George is heartbroken when his friend Annie tells him that she's moving to the United States. Her father, Eric, has gotten a job searching for signs of life in the universe. Before they go, Eric gives George a gift: The User's Guide to the Universe, with all the information George could ever need for a cosmic journey. And George is going to need it. When Annie believes that she's being contacted by aliens with an urgent message, George joins her in the United States. Before long, George, Annie, Cosmos (Eric and Annie's super-intelligent computer), and Annie's irritating cousin Emmett are off on a cosmic treasure hunt through outer space to save the Earth.

George and Annie explore the galaxy in this cosmic adventure from Stephen Hawking and Lucy Hawking, complete with essays from Professor Hawking about the latest in space travel. George is heartbroken when he learns that his friend Annie and her father are moving to the US. Eric has a new job working for the space program, looking for signs of life in the Universe. Eric leaves George with a gift—a book called The User’s Guide to the Universe. But Annie and Eric haven’t been gone for very long when Annie believes that she is being contacted by aliens, who have a terrible warning for her. George joins her in the US to help her with her quest—and before he knows it, he, Annie, Cosmos, and Annie’s annoying cousin Emmett have been swept up in a cosmic treasure hunt, spanning the whole galaxy and beyond. Lucy Hawking's own experiences in zero-gravity flight and interviews with astronauts at Cape Kennedy and the Johnson Space Center lend the book a sense of realism and excitement that is sure to fire up imaginations. The book includes essays written by Professor Hawking and his colleagues, in which they provide the latest thoughts on space travel.