What do you think?
Rate this book
The Reluctant Adventures of Fletcher Connolly on the Interstellar Railroad #1-4
The Reluctant Adventures of Fletcher Connolly on the Interstellar Railroad: Book 1-4
An Irishman in space. Hoards of alien technological treasures to be discovered. What could go wrong? Don’t answer that … Fletcher Connolly hasn’t got a lot to lose. Since he, and half the galaxy, signed on to the rat race of the technological relics trade, Fletch has come to terms with the idea that he will join the ranks of unlucky explorers that perish light years from home without a dime to his name. But bankruptcy is a great motivator. With friends and family counting on him to strike it rich, Fletch embarks on an unwilling quest for alien treasure. His decrepit exploration ship, the Skint Idjit, and her successor, the Intergalactic Bogtrotter, plunge disastrously through the wildest regions of the Interstellar Railroad … from an uninhabited planet appropriately named Suckass … to a deliberately misnamed mafia-run planet known as Arcadia … to a rogue planet inhabited by aliens resembling cuddly teddy bears … to a moon covered with giant cacti … and ultimately to the supermassive black hole in the center of the galaxy, where Fletch’s terrible judgment comes back to bite him in the rear for the last time. Epic catastrophes and belly laughs pile up breathlessly in this delightful comic sci-fi adventure, a worthy successor to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. This complete edition of The Reluctant Adventures Of Fletcher Connolly On The Interstellar Railroad contains all four episodes of Fletch’s unlucky Skint Idjit Intergalactic Bogtrotter Banjaxed Ceili Supermassive Blackguard Felix R. Savage is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of the Earth’s Last Gambit Quartet and many other books. This is by far the funniest one.
393 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 24, 2017
22 people are currently reading
101 people want to read
About the author
Felix R. Savage
88 books120 followersFelix R. Savage writes hard science fiction, space opera, and comedic science fiction. He has also occasionally been known to commit fantasy.
Felix has a long history associated with rebellion. He was born in the 1970s, a decade of American youth rebelling against the safe culture of their parents. He is married to a wonderful woman and they have two beautiful daughters. Together the four of them live in Tokyo serving their cat overlord and benevolent protector. Felix pounds the keyboard while not translating, delighting in his family, or catering to the whims of the family’s cat. He woke up one day to learn that he was a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, but he continues to keep a low profile, and never stops watching out for any sign the lizard people have found him.
Felix has a long history associated with rebellion. He was born in the 1970s, a decade of American youth rebelling against the safe culture of their parents. He is married to a wonderful woman and they have two beautiful daughters. Together the four of them live in Tokyo serving their cat overlord and benevolent protector. Felix pounds the keyboard while not translating, delighting in his family, or catering to the whims of the family’s cat. He woke up one day to learn that he was a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, but he continues to keep a low profile, and never stops watching out for any sign the lizard people have found him.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
October 13, 2020
I was looking for something fun and dumb, and I found it.
Notwithstanding an ending that veers too much into existential showdown, this is pretty good sci-fi that doesn’t take itself too seriously. As a stress reliever, it mostly did the trick, and I’m grateful for that.
The gimmick here hits you in the face: Fletcher “Fletch” Connelly is a working-class Irish kid who narrates his adventures in deep space. He hunts down A-tech, technology created by extinct races, and he tries to sell it back to humans.
This isn’t the deep future, just a late 21st Century. So, there are iPhones alongside space ships, and we even have an aging Mark Zuckerberg still standing as one of the titans of finance.
This could easily have been annoying if Savage had rubbed our noses either in the cleverness of his original conceit or in the ancillary sci-fi of his story. Instead, he makes it work by moving quickly and letting much of his real cleverness seep in through the cracks of the narrative.
The central sci-fi notion is clear in the title but glossed over for much of the early parts of the novel. (And that’s a good thing.) It seems one of the central achievements of past sentient races was the creation of what Fletch’s culture calls a “railroad” that spans the galaxy. Earthlings can attach our primitive spaceships to it and fly all around the galaxy, often to planets abandoned for millions of years.
Along the way, we get some fun and fast-moving stories. When Fletch comes across an animal species that drinks energy as moths go after light, it’s a close call. But [SPOILER:] he discovers they might be harvested as superior spaceship shields, creatures that absorb enemy fire should it come.
And Fletch’s in love, but it’s far from perfect. As I say, I’d be tired of a concept that I got my nose rubbed into, but it’s fun to see these space cowboys settle in to play Irish traditional music or to discover that the dread pirate of one adventure is actually a woman.
Make no mistake, this isn’t art. And, I confess, I’d probably had enough of it four-fifths of the way through. Still, this is the sort of fun I was looking for, and I’m grateful to Savage for providing it.
Notwithstanding an ending that veers too much into existential showdown, this is pretty good sci-fi that doesn’t take itself too seriously. As a stress reliever, it mostly did the trick, and I’m grateful for that.
The gimmick here hits you in the face: Fletcher “Fletch” Connelly is a working-class Irish kid who narrates his adventures in deep space. He hunts down A-tech, technology created by extinct races, and he tries to sell it back to humans.
This isn’t the deep future, just a late 21st Century. So, there are iPhones alongside space ships, and we even have an aging Mark Zuckerberg still standing as one of the titans of finance.
This could easily have been annoying if Savage had rubbed our noses either in the cleverness of his original conceit or in the ancillary sci-fi of his story. Instead, he makes it work by moving quickly and letting much of his real cleverness seep in through the cracks of the narrative.
The central sci-fi notion is clear in the title but glossed over for much of the early parts of the novel. (And that’s a good thing.) It seems one of the central achievements of past sentient races was the creation of what Fletch’s culture calls a “railroad” that spans the galaxy. Earthlings can attach our primitive spaceships to it and fly all around the galaxy, often to planets abandoned for millions of years.
Along the way, we get some fun and fast-moving stories. When Fletch comes across an animal species that drinks energy as moths go after light, it’s a close call. But [SPOILER:] he discovers they might be harvested as superior spaceship shields, creatures that absorb enemy fire should it come.
And Fletch’s in love, but it’s far from perfect. As I say, I’d be tired of a concept that I got my nose rubbed into, but it’s fun to see these space cowboys settle in to play Irish traditional music or to discover that the dread pirate of one adventure is actually a woman.
Make no mistake, this isn’t art. And, I confess, I’d probably had enough of it four-fifths of the way through. Still, this is the sort of fun I was looking for, and I’m grateful to Savage for providing it.
March 12, 2021
This started out slow for me but then hooked me. Fletcher Connolly is a bit of a scamp with questionable luck. He gets in and out of scrapes like most of us go in and out of a convenience store. But it's entertaining and will keep you rooted once you get past the first hour or two.
December 16, 2021
Mostly this book, or series of novellas, is a rollicking good time. It is full of science fiction, cursing, danger, violence, cultural references, and some great voice acting. This should really be tightened up into a single book - there's no reason for this to be four books.
The story would be four stars except for a complete ignorance on how to address a transgender character. It is a secondary character, but by the end of the book the character should be correctly addressed. It's very disappointing. The character should have just been either a man or a woman who does not transition if the author couldn't get their act together.
It is still a rollicking good time. I enjoyed it.
The narration is fantastic, especially the Irish characters. If it wasn't so fun then I might not have finished it at all.
The story would be four stars except for a complete ignorance on how to address a transgender character. It is a secondary character, but by the end of the book the character should be correctly addressed. It's very disappointing. The character should have just been either a man or a woman who does not transition if the author couldn't get their act together.
It is still a rollicking good time. I enjoyed it.
The narration is fantastic, especially the Irish characters. If it wasn't so fun then I might not have finished it at all.
August 14, 2020
Refreshingly different. Novel concepts.
My only negative comment would be that each of the stories should have been a novel in itself.
My only negative comment would be that each of the stories should have been a novel in itself.
July 31, 2020
"If I've admired Harriet's rear view, it's because it's such a contrast to her face."
Blimey. What a treat!
I wasn't sure what to expect going into this ... I've found a book that is creative, adventurous, very funny, absurd, clever, and loaded with pop culture references - blatant, obscure, and probably many more besides.
This could so easily to be one of those book you skim past because of it's very catchy title (precisely the reason I went with it, by the way), or the premise sounds too silly, or that you've never heard of Felix R. Savage (I hadn't), or any number of other reasons.
I'm here to say, don't let any of those reasons put you off. It's fantastic!!
On several occasions whilst listening to this, that's another things - the audiobook is great, I was reminded of several books and TV shows I love: Red Dwarf, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, and Firefly - to name a few. I think that's a good barometer to whether or not you'll also love this book too.
Blimey. What a treat!
I wasn't sure what to expect going into this ... I've found a book that is creative, adventurous, very funny, absurd, clever, and loaded with pop culture references - blatant, obscure, and probably many more besides.
This could so easily to be one of those book you skim past because of it's very catchy title (precisely the reason I went with it, by the way), or the premise sounds too silly, or that you've never heard of Felix R. Savage (I hadn't), or any number of other reasons.
I'm here to say, don't let any of those reasons put you off. It's fantastic!!
On several occasions whilst listening to this, that's another things - the audiobook is great, I was reminded of several books and TV shows I love: Red Dwarf, Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, and Firefly - to name a few. I think that's a good barometer to whether or not you'll also love this book too.
August 30, 2021
few laugh out louds & some giggle worthy moments
It had a few laugh out loud moments and some other giggle worthy moments. Overall enjoyable when you're in the mood for a somewhat goofy sci-fy. If the futuristic setting had a bit more creative elements then I think the overall story humor could have been bigger, instead of grabbing so much from the 20th to 21st centuries. Though I could be a challenge without it since those dated bits does play into the storyline and some of the sarcastic-sitcom humor. Guess you can sat I have some mixed feeling about some of plot settings, but it's still something I will listen to again.
It had a few laugh out loud moments and some other giggle worthy moments. Overall enjoyable when you're in the mood for a somewhat goofy sci-fy. If the futuristic setting had a bit more creative elements then I think the overall story humor could have been bigger, instead of grabbing so much from the 20th to 21st centuries. Though I could be a challenge without it since those dated bits does play into the storyline and some of the sarcastic-sitcom humor. Guess you can sat I have some mixed feeling about some of plot settings, but it's still something I will listen to again.
October 14, 2017
Kindle Unlimited but one as freebie and rest thru ku, without coercion, if one doesn't count Star Wars references and other such oddly interesting things.
An Irishman in space. Hoards of alien technological treasures to be discovered. What could go wrong Don’t answer that …Fletcher Connolly hasn’t got a lot to lose. Since he, and half the galaxy, signed on to the rat race of the technological relics trade, Fletch has come to terms with the idea that he will join the ranks of unlucky explorers that perish light years from home without a dime to his name. But bankruptcy is a great motivator. With friends and family counting on him to strike it rich, Fletch embarks on an unwilling quest for alien treasure. His decrepit exploration ship, the Skint Idjit, and her successor, the Intergalactic Bogtrotter, plunge disastrously through the wildest regions of the Interstellar Railroad … from an uninhabited planet appropriately named Suckass … to a deliberately misnamed mafia-run planet known as Arcadia … to a rogue planet inhabited by aliens resembling cuddly teddy bears … to a moon covered with giant cacti … and ultimately to the supermassive black hole in the center of the galaxy, where Fletch’s terrible judgment comes back to bite him in the rear for the last time. Epic catastrophes and belly laughs pile up breathlessly in this delightful comic sci-fi adventure, a worthy successor to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
This complete edition of The Reluctant Adventures Of Fletcher Connolly On The Interstellar Railroad contains all four episodes of Fletch’s unlucky career: {does NOT include prequel}
Skint Idjit
Intergalactic Bogtrotter
Banjaxed Ceili
Supermassive Blackguard
The Reluctant Adventures of Fletcher Connolly on the Interstellar Railroad Vol. 0: Rubbish With Names
The Reluctant Adventures of Fletcher Connolly on the Interstellar Railroad Vol. 1: Skint Idjit
The Reluctant Adventures of Fletcher Connolly on the Interstellar Railroad Vol. 2: Intergalactic Bogtrotter
The Reluctant Adventures of Fletcher Connolly on the Interstellar Railroad Vol. 3: Banjaxed Ceili
The Reluctant Adventures of Fletcher Connolly on the Interstellar Railroad Vol. 4: Supermassive Blackguard
The COMPLETE Reluctant Adventures of Fletcher Connolly on the Interstellar Railroad: A Comedic Sci-Fi Adventure {does NOT include prequel}
An Irishman in space. Hoards of alien technological treasures to be discovered. What could go wrong Don’t answer that …Fletcher Connolly hasn’t got a lot to lose. Since he, and half the galaxy, signed on to the rat race of the technological relics trade, Fletch has come to terms with the idea that he will join the ranks of unlucky explorers that perish light years from home without a dime to his name. But bankruptcy is a great motivator. With friends and family counting on him to strike it rich, Fletch embarks on an unwilling quest for alien treasure. His decrepit exploration ship, the Skint Idjit, and her successor, the Intergalactic Bogtrotter, plunge disastrously through the wildest regions of the Interstellar Railroad … from an uninhabited planet appropriately named Suckass … to a deliberately misnamed mafia-run planet known as Arcadia … to a rogue planet inhabited by aliens resembling cuddly teddy bears … to a moon covered with giant cacti … and ultimately to the supermassive black hole in the center of the galaxy, where Fletch’s terrible judgment comes back to bite him in the rear for the last time. Epic catastrophes and belly laughs pile up breathlessly in this delightful comic sci-fi adventure, a worthy successor to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
This complete edition of The Reluctant Adventures Of Fletcher Connolly On The Interstellar Railroad contains all four episodes of Fletch’s unlucky career: {does NOT include prequel}
Skint Idjit
Intergalactic Bogtrotter
Banjaxed Ceili
Supermassive Blackguard
The Reluctant Adventures of Fletcher Connolly on the Interstellar Railroad Vol. 0: Rubbish With Names
The Reluctant Adventures of Fletcher Connolly on the Interstellar Railroad Vol. 1: Skint Idjit
The Reluctant Adventures of Fletcher Connolly on the Interstellar Railroad Vol. 2: Intergalactic Bogtrotter
The Reluctant Adventures of Fletcher Connolly on the Interstellar Railroad Vol. 3: Banjaxed Ceili
The Reluctant Adventures of Fletcher Connolly on the Interstellar Railroad Vol. 4: Supermassive Blackguard
The COMPLETE Reluctant Adventures of Fletcher Connolly on the Interstellar Railroad: A Comedic Sci-Fi Adventure {does NOT include prequel}
October 18, 2021
Painfully average.
Im so sick of average.
I got half way and just am calling it quits. I'm not having fun and I can't do this to myself anymore.
The writing just doesn't feel like it does enough to keep you engaged. I just didn't care about what was going on because the introduction to the characters and world felt so glazed over that it was hard to get attached. This could have really benefited from more world building at the start for what feels like a complex world but the author just didn't spend the time to expand it. Because the lack of world building it was just difficult to care.
The plot was so average and hard to get into without the building blocks of interesting characters or a world. You're sorta just told the characters instead of introduced and shown who they are.
Half way into it and still not getting attached to anything or really knowing much about the characters I knew I was just wasting my time and I didn't have it in me to force myself to complete the other half. It felt more like a chore then entertainment.
Im so sick of average.
I got half way and just am calling it quits. I'm not having fun and I can't do this to myself anymore.
The writing just doesn't feel like it does enough to keep you engaged. I just didn't care about what was going on because the introduction to the characters and world felt so glazed over that it was hard to get attached. This could have really benefited from more world building at the start for what feels like a complex world but the author just didn't spend the time to expand it. Because the lack of world building it was just difficult to care.
The plot was so average and hard to get into without the building blocks of interesting characters or a world. You're sorta just told the characters instead of introduced and shown who they are.
Half way into it and still not getting attached to anything or really knowing much about the characters I knew I was just wasting my time and I didn't have it in me to force myself to complete the other half. It felt more like a chore then entertainment.
November 6, 2020
Intergalactic adventures with an Irishman.
The luck of the Irish is not with Fletch as he travels across galaxies on the interstellar railroad. The reader follows along with Fletch from one mess to another across 4 adventures in this Audible volume. It is light-hearted and comedic in a way that feels reminiscent of Hitchhikers, but whereas Douglas Adams left us in a pile of nonsense, Felix Savage actually takes us somewhere. Fletch is a man with morals, sometimes loose, and no real life purpose. From beginning to end, we get to see him grow and stretch a bit until he finds an ending he didn't quite expect..yet probably did deep, deep down.
The luck of the Irish is not with Fletch as he travels across galaxies on the interstellar railroad. The reader follows along with Fletch from one mess to another across 4 adventures in this Audible volume. It is light-hearted and comedic in a way that feels reminiscent of Hitchhikers, but whereas Douglas Adams left us in a pile of nonsense, Felix Savage actually takes us somewhere. Fletch is a man with morals, sometimes loose, and no real life purpose. From beginning to end, we get to see him grow and stretch a bit until he finds an ending he didn't quite expect..yet probably did deep, deep down.
November 3, 2017
I absolutely love this series. It is a fantastic adventure with so many twists and turns (literally and figuratively, lol) that I didn’t even try to guess what might happen next. After reading all four books in less than 3 days and I turned the last page I felt disappointment because it was the end.
Felix R. Savage is a genius at creative writing and character development. I’ve actually spoken with an Irish lilt to me voice. If you have ever smiled or ever felt disappointment this is the epic tale for you.
I read this via Kindle Unlimited which I truly appreciate more each week.
Felix R. Savage is a genius at creative writing and character development. I’ve actually spoken with an Irish lilt to me voice. If you have ever smiled or ever felt disappointment this is the epic tale for you.
I read this via Kindle Unlimited which I truly appreciate more each week.
May 30, 2019
Now, this was a wacky read! If you like this sort of Brit/Irish comedy - like Monty Python, The Hitchhiker's Guide to The Galaxy, etc - then you'll enjoy this. I do admit that it took me a couple of dozen of pages before I decided that I was interested, but from then on, it kept me entertained.
Recommend
Recommend
October 19, 2020
Not deep. But, tons of pulpy-fun.
"The Reluctant Adventures of Fletcher Connolly on the Interstellar Railroad" is a series of four short-stories that take place in a wild-west frontier of a universe. The characters are entertaining, the settings are exciting, and the dialog is Irish enough to fool this American. I would love to see a miniseries or other visual depiction of this short series.
"The Reluctant Adventures of Fletcher Connolly on the Interstellar Railroad" is a series of four short-stories that take place in a wild-west frontier of a universe. The characters are entertaining, the settings are exciting, and the dialog is Irish enough to fool this American. I would love to see a miniseries or other visual depiction of this short series.
November 18, 2021
A fun space romp!
Don't question why current pop culture references are still relevant this many years in the future. Don't think too hard about any of it - just follow where the story takes you and enjoy it.
A+ for Nick Podehl's narration on the audiobook version!
Minus many points for the repeated and completely unaddressed misgendering of a trans character.
Don't question why current pop culture references are still relevant this many years in the future. Don't think too hard about any of it - just follow where the story takes you and enjoy it.
A+ for Nick Podehl's narration on the audiobook version!
Minus many points for the repeated and completely unaddressed misgendering of a trans character.
May 18, 2022
I had fun with this book, really liked it. I like comedy sci-fi and this book delivered on both counts. It was a great romp around the galaxy with good and bad guys and a lot of Irish swearing, which I loved. It sported a good cast of characters, I really liked our hero or anti-hero, depending on how you look at Fletcher and I liked how Mr. Savage wrapped up this adventure. Good times!
January 25, 2018
Amusing, light read
This was an enjoyable collection of tales. The characters and their adventures were amusing and the story moved along steadily. I would read more of thee author’s work.
This was an enjoyable collection of tales. The characters and their adventures were amusing and the story moved along steadily. I would read more of thee author’s work.
October 31, 2020
An Irish space adventurer looking for alien space relics to make money to buy his own planet in the farther reaches of the interstellar railroad. Well, if that doesn’t peak your interest, nothing will. Just enjoy the ride.
December 8, 2020
A fun and clever concept for a universe, with some genuinely interesting characters and a protagonist who is as likeable as he is flawed. Loses a lot of stars for using a transgender person's transition as a punchline.
January 27, 2021
This was a rather long winded story. It was like a stranger telling you about other strangers. The entire time you were wondering whether you even cared. The author didn’t do a very good job of engaging the listener in the story.
March 22, 2023
Such wasted potential.
Not a single likeable character (not even any redemption arcs or anti-heroes) and twists-for-twist's-sake simply eroded all the great world building and spec fic ideas these stories could have showcased.
[Tyra Banks "WE WERE ROOTING FOR YOU" gif]
Not a single likeable character (not even any redemption arcs or anti-heroes) and twists-for-twist's-sake simply eroded all the great world building and spec fic ideas these stories could have showcased.
[Tyra Banks "WE WERE ROOTING FOR YOU" gif]
February 20, 2018
Fun-filled adventure
4 fun-filled, tongue-in-cheek sci-fi short novels about an Irishman and his mates just trying to make it big on the Interstellar Railroad.
4 fun-filled, tongue-in-cheek sci-fi short novels about an Irishman and his mates just trying to make it big on the Interstellar Railroad.
August 17, 2018
Pretty good. The main character, Fletcher, was the only character I couldn't figure out. Well, perhaps Imogen was more unbalanced. The action was non-stop, and there was tons of original SF.
November 17, 2018
My only complaint is that there isn’t more. I listened to it narrated by Nick Podehl. It was great.
October 9, 2020
3.5 stars.
October 18, 2020
DNF. Sexism and continued, intentional misgendering of a trans person are not for me.
I hate not finishing books, but I came to dread having to continue with this one, so I quit.
I hate not finishing books, but I came to dread having to continue with this one, so I quit.
October 31, 2020
Surprisingly fun series of novellas that combine to one complete story.
December 4, 2020
This compilation of the 4 books was a fun sci-fi romp. If you like sci-fi and lighthearted books, I definitely recommend it.
December 9, 2020
So much fun! Very entertaining read.
December 10, 2020
Not bad - a series of 4 separate but linked stories.
January 12, 2021
I quit after an hour. I'm just not the audience for this. The irish accent by the narrator was enjoyable, but I just didn't care about the rather juvenile story. Maybe this is YA?
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews