Into the Known Universe: A Cosmic Love Story, Kinda

by James R.D. Hilton

Junior Reclamation Agent Stuart Bode is offered the promotion of his dreams (with a private office to boot) in exchange for a seemingly simple task: tracking down a stolen corporate freighter and recovering its cargo. “If the cargo ain’t recoverable,” his boss, Asset Protection Commander Proseus Oort II, growls, “terminate it.”

Stuart’s simple assignment becomes decidedly less so when he finds the missing freighter only to discover that the “cargo” is none other than Janna, Commander Oort’s runaway bride. Hell-bent on seeing the stars, she has no intention of allowing Stuart or anyone else to reclaim her, no matter how spacious his new office is.

Stuart is faced with a terrible choice: complete his assignment and secure his promotion or allow Janna to escape while he returns to Oort to face the consequences.

He’s still deciding when the pirates show up.

Though their journey into the known universe is just beginning, it’s shaping up to be one hell of a ride.

306 pages, Hardcover

Published March 13, 2024

About the author

James R.D. Hilton is an insurance broker by day and a science fiction writer . . . also by day. Because he knows next to nothing about the real world, he writes about outer space. And aliens. And robots. And spaceships. He has fun doing it, and he thinks you’ll have fun reading it.

Into the Known Universe: A Cosmic Love Story, Kinda is his debut novel, which he self-published through FriesenPress. His previous writing credits include several short stories published in Pulp Kings Magazine, where the Known Universe was born.

He smokes a pipe, likes cats, and has been known to venture outside on occasion. He lives somewhere in Alberta.

Reviews

[Scoop Glover · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book! It gave me Hitchhikers Guide vibes, but also totally unique! Stuart Bode and his stapler have made my day.

[Kris Wieler · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really fun sci-fi adventure. I really liked how the characters popped in their own ways through out and the twists and turns left me guessing what would happen next. The book starts with Stuart Bode, who works for a company called Galicor in the collections department. He gets sent on a collections mission to recover a lost freighter and and it cargo and it turns out the cargo is more complicated. The twists and turns after that leave you guessing and the story is really fun. Highly recommend.

[Kayla Jorstad · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for any sci-fi lover. The MC development was intriguing and kept me interested to see the outcome in the end.