Synopsis:
Far From Now, In a Galaxy Really, Really Close…
The last denizens of Earth, aka Planet Dirt, have a problem. Their protective force shield is breaking, which will mean annihilation. Now it’s up to a small group of intrepid dilettantes to procure a new one.
From planet to planet, danger to danger, and stupid choice to stupid choice, the team blunders their way across the galaxy, trying to save the day and survive the trip.
Don’t let the Call to Adventure go to voicemail. Follow the corgis!
Review:
Satire isn’t for everyone, but if you count The HItchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy as one of your top reads, then I’ve got some bad news for you — Douglas Adams is deceased. But, if you don’t mind reading a book by someone who tried an awfully lot to write like Douglas Adams, then I might humbly recommend The Best of All Possible Planets by Alex Shvartsman. It isn’t as long and many of the things Shvartsman parodies in the novel aren’t even British, but if you can get past all that, The Best of All Possible Planets might be one of the best times you’ll have on a fictional spaceship and multiple fictional worlds.
Now, this review won’t be as long as a corgi — the standard unit of measurement in Shvartsman’s version of Earth’s future — but hopefully I can get you to take a chance on this fantastic corker of a book.
Shvartsman’s novel is filled with satire, puns, and Easter Eggs of all sorts. Now, satire is hard to pull off. Just ask Jonathan Swift about the backlash from A Modest Proposal or take a hard look past Brad Pitt’s abs to see how no one really understands Fight Club or Starship Troopers. Often, satire confuses and provokes, so I would not be at all surprised if there are low reviews for this book purely for that reason. Case in point — I don’t believe Shvartsman ever uses the word “American” throughout the book when referring to the people of this land from the 21st century, instead opting to go with “South Canadians.” The title of the book itself is basically a poke at those who blindly believe their country is “THE BEST” without even experiencing life outside their own borders.
But sprinkled throughout the satire are countless references to sci-fi standards from the Golden Age authors of Asimov and Heinlein to the hey-day of blockbusters like Star Wars and Star Trek and TV mainstays like Stargate SG-1 and Doctor Who (which may have been my personal favorite reference throughout TBOAPP). Alex Shvartsman has a comprehensive list of the media that he parodied and referenced in the author’s note in the back matter of the book, but I wouldn’t doubt if even he missed one or two — there’s A LOT.
My dad would have loved this book. It feels a lot like what he would have written had he written something. He had a love/hate relationship with puns — he told them and his family hated them. Often he would come up with these puns or word combinations and then spend hours coming up with a joke or scenario to shoehorn it into. For example…
“Let’s say there was a vending machine that sold deodorant, perfume, and cologne. One day the final deodorant was purchased, so they had to put a sign on it, saying “Out of Odor.”
This was just one of the thousands of puns and jokes he attempted on an unwitting family and friends over the years. And if that elicited a slight chuckle, well…The Best of All Possible Planets may very well be the book for you.
In a way, the satire and jokes are merely set dressing. The characters and the plot are well-crafted and work well. We start in the far future where Earth is in need of a protective force shield. The utterly clueless Dhawan and his date, Rada, head off into the galaxy in search of a new one, stopping at various places that alternate between maddening, confusing, and flat-out frustrating. Characters have arcs and there are tons of surprises to be had on this rollicking journey across the stars.
While I read the ebook early thanks to NetGalley, Shvartsman gave me a sneak peak at the audiobook, which features guest appearances by comedian Lewis Black (perhaps best known as Anger from Inside Out) and a wonderful innocent, yet comedic narration from Eli Schiff.
I would heartily recommend The Best of All Possible Planets, especially if you enjoy some intelligent humor with your sci-fi. Thank you to UFO Publishing for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
The Best of All Possible Planets releases on July 28, 2026.
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