• Hard Luck Hank: Screw the Galaxy

  • By: Steven Campbell
  • Narrated by: Liam Owen
  • Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (4,822 ratings)

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Hard Luck Hank: Screw the Galaxy  By  cover art

Hard Luck Hank: Screw the Galaxy

By: Steven Campbell
Narrated by: Liam Owen
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Publisher's summary

Hank is a thug. He knows he's a thug. He has no problem with that realization. In his view the galaxy has given him a gift: a mutation that allows him to withstand great deals of physical trauma. He puts his abilities to the best use possible and that isn't by being a scientist.

Besides, the space station Belvaille doesn't need scientists. It is not, generally, a thinking person's locale. It is the remotest habitation in the entire Colmarian Confederation. There is literally no reason to be there.

Unless you are a criminal.

Because of its location, Belvaille is populated with nothing but crooks. Every day is a series of power struggles between the crime bosses.

Hank is an intrinsic part of this community as a premier gang negotiator. Not because he is eloquent or brilliant or an expert combatant, but because if you shoot him in the face he keeps on talking.

Hank believes he has it pretty good until a beautiful and mysterious blue woman enters his life with a compelling job offer.

Hank and Belvaille, so long out of public scrutiny, suddenly find themselves the epicenter of the galaxy with a lot of very unwelcome attention.

©2013 Steven Campbell (P)2014 Steven Campbell

What listeners say about Hard Luck Hank: Screw the Galaxy

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    2,605
  • 4 Stars
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  • 3 Stars
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  • 2 Stars
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  • 1 Stars
    46
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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  • 4 Stars
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    46
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
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  • 4 Stars
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  • 3 Stars
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  • 2 Stars
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    50

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

A bunch of genres crammed into good fun

I didn't rate this five stars based on literary value. It has next to none. I rated five stars based on sheer enjoyment. This book is just plain fun! Based against a sci-fi backdrop, you'll find fantasy, noir, crime, comedy, and a light smattering of romance.

And the narrator was about as perfect as could be for the voice of Hank. But he didn't slack off on the other voices, either. Male, female, species, race, and life station: This guy represented each one independently and entertainingly.

This book will not change my life, but it did help me enjoy it a lot more.

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80 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

I wish this was a comic book

HARD LUCK HANK is notably the first book I ever saw advertised alongside one of my books and every single volume of the series has been advertised alongside my Supervillainy Saga books, almost in tandem. This factor, along with the hilarious covers, made me finally shell out the money to buy a copy of the first book. I'm currently on the fifth book, interrupting my work in writing my Lucifer's Star sequel and reading other series to read the books one after the other.

Hank, last name unknown, is a mutant on the space station of Belvaille. He is mostly indestructible, at least to small arms fire, and slow as hell. He's basically the Juggernaut if the Juggernaut were a third as powerful and an even bigger slob. Actually, that describes Spiderman villain The Rhino but a lot more people know the Juggernaut than the Rhino. You could also make a comparison to the Hulk's Joe Fix-It personality but that's even less known. Belvaille is one of the worst cities in the galaxy and composed almost entirely of criminals.

Despite possessing superpowers, Hank is a low-level thug who lives just well enough to keep himself in doughnuts, hamburgers, and whatever else he eats in the future. He has a close friendship with the station's incredibly corrupt security chief, Garm, and more or less has no ambitions but to keep doing what he's doing for the next few centuries.

Hank's life changes a great deal when a pair of other mutants start living next door, one of whom is a level 10 mutant who may be able to change the galaxy. Also, the discovery he's been mislabeled a level 10 mutant himself and this has attracted the attention of two indestructible robots that are going to potentially murder everyone in the station to get rid of this threat to their race. Hank more or less gets roped into doing the right thing and everything goes downhill from there.

I recommend the audiobook version of this book since Liam Owen does an amazing job of imitating Patrick Warburton as a burned out space goon. The text version isn't bad by itself but the audio acting adds something special to the story. This is a comedic story which can still be taken seriously and enjoyed on the merits of being anti-hero fiction at its funniest. Hank is a killer, leg-breaker, and general all round beast but he's too lazy to be malevolent.

The supporting cast is a treat with Garm being my favorite character but a certain purple skinned femme ingenue being every bit as enjoyable. This cast will carry Hank's adventures through a number of books so I'm going to say it's a good thing they're all as fun as they are. I also like Belvaille here most. The station will go through some dramatic changes but it's never more enjoyable than when it's like a floating Mos Eisley. Hank is a lovable scumbag but his darker qualities don't matter when everyone around him deserves what he does to them.

In conclusion, I strongly recommend you pick up this book if you're in the mood for a sci-fi comedy. The characters are great, the story is decent, and the setting is interesting. Best of all, Hank is hilarious as he lumbers from bad situation to bad situation, making things worse for the most part, as he tries to do the bare minimum required. Sometimes, it ends up fixing things and it's as surprising to Hank as it is to the reader.

9/10

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42 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Plotless, with jokes too far apart

This book has been on and off my wish list. I am now wishing it would have stayed off. It has a half way decent rating and their is an audience for this. Humor is very suggestive and is appreciated differently by different people. I am a fan of John Scalzi, Scott Meyer and Jonathan Maberry. I am not a fan of Douglass Adams or Kurt Vonnegut, just so you know where this review is coming from.

I LIKE TO SHAKE HANDS
When a book is low on the LOL moments it needs a plot and this does not have one. Another driver and I listened to this at the same time and in the first hour we had maybe two LOL moments, the rest was just stale air.

I would suggest you listen to the sample and see how often you laugh.

Narrator is good.


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34 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Fun Sci-Fi Humor

Hank lives on an unimportant space station that is located at the far end of the Colmarian Empire, a confederation of planets that no one else wants. Hank is a level four mutant that is bulletproof (but it still stings) and earns his living by doing odd jobs for the Bosses who run the space station. Most of the time, Hank does not seem very smart, but has flashes of brilliance during a crisis. The book moves quickly from one ridiculous situation to the next and is full of over the top action sequences.

As a member of the science fiction humor genre, the book is for enjoyment and listeners should not expect life altering messages. My rating is based on the book’s entertainment value, but I was disappointed that the second half of the book is rushed and ends abruptly.

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32 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

A new favourite author of mine.

What made the experience of listening to Hard Luck Hank the most enjoyable?

My favourite thing about Screw the Galaxy is the believability of the dialogue. I want a story that takes me away and puts me in another galaxy. I don't want space poetry, just an awesome kickass story that makes me feel good. Screw the Galaxy did just that and I found my self laughing out loud everyday.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Hard Luck Hank?

I really can't decide. The book has such a smooth progression with multiple climaxes.

Which character – as performed by Liam Owen – was your favorite?

"Haaank... duuuh..." - Liam's performance of Hank is stellar. He sounds EXACTLY how his character is described, and matches the dialogue effortlessly (or so he makes it sound that way at least.). However, Liam does lack variation. The characters all sound very different from hank, but women and lesser characters tend to sound similar to each other. That being said, Liam still seals the deal with this story. His delivery is outstanding.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes.

Any additional comments?

An excellent lighthearted combination of "science fiction, comic book, detective noir, and deadpan humor" that left me wanting more.

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21 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Not funny and barely interesting

I see I am the only dissenting opinion here so it must just be me. I listened to 2 hours of this and never laughed. There doesn't seem to be a point to the society, or Hank, or the story. I kept waiting for all the humor everyone raves about. The narration is great. I find Skippy and Joe Bishop (Expeditionary Force by Craig Alanson) very funny, but not this.
And, hey, don't diss my review just because you like the book and I don't.

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15 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Suck it! Suck Face!

Any additional comments?

I love this stuff! Authors that don't take themselves too seriously are a treat to listen to. This was a fun story. It wasn't terribly fast paced, or slow, and the best part about it was just enjoying all of the little things along the way. This type of story is more about enjoying the journey than dashing to the end. Hank is a laid back heavy with a generally positive disposition and a level head, even when its getting hit with bullets.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Random story with a fun main character.

It is tough to find the right kind of funny when it comes to audiobooks and even harder when it comes to humorous sci-fi. I took a chance on this one and while I do like Hank himself the overall story was just lacking. Steven Campbell tells a meandering tale that fluctuates between interesting and mind numbing and Hank's humorous outlook on life just wasn't enough to carry the day with this one.

Hank is a mutant and his special power is that he is pretty much indestructible. He leverages this to his advantage on the space station Belvaille, which is in a nowhere part of space. Belvaille being inhabited by a bunch of criminals has a number of mob bosses who often disagree with each other and Hank finds himself well suited to be the go between to keep the peace. He happily leads his life here until all of a sudden Belvaille becomes the focus of the entire Colmarian Confederation. A myriad of almost random events occur resulting in Hank needing to repeatedly save the day despite his lack of qualifications to do so.

I thought Liam Owen did a good job with the voices and his portrayal of Hank seemed to be a good fit for the material. Unfortunately I don't plan to continue the series which is a shame because Hank really is a fun character; however, one good character just isn't enough for me.

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Awesome Start of a Series

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This is a really fun listen. The story keeps your interest and you'll laugh out loud. No, it won't be winning any Pulitzer Prizes anytime soon, but it's entertaining, and you can't expect more than that from a book called "Screw the Galaxy".

What did you like best about this story?

It made me laugh out loud enough that I had to occasionally rewind to hear what I missed when I was laughing; most comedy books can't make that claim.

What does Liam Owen bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

His Hank voice is perfect for the character.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I laughed a lot.

Any additional comments?

So far, his second book (I'm ~1/2 way through) is even funnier!

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
  • KC
  • 09-15-15

Hilarious

I saw other reviews that said that this book was good, but don't expect great writing. I disagree. The author writes the story from Hank's viewpoint, narration and all, and NEVER breaks character. Liam Owen's performance reading this book is so perfect that I found myself speaking like Hank throughout the day. He really understood the character and his delivery was incredibly funny. Better yet...this series continues and gets better as it goes along. I've read the first three books and can't wait til the others are available on audio.

Thank you to Steven Campbell, to Liam Owen, and to Audible. I have thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this series.

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9 people found this helpful