Countdown to Space Oddity

28th October 2020

Posted by Christopher at 8:20pm

On the 7th January 2021, Space Oddity will lift-off the launch pad on its intergalactic journey to all good bookshops!

When Chicken House approached me to write this book inspired by a winning idea from their Big Idea competition about an alien parent, I jumped at the chance to write a story for younger readers that would allow me to stretch my funny bones.

But how might this alien parent have arrived here on Earth I wondered and, as David Bowie’s ‘Space Oddity’ came on the radio, the answer came to me. I thought about how some of the radio waves carrying this song would escape from the Earth’s atmosphere and drift out into space, travelling at the speed of light. I thought about an alien in a distant spaceship picking up this radio signal and maybe thinking it was a distress call instead of a song. I thought about how they might come to Earth to investigate, fall in love with an earthling and settle down. And this gave me the idea for Jake, a ten-year-old boy with a very embarrassing dad and Jake’s discovery of the out-of-this-world reason why his dad’s so embarrassing.

Brilliantly illustrated by Ben Mantle, Space Oddity is a story filled with fun and adventure. From joyriding in a zorb chased by killer robots to some close encounters of the rather smelly kind, Jake’s extra-terrestrial adventures take him to the very edge of the solar system, but at its heart, Space Oddity is a story about life on Earth.

It’s a story about family, friendship and identity. It’s a story for anyone who's ever stared at the stars and wondered exactly what's out there. It’s a story that I hope makes readers smile and lets them escape from the world for a while.

And I hope you enjoy it.

You can pre-order your copy of Space Oddity now from Blackwells, Waterstones, Hive, Foyles, WHSmith, Amazon, Bookshop or your own local independent bookshop.

And if you do, please keep hold of the proof of your pre-order as you'll be able to get an exclusive BONUS CHAPTER! Just click here to fill in your details and proof of your pre-order and you'll receive THE DAD WHO FELL TO EARTH on publication day.