Captain Ellenshaw and the Broadsword Affair by Malcolm Finch

A sprawling sci-fi satire with a buffoonish hero at its heart, Captain Ellenshaw and the Broadsword Affair by Malcolm Finch is a wild ride through duty, drunkenness, and cosmic market expansion. A legendary captain turned lout is given a far-flung mission to keep him from embarrassing the Admiralty any further, but this semi-mythical madman can’t help but cause chaos wherever he goes. Packed with a crew of societal rejects, ridiculous hyperspace hijinks, and campy dialogue, this is far from a polished read, but it’s an entertaining binge nonetheless. A literary lovechild of “Spaceballs,” The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, and “The Fifth Element,” this fast-paced novel could do with an intensive edit, but it will also leave you laughing out loud in guilty pleasure.