Synopsis

In his hilarious new sci-fi series, Jim C. Hines introduces the unlikely heroes that may just save the galaxy: a crew of space janitors.

The Krakau came to Earth to invite humanity into a growing alliance of sentient species. However, they happened to arrive after a mutated plague wiped out half the planet, turned the rest into shambling, near-unstoppable animals, and basically destroyed human civilization. You know—your standard apocalypse.

The Krakau's first impulse was to turn around and go home. (After all, it's hard to have diplomatic relations with mindless savages who eat your diplomats.) Their second impulse was to try to fix us. Now, a century later, human beings might not be what they once were, but at least they're no longer trying to eat everyone. Mostly.

Marion “Mops” Adamopoulos is surprisingly bright (for a human). As a Lieutenant on the Earth Mercenary Corps Ship Pufferfish, she's in charge of the Shipboard Hygiene and Sanitation team. When a bioweapon attack wipes out the Krakau command crew and reverts the rest of the humans to their feral state, only Mops and her team are left with their minds intact.

Escaping the attacking aliens—not to mention her shambling crewmates—is only the beginning. Sure, Mops and her team of space janitors and plumbers can clean the ship as well as anyone, but flying the damn thing is another matter.

As they struggle to keep the Pufferfish functioning and find a cure for their crew, they stumble onto a conspiracy that could threaten the entire alliance… a conspiracy born from the truth of what happened on Earth all those years ago.

About Jim C. Hines

Jim C. Hines is the author of numerous fantasy novels, including the Magic ex Libris series, the Princess series of fairy tale retellings, and the humorous Goblin Quest trilogy. He's an active blogger, and won the 2012 Hugo Award for Best Fan Writer. He lives in mid-Michigan with his family.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Beth on November 05, 2017

A virus has decimated earth, leaving the humans mindless beast. Magnanimously, an alien race takes curing humans on, bringing them back to their previously cogitate being. Putting them in janitorial positions among their race on a starship. When the starship is attacked, it leaves the humans in char......more

Goodreads review by Jareth on February 03, 2025

Zombies, and aliens, and intergalactic political intrigue, oh my! This book was a non-stop thrill ride from start to finish. Fans of Star Trek, The Walking Dead, Red Dwarf, and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy will delight in this comedic amalgamation of genres. Marion “Mops” Adamopoulos is a Lie......more

Goodreads review by Julie on December 03, 2017

A plague on Earth killed most of humanity, leaving the survivors feral. Feral humans are incredibly dangerous. An Alien species, the Krakau, had planned to invite humanity to join an alliance with other sentient alien species. But after the plague decimated Earth, the Krakau decided to save the huma......more