Will Leave the Galaxy for Good

Jacques McKeown #3

by Yahtzee Croshaw, Yahtzee Croshaw (Narrator)

Jacques McKeown is the most celebrated author of star-pilot fiction in the galaxy. He's rich, famous, and living in luxury, and his universe-wide fanbase eagerly awaits any news of his next book.

There's just one small hitch.

He's not Jacques McKeown.

He's Dashford Pierce, star pilot and con artist, and if only the impatient calls from his publisher were the worst of his problems. There's also the last vestige of the Henderson crime gang, trouble brewing in the retired star-pilot community, and a small matter of somebody trying to kill him.

As his web of lies falls apart and the crosshairs zero in, Pierce has no other option but to take one last adventure. An odyssey to the very edge of known space to finally answer the question that has twisted up his life for five years: Just who is Jacques McKeown?

Genres: Science Fiction, Audiobook, Humor, Fiction, Comedy, Space, Adventure

10 pages, Audible Audio

Published April 4, 2024

About the author

Benjamin Richard "Yahtzee" Croshaw is an English comedic writer, video game journalist and author of adventure games created using Adventure Game Studio software. He writes articles for Australia's Hyper magazine, a major games publication. He uses his website "Fully Ramblomatic" as an outlet for his own work, including weekly dark humour articles, essays, fiction, and webcomics. He is currently making a series of video-reviews named Zero Punctuation for The Escapist, as well as the weekly column Extra Punctuation. In the February 2008 issue of PC Gamer (US), Croshaw took over Gary Whitta's "Backspace" column as a contributing editor. He is also one of the four founders of The Mana Bar; an Australian cocktail bar and video gaming lounge in Brisbane, Australia.

Reviews

[Yavor Vlaskov · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would like to preface this by saying that in all my years of reading (25+ since I learned to read, really) I've gone through thousands of books, and among those, Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw's works are an absolute standout. They invoke a feeling of inspiration by the sheer wit and creativity involved, a satire of tropes that is more than the sum of its parts, and each of those parts is absolutely outstanding. I've read all of his books so far and they succeed at being something truly unique and special by not trying to be, if that makes sense. They stick to their guns of interesting plot developments, actually deep and logical characterization, and outstanding humour - up until a point when they hit you in the gut with an extremely profound piece of philosophy that makes you question your existence. I sincerely believe they are some of the greatest works of literature humanity has known and when anybody tosses Pratchett's hat in the ring, I would with the same confidence toss Yahtzee's fedora.

Preface concluded, I knew from the start I'd enjoy the book, and it did not defy the trend I have found so far with his works. My only real concern was the aspect of "sticking the landing" - this is the end to his trilogy, first ending of a series really, and I've been through plenty of series to know that a good overall content does not guarantee a good ending. I can say with great certainty that he nailed it, managing to wrap up nicely themes of identity conflicts, midlife crisis, and general imposter syndrome; hell, I feel like these books are all the therapy I am going to need in that inevitable regard few years down the line. This book and series has brought me immense joy and I am thoroughly grateful to have been able to read them.

Bears mentioning that the narrator quality was terrific as well (Yahtzee's great arsenal of voices surprised me in his first audio book, this man has no place being as talented as he is in so many areas), I noticed a couple (like literally a couple, both after the halfway mark of the book) of editing slumps where a pause between the lines of two characters was maybe a tad shorter than it should have been and it ended up merging the lines somewhat, but context was always plain enough to be able to distinguish it. This is definitely one of the better narrated works out there, but anyone who has reached the third book will expect no less than that.

Looking forward to the next D.E.D.A files!

[Weeks DAily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great series, extremely lovable characters and lots of funny similes about dogs!

[Matthew Fitzgerald · Rating 3 out of 5]

On par with the other books in this trilogy, just as funny and acerbic. The characters and connective tissue to previous installments is familiar, but this one ends on a somewhat unusual note. The trilogy ties up nicely but this one feels a bit more like another lap around the track than a whole new course that the last book offered. There’s clearly room for more stories in this world of quantunnels than what we’ve seen orbiting the relatively small cast of characters in the books so far (if Crowshaw wants to go here), but it’s also a dark and phantasmagorical ending that might just be the right note to step away from.

[Lance kozel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first three quarters of this book is standard for the series the last quarter is very cerebral talking about personal myths, you are who you pretend to be, and how people find more pleasure in voyeurism of great actions and actually completing those great actually themselves.
Overall it's very weird I feel like I missed a bit of it And in the pursuit of this cerebralness it sort of forgot about the main character
the first book was just retelling of the Han Solo Arc the second was a man with strict codes of conduct having to bend them to the point of breaking but in this one feels like it's just a bid for survival with no higher ambitions but revenge and not even a real strong revenge more like covering your butt before you hightail it.
still the minute to minute writing was really good and that's all I wanted from the series.
But still I wish he didn't got caught up in himself in the last 15 minutes forgetting about every other character except the main villain leaving the ending more open ended then would i have wanted for a (probable) series finale

[Buck O'Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love this series to death, fun characters and snappy writing (and performance from the author in audiobooks which I’d recommend) but can’t help but feel a minor letdown in the very end. But overall a great world and series to scratch a campy sci-fi itch and overall a great final book for a trilogy.

[ESat3am · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just wow. Loved it. And the end bit was mind blowing.

[Andra-Mihaela · Rating 4 out of 5]

From me, #willleavethegalaxyforgood, the 3rd and final #book in the #jacquesmckeown series, by #yahtzeecroshaw, gets 4.5 ⭐. 🥰

I can safely say that my last #read of September was amazing! 😌...I highly recommend you go the #audiobook version for this...they're narrated by the author and they're fantastic!🤌

General info : #scifi full of satire, comedic moments, some deep and quite sad things regarding humanity's possible future and lots of adventures! ; a #spaceopera for fans of #johnscalzi!🥰

CW: violent death, implied colonialism, slavery, exploitation, alcoholism, injury detail, forced confinement

I'll start with my general thoughts on this series as to not give spoilers👀...

This series is a perfect match for fans of Scalzi!😤..if you love reading some satirical stories that also address some important and quite depressing stuff...look no further! You found your new space adventure! 😆
Croshaw manages to make you laugh, emphasize with his MC and encourages you to think about subjects on a deeper ( and often, more sombre) manner.

The MC's journey mirrors people's struggle to overcome nostalgia for their past, to adapt and learn to live again, and, above all, to find a purpose, a sense of belonging .🥹
By the 3rd book...Jacques is very much a complex character.

He manages to make you forget he's deeply depressed, has A LOT of issues and a heart of gold. This MC is dynamic and you understand pretty much from the beginning that he lacks self-respect, has an imposter syndrome and embraces satire for a reason 😅...but you'll love him anyway 🥹.

The world-building is pretty much perfect for a space opera like this one🤌...with each book, more and more is revealed about the inner workings of the society these characters live in, how technology changed people ( for better or worse), and how short-sighted we tend to be regarding long-term impact of our actions.

The pacing and atmosphere are great and the character work is on the upper level of good☺️
..............

With that out of the way...it's time for thoughts on book 3:
To summarize...this is the most crazy AND solemn one🧐

This is a conclusion done right, we finally get to see our hero's fears at the surface as he's confronted with a very special situation 😅.

He literally starts as an alcoholic 🤷🏼‍♀️..so you can guess he's not in a great place. We finally see through his eyes how the city looks like without the glory days of star piloting getting in the way; and how sad it is to acknowledge that you aren't needed anymore .😢
He's also hit with heavy news left and right, and his outlook on life gets more and more depressing 😭.

We also get a little more development for the others...Penelope Worden - she's absolutely done with making an effort for anyone else, after all.. no one seems to care 🥲; Malcom Sturb and Derby are also moving on, only Daniel gets stuck due to the trauma he experienced in the last book.😔...I'm sad to see how he ends up, a delusional young man, that starts to resemble his father more and more😭.

We also have new characters, that pair great with the fast-paced plot of this title 👀...dr.Allura, Captain Sparky, Jimmy / Jamilla🤣 and the IT bunny/ weasel girl.

I want to say I absolutely loved the hidden message this book has! ☺️ we really need to think if we're OK with letting go of the control we have ; if convenience is worth it ; what should we actually prioritize and how much we want to be a main character in our lives.

The ending is perfectly bittersweet 🥹....Jacques finally concludes his journey ; Daniel chooses his fate, Worden pays her due to Jacques...while also we see that no ending is fairytale-like .🫣...

I highly recommend you try this series ( via audio 😉) and start an adventure from Ritzeko city to the furtherest corner of the Galaxy.☺️...just don't go to Nogodom 6 if you don't like acting 🫣🤣.

As the captain says...you all deserve a week-long break!

[Joey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun, easy read with witty writing that isn’t overbearing. The whole trilogy is an easy recommend if you’re interested in a short but sweet sci fi romp

[A.R · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid conclusion to the series. Really good mystery I did not see coming with a good amount of action. Also, tons of Yahtzee's iconic humor. Really, that is why you read this book isn't it?

[Byron · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very satisfying conclusion to the series for me. Loved the tie-in.

[Pat of Rocks · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you've gone along for the space ride to this point, then you already know what it is you are in for and it's worth seeing it through. On par with previous books in the series, it's another dose of sarcasm, witless charm from a reluctant hero, and chalked full of total nonsense. And yeah, I've grown quite fond of all of it!

I like the logical progression of this story; the plot seems fitting for what's happened with these characters. I had fun, putting it on par with book 2.

[Joel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a total surprise to me, as apparently I hadn't been following Yahtzee very closely, and on a whim I looked him up and poof, the new book had just dropped. And I am SO glad it did - Will Leave The Galaxy For Good is an absolute riot, fun and with some really clever plot pieces and characters. I loved it and the entire series to anyone who likes scifi with a chuckle.

[vk chompooming · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was extremely excited about this 3rd in the series of Jacques McKeown. Unfortunately it fell far from the first 2. I gave Will Leave the Galaxy for Good 3 stars cuz it was a story about issues that we r involved in today. I liked the idea just not the execution. The story was not as funny as the 1st two and the action was watered down compared to other works. If there is a 4th piece of fiction I will probably get it.

[Francis Pellow · Rating 5 out of 5]

This feels like the conclusion of the series what with so many loose ends tied off. It was very good with the perfect balance of playful references to thrilling space adventure. The main plot was very enjoyable and clever. nice to see previous characters returning.

[Ken Goudey · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're after more Jack McKeown then this is where you'll find it. Shenanigans ensue. Tropes beaten into submission.

[Dan Stefanovich · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dashford Pierce's final adventure (that we will be privy to, anyways) is a fitting send off, as Yahtzee Croshaw's "Will Leave the Galaxy for Good" works as a standalone monster-of-the-week (wink wink) story which, as the last book in the trilogy, works both for and against it; but, luckily, still manages to tie up loose ends in a satisfying way, the most important of which being - finally - who the hell Jacques McKeown really is.

[Dakota Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

There were lots of twists, turns, and revelations to be had in this final star pilot adventure. It's been an incredible journey seeing the lowly retired Dashford Pierce go from entertaining plying tourists and barely scraping by to saving the galaxy a few more times. The irreverent stylings and quick pace made the book fly by, and I can't wait to listen to the trilogy as a whole.

[Mr Crowley · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I didn't find it as good as the previous 2 novels in the series, I was still a funny and absurd romp though the Jacques McKeown universe. The genre savyness has been turned up to 11 though with just about every sci fi trope imaginable being lampshaded, albeit sometimes , at the expense of the pacing, with some parts dragging or feeling anticlimactic. This is nowhere more obvious than the ending, almost to an obnoxious level, but the twist saves it, especially if you've read his other books.


As a final entry in the series, its definitely a worthy wrap-us to the protagonist's antics, with plenty of memorable scenes, excellent world building and Yhatzee's specific brand of sarcastic humour.

[James Barham · Rating 4 out of 5]

More of what I’ve come to expect from Yahtzee, entertaining story with silly and unique scenarios but simultaneously with care put into the characters so you are equally invested in main plot.

The trilogy is wrapped up pretty well with pretty much every recurring character getting a conclusion to their stories. At this stage I’d say this is my second favourite of the trilogy behind Book 2 but it’s not far behind and I may change my mind over time

[Ariel Bath stone · Rating 4 out of 5]

The funniest thing in the world to me is the line "wow. You're a real piece of shit." I can't tell if it's the delivery on the audiobook, or if I'm just immature
Half a star off cause if you don't subscribe to audible it'll cost you thirty quid - and while I love the book, that's fucking ridiculous.

[C.T. Phipps · Rating 5 out of 5]

WILL LEAVE THE GALAXY FOR GOOD by Ben “Yahtzee” Croshaw is the third and final installment of the Jack McKeown series. The series is about an out of work star pilot and his feud with the seemingly fictional Jack McKeown, a author of rugged stories about star pilots who has actually rewritten the adventures of both the protagonist as well as his many friends. Due to complicated stories, the protagonist is also forced to adopt the identity of Jack McKeown on multiple occasions. Sometimes he’s also known as Dashford Pierce, even though that is also a pseudonym.

The third book opens with Jack/Dashford struggling with the fact that Jack McKeown is no longer as popular as he used to be. The Flash Gordon-esque star pilot stories have gotten passe and the public have moved on to the more Star Trek-like Trail Spacers. Worse, the protagonist can’t write any new books to continue his legacy because, well, he’s not actually an author. Instead, the point becomes moot when his apartment blows up and Jack/Dashford assumes that it is Jacques McKeown behind it.

There’s a certain melancholy to the third book as I really think this could have remained a ongoing series as the humor of Yahtzee remains relevant throughout. Still, you could tell he was perhaps running low on the premise as there’s only so many ways you can reinterpret the same premise of, “maybe Golden Age heroism wasn’t all its cracked up to be and we should all be living in the real world versus fantasies.” Which is a hard needle to thread when you are reading escapist literature primarily read by fans of the same.

This isn’t me criticizing the book and whether or not this is actually the Aesop being supported by the protagonist or the author is deliberately undercutting it at every turn is up for interpretation. Much like Martin Scorseze, he presents star pilots and the protagonists as stunted man children but also individuals have a genuine sense of heroism that is needed against, well, very unheroic sorts of people. Indeed, analyzing this contradiction and what it means may be the heart of this story.

The primary difference between Trailspacers and the star pilots is, without mentioning it, the Prime Directive. The TrailSpacers observe things happening but don’t interfere and then pat themselves on the back for doing nothing. This, of course, is rarely what the protagonists of Star Trek do but there’s been a few indications when they take the attitude it’s morally superior to do nothing but observe. This is then contrasted to the people who watch TrailSpacers and the people who are stuck inside the show. I can’t say more without spoiling things.

I will say that this is a pretty good ending for the series and that most of the major plotlines are wrapped up in a satisfying way. I was surprised by the identity of Jacques McKeown and I think no one will properly guess his identity but that it is surprisingly timely with recent scandals among Amazon and other publishers. I also think the series nicely ties into MOGWORLD and if you haven’t read that book then you probably should.

In conclusion, it is sad to say goodbye to Dashford Pierce/Jack McKeown but we’ve had a good run. Very few books get more than one great book about the series. This one isn’t quite as good as the previous two since it seems to restart itself after having a couple of perfectly satisfying endings to begin with. That’s a small complaint, though. I gladly would have continued to enjoy the adventures of the last star pilot.

[Shan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Satisfying end to a snarky space opera trilogy. Our hero has been impersonating Jack McKeown for a while now, living the celebrity author life and trying to fend off the publisher who wants him to write something new. Which he can't do because he isn't actually an author - there's a hilarious scene where he thinks "how hard can it be?" and sits down at a keyboard to try to churn out a new book. When a torpedo blows up his fancy apartment he realizes it must be the real McKeown who's trying to kill him, so he goes off to seek him, starting at the planet where all the retired star pilots and space villains live now that they've been made obsolete by quantunnels.

I love the humor, the voice, and the little details, like the carpet that tries desperately to massage his feet to ease his tension as he's scrambling to get away from the torpedo. Later, the obvious parallels with Star Trek, right down to the captain with the ring of gray hair around a mostly bald head, were fun, and reminded me of Scalzi's Redshirts. Penelope Warden is back from the previous books, along with some other characters I didn't remember because it's been three or four years since I last read the others. There's an AI character, a bunch of cobbled-together drones, a ship that runs out of ammunition so fires cigarette butts and fast food wrappers, a Teletubbies-reminiscent land from an early video game, and an opportunity to think deep thoughts about our addictions to television and the internet, if you're so inclined.

I looked for a print version of this because a few chapters in, I realized I was lost. There isn't one, so I started the audiobook over. Then I started it over again because once again, I got distracted, or I listened while falling asleep and (surprise) fell asleep and missed things. I enjoy listening to these - the author is a brilliant narrator - but there are only a few situations where I seem to be able to follow a complicated plot in an audiobook, and none of them applied while I was trying to listen to this one.

[Jared Bird · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't think I gave any of the other books in this series 5 stars, but I decided that this book deserves it, even if the last star may or may not be a token gesture to give credit to this series as a whole. I love how Yahtzee has put together this story that has been in the works for years, but feels like it came out in a very timely manner - just as our fears about AI are beginning to come true, here comes a new book that shows us just how bad the end game could be. Additionally, Yahtzee's years as a youtube creator serve him well as he's able to easily parody the sheep-mindset of the internet population, and add that to the background comedy of his novel. And of course, Yahtzee's irreverent tone (complete with ridiculous and crude similes) permeates the entire novel.

But why does the novel deserve five stars? Yahtzee has been holding some cards during this whole trilogy and finally lays them on the table, one by one, eventually completing the arcs of several characters, and keeping us guessing as to where the plot will go next. Several components of the ending had me laughing at myself for not having been able to see them coming - Yahtzee successful delivers on the come-from-behind scenarios that are the hallmark of the very novels that he's parodying - but man, they make for an exciting read.

Overall, I'd recommend the series. It's fun, light-hearted, and has makes you love and hate all the characters in just the right way.

[Andrei Vajna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I've enjoyed the previous two books in the series, I've forgotten most of the plot and especially all but the main characters. When some of the other characters re-appeared in this book, while I did remember their names, I had a total blank about their roles or their traits. But that didn't affect my enjoyment of the book, as the author provided enough details of their background as needed.

It's a fun story as usual, and while I did find it a bit contrived at times, I don't think that matters at all. This is not meant to be some literary artwork, it's just a fun sci-fi romp, that I'm probably going to forget the details of in a few years. But at least I did find myself smiling widely while walking down the street listening to it.

The premise is interesting and there might be some meta subtext to it (the nature of humankind, AI, what is reality, that sort of thing) but I wouldn't look too much into it. Just enjoy it.

[Thijs · Rating 5 out of 5]

This might be a perfect scifi novel. It's funny, action packed, it takes the piss out of itself and its genre, but it does in such a way that the story is still legit and the stakes still high. It's Meta, but not for the sake of being Meta. It's meta to address problems in the genre, and then it subverts the Meta by actually addressing those problems in the novel itself.
It also does this without compromising characters or continuiety. The plot moves forward in a logical and consistent way, without any plotholes to speak of.

Yahtzee is a simply fantastic author, with a great understanding of stories and what drives people and a superb wit that wraps it all up in a fabulous bowtie.

My hat off to this epic conclusion of the Jacques McKeown trilogy.

p.s. I guessed the identity wrong. :(

[Sara Rupert · Rating 5 out of 5]

If the series hadn't of treated me so well,I'd have been devastated by this ending. But ultimately it all ended how it needed to. I do think that "it's less of a will they won't they, and more of a 'whos cleaning up the wet spot'" will be stuck in my head forever. Having a first reveal that immediately makes you go " wow yeah! That makes a lot of sense! And everything was so well laid out as well!" To them get to our second big reveal which was "well trac, this makes even MORE sense now that you mention it"

I also really loved Yahtzees readings of these novels, I've bought the print copies as well but will often relisten to chapters I've just read while in the car, the voice I imagine is never as good as the one he gives them, affectations and cadence really flesh out some incredibly amazing minor characters making them unforgettable

[Winter Arcane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not Yahtzee Croshaw's best book, even in this series, but I've yet to have a bad time with anything he's written. I didn't love the plot of this one, as it felt a bit meandering at points, but Yahtzee's such an entertaining writer that it wasn't a significant problem that for a lot of the middle of the book I had zero investment in where the story was going. I still enjoyed the ride. It all wrapped up satisfyingly enough.

Overall, pretty mid as far as Yahtzee Croshaw books go, but Yahtzee's mid is better than most writer's good.

I do kind of hope the series ends here, though. I don't think I want any more from these characters in this setting. I'd love for this to be a nice, solid trilogy. Not that I don't think a fourth book would still be entertaining. I'd definitely read it if there was one. I just feel like this is a really good stopping point.

[Kristofer S · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best of Yahtzee's work that I've read. It grows on the strength of the previous books, adding more insane yet logical events and characters to the world, while revisiting previous ones in a way that makes them feel genuine.

The villain in play here is particularly amusing and interesting, yet also intimidating in its efficiency. While it's largely comedic, there's a lot of darkness to the story, but as always it's from the perspective of characters that can somehow make it seem light and amusing despite what could easily be shown as horror and despair.

If you don't like his storytelling in general, I don't think this would sway you. If you do, however, I honestly think it's the best of his outings thus far.

[Earl Grey Tea · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first two books in the Jacques McKeown series had intriguing premises. What happens to star pilots and their supervillain counterparts when quantum tunneling makes them obsolete? This time, the core idea of exploring AI’s impact on society is solid, but the plot, centered on an AI forcing people to take part in a Star Trek style show, didn’t land for me.

It felt like one more story squeezed out of an established IP. Yahtzee’s trademark humor and characters are still there, but they seem awkwardly stitched together in a contrived plot. About halfway through, I got the same feeling I had rereading The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: British humor is great but falls flat when the story doesn't work for me.

[Becky L Long · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audiobook. 3rd in series. Love these books. As far as I know I've listened to all of Yahtzee Croshaw's books. Purchased immediately when I saw he had a mew book out. Not for everyone. Super dry humor / slapstick Sci-Fi that can only truly be appreciated by engineers, computer programmers, serious gamers and AI fanatics. For readers that enjoy Drew Hayes and Scott Meyer. From one afflicted with the gift of sarcasm, I can honestly say that Yahtzee Croshaw has mastered the art. If you get 10 minutes into one of his books and aren't laughing out loud, don't lie to yourself. You aren't worthy. Put the book down.