Floating Hotel

Curtis (Frontier) spins a cozy and compulsively readable sci-fi adventure set aboard the Grand Abeona Hotel, a luxurious resort starship locked in a perpetual tour of the galaxy. Though the ship has seen better days, it’s still a choice setting, offering the finest amenities for its myriad guests as they travel between the stars. The subtle plot chronicles the experiences of the hotel’s staff and guests as they delve into the Grand Abeona’s many mysteries. From amiable manager Carl, crusty chief technician Sasha, and new employee Daphne to an enigmatic pair of newlywed guests, each perspective adds another layer of complexity and suspense to the question of the hotel’s eventual fate. With clever prose and lush descriptions, Curtis captures the spirit of the worn down yet still glamorous starship as it dutifully follows its routine, exploring the backstory of its staff while throwing ever escalating complications in their way, including a potentially eventful academic conference onboard and a murder in one of the guest rooms. Even when the stakes are high, Curtis has a knack for keeping things intimate and understated, peeling back the layers of the novel’s scrappy found family. Centering optimism in the face of an increasingly dark universe, this feel-good saga lingers long after it’s finished. Agent: Zoë Plant, Plant Agency. (Mar.)