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Richard: Distant Son
Richard is an average fifteen-year-old from the hills of Ohio whose biggest concerns are studying for tests and asking Becky out next Saturday. Everything changes one day when, while lying on the sofa in his parents’ basement, he hears someone whisper, I am your gift. A moment later, the sofa shoots straight up into the air, passing like a ghost through the house and then soaring into space.
The sofa doesn’t stop until it reaches the moon. There he meets AAL, an artificial life form, who reveals a shocking Richard is the rightful heir to a kingdom spanning the Milky Way galaxy.
With AAL’s help, Richard will travel to the distant planet of Krel, the kingdom’s capital, to claim his throne. Along the way, he will encounter wondrous creatures that he once thought centaurs, satyrs, pure white pegasuses, and many others.
But powerful forces are already gathering against him, and after centuries without a ruler, many in the kingdom are not ready to accept a boy from a backwater planet as their king. It will take every ounce of strength Richard has, along with help from some unlikely allies, for him to seize his destiny.
The sofa doesn’t stop until it reaches the moon. There he meets AAL, an artificial life form, who reveals a shocking Richard is the rightful heir to a kingdom spanning the Milky Way galaxy.
With AAL’s help, Richard will travel to the distant planet of Krel, the kingdom’s capital, to claim his throne. Along the way, he will encounter wondrous creatures that he once thought centaurs, satyrs, pure white pegasuses, and many others.
But powerful forces are already gathering against him, and after centuries without a ruler, many in the kingdom are not ready to accept a boy from a backwater planet as their king. It will take every ounce of strength Richard has, along with help from some unlikely allies, for him to seize his destiny.
- GenresSpace Opera
491 pages, Paperback
Published July 6, 2022
4 people want to read
About the author
Michael W. Hickman
6 books3 followersMichael Hickman currently lives in the hills of Ohio, is a former IT manager, programmer, and network administrator. Now that he is a retired, he has plenty of time to work on his next novel and take care of his two rescue dogs, Max, a Great Dane mix, and his newest addition, Amber, a Shiba Inu and Australian Shepherd mix.
In addition to writing, Michael enjoys camping, hiking, and spending time with his two sons and four grandkids. He’s also into genealogy, which led him to discover not only that his family roots extend back to the early settlers of Ohio, but that he’s related to Samuel Clemens and Zane Grey.
In addition to writing, Michael enjoys camping, hiking, and spending time with his two sons and four grandkids. He’s also into genealogy, which led him to discover not only that his family roots extend back to the early settlers of Ohio, but that he’s related to Samuel Clemens and Zane Grey.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 8, 2026
Michael W. Hickman’s Richard: Distant Son opens with a wonderfully outsized premise: an ordinary fifteen-year-old from Ohio discovers that he is the lost heir to a galactic throne and is swept from suburban life into a sprawling interstellar kingdom of court ritual, prophecy, old betrayals, and species drawn from both science fiction and myth. What follows is a chosen-one story with a deliberately maximal appetite, part space opera, part royal fantasy, part coming-of-age tale, as Richard is tutored by the enigmatic AAL and forced to grow into a destiny much larger than his own imagination ever allowed.
What I liked most was the book’s refusal to behave modestly. Hickman doesn't nibble at worldbuilding; he heaps it on. The novel moves from cosmic prologue to Ohio basement to a kingdom populated by aliens, winged horses, political operators, and ceremonial grandeur, and I found that sheer amplitude genuinely fun. Richard himself is appealing because he does not arrive pre-polished. He's gawky, impulsive, occasionally funny without trying to be, and still recognizably adolescent even when everyone around him wants to turn him into a symbol. That contrast of teenage bewilderment set against imperial expectation gives the novel much of its momentum and charm.
I also found the book interesting in the ways it exceeds the boundaries some readers might expect from its premise. Beneath the wish-fulfillment engine, there's a streak of earnest strangeness here: sexuality is more explicit than a typical younger-YA adventure, the mythology of Richard’s bloodline is treated with near-feudal seriousness, and AAL’s guidance carries a persistent undertow of secrecy and control. The novel can feel overfull, even unruly, but for me that unruliness is part of its character. It reads like a story written by someone who genuinely loves the idea of throwing star empires, prophecy, palace intrigue, romance, and adolescent dislocation into the same crucible and seeing what burns hottest. The result is not sleek; it's exuberant.
I’d recommend Richard: Distant Son to readers who enjoy science fantasy, space opera, royal-intrigue fiction, chosen-one narratives, and coming-of-age adventure with a romantic thread. Readers who like the dynastic scale of Dune but want something more accessible and emotionally direct, or fans of Christopher Paolini-style earnest mythmaking pushed into a galactic register, will probably find a lot to savor here. This is a book for people who don’t mind a little grandeur in their storytelling and maybe prefer it a touch unbuttoned.
What I liked most was the book’s refusal to behave modestly. Hickman doesn't nibble at worldbuilding; he heaps it on. The novel moves from cosmic prologue to Ohio basement to a kingdom populated by aliens, winged horses, political operators, and ceremonial grandeur, and I found that sheer amplitude genuinely fun. Richard himself is appealing because he does not arrive pre-polished. He's gawky, impulsive, occasionally funny without trying to be, and still recognizably adolescent even when everyone around him wants to turn him into a symbol. That contrast of teenage bewilderment set against imperial expectation gives the novel much of its momentum and charm.
I also found the book interesting in the ways it exceeds the boundaries some readers might expect from its premise. Beneath the wish-fulfillment engine, there's a streak of earnest strangeness here: sexuality is more explicit than a typical younger-YA adventure, the mythology of Richard’s bloodline is treated with near-feudal seriousness, and AAL’s guidance carries a persistent undertow of secrecy and control. The novel can feel overfull, even unruly, but for me that unruliness is part of its character. It reads like a story written by someone who genuinely loves the idea of throwing star empires, prophecy, palace intrigue, romance, and adolescent dislocation into the same crucible and seeing what burns hottest. The result is not sleek; it's exuberant.
I’d recommend Richard: Distant Son to readers who enjoy science fantasy, space opera, royal-intrigue fiction, chosen-one narratives, and coming-of-age adventure with a romantic thread. Readers who like the dynastic scale of Dune but want something more accessible and emotionally direct, or fans of Christopher Paolini-style earnest mythmaking pushed into a galactic register, will probably find a lot to savor here. This is a book for people who don’t mind a little grandeur in their storytelling and maybe prefer it a touch unbuttoned.
March 16, 2024
Michael W. Hickman’s “Richard: Distant Son” delivers a thrilling upgrade to the classic “chosen one” trope. Imagine a typical Ohio teenager named Richard, living an unremarkable life, suddenly thrust into a destiny as the long-lost heir to the throne of the Milky Way Galaxy. Sounds familiar? Hickman’s novel breathes fresh life into the narrative, offering intriguing world-building and a unique, endearing protagonist.
Richard’s journey isn’t without its growing pains. He grapples with immense culture shock, leaving behind his ordinary existence to navigate a cosmos teeming with fantastical creatures and complex political machinations. His guide, AAL, a friendly shapeshifting artificial life form, provides much-needed support and comic relief as Richard adapts to his new role. The bond between Richard and AAL forms the story’s emotional core, anchoring the reader amidst the sprawling galactic setting.
Hickman’s world-building is impressive. He skillfully creates a vibrant tapestry of alien species, advanced technology, and interplanetary relationships that feel both fantastical and grounded. Sci-fi fans will find themselves immersed in Krel, the capital planet where creatures straight out of mythology thrive alongside humans.
However, the pacing can occasionally feel uneven. Some readers might find the early sections, focused on Richard’s initial adjustment on Earth, slightly slow. Yet, once the story shifts to Krel, the narrative finds its stride, launching Richard into a whirlwind of court intrigue and assassination plots.
Overall, “Richard: Distant Son” is a worthy addition to the young adult science fiction genre.
Richard’s journey isn’t without its growing pains. He grapples with immense culture shock, leaving behind his ordinary existence to navigate a cosmos teeming with fantastical creatures and complex political machinations. His guide, AAL, a friendly shapeshifting artificial life form, provides much-needed support and comic relief as Richard adapts to his new role. The bond between Richard and AAL forms the story’s emotional core, anchoring the reader amidst the sprawling galactic setting.
Hickman’s world-building is impressive. He skillfully creates a vibrant tapestry of alien species, advanced technology, and interplanetary relationships that feel both fantastical and grounded. Sci-fi fans will find themselves immersed in Krel, the capital planet where creatures straight out of mythology thrive alongside humans.
However, the pacing can occasionally feel uneven. Some readers might find the early sections, focused on Richard’s initial adjustment on Earth, slightly slow. Yet, once the story shifts to Krel, the narrative finds its stride, launching Richard into a whirlwind of court intrigue and assassination plots.
Overall, “Richard: Distant Son” is a worthy addition to the young adult science fiction genre.
April 6, 2026
Outside of my normal genre, but I did enjoy this read!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews