Space Oddity

There is nothing more embarrassing for an eleven-year-old than being shown up by a parent, and the behavior of Jake’s dad is quite literally out of this world. Not only can he outrun all the other dads at the school sports day, but he has a disturbing habit of turning green if he eats too many green vegetables.

The idea that one’s dad might be an alien is not something that enters the average pre-teen’s mind. It is not surprising, therefore, that Jake is entirely oblivious of the telltale signs until their father-son camping trip is rudely interrupted by a fleet of ROBOTS, mechanical craft whose only mission appears to be to vaporise them both.

Replete with Dr Who and Star Wars references, Space Oddity is a hilariously funny novel that combines science, comedy and adventure with a heart-warming family story. The extraterrestrial frame is just crazy enough to be true, and the matter-of-fact narration and quirky chapter headings, such as ‘I want a divorce’ and ‘Light sabers are lame’, perfectly capture the sarcastic voice of a pre-teen. Inspired by a story entry by scientist, Dr Sarah Ryan for the Big Idea Competition, Edge’s Space Oddity, seamlessly interweaves factual information about the cosmos with 1980s film and pop music references, and it is the clever way in which the plot manages to acknowledge mankind’s insignificance while simultaneously celebrating his creativity that makes this book such a moving read.

Punctuated by black and white illustrations by Ben Mantle, which bring the story alive, Space Oddity has much to offer the emerging, independent reader. It is also, however, a very funny story for reading aloud at bedtimes, not least because it never takes itself seriously but rather revels in nonsensical humour and linguistic jokes.