Astro-Nuts

With abundant pop culture references and oodles of absurdity, Hunder (Witches Be Crazy) draws liberally from the grand tradition of Firefly, Monty Python, and Spaceballs for this loopy space opera send-up. Good-hearted, utterly hapless Capt. Tim Cox, owner of the cargo hauler SS Jefferson, leads a competent, albeit motley, crew on his idea of adventures through space, which usually involve them losing their cargo and ending up in some manner of danger. This time, on a trajectory back to Earth that takes them past Mars (which is inhabited by radical right-wing humans), they encounter a floundering ship and pause to offer aid. Aboard, they discover a sole survivor who’s in possession of a biological weapon with potentially world-ending consequences. Prison escapes, shootings, and a wide variety of team-testing tribulations ensue. Over-the-top action and surprisingly biting political satire helpfully distract from the disastrous lack of solid plot; the entire novel is about the laughs, which are plentiful. Space opera fans looking for something light and fluffy will find this suits perfectly. Agent: Mark Gottlieb, Trident Media Group. (Apr.)