Funny Space Fiction

Milton Maroo, a portly space trader who enjoys a gourmet meal as much as a good deal, is wanted for murder in a strange star system on the brink of war. The Idon star system is fragile, crumbling from the outer planets in. At the edge, resentment boils in the Idonan people, whispers of uprising are growing. The palace, on the innermost planet, still projects order from a king increasingly out of touch with his subjects. Milton Maroo, the lone pilot of the trading ship, the Zenger, transports goods from system to system, most of it legal. On a run into the Idon system, his dazzling skills ...

Aiko is a courageous astronaut, specially trained to brave the extremes of space. The whole of humanity is counting on her success. But on a planet that shows signs of life, something goes awry, and when she wakes up, she finds … a pack of dogs? And … they can talk? Descended from the valiant astrodogs who first traveled in space, these canines have cut off all contact with Earth. They’ve found a new planet where they can live, far from humanity and their former masters. (Yes, that doesn’t explain how they can talk, but that’s a little complicated, so let’s move on.)