With this sequel to Space Captain Smith, Toby Frost brings back Isambard Smith and his near-competent crew for an adventure that rocks the very heart of the British Space Empire... The Tea is Under Threat.

If anything, God Emperor of Didcot is even funnier than the first book in the series. The main characters return from Space Captain Smith and Frost makes use of this familiarity to develop the characters further and give them some space to grow. And they really do benefit from this – especially in the case of Carveth and Suruk.

This is still comedy first and foremost, though, and the jokes come quick and fast. There are digs at and references to plenty of SF tropes and classics as well as some well aimed barbs and a stream of well-written smuttiness that was far funnier than it deserved to be.

I don't doubt that plenty of people will compare Toby Frost to the likes of Terry Pratchett, Douglas Adams, Red Dwarf and much else. But the truth is that he really is in a class of his own.