We just got back from Florida, and before I could unpack my suitcase, I found myself covering for coworkers who are now off on their own vacations. Tag, I’m it. Again.

I’m also deep into editing one book that will be published this year and starting another—because why not try to be creative when your brain’s already running on leftover theme park churros and five hours of sleep? Oh, and did I mention I moonlighted as a DJ for a street dance? That’s right: author by day, DJ by night. And yes, I took requests. No, I will not play “Cotton Eye Joe” again.

There’s another street dance coming up soon, too. So I’m staring down another weekend of gear-hauling, playlist-building, and trying to remember which outlet on Main Street won’t trip the breaker when the bass drops.

It’s been a blur.

So naturally, in the middle of all this chaos, I started thinking about space vacations. Not the “retreat to a silent orbital observatory and reflect on the stars” kind—no, I’m talking full-on, dysfunctional family road trip across the galaxy. Kids fighting in the backseat of a space-wagon. Dad shouting at the asteroid navigation system. Mom realizing the universal translator still doesn’t speak sarcasm.

And that’s when it hit me—how do we have so many vacation movies… and almost none in space?

Which brings me to this month’s feature: a heartfelt (and slightly ridiculous) tribute to the space vacation movie that should exist. Buckle up. Bring snacks. Let’s boldly go… to the gift shop.

Leif J. Erickson is a science fiction and fantasy author from a small farming community in west central Minnesota. Using his time wisely when he was a farmer, Leif developed many ideas, characters, and storylines to create over fifty unique first drafts and outlines for stories. From his start in a small town school, to college at North Dakota State University, back to his family farm, then to the bright lights of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and back to his small farming town, Leif has always had a love of writing.

When Leif isn’t writing he can be found with his wife hiking in state parks, canoeing local lakes and rivers, exploring local and regional ghost towns, experiencing museums, or simply reading or hanging out with friends and family. Leif draws on the local nature and ecology to find inspiration for his writing while he also asks what’s possible for technology and the human race, weaving them together for amazing stories that will stay with the reader for years to come. Leif looks forward to having many novel and story releases in the years to come.

You can see all of Leif’s Books here: Leif’s Amazon Author Page