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Into the GigaVerse
Linda Greyson was just another victim of the Gig Economy. Jumping from job to job, unable to pay her bills, struggling to survive. Until one day she discovers StellarGigs, a tech startup promising steady, high-paying gig work with benefits, and a huge signing bonus.
Now she’s stuck working for the universe’s largest employment conglomerate, where quotas are law, coworkers are replaceable, and five-star ratings are regarded as myth.
As Linda fights to survive one absurd assignment after another, she uncovers the sinister system behind StellarGigs’ smiling façade, and learns that the only way to quit may be to take the whole company down.
Now she’s stuck working for the universe’s largest employment conglomerate, where quotas are law, coworkers are replaceable, and five-star ratings are regarded as myth.
As Linda fights to survive one absurd assignment after another, she uncovers the sinister system behind StellarGigs’ smiling façade, and learns that the only way to quit may be to take the whole company down.
371 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 15, 2025
4 people want to read
About the author
M. L. Tilford
2 books9 followersMike is a writer of all things funny. Whether it’s Fantasy, Sci-Fi, or Personal Essays, he really can’t help himself. He started writing in his teens, convinced he was the next great American author. (He wasn’t. Not even close.) The early work, mercifully unpublished, can best be described as “enthusiastic.”
It wasn’t until years later, after stumbling across the likes of Douglas Adams, Terry Pratchett, and David Sedaris, that Mike had a literary epiphany: books can be funny. (Yes, this genuinely surprised him. We don’t know how either.) He returned to writing with comedy at the forefront and finally started making sense—on the page, not in life.
He spent ten years living in Thailand and somehow remained astonishingly pale throughout. He now lives just outside Los Angeles with his wife, his daughter, and several cats who think they deserve a co-author credit, for the many times they walked across his keyboard.
It wasn’t until years later, after stumbling across the likes of Douglas Adams, Terry Pratchett, and David Sedaris, that Mike had a literary epiphany: books can be funny. (Yes, this genuinely surprised him. We don’t know how either.) He returned to writing with comedy at the forefront and finally started making sense—on the page, not in life.
He spent ten years living in Thailand and somehow remained astonishingly pale throughout. He now lives just outside Los Angeles with his wife, his daughter, and several cats who think they deserve a co-author credit, for the many times they walked across his keyboard.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
November 21, 2025
ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
After reading Tilford's other book, The Art of Myth-Direction and totally enjoying it, I anticipated liking this as well. I was absolutely correct. I LOVED this one and could hardly put it down. The first thing that grabbed me was not only how well the author can describe a scene, but that the dialogue felt extremely fluid and natural. (minus a couple overly corny lines, but hey, who doesn't love a little corniness in their sci-fi?) It was so easy for me to envision the scenes play out and see the characters actions without getting lost or hung up. It reminded me a bit of Craig Alanson's ExForce series due to its use of humor (especially the talking AI character...) or, to a lesser extent, The Wayfarer's series by Becky Chambers.
The main character was handled very well throughout the story. She starts are fairly vague, just a nobody woman in LA having a pretty rough go of things. That leads into a random job interview, which shoots her into space to clean up astral sewage, or whatever. Pretty relatable right? Well all the celestial puns aside, it was fairly relatable and made me feel just invested enough in her arc. The secondary characters were also great.
Much like Myth-Direction, this story uses sci-fi/fantasy elements to describe real world issues and while not subtle, it was done in a fun and easy to digest way. Who doesn't love a worker's uprising to take down a powerful capitalist monolith? I know I do.
Now, while I really enjoyed it, the book is not without flaws. There are moments where it can get a little wordy and some phrases are reused a bit too often, but I cannot in good faith say that any of that detracts from the story. I just want to be fully transparent with my thoughts while reading.
This is 100% worth checking out if you have any interest in: 1) light sci-fi, 2) toppling capitalism and controlling the means of production and/or 3) the use of silly puns for chapter names. I sincerely enjoyed this book and I can't wait to see what M.L. Tilford comes up with next. (Meow, please tell me there will be a sequel)
After reading Tilford's other book, The Art of Myth-Direction and totally enjoying it, I anticipated liking this as well. I was absolutely correct. I LOVED this one and could hardly put it down. The first thing that grabbed me was not only how well the author can describe a scene, but that the dialogue felt extremely fluid and natural. (minus a couple overly corny lines, but hey, who doesn't love a little corniness in their sci-fi?) It was so easy for me to envision the scenes play out and see the characters actions without getting lost or hung up. It reminded me a bit of Craig Alanson's ExForce series due to its use of humor (especially the talking AI character...) or, to a lesser extent, The Wayfarer's series by Becky Chambers.
The main character was handled very well throughout the story. She starts are fairly vague, just a nobody woman in LA having a pretty rough go of things. That leads into a random job interview, which shoots her into space to clean up astral sewage, or whatever. Pretty relatable right? Well all the celestial puns aside, it was fairly relatable and made me feel just invested enough in her arc. The secondary characters were also great.
Much like Myth-Direction, this story uses sci-fi/fantasy elements to describe real world issues and while not subtle, it was done in a fun and easy to digest way. Who doesn't love a worker's uprising to take down a powerful capitalist monolith? I know I do.
Now, while I really enjoyed it, the book is not without flaws. There are moments where it can get a little wordy and some phrases are reused a bit too often, but I cannot in good faith say that any of that detracts from the story. I just want to be fully transparent with my thoughts while reading.
This is 100% worth checking out if you have any interest in: 1) light sci-fi, 2) toppling capitalism and controlling the means of production and/or 3) the use of silly puns for chapter names. I sincerely enjoyed this book and I can't wait to see what M.L. Tilford comes up with next. (Meow, please tell me there will be a sequel)
December 21, 2025
Buckle up for a cosmic roller-coaster through corporate existentialism and Douglas Adam’s style humor. Who would have thought that a book involving space llamas could be the most relatable story since Office Space?
Into the Gigaverse is so funny you’ll laugh until you cry, and is one of the top five comedies I’ve read. Also, there’s a cat.
Into the Gigaverse is so funny you’ll laugh until you cry, and is one of the top five comedies I’ve read. Also, there’s a cat.
Review of advance copy received from Author
(An arc of this book was given to me by the author in exchange for a honest review)
Into The GigaVerse is a wonderful mix of mystery, thrill, science fiction, action, adventure, and horror. The author masterfully uses humour to convey a deeper message of the realities of the corporate system. Though greatly exaggerated, the story depicts the actualities of working for corrupt inescapable corporations. We follow Linda, a relatable character struggling to fulfill her financial responsibilities as she accepts a dubious offer with glowing benefits. She quickly realises the truth behind the statement 'too good to be true' when her worth and her life are both discovered to be thought as expendable by the corporation, StellarGigs. She forges strong bonds with her fellow workers and decides that enough is enough.
I love how different all the workers were in their concerns, dreams, appearance, and personalities. Yet they were able to overcome these differences and come together to protect each other and make a change in their lives. This story encompasses feelings of rebellion, unity, compassion, and friendship. I loved the pace of this book and how everything that happened drove the plot forward. The characters were compelling, relatable, and sometimes infuriating. I found myself feeling drawn to characters I would normally have disliked and that was impressive. This book had moments that were heartwarming, action-packed, and deeply unsettling. So, it had it all!
With an overpowered feline, a strangely charismatic robot, and a weird pigeon, I could hardly put the book down. I'm not a big science fiction fan so I was surprised by how much I loved this book. I'm so thankful to the author for sending a copy the arc of this book to me in exchange for an honest review. I definitely wouldn't have checked it out otherwise, since I mostly read fantasy and mystery. I loved the little moments of friendship and camaraderie that were sprinkled throughout this story, and if you are a fan of the found family trope, like I am, you'll love this book. If you already love sci-fi, you should definitely pick this book up.
Into The GigaVerse is a wonderful mix of mystery, thrill, science fiction, action, adventure, and horror. The author masterfully uses humour to convey a deeper message of the realities of the corporate system. Though greatly exaggerated, the story depicts the actualities of working for corrupt inescapable corporations. We follow Linda, a relatable character struggling to fulfill her financial responsibilities as she accepts a dubious offer with glowing benefits. She quickly realises the truth behind the statement 'too good to be true' when her worth and her life are both discovered to be thought as expendable by the corporation, StellarGigs. She forges strong bonds with her fellow workers and decides that enough is enough.
I love how different all the workers were in their concerns, dreams, appearance, and personalities. Yet they were able to overcome these differences and come together to protect each other and make a change in their lives. This story encompasses feelings of rebellion, unity, compassion, and friendship. I loved the pace of this book and how everything that happened drove the plot forward. The characters were compelling, relatable, and sometimes infuriating. I found myself feeling drawn to characters I would normally have disliked and that was impressive. This book had moments that were heartwarming, action-packed, and deeply unsettling. So, it had it all!
With an overpowered feline, a strangely charismatic robot, and a weird pigeon, I could hardly put the book down. I'm not a big science fiction fan so I was surprised by how much I loved this book. I'm so thankful to the author for sending a copy the arc of this book to me in exchange for an honest review. I definitely wouldn't have checked it out otherwise, since I mostly read fantasy and mystery. I loved the little moments of friendship and camaraderie that were sprinkled throughout this story, and if you are a fan of the found family trope, like I am, you'll love this book. If you already love sci-fi, you should definitely pick this book up.
December 26, 2025
Having read Tilford's previous title, The Art of Myth-Direction, I had some sense of Tilford's style as an author. I gave that title 4 out of 5 stars as an entertaining fantasy journey with plenty of Pratchett-like wordplay and silly frivolity while maintaining an enjoyable story. Tilford took a hard shift to the modern with Into the Gigaverse, but still turned in an entertaining and engaging story that maintained its humor while getting away from some of the reptetitive wordplay techniquies that abounded throughout Myth-Direction. The result was a more mature story, and one that I related to more fully thanks to my regular day job (what a horrifying thought that is, given Tilford is spinning something of a horror story!). Because this was an easy-to-read and entertaining story I was easily able to give it five stars.
That doesn't mean I thought it was perfect. One of the only places where things felt a bit rushed to me came at the end of the main story, before the Epilogue. I suspect this is because there is more to come from this universe - either that or Tilford is giving us a "false sequel setup" finish. In either case, I think he could have given us a bit more substance in the ending here and saved a little less for the future. Of course its also possible that I just lost the thread somewhere right at the end. Either way, it didn't change my overall five star experience of reading the book, so clearly Tilford did something right!
This book should be a solidly entertaining read for anyone that likes workplace humor, sci-fi humor, or existential humor and doesn't mind when that humor comes from misery. If you read this review, I definitely recommend taking a shot on the book.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
That doesn't mean I thought it was perfect. One of the only places where things felt a bit rushed to me came at the end of the main story, before the Epilogue. I suspect this is because there is more to come from this universe - either that or Tilford is giving us a "false sequel setup" finish. In either case, I think he could have given us a bit more substance in the ending here and saved a little less for the future. Of course its also possible that I just lost the thread somewhere right at the end. Either way, it didn't change my overall five star experience of reading the book, so clearly Tilford did something right!
This book should be a solidly entertaining read for anyone that likes workplace humor, sci-fi humor, or existential humor and doesn't mind when that humor comes from misery. If you read this review, I definitely recommend taking a shot on the book.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Review of advance copy
"Attention valued associates: morale has fallen by seven percent. Please take a moment to recalibrate your emotional output. Remember, a happy worker is a statistically productive worker."
(Inner dialogue during finals be like.)
For the vast majority of books I read, it feels like taking a nice walk alongside a friend. This isn't a bad thing—I could use a little exercise. But then every once in a while, I find a book that's more like a tidal wave....I get caught up in its surge and get absolutely propelled from start to finish.
This is one of those books for me. It has a great plot hook that rings all too relatable In This Economy (TM), and it keeps up the momentum throughout the ride, sprinkling crumbs of intergalactic intrigue at every turn, plot twists I didn't see coming and, most importantly...Mittens!!!
One thing that surprised me about this book is how well done the characters and friendships are, carving out excellent cozy moments of camaraderie in the bleakest of situations (giguations?).
Finding hope in seemingly hopeless moments is what's at the core here, and this book delivers the message wonderfully (and with 10/10 humor I might add) through its characters.
I won't get more detailed to avoid spoilers. If what I've said has intrigued you so far...pick it up!
Disclaimerito: I received an advance review copy, and I'm leaving this review voluntarily.
(Inner dialogue during finals be like.)
For the vast majority of books I read, it feels like taking a nice walk alongside a friend. This isn't a bad thing—I could use a little exercise. But then every once in a while, I find a book that's more like a tidal wave....I get caught up in its surge and get absolutely propelled from start to finish.
This is one of those books for me. It has a great plot hook that rings all too relatable In This Economy (TM), and it keeps up the momentum throughout the ride, sprinkling crumbs of intergalactic intrigue at every turn, plot twists I didn't see coming and, most importantly...Mittens!!!
One thing that surprised me about this book is how well done the characters and friendships are, carving out excellent cozy moments of camaraderie in the bleakest of situations (giguations?).
Finding hope in seemingly hopeless moments is what's at the core here, and this book delivers the message wonderfully (and with 10/10 humor I might add) through its characters.
I won't get more detailed to avoid spoilers. If what I've said has intrigued you so far...pick it up!
Disclaimerito: I received an advance review copy, and I'm leaving this review voluntarily.
Review of advance copy received from Author
ML Tilford continues to surprise and delight readers with vivid characters, imaginative world-building, and incredible plot twists.
Into the Gigaverse, the first book in a series, introduces us to StellarGigs, a galaxy-wide job fulfillment service with dubious business practices and shady management. Time is elastic in space, and StellarGigs uses this to its advantage, tethering workers to insanely long contracts for little pay, trapping them on a space station where anything and nothing happens. We follow Linda, a human from Earth, as she navigates the complexities of space llama wrangling, data entry, and reprogramming alien battlecruisers - gigs to which she is assigned with no experience and even less motivation. She befriends workers from all over the galaxy, stuck in service to StellarGigs like herself. Just as she's reaching her breaking point, a mysterious glowing blue cube inadvertently leads her on the clandestine adventure of a lifetime.
From the first page, Tilford's signature sardonic humor keeps us engaged, telling it like it is in a way only he can deliver. This book is the gateway to the universe of entertaining characters and bizarre situations that Tilford presents as normal, and we believe him. An all-around excellent read.
Into the Gigaverse, the first book in a series, introduces us to StellarGigs, a galaxy-wide job fulfillment service with dubious business practices and shady management. Time is elastic in space, and StellarGigs uses this to its advantage, tethering workers to insanely long contracts for little pay, trapping them on a space station where anything and nothing happens. We follow Linda, a human from Earth, as she navigates the complexities of space llama wrangling, data entry, and reprogramming alien battlecruisers - gigs to which she is assigned with no experience and even less motivation. She befriends workers from all over the galaxy, stuck in service to StellarGigs like herself. Just as she's reaching her breaking point, a mysterious glowing blue cube inadvertently leads her on the clandestine adventure of a lifetime.
From the first page, Tilford's signature sardonic humor keeps us engaged, telling it like it is in a way only he can deliver. This book is the gateway to the universe of entertaining characters and bizarre situations that Tilford presents as normal, and we believe him. An all-around excellent read.
November 25, 2025
I read "Into the GigaVerse" by M. L. Tilford after meeting the author on social media. I guess we bonded over our mutual dissatisfaction with the status quo. He’s also really funny. In real life, I was immediately resentful of the gig economy. As a group home supervisor for older teen boys, the promise of a quick buck under the premise of “be your own boss” tripped so many of my young adults off traditional paths to independence. Suddenly, our yard was full of beater automobiles meant for dashing, and recent graduates were calling me to complain that they couldn’t make rent or pay bills. What a great idea to turn our current lifestyle absurdities into a space opera! Fantastic science fiction says something about our current world and where our choices could take us - or prevent us from arriving. A humorist of Tilford’s skill was needed to show what happens when we swap Gene Roddenberry’s utopian ideals for the greed of Musk, Bezos, Zuckerberg, and their ilk. Except Tilford includes enough revenge fantasy to make the journey feel positive and hopeful. I highly recommend reading "Into the GigaVerse" by M. L. Tilford.
December 16, 2025
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This is my second book by this author and while I enjoyed the first book, The Art of Myth-Direction, it often felt like a rollercoaster while Into The Gigaverse was a smooth ride. The pace of the book felt consistent almost all the way through. Consistently interesting!
As usual for this author, the book was riddled with puns, but in a clever way (GigChad2000 lol) which I appreciated.
I really enjoyed this book and was looking forward to reading it, even though it seems the author has a personal vendetta against office jobs (as an office rat myself, I kind of get it).
The only downside was the ending which was abrupt and unclear, we were thrown into the action but I was still left confused about the sequence of events. I would've loved for the main character to take a minute after the action and analyze the twists a bit more.
There were also some bits which, while I see the vision, seemed repetitive.
The rating would've been a solid 5 stars but the ending brings it down to a 4.5. Overall, a truly great read.
This is my second book by this author and while I enjoyed the first book, The Art of Myth-Direction, it often felt like a rollercoaster while Into The Gigaverse was a smooth ride. The pace of the book felt consistent almost all the way through. Consistently interesting!
As usual for this author, the book was riddled with puns, but in a clever way (GigChad2000 lol) which I appreciated.
I really enjoyed this book and was looking forward to reading it, even though it seems the author has a personal vendetta against office jobs (as an office rat myself, I kind of get it).
The only downside was the ending which was abrupt and unclear, we were thrown into the action but I was still left confused about the sequence of events. I would've loved for the main character to take a minute after the action and analyze the twists a bit more.
There were also some bits which, while I see the vision, seemed repetitive.
The rating would've been a solid 5 stars but the ending brings it down to a 4.5. Overall, a truly great read.
December 23, 2025
Intergalactic antics of gig workers in this quick-paced novel had me laughing while conveying serious themes of corporate malfeasance, resource mismanagement and anthropoid exploitation. “Into the Gigaverse” reminds you that there are universal truths that will never desert you, even light years away from home.
There was action, mystery, duplicity, tenderness, cruelty, and plenty of humor. As one who treasured “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” by Douglas Adams and the “Long Way to a Small Angry Planet” by Becky Chambers, I found “Into the Gigaverse” similarly amusing. The diverse characters are wacky but compelling. The situations are alien but extremely relatable.
I started reading this author’s work on substack and then I received an advance review copy of this book for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily because I thoroughly enjoyed reading Into the Gigaverse” and am looking forward to a sequel.
November 18, 2025
I had the opportunity to read this book before official release date.
It's hard to put a label on this book. Frist thing you discover the incredible display of imagination at every scene, a creativity that serves a purpose; to pull a fantastic plot that carries you away till the end. The main character is solid and real but she's not alone, every other character is carefully fit to push forward what at first looks like a crazy plot, till you discover that it's alarmingly close to how big corporates abuse of they employees. You are for a sometimes fun, sometimes raw and always fantastic tale where you feel like Alice in wonderland, never sure the couch you are sitting on will ask you for a rest.... Definitely worth reading.
It's hard to put a label on this book. Frist thing you discover the incredible display of imagination at every scene, a creativity that serves a purpose; to pull a fantastic plot that carries you away till the end. The main character is solid and real but she's not alone, every other character is carefully fit to push forward what at first looks like a crazy plot, till you discover that it's alarmingly close to how big corporates abuse of they employees. You are for a sometimes fun, sometimes raw and always fantastic tale where you feel like Alice in wonderland, never sure the couch you are sitting on will ask you for a rest.... Definitely worth reading.
December 11, 2025
When Linda accepts a new job with the promise of good pay and a great sign up bonus, she soon learns that you should always read the small print first ………
This is an excellent tale full of subtle comedy and great analogies. It’s well written with some great character descriptions, and some of the gigs that Linda faces are very well imagined. It’s easy reading at its best. Even though I usually read fantasy rather than sci-fi, this had me hooked from the start, and I look forward to reading more by this author 🐈⬛
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This is an excellent tale full of subtle comedy and great analogies. It’s well written with some great character descriptions, and some of the gigs that Linda faces are very well imagined. It’s easy reading at its best. Even though I usually read fantasy rather than sci-fi, this had me hooked from the start, and I look forward to reading more by this author 🐈⬛
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
December 15, 2025
Well it’s a book alright!
We’ve seen what the author can do with characters (you might have not, I have, so you gotta take my word for it), and it is still very much present here, they’re witty, the jokes are great, and these characters’ interactions remind me of my coworkers from my first gig.
And much like my first gig, this dragged on a bit. Started feeling like I’m working for StellarGigs too. There were so many cool moments that would’ve been impactful a lot earlier but by then I would’ve lost interest had the characters not been intriguing.
Still pretty fun though, many thanks to the author for the arc🫡
We’ve seen what the author can do with characters (you might have not, I have, so you gotta take my word for it), and it is still very much present here, they’re witty, the jokes are great, and these characters’ interactions remind me of my coworkers from my first gig.
And much like my first gig, this dragged on a bit. Started feeling like I’m working for StellarGigs too. There were so many cool moments that would’ve been impactful a lot earlier but by then I would’ve lost interest had the characters not been intriguing.
Still pretty fun though, many thanks to the author for the arc🫡
December 2, 2025
Linda was a job hopper - never quite fitting in. Bills were piling up - No way out - until StellarGigs. Too good to be true! high paying, benefits and a signup bonus that seemed like the perfect solution until it wasn’t. The largest conglomerate but definitely not the job she expected. She struggles to keep up with the demands - Physically, mentally and emotionally with very little time off to eat (not great food) or sleep.
As she watches coworkers and the company, she finds loop holes and others searching for a better way. Lots of interesting action.
As she watches coworkers and the company, she finds loop holes and others searching for a better way. Lots of interesting action.
November 30, 2025
Another hidden gem for science fiction! This book had an amazing hook from the start, fantastic comedy, and descriptions throughout. I find it difficult to read science fiction in general, but Into the Gigaverse was definitely a creative twist, and the idea of working in space was different from other books. I cannot wait to read the second one and look forward to reading more from this author!
December 27, 2025
Very fun book! Gotta love some satirical sci-fi. A relatable, flawed protagonist drives interstellar hi-jinx under the thumb of suffocating corporate overlords. Had me rooting hard for her right from the get-go.
December 23, 2025
This was such a smart and funny book. Very enjoyable. If Office Space took place in actual space. The wit was smart and also absurd. Such a good read. I definitely enjoyed the ride!
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews