Publication Date: 7 September 2023

The Blurb

Tapper Watson is just an ordinary Erisean boy who loves adventure stories. But when one of his sixty-seven cousins sends him away on a smugglers’ submarine through the River Lethe to other worlds, he just wants to go home again. On an unscheduled visit to Earth he meets Fern Shakespeare, and a talking plant called Morse, and their adventures begin. And when he finds himself being chased through worlds by a pair of trigger-happy lobster mobsters in search of the mysterious Nemo Machine, Tapper begins to realise that he might not be so ordinary after all…

The Review

Get ready to meet a whole host of wacky extra-terrestrial creatures, some who definitely don’t come in peace, while journeying to Earth (but not quite as we know it) and beyond in an intergalactic adventure with a difference that will have you laughing all the way to the Lethe.

I loved the nods to sci-fi books and films within the story from the Boldly Goes to a talking plant, and links to myths in the form of Tapper’s favourite tales about Isosceles (not a triangle), while the lobster mobsters added a delightful dose of comedy in their relentless pursuit of Tapper, Fern and the rest of the crew.

This would make a brilliant class read, with much to discuss beyond the story. Both Tapper and Fern struggle to get along with each other and cannot understand why the other behaves the way that they do. As they learn more about each other’s cultures, the reasons become apparent making this a great read for empathy.

The Guest Post:

Space Snacks and Extra-terrestrial Treats by Claire Fayers

‘My name is Daedalus Watson but everyone calls me Tapper. I’m thirteen years old. I was born in Aster on Eris. My favourite colour is ginger. My favourite food is meatfish burgers.’

It’s a ritual my characters go through every time they exit the River Lethe onto a new world. Because Lethe water absorbs memories it’s very important to make sure you haven’t forgotten anything. (It was also a very useful shortcut for me, the author, to introduce my characters.)

All my characters have a favourite food. Fern Shakespeare would eat pizza every day if she had the chance. Her Dad prefers curry. Jason Argo, captain of the Boldly Goes, thinks nothing can beat a good steak, while his co-pilot Belladonna isn’t fussy, but she hates tomatoes.

Of course, on a submarine the size of The Boldly Goes, where the cooking facilities consist of a water heater and a microwave oven, you’re not likely to get your favourite meals. Tapper brought along a tin of his aunt’s Perseus Fruit tea, which smells like pineapple and is supposed to be relaxing, not that it ever helps Tapper relax. Apart from that, submarine food generally consists of dry biscuits, processed cheese and unpleasant-looking jars and packets that you mix with water. Fortunately, most journeys are short so you’ll soon be on a new world and can sample the local cuisine. Such as Zymandian spaghetti, which comes in a range of pastel colours and wriggles as you eat it.

Tapper’s homeworld, Eris, has a custom called a Peace Meal. (This came about because I was doing writing sprints with a friend, using random words as prompts, and we chose the word ‘piecemeal’. Tapper and Fern were in the middle of a big argument at the time and a peace meal seemed like a good way of resolving it.)

It goes like this: if someone has offended you, you lay out some plates of food, each one representing a single offence. You invite the other person to join you, then you choose a plate, name the offence, and eat the food. By doing that, it’s as if the offence is eaten up and gone, and you don’t need to worry about it any more. It’s considered polite to set out an extra plate or two so the other person can also name some complaints once you’ve finished.

These can turn into very one-sided meals, and critics of the custom say that the point of the meal is really to humiliate the person who’s offended you. But Erisians have another custom of never speaking to anyone who criticises them so they don’t care what people say.

In the book, the Peace Meal doesn’t work exactly as Tapper had anticipated, of course (nothing does.) The scene was a lot of fun to write, and it’s one of my editor’s favourite bits, so I hope you all like it.

Huge thanks to Claire for this fabulous guest post – I’m off to get some snacks as it’s made me hungry! And thanks to Firefly Press for sending me a review copy and inviting me to take part in the blog tour. Do make sure you check out all of the other stops.