Honest, the Martian Ate Your Dog

What do you say to your wife when you’ve sold her dog to a Martian?

Normal Kint has a problem. He sold his wife’s dog to a Martian. He did it on impulse, and he’s already regretting it.

Honest, the Martian Ate Your Dog is a comic science-fiction adventure set on a scarred, post-war Earth where aliens have been living among us for decades and nobody quite trusts them. When Normal’s mistake sets off a chase across the wild lands, he is drawn into a story crowded with the most unlikely characters. There is a highwayman who isn’t very good at it, a tiny private investigator with a very big voice, an alien posse, a band of space-faring bounty hunters, a crime lord with a penchant for chihuahuas and a pair of Droids — not the ones you're thinking of, or looking for — with an agenda of their own. Nothing is quite what it seems, least of all the dog.

Witty, fast-moving and full of wordplay, it’s a story of mistaken identities, harebrained plans, strange creatures and a surprising amount of heart. It owes a debt to Terry Pratchett, Charles Dickens and Alexandre Dumas, and it never takes itself too seriously, right down to the cheeky asides in square brackets that pop up along the way. It’s a Fifty Galaxies novel, set in a wider universe you can come back to.

Who is it for?

Readers who like their science fiction funny. Fans of Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams, anyone who enjoys a good chase, a good pun and a really bad plan, and anyone who has ever done something silly and prayed their spouse wouldn’t find out.

The story unfolds in 35 short chapters — you can read a chapter on a coffee break or settle in for a long ride.

Come curious. Bring a sense of humour. And keep an eye on your dog.