Under Fortunate Stars - by Ren Hutchings (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A modern, progressive homage to classic space opera stories, with flawed heroes and time travel

Two Ships. One Chance To Save The Future.

Fleeing the final days of the generations-long war with the alien Felen, smuggler Jereth Keeven's freighter the Jonah breaks down in a strange rift in deep space, with little chance of rescue--until they encounter the research vessel Gallion, which claims to be from 152 years in the future.

The Gallion's chief engineer Uma Ozakka has always been fascinated with the past, especially the tale of the Fortunate Five, who ended the war with the Felen. When the Gallion rescues a run-down junk freighter, Ozakka is shocked to recognize the Five's legendary ship--and the Five's famed leader, Eldric Leesongronski, among the crew.

But nothing else about Leesongronski and his crewmates seems to match up with the historical record. With their ships running out of power in the rift, more than the lives of both crews may be at stake...

Review Quotes

Library Journal Debut of the Month

"An engrossing interstellar escapade with appeal for fans of Becky Chambers, Alex White, and S.K. Dunstall." --Booklist

"Smart, slick, and mind-blowingly twisty, Under Fortunate Stars pits a memorable ensemble cast against impossible odds: fragile timelines, fifth-dimension science, and explosive politics. Woven with crackling wit, this is an unmissable debut." --Claire Winn, author of City of Shattered Light

"Under Fortunate Stars combines a richly drawn world, complicated characters, and a time-travel plot that unwinds forward and backward, with stakes both massive and intensely personal." --K. Eason, author of Nightwatch on the Hinterlands

"Under Fortunate Stars is an immensely fun space opera adventure, chock full of surprises and wonderful characters, laced through with humor and heart. Fans of Becky Chambers and Valerie Valdes will love this." --John Appel, author of Assassin's Orbit

"Under Fortunate Stars is a perfect novel featuring my favorite time-travel paradox. Ren Hutchings weaves together a tapestry of past and present with a deft hand in this tender space opera about two crews doing everything they can to build peace out of the ashes of war. This is an absolute must-read for anyone needing a little hope." --K.B. Wagers, author of Hold Fast Through the Fire

"Under Fortunate Stars takes familiar themes of time travel, interspecies conflict, and ensemble crews to spin a wholly original and compulsively readable story. Ren Hutchings' first novel is exciting, funny, truthful - and a thoughtful account of the necessity of trusting both ourselves and strangers to secure our future and live in peace." --Una McCormack, author of The Undefeated

"A deeply human book." --Locus

"A fun, puzzle box of a mystery!" --Megan E. O'Keefe, author of Velocity Weapon

"An engaging space saga with time-travel twists, and a compelling look at how past and future are created by not only by those who live it but those who record it." --Library Journal (Starred Review)

"An engrossing mystery gene-spliced with a thrilling sci-fi adventure, Under Fortunate Stars feels like a newly unearthed classic that's miraculously stood the test of time. Driven by a cast of complex characters who deepen with every new layer of the mystery revealed, it builds to a thrilling, head-spinning climax. Reading it is like being sucked into a mysterious time rift, and you'll love every lost moment." --SJ Whitby, author of the Cute Mutants series

"An entertaining, engrossing read." --Buzzfeed

"Boasting a heart full of hope, captivating characters you can't help but root for, and a breathless, high-octane mystery, Under Fortunate Stars is the kind of space opera we need right now." --Karen Osborne, author of Architects of Memory

"Hutchings lovingly fuses a sprawling cast of charmingly flawed characters and a plot with many moving parts into a smooth and satisfying whole." --Publishers Weekly

"In Under Fortunate Stars, Ren Hutchings has written a space opera that is close and personal in its conflicts and, at the same time, wide-reaching in its scope. This is destined to be one of the breakout science fiction novels of 2022." --Michael Mammay, author of the Planetside series

"One of the best books I've read this year." --BSFA Award-winning author Gareth L. Powell

"Questions of fate, predetermination and stepping into history are cleverly wrapped in an engrossing time travel tale." --Paul Simpson, Sci-Fi Bulletin

"Ren Hutchings has earned comparisons to Becky Chambers, Alex White, and S.K. Dunstall." --Den of Geek

"Rifts in time and space, humour and a cast of compelling characters. An electrifying mix of wild ideas, vivid far futures and good fun." --Eeleen Lee, author of Liquid Crystal Nightingale

"If the Guardians of the Galaxy crashed the Foundation... A twisty, enthralling space-time opera. Fortunate readers, and a future star." -- Stephen Baxter

About the Author

Ren Hutchings is a speculative fiction writer, writing mentor, and history grad. She spent most of the past decade working in game dev while also plotting twisty space novels. She loves pop science, unexplained mysteries, 90s music, collecting outdated electronics, and pondering about alternate universes. Ren always drafts out of order, and almost everything she writes ends up involving a dash of time travel. You can find Ren online at renhutchings.com, and on social media as @voidcricket.