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Space Tripping
"Space Tripping has all the froody energy of a Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy flashback while keeping a style and atmosphere all its own...Grab yourself a towel and a drink and settle in for an enjoyable ride. --San Francisco Book Review
Chuck never thought too deeply about whether aliens existed--not until Jopp, an intergalactic transport pilot, drunkenly crashed on Earth and tried to steal his truck.
Now, Chuck finds himself unwittingly roped into helping Jopp work off a debt to the universe's most powerful corporation, the Prime Partners Intergalactic Consortium. Through a series of mishaps and misfortune, the duo finds themselves in possession of a mysterious black case. In order to survive, they must fend off murderous marauders, an interplanetary police force, a peculiar crime boss, and escape a backwater planet inhabited by alien hillbillies. It's a big and scary universe out there, and Chuck and Jopp will be damned if they're going to face it sober.
Chuck never thought too deeply about whether aliens existed--not until Jopp, an intergalactic transport pilot, drunkenly crashed on Earth and tried to steal his truck.
Now, Chuck finds himself unwittingly roped into helping Jopp work off a debt to the universe's most powerful corporation, the Prime Partners Intergalactic Consortium. Through a series of mishaps and misfortune, the duo finds themselves in possession of a mysterious black case. In order to survive, they must fend off murderous marauders, an interplanetary police force, a peculiar crime boss, and escape a backwater planet inhabited by alien hillbillies. It's a big and scary universe out there, and Chuck and Jopp will be damned if they're going to face it sober.
265 pages, Paperback
First published March 7, 2017
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660 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 70 reviews
February 6, 2017
Goodbye dirty old Earth, Hello dirty old Galaxy!
I really enjoyed the opening in this novel. It felt quite humorous and quite a corporate nightmare with aliens in portraits and getting stuck with the short end of the wage-stick no matter where you're from or what you plan on doing. Truckers always get it worse than anyone else, and these poor dudes never get a break.
The rest of the novel quickly turns into a straight adventure with a bit of slight drunkenness as they get thrown into a bit of mystery, a bit of fighting, and a bit of hijinx in the greater galactic dirty old town.
The author grew up in Chicago. Just apply that whole idea into a much stranger "business as usual" galactic environment full of sad chuckles and surprising twists and you've got yourself Space Tripping. This is a pretty accomplished adventure that reminds me an awful lot of The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet as well as a hint of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy with plenty of our geek culture nods because, after all, one of the main characters was just one of us. Just how would you fare when you get stung with a slightly different version of a babel fish? (Thank god he didn't have to swallow that one!) :)
I think this was just plain fun! Plain folks for the win! :)
Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC!
I really enjoyed the opening in this novel. It felt quite humorous and quite a corporate nightmare with aliens in portraits and getting stuck with the short end of the wage-stick no matter where you're from or what you plan on doing. Truckers always get it worse than anyone else, and these poor dudes never get a break.
The rest of the novel quickly turns into a straight adventure with a bit of slight drunkenness as they get thrown into a bit of mystery, a bit of fighting, and a bit of hijinx in the greater galactic dirty old town.
The author grew up in Chicago. Just apply that whole idea into a much stranger "business as usual" galactic environment full of sad chuckles and surprising twists and you've got yourself Space Tripping. This is a pretty accomplished adventure that reminds me an awful lot of The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet as well as a hint of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy with plenty of our geek culture nods because, after all, one of the main characters was just one of us. Just how would you fare when you get stung with a slightly different version of a babel fish? (Thank god he didn't have to swallow that one!) :)
I think this was just plain fun! Plain folks for the win! :)
Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC!
November 5, 2018
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy meets Futurama meets Guardians of the Galaxy
Although it starts off a little meh, with its blatant Douglas Adams rip-off, Space Tripping finds its footing after a few chapters. Consistently funny throughout the novel, it's interesting, action-packed, and irreverent. But what really makes it work? The characters. The way the four in the core team interact is exactly what you want out of a book like this: joking around with teasing and yet, a touch of some heartfelt moments make their way through.
Wildly entertaining, I'll be on the lookout for any more books by this author. Let's hope Space Tripping 2 comes pretty soon.
Although it starts off a little meh, with its blatant Douglas Adams rip-off, Space Tripping finds its footing after a few chapters. Consistently funny throughout the novel, it's interesting, action-packed, and irreverent. But what really makes it work? The characters. The way the four in the core team interact is exactly what you want out of a book like this: joking around with teasing and yet, a touch of some heartfelt moments make their way through.
Wildly entertaining, I'll be on the lookout for any more books by this author. Let's hope Space Tripping 2 comes pretty soon.
December 2, 2021
This was a pretty fun haphazard space-romp. Chuck is the Luckily-unlucky 'Earth Man' accidentally thrown into the bizarre world of 'the rest of the universe'. As he ends up taking a courier job from the universe's most prolific mega-corps, his travels lead him to those most bizarre situations only an average-joe human can think their way out or.
There were plenty of chuckles and eye-roll jokes abound, but that was to be expected. (i mean, look at the title). So yes, if you're looking for that silly space romp with some action, aliens, anomalies, and evil greedy corporate heads, espionage and wit, there have at it!
There were plenty of chuckles and eye-roll jokes abound, but that was to be expected. (i mean, look at the title). So yes, if you're looking for that silly space romp with some action, aliens, anomalies, and evil greedy corporate heads, espionage and wit, there have at it!
July 3, 2017
A very very funny and sarcastic science fiction tale.
An unlikely amalgamation of an Earth man and an alien alcoholic leads to many adventures.
Throw in some pirates and a mysterious black box and a bunch of alcoholic drinks, shaken not stirred and you have a wacky adventure.
Well developed characters, a fast paced story arc and a vivid imagination from the Author delivers a potent punch.
Recommended read. I want MORE !
An unlikely amalgamation of an Earth man and an alien alcoholic leads to many adventures.
Throw in some pirates and a mysterious black box and a bunch of alcoholic drinks, shaken not stirred and you have a wacky adventure.
Well developed characters, a fast paced story arc and a vivid imagination from the Author delivers a potent punch.
Recommended read. I want MORE !
November 23, 2021
How I read this: Free ebook copy received through NetGalley
All round, this was a fun adventure through space, much like the blurb and cover quotes promise - quite in the vein of the Hitchhiker's Guide (maybe even a little more like Guardians of the Galaxy?), although the characters were all much more capable than in those stories, in my opinion.
The human main character is kind of adorable, although all characters seemed a little flat for me. You don't go too in-depth with them, it's more of an adventure that rolls over you. Some of the situations were also glanced over and quite simple, but certainly fun and fast-paced. The characters had their archetypes (the funny annoying guy, the secretly world-wise earthling who knows nothing but accepts things readily, the noble strong alien, and of course, the foxy and admirable female officer of the law, which, of course, develops an unlikely attraction to the human male). I liked them all well enough.
I did like the plot as well. Despite being somewhat predictable, it's an okay plot, and although I knew from the start which characters are being planted for which purpose, I didn't guess at the details straight away, so it had me pleasantly wondering as the story went on. (Although I will admit I was disappointed that not all my questions at the end were answered, and I felt like some threads weren't quite followed through to the end.)
One thing that was a little distracting though, there is like a million new alien species mentioned constantly. Most of them get only a glancing description, like "red" or "round with white hair". Some are described in more detail, but the problem is that when they're mentioned again, you're somehow supposed to remember how they look, despite encountering 5 other species in between the pages after you saw them last. I remembered maybe three or four species total. The rest were a jumble. In a way, I guess that suggests what the main character is feeling, thrown into a whole new world like that, but at the same time.. if this was a movie, it would have worked great. But in a book, I literally just imagined blobs. Too many different species, barely any reminder descriptions. The author did invent a cool world for himself. But I feel like maybe it wasn't quite described well enough to us. But, it might have just been me struggling with this, so take a look at some other reviews too.
Another tiny point is that while there were dozens of alien species, they were all... Incredibly human. I feel like it's unfair to say, cause they did seem to be visually different, but... Their dress, their shape, their weapons, even customs... They felt mostly like humans with a slightly different shape or color, maybe some scales. Red. Purple. Yellow. Some weird ears or no nose. But essentially... Human. I don't know, I think maybe I've just been spoiled by Becky Chambers and the like, who make their aliens much less human, while still being relatable. Then again, of course, these kind of stories need to happen in a very "human-like" world, because I guess they're sort of making fun of our social structures, just like The Hitchhiker's Guide did.
That said, this is a good adventure read for the evening, but I'm really not sure I'll remember what this was about next year. But it was a nice, fun way to pass the time.
I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
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All round, this was a fun adventure through space, much like the blurb and cover quotes promise - quite in the vein of the Hitchhiker's Guide (maybe even a little more like Guardians of the Galaxy?), although the characters were all much more capable than in those stories, in my opinion.
The human main character is kind of adorable, although all characters seemed a little flat for me. You don't go too in-depth with them, it's more of an adventure that rolls over you. Some of the situations were also glanced over and quite simple, but certainly fun and fast-paced. The characters had their archetypes (the funny annoying guy, the secretly world-wise earthling who knows nothing but accepts things readily, the noble strong alien, and of course, the foxy and admirable female officer of the law, which, of course, develops an unlikely attraction to the human male). I liked them all well enough.
I did like the plot as well. Despite being somewhat predictable, it's an okay plot, and although I knew from the start which characters are being planted for which purpose, I didn't guess at the details straight away, so it had me pleasantly wondering as the story went on. (Although I will admit I was disappointed that not all my questions at the end were answered, and I felt like some threads weren't quite followed through to the end.)
One thing that was a little distracting though, there is like a million new alien species mentioned constantly. Most of them get only a glancing description, like "red" or "round with white hair". Some are described in more detail, but the problem is that when they're mentioned again, you're somehow supposed to remember how they look, despite encountering 5 other species in between the pages after you saw them last. I remembered maybe three or four species total. The rest were a jumble. In a way, I guess that suggests what the main character is feeling, thrown into a whole new world like that, but at the same time.. if this was a movie, it would have worked great. But in a book, I literally just imagined blobs. Too many different species, barely any reminder descriptions. The author did invent a cool world for himself. But I feel like maybe it wasn't quite described well enough to us. But, it might have just been me struggling with this, so take a look at some other reviews too.
Another tiny point is that while there were dozens of alien species, they were all... Incredibly human. I feel like it's unfair to say, cause they did seem to be visually different, but... Their dress, their shape, their weapons, even customs... They felt mostly like humans with a slightly different shape or color, maybe some scales. Red. Purple. Yellow. Some weird ears or no nose. But essentially... Human. I don't know, I think maybe I've just been spoiled by Becky Chambers and the like, who make their aliens much less human, while still being relatable. Then again, of course, these kind of stories need to happen in a very "human-like" world, because I guess they're sort of making fun of our social structures, just like The Hitchhiker's Guide did.
That said, this is a good adventure read for the evening, but I'm really not sure I'll remember what this was about next year. But it was a nice, fun way to pass the time.
I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.
Book Blog | Bookstagram | Bookish Twitter
February 26, 2017
This was a funny scifi action story where a human accidentally ends up in space and finds out that not only is there life in the universe, but that humans are considered very primitive. There are a lot of different aliens that star in this story, and the circumstance in which the hero finds himself is rather preposterous. However, that is in keeping with the overall tenor of the story as he and his partner find themselves on a world of aliens that glorify human life, but seem to have learned what humans are like from watching Animal House. Overall the story is fun and light and doesn't take itself too seriously as it becomes more and more bizarre.
The reason I didn't give more stars was that there wasn't much world building and the characters didn't grow much. The book reads something like a 'B' buddy movie, which is fun, but not moving.
I received a free copy for review; my comments were my own.
The reason I didn't give more stars was that there wasn't much world building and the characters didn't grow much. The book reads something like a 'B' buddy movie, which is fun, but not moving.
I received a free copy for review; my comments were my own.
March 16, 2017
What if Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect were truck drivers (terrestrial and otherwise)?
And were a couple drunks?
Yeah, that's pretty much it. What a hoot!
And were a couple drunks?
Yeah, that's pretty much it. What a hoot!
July 30, 2017
It had every aspect for a hilarious story, but all of the humor was strained, boring and heard before.
November 18, 2025
Hilarious and ridiculous and TONS of alcohol! Two drunken idiots-one a human and one an alien-try to outwit the entire universe who are all after them. Really, you just have to read it….I can’t even begin to describe it! The main characters are funny and flawed in so many ways and they are perfectly matched-the rest of the book’s cast is just as amusing & enjoyable. Great world building-it’s good to know the rest of the universe is as screwed up as us! An entertaining and very fast paced plot makes this book a great read! Definitely a top book! (There is a sequel out there that I am looking for and hope to get very soon!)
“Chuck never thought too deeply about whether aliens existed--not until Jopp, an intergalactic transport pilot, drunkenly crashed on Earth and tried to steal his truck.
Now, Chuck finds himself unwittingly roped into helping Jopp work off a debt to the universe's most powerful corporation, the Prime Partners Intergalactic Consortium. Through a series of mishaps and misfortune, the duo finds themselves in possession of a mysterious black case. In order to survive, they must fend off murderous marauders, an interplanetary police force, a peculiar crime boss, and escape a backwater planet inhabited by alien hillbillies. It's a big and scary universe out there, and Chuck and Jopp will be damned if they're going to face it sober.” (From the book blurb)
“Chuck never thought too deeply about whether aliens existed--not until Jopp, an intergalactic transport pilot, drunkenly crashed on Earth and tried to steal his truck.
Now, Chuck finds himself unwittingly roped into helping Jopp work off a debt to the universe's most powerful corporation, the Prime Partners Intergalactic Consortium. Through a series of mishaps and misfortune, the duo finds themselves in possession of a mysterious black case. In order to survive, they must fend off murderous marauders, an interplanetary police force, a peculiar crime boss, and escape a backwater planet inhabited by alien hillbillies. It's a big and scary universe out there, and Chuck and Jopp will be damned if they're going to face it sober.” (From the book blurb)
April 26, 2017
The cover an tagline might make you think this is a riproaring drunken adventure in Space mixed with humor.
Well... it is. It's that, but also about the crushing depression and misery of working off debt and... really, what else are you going to do while you float in the emptiness of space?
Honestly, despite the humor and obvious punch lines, it's actually a total space opera book and I don't think that is often said enough. If you are a fan of the recent space opera rise, you'll enjoy this. It's light, action packed, a bit cliche at times, but that's the point. What the novel excels at is dialogue. I've chuckled while reading before, but I don't often have to hold my gut. Edwards does a really damn good job with his written dialogue, and it really shines through as the excelling part of the novel. It's that good, I actually want to hear it again in audible format.
Well... it is. It's that, but also about the crushing depression and misery of working off debt and... really, what else are you going to do while you float in the emptiness of space?
Honestly, despite the humor and obvious punch lines, it's actually a total space opera book and I don't think that is often said enough. If you are a fan of the recent space opera rise, you'll enjoy this. It's light, action packed, a bit cliche at times, but that's the point. What the novel excels at is dialogue. I've chuckled while reading before, but I don't often have to hold my gut. Edwards does a really damn good job with his written dialogue, and it really shines through as the excelling part of the novel. It's that good, I actually want to hear it again in audible format.
November 30, 2021
I got this book from the publisher for a review.
Okay, this one was definitely not for me. I like SF, I like fantasy, but this didn't work for me.
An alien who crash landed his spaceship on Earth think he takes a ride with some kind of transportation device to where ever. Unfortunately it was not a transportation device but a big truck. Somehow he, the alien and the truck ends up in a large spacecraft.
The characters were okay-ish, but the world building could have been much better.
I received a free copy for review; my comments were my own.
Okay, this one was definitely not for me. I like SF, I like fantasy, but this didn't work for me.
An alien who crash landed his spaceship on Earth think he takes a ride with some kind of transportation device to where ever. Unfortunately it was not a transportation device but a big truck. Somehow he, the alien and the truck ends up in a large spacecraft.
The characters were okay-ish, but the world building could have been much better.
I received a free copy for review; my comments were my own.
February 23, 2019
Space Tripping is laugh out loud funny. The characters are fun and the pace is incredibly smooth and fast. This is an easy read that will put a smile on your face. Mr. Edwards' debut novel is an entertaining adventure that will keep you turning pages.
August 27, 2017
Tried . Couldn't
February 20, 2022
Great Fun
When I started this I thought, O.K. this will be a fun, sort of silly, alien-human space buddy comedy. And at first it was. It was pretty predictable, and the jokes were obvious. Still amusing and all, but nothing special.
But a funny thing happened along the way. This got really good. The buddy angle, while always played for laughs, worked. Our two heroes had real chemistry and the jokes got better and more sly and edgy. There was even a slam bang plot that kept the tale screaming along. Cameo characters were well realized, and a few were close to actually being hilarious, which is a wildly overused word in gushy reviews. There was even a snarky romance with a smartass female cop, which I would not have expected to work nearly as well as it did.
So this is sort of an old school "Road To..." kind of comedy adventure with two seriously engaging, smart alecky, wise cracking pals. The space angle makes it feel like "Star Wars" if "Star Wars" had built on the sneaky sense of humor that ran through the first film.
The bottom line for me is that this wasn't a disappointing, half-baked, "Hitchhiker's Guide..." wannabe, which is what I feared it would be when I took it up. This is a clever, entertaining, and smart, (though silly in spots), effort with lots of rewarding bits and an upbeat vibe. As one character said to Steve Martin in "L.A. Story", ..."You have a lot of verve." Yeah, this book had verve.
(Please note that I had a chance to read a free advance ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)
When I started this I thought, O.K. this will be a fun, sort of silly, alien-human space buddy comedy. And at first it was. It was pretty predictable, and the jokes were obvious. Still amusing and all, but nothing special.
But a funny thing happened along the way. This got really good. The buddy angle, while always played for laughs, worked. Our two heroes had real chemistry and the jokes got better and more sly and edgy. There was even a slam bang plot that kept the tale screaming along. Cameo characters were well realized, and a few were close to actually being hilarious, which is a wildly overused word in gushy reviews. There was even a snarky romance with a smartass female cop, which I would not have expected to work nearly as well as it did.
So this is sort of an old school "Road To..." kind of comedy adventure with two seriously engaging, smart alecky, wise cracking pals. The space angle makes it feel like "Star Wars" if "Star Wars" had built on the sneaky sense of humor that ran through the first film.
The bottom line for me is that this wasn't a disappointing, half-baked, "Hitchhiker's Guide..." wannabe, which is what I feared it would be when I took it up. This is a clever, entertaining, and smart, (though silly in spots), effort with lots of rewarding bits and an upbeat vibe. As one character said to Steve Martin in "L.A. Story", ..."You have a lot of verve." Yeah, this book had verve.
(Please note that I had a chance to read a free advance ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)
September 10, 2017
If his (non-existent?) editor had simply required Edwards to delete every !@$* use of the word "Um" to start one of Chuck's sentences, the book would have earned 3 stars in my review. It's some of the clumsiest writing I've seen in print (for an adult audience) in a long time. For goodness sake, man, learn some other trick for communicating how "uncertain" your stock character protagonist is feeling during this stock-scene moment.
A "fun" bro-heist story translated to a generic future-space universe. Earth man gets transported to alien world. All expected clichés appear, including several bar scenes meant to evoke Mos Eisley, a Guardians of the Galaxy-esque cast of misfits on a ship flying around doing a thing, and lots of bro-humor one-liners.
Don't get me wrong, I can chuckle at bro-humor with everyone else on Reddit. But this is a "published" novel (granted, it was crowd-funded/published) and I've been trained by John Scalzi to expect much snappier dialogue from someone who's attempting to ride the line of levity and actual storytelling. I can excuse weak plotting if the dialogue is snappy. I can bear dull dialogue if the plot is engaging. For the life of me, I cannot endure both. (I will say the interrogation scene around the ⅔ point is a high mark in the book. Wish Edwards had spent more time reworking all the other 28 chapters to that level of quality.) It was such a fast read that I decided to see it through to the end, and I guess I'm not particularly mad that I'll never get those minutes back.....
...Won't be nominating this for the 2018 Hugo Awards.
A "fun" bro-heist story translated to a generic future-space universe. Earth man gets transported to alien world. All expected clichés appear, including several bar scenes meant to evoke Mos Eisley, a Guardians of the Galaxy-esque cast of misfits on a ship flying around doing a thing, and lots of bro-humor one-liners.
Don't get me wrong, I can chuckle at bro-humor with everyone else on Reddit. But this is a "published" novel (granted, it was crowd-funded/published) and I've been trained by John Scalzi to expect much snappier dialogue from someone who's attempting to ride the line of levity and actual storytelling. I can excuse weak plotting if the dialogue is snappy. I can bear dull dialogue if the plot is engaging. For the life of me, I cannot endure both. (I will say the interrogation scene around the ⅔ point is a high mark in the book. Wish Edwards had spent more time reworking all the other 28 chapters to that level of quality.) It was such a fast read that I decided to see it through to the end, and I guess I'm not particularly mad that I'll never get those minutes back.....
...Won't be nominating this for the 2018 Hugo Awards.
March 2, 2022
This book is not for serious sci-fi readers. It's for people who like to have fun reading.
I love sci-fi as a setting because it frees the author, and thus the reader, from getting hung up on the limitations of reality. Now, most sci-fi tends to rely on theoretical possibilities they seldom depend on that possibility. It's just a tool to move the story forward and Space Tripping is no exception.
Space Tripping does diverge from most sci-fi in that it isn't a serious action book, or a commentary of the current state of affairs, or a criticism of some political or social issue. It's more of a fun action romp through the galaxy that feels like a hybrid of the Dukes of Hazard, Pirates of the Caribbean, and The Fifth Element. And that's not a bad thing.
The plot is relatively simple but the heroes are fun and likable, the bad guys are cruel and evil, the settings feel familiar but exotic at the same time and the chemistry is just right to drag you along this weird and wild adventure. I stayed up late to finish this book and look forward to the next one so I can confidently say I would recommend this book, but only if you can have fun reading a book.
I did receive this book free for my honest review and that's what you got.
I love sci-fi as a setting because it frees the author, and thus the reader, from getting hung up on the limitations of reality. Now, most sci-fi tends to rely on theoretical possibilities they seldom depend on that possibility. It's just a tool to move the story forward and Space Tripping is no exception.
Space Tripping does diverge from most sci-fi in that it isn't a serious action book, or a commentary of the current state of affairs, or a criticism of some political or social issue. It's more of a fun action romp through the galaxy that feels like a hybrid of the Dukes of Hazard, Pirates of the Caribbean, and The Fifth Element. And that's not a bad thing.
The plot is relatively simple but the heroes are fun and likable, the bad guys are cruel and evil, the settings feel familiar but exotic at the same time and the chemistry is just right to drag you along this weird and wild adventure. I stayed up late to finish this book and look forward to the next one so I can confidently say I would recommend this book, but only if you can have fun reading a book.
I did receive this book free for my honest review and that's what you got.
November 28, 2016
Publisher: Inkshares
Publishing Date: March 2016
ISBN: 9781942645214
Genre: Scifi
Rating: 4.2/5
Publishers Description: Chuck never thought too deeply about whether aliens existed — not until Jopp, an intergalactic transport pilot, drunkenly crashed on Earth and tried to steal his truck.
Review: I had some fun reading this. Kind of a cross between Jinx on a Terran Inheritance meets Hitchhiker’s Guide. A real epic space fantasy that is very tongue in cheeky while delivering fun characters wrapped in constant movement. Do not take the science behind the farce seriously and make sure you have a good time. I look forward to the next adventure and more aliens!!
Publishing Date: March 2016
ISBN: 9781942645214
Genre: Scifi
Rating: 4.2/5
Publishers Description: Chuck never thought too deeply about whether aliens existed — not until Jopp, an intergalactic transport pilot, drunkenly crashed on Earth and tried to steal his truck.
Review: I had some fun reading this. Kind of a cross between Jinx on a Terran Inheritance meets Hitchhiker’s Guide. A real epic space fantasy that is very tongue in cheeky while delivering fun characters wrapped in constant movement. Do not take the science behind the farce seriously and make sure you have a good time. I look forward to the next adventure and more aliens!!
November 9, 2021
This is a hard book to rate. It started off slow. I mean really slow and stupid. The story line went: get drunk, don't know what's going on, get in a fight, get more drunk, repeat. I had trouble getting through the first third of the book when finally the story opened up, the characters became more interesting and things started moving along. Not quite F. Scott Fitzgerald, but certainly more entertaining as there were some laugh out loud moments. Overall I enjoyed the book. The story and writing in many ways reminded me of Austin Dragon's Liquid Cool series. Here's hoping that the next book builds off the last half of this one.
December 3, 2021
This was a pretty fun haphazard space-romp. Chuck is the Luckily-unlucky 'Earth Man' accidentally thrown into the bizarre world of 'the rest of the universe'. As he ends up taking a courier job from the universe's most prolific mega-corps, his travels lead him to those most bizarre situations only an average-joe human can think their way out or.
There were plenty of chuckles and eye-roll jokes abound, but that was to be expected. (i mean, look at the title). So yes, if you're looking for that silly space romp with some action, aliens, anomalies, and evil greedy corporate heads, espionage and wit, there have at it!
There were plenty of chuckles and eye-roll jokes abound, but that was to be expected. (i mean, look at the title). So yes, if you're looking for that silly space romp with some action, aliens, anomalies, and evil greedy corporate heads, espionage and wit, there have at it!
July 26, 2018
Probably I didn’t get the book, or the humor, or it could have been the previous book fault that was so different from these.
Gave it a shoot, twice. The first time got to the third chapter and didn’t like it. The second time took it as a challenge until I finished.
If a compare the book to what I’m reading now that also has a “funny story” - “the kingdom razed by dragons” I’m having a much better time and really having Laughs from the chapters.
Hope some one else enjoys it. As I said I probably didn’t get it.
Gave it a shoot, twice. The first time got to the third chapter and didn’t like it. The second time took it as a challenge until I finished.
If a compare the book to what I’m reading now that also has a “funny story” - “the kingdom razed by dragons” I’m having a much better time and really having Laughs from the chapters.
Hope some one else enjoys it. As I said I probably didn’t get it.
June 3, 2022
You could title this book "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Guardians of the Galaxy Quest." This is a compliment.
PS: The bonus short story at the end felt like a "Sly Cooper" mission. This is also a complement.
PS: The bonus short story at the end felt like a "Sly Cooper" mission. This is also a complement.
December 2, 2016
An imaginative and funny sci-fi misadventure that channels Douglas Adams with its surreal universe and the manic creatures who inhabit it.
July 16, 2017
Other than the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series, I can’t think of many other books that start out more strangely than Space Tripping.
The tale opens when Chuck Higgins is standing by his truck and a drunken alien pilot, Jopp Wenslode, crash-lands on earth and tries to hijack the truck. In short order, the truck, Chuck, and Jopp are pulled skyward inside a huge alien spaceship. All this in less than three pages.
A bewildered Chuck finds himself forced to help Jopp work off a debt to the universe’s oldest corporation, the Prime Partners Intergalactic Consortium. That or be eaten by aliens who don’t think much of human abilities. Chuck and Jopp are chased across the galaxy as Jopp has been assigned the task of transporting a mysterious and apparently valuable black case. What follows is something of a college guy’s sci fi fantasy. There are endless streams of flowing alcohol or similar beverages with equivalent kicks. Chuck is astonished to meet a species called the Griffins who believe earth humans have set the intergalactic standard for partying. Perhaps alluring police officer Rohi Kahpanova can best be described as Omni-sexual as she gets along with various genders and alien species, although we don’t see her, or anyone else for that matter, engaged in that sort of physical activity.
Despite claims made in the book’s publicity, I wouldn’t categorize this quirky tale as comedy. Most of the humor occurs in the bantering, very colloquial dialogue between Jopp and Chuck. There’s one element very reminiscent of the Stainless Steel Rat books, namely the constant stream of escapes from space pirates and interplanetary police.
Patrick Edwards gives us more than a fast-paced if very light read. He has a very descriptive eye, especially detailing the constantly shifting settings and the many types of aliens. Still, this isn’t a romp to take very seriously. It’s like an old-fashioned science fiction adventure story with no attempt to be believable or give readers some sort of social message. If you like your sci fi fun, Space Tripping should be down your alley. Oh yea, it’s just volume one of a new series. There’s a sample chapter from book two to whet your appetite.
This review was originally published at:
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August 11, 2017
"Misadventures in Space"
The publisher's summary makes this book seem like the story of a couple of booze-hounds bumbling through space-bars and open space and the humorous antics that ensue. It's not. It's more of a sci-fi action adventure, involving a space-napped human and the alien space-hauler pilot, who got him in the whole mess in the first place, as they have one misadventure after another; including being hunted by space-pirates, being declared the most wanted criminals in the galaxy, being arrested, interrogated and imprisoned, by the interplanetary space force, escaping prison and going on the run... all the while, trying to figure out why the only cargo, in their spacecraft's massive cargo hold, is a mysterious black suitcase that they can't open and that everyone seems to want... and why is everyone, they run into, trying to get them liquored up or trying to kill them? All of this interspersed with occasional wisecracks, merciless haranguing, clever comebacks, popular sci-fi references, drunken shenanigans and the odd barroom brawl.
Overall, an enjoyable read.
The publisher's summary makes this book seem like the story of a couple of booze-hounds bumbling through space-bars and open space and the humorous antics that ensue. It's not. It's more of a sci-fi action adventure, involving a space-napped human and the alien space-hauler pilot, who got him in the whole mess in the first place, as they have one misadventure after another; including being hunted by space-pirates, being declared the most wanted criminals in the galaxy, being arrested, interrogated and imprisoned, by the interplanetary space force, escaping prison and going on the run... all the while, trying to figure out why the only cargo, in their spacecraft's massive cargo hold, is a mysterious black suitcase that they can't open and that everyone seems to want... and why is everyone, they run into, trying to get them liquored up or trying to kill them? All of this interspersed with occasional wisecracks, merciless haranguing, clever comebacks, popular sci-fi references, drunken shenanigans and the odd barroom brawl.
Overall, an enjoyable read.
July 9, 2017
Three stars-ish.
IF you're looking for distant planets, space battles, far ranging corporate plots and drunk aliens doing the equivalent of "hold my beer" then this book is for you. It was amusing and a very quick read. I think I actually knocked it out in a day.
The reason this suffers in my opinion is that I have other drunken adventures that I am much more partial to. Totally not a "fair" thing to this author, but it is how I feel.
If you like this book and you're looking for something else, you will probably very much enjoy the works of the Drunken Comic Book Monkeys in Scary Tales of Scariness (Fortress Publishing).
IF you're looking for distant planets, space battles, far ranging corporate plots and drunk aliens doing the equivalent of "hold my beer" then this book is for you. It was amusing and a very quick read. I think I actually knocked it out in a day.
The reason this suffers in my opinion is that I have other drunken adventures that I am much more partial to. Totally not a "fair" thing to this author, but it is how I feel.
If you like this book and you're looking for something else, you will probably very much enjoy the works of the Drunken Comic Book Monkeys in Scary Tales of Scariness (Fortress Publishing).
October 11, 2021
I enjoyed this book. I found the character development quite good, with the characters acting in a consistent manner throughout the book. I also liked the world-building and pacing. The story was light but with very few laugh-out-loud moments but there was one scene mid-book that was very funny. The banter between the protagonists was also quite good. All these factors made the book enjoyable to read but none of these was good enough to garner 5 stars from me. The writing was not as clever, insightful or funny as Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series. Still, it is worthwhile reading for some lighter science fiction. Thank you to Netgalley and Black Rose Writing for the advance reader copy.
December 3, 2021
This was a pretty fun haphazard space-romp. Chuck is the Luckily-unlucky 'Earth Man' accidentally thrown into the bizarre world of 'the rest of the universe'. As he ends up taking a courier job from the universe's most prolific mega-corps, his travels lead him to those most bizarre situations only an average-joe human can think their way out or.
There were plenty of chuckles and eye-roll jokes abound, but that was to be expected. (i mean, look at the title). So yes, if you're looking for that silly space romp with some action, aliens, anomalies, and evil greedy corporate heads, espionage and wit, there have at it!
There were plenty of chuckles and eye-roll jokes abound, but that was to be expected. (i mean, look at the title). So yes, if you're looking for that silly space romp with some action, aliens, anomalies, and evil greedy corporate heads, espionage and wit, there have at it!
December 30, 2019
For a bad novel, Patrick Edwards' 2017 "Space Tripping" is actually reasonably decent to read. I know that sounds odd, but it looks like Edwards set out to write a parody-ish type of science fiction/action novel and that's what he accomplished. The universe is pretty silly, the science is ridiculous, the plot is far-fetched, and the characters are shallow. But, it's actually decent to read. If he had written it with any kind of cleverness instead of just going for a "Bill and Ted" feel, I'd have been happier. But, as is, I can give it is an OK 3 stars out of 5.
December 17, 2021
Space Tripping by Patrick Edwards 4 stars
Hilarious! When an alien crash lands on Earth and hides in Chucks semi truck an adventure begins. Lots of booze, cussing!, and an intergalactic delivery since Chuck drives a truck. The author 'tells' the story rather than it unfolding but I didn't mind. It moved right along and had enough twists and turns that I enjoyed the story very much. Needed some editing and tightening of the plot but all in all a nice quick read. Received a copy for review-opinion is my own.
Hilarious! When an alien crash lands on Earth and hides in Chucks semi truck an adventure begins. Lots of booze, cussing!, and an intergalactic delivery since Chuck drives a truck. The author 'tells' the story rather than it unfolding but I didn't mind. It moved right along and had enough twists and turns that I enjoyed the story very much. Needed some editing and tightening of the plot but all in all a nice quick read. Received a copy for review-opinion is my own.
October 24, 2021
Space Tripping
[Blurb goes here]
While the world building is interesting, the story is not. The characters where not to my liking. One, an Earthling, the other one an alien. They keep ruining their chances at success at every turn, so you're left wondering if they're unlucky or just plain dumb. Their dialogues are full of quips and half-jokes in a failed attempt at comedy. I didn't enjoyed this adventure as much as I hope I would.
Thank you for the free copy!
[Blurb goes here]
While the world building is interesting, the story is not. The characters where not to my liking. One, an Earthling, the other one an alien. They keep ruining their chances at success at every turn, so you're left wondering if they're unlucky or just plain dumb. Their dialogues are full of quips and half-jokes in a failed attempt at comedy. I didn't enjoyed this adventure as much as I hope I would.
Thank you for the free copy!
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