so doesn't know how people behave and act.
September 18, 2021
The first part of this story is just plain silly except for all the incredibly imaginatively described aliens. Unfortunately, there were so many detailed descriptions of aliens that they interrupted the flow of the tale. The second half of the book was a lot of fun and the end was quite satisfying.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews