As I am sure many people have noticed, there has been a rise in the number of science fiction stories that are being published, particularly for young and middle grade readers. Part of this may well be because of the number of films and TV series that are set in alternative worlds. I many of these we find a blurring of the lines between science fiction and fantasy, but this provides the opportunity for the authors to play with the plot lines and create something truly original. Having said that, this particular story brings back memories of a much loved 1980s film that my sons were very fond of. This is “The Last Starfighter” and it is the story of a normal human boy who finds himself recruited to help save the universe.
In this story by Adrian Lynch, the hero is a young girl called Amelia, who is a streetwise, smart and also vulnerable orphan. She lives in an orphanage run by the disgusting Mr Belcher and he seems to harbour a special grudge against Amelia. However, one night everything changes when Amelia is forced to run away and meets a stranger who says she has been accepted at the Star Quest Academy, as part of a programme to see if Earth is now acceptable as part of the Intergalactic Federation. Together with three other Earth children, Amelia has to prove herself, but it appears that someone wants her to fail and her life is in danger. Whilst they are aware of the dangerous Lord Fog, who wants to take over the Earth, they also need to find out who is the secret agent lurking in the Academy; but will they find the correct person?
This is a wonderfully fast paced and exciting story that will be enjoyed by aficionados of the genre (and yes, I have been a fan for many years). Amelia and the other human children have all come from difficult situations and they will have to learn to work together and make the most of the ‘powers that they have. Because this is set in an imaginary version of the Universe we have a multitude of citizens, many of whom would be very strange to those of us on Earth, but they have the same perceptions about us. So this is really about different races and cultures learning to have respect and understanding of each other.
As we get to the end of the story there are one or two surprises in store, but I can only say that it does leave the plot open for a return to the Academy and the adventures of the four children. I can’t wait to join them on their next adventure.
About the Author
Adrian was born a long time ago in Harrow Weald, North London. He is dyslexic, which wasn’t allowed in
those unenlightened times. As a kid, when he wasn’t learning to be ‘normal’, (he failed), he would hang out in the nearby bluebell-carpeted woods. To him, they harboured space aliens, mysterious creatures and the ghosts of Grims Dyke whose mournful songs rustled autumnal leaves. This inspired stories that Adrian would tell eager audiences for pocket money.
Following successful careers within the NHS and as a Company Director, Adrian obtained a BA degree in Creative Writing from the Open University and is now bringing those fantastical stories to life in his novels. The Star Quest Academy – Above and Beyond is the first to be published. Adrian hopes that it will be as exciting and fun to read as it was to write.
Adrian now lives in North Bedfordshire.
The heroine of this story is twelve year old Amberley Jain, who was paralyzed in the jet crash that killed both her parents. Her close friend is Ricardo, a young technical genius, who is blind and depends on the high tech glasses that allow him to see the world around him. Their home colony has been under threat from giant mutant insects, that were created after a deadly meteor strike. Because of their young age, the children are not allowed to help in fighting this threat, but they know that they need to do something. Re-building her parents’ spaceship, the ‘Firehawk’ and its very specialized firepower seems to be the only way to save the world that they know. However, the two young people face opposition form the adults who do not really believe that they have the skills to complete this enterprise. But as the mutants get ever closer and even more large and dangerous, the options seems to be diminishing at a rapid rate. Can Amberley and Ricardo defy expectations, despite the risks to themselves, and save the only home that they know?
you hanging on to your seat. It is one of those extremely readable stories that is as much about the action as it is about the characters. In this case the two central characters are having to overcome physical disabilities but they are determined to still be useful, despite the misgiving of the adults. I love the way that the book is laid out in different sections, with different fonts to designate their purpose. Firstly there is the old type, that looks as if it is written on an old typewriter and which shows the messages being sent back to Earth from the colony. We also have other fonts to show different members of the defending pilots and council. My favourite sections are those where we see the images and technical data for the various ships that are used by the defenders; they feel almost like the descendants of the Thunderbird’s rescue machines. Overall this is a wonderful science fiction story that feels as if it reflects elements from the classical sci-fi of the 1950s and 1960s. It is going to appeal to both boys and girls and maybe even those who have not tried this genre before.
countries, including as an English teacher in China, a secondary science teacher in Cameroon, and a teacher trainer in Malawi.
Eva, the thirteen year old heroine of this story, has a lot to put up with; her mother died when she was young, she is a type 1 diabetic and she has the dubious distinction of being the first human to be born on Mars. As she faces discrimination by some of the other children, she relies on the support of her father and her AI companion to help her cope. So, when her father and his team go missing she decides she has to go and find them. Linked to this we have the ‘ghosts’ that Eva starts to see, one of who looks remarkably like her late mother, the question is, are they hallucinations or are the real? If they are real, then who are they and why are they trying to make contact with Eva?
Creative Writing and founded, and now runs, WriteMentor. In 2020 and 2022 he was placed on the SCWBI Undiscovered Voices longlist and named as an Honorary Mention for his novels ‘Ghosts of Mars’ and ‘Astra FireStar and the Ripples of Time’. In 2023, he won the WriteBlend award for his middle grade debut, Ghosts of Mars.