Battlestar Suburbia

Written by Chris McCrudden

Narrated by Chris McCrudden

In space, no one can hear you clean…

When Darren’s charge-cart gets knocked off the Earth-to-Mars highway and lost in space forever, he thinks his day can’t get any worse.

When Kelly sees Darren accidentally short-circuit a talking lamppost, and its camera captures her face as it expires, she thinks her day can’t get any worse.

When Pamasonic Teffal, a sentient breadmaker, is sent on a top-secret mission into the depths of the internet and betrayed by her boss, a power-crazed smartphone, she knows this is only the beginning of a day that isn’t going to get any better.

Join Darren, Kelly and Pam in an anarchic comic adventure that takes them from the shining skyscrapers of Singulopolis to the sewers of the Dolestar Discovery, and find out what happens when a person puts down their mop and bucket and says ‘No.’ Battlestar Suburbia will be loved by fans of Douglas Adams, Terry Pratchett and Jasper Fforde, as well as anyone who’s ever wondered just how long someone can stay under one of those old-fashioned hairdryers.*

 *The answer is: a really very, very long time.

What readers are saying:

“I loved this book.  I legit laughed through the entire novel and I am excited that there will be a sequel.” Terra C

“A brilliant mix of sci-fi, humor, and those hundreds of little things that make a memorable story.  McCrudden is destined to become synonymous with great sci-fi humor.” Christopher H

“A deliciously hilarious romp which skirts the realms of credibility but provides a wild ride which kept me very much entertained throughout. It's bonkers, it's mad and …. so exaggerated to almost be genius in its execution.” Kath B

“Featuring a kindly bread-maker, ancient nana-cyborgs, a moving hairdressers and a chance to avert a nuclear bomb, it's both great fun and very clever.” Ruth M

“Battlestar Suburbia highlights the absurdity of life, and the adaptability of individuals in unusual situations. McCrudden’s novel will appeal to fans of Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett, or anyone looking for an escape only loosely connected to reality.” Stephenie S

“This was a trip! Some great one-lines & puns help create this future world where the machines have taken over. With evil smartphones, anti-hero humans, & a motherly bread maker pushed to the edge...”   Caroline F

Editorial reviews:

“Chris McCrudden has created a new division of SF: Science Flotsam. His sprawling space epic is what you get if you cross Dr Who with an unhealthy fascination for household appliances. Forget alien invasion; in this explosive future you won’t be able to trust your spin dryer.” Christopher Fowler

“McCrudden’s debut is festooned with cunning punnery, sharp turns of phrase, and jokes about emojis and the internet, making this very much a comic novel of our times.” James Lovegrove, Financial Times

“an amusing and mind-bending read… different, a little geeky, and lots of fun.” LoveReading

“An extraordinary technical achievement that does for SF what Terry Pratchett did for fantasy.” David Quantick

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Duckworth Books
• Release date: Oct 18, 2018
• ISBN: 9781788421034

Reviews for Battlestar Suburbia

[Jill Wilson · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I wouldn't agree that it was hilarious but definitely different

[ElenaSokol · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Imaginative and entertaining. The characters are charming and reliable, interesting universe

[Tracey Payne · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Utterly charming and original. I’m excited for the sequels. Narrated by the author which is refreshing.

[Derek Gwinn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An entertainingly silly romp suggesting that our future robot overlords won't come from Skynet, but from Appliance Mart. It's a satirical look at a future where appliances, tools, gadgets, and vehicles have replaced humanity as the dominant life form on earth, by pretty much becoming just like the humans they hate so much. It's a nicely distracting story. (NB: Editing on the audio book is inconsistent in quality, e.g. sentences being misspoken and repeated without the errors being removed.)

[krystal tiger · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is very sci-fi. Humans are now the inferior species, and robots rule the galaxy. Humans are their cleaners and their servants and their handyman.
It’s kind of hard to follow if you’re not paying attention. I kept having to rewind and start chapters over because I couldn’t focus on the storyline. It just wasn’t that interesting. I don’t know if it was the narrator or the storyline itself that I couldn’t get into. I wanted to like the concept but I ended up finding it a bit dull.

[Sibyl · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was such an unexpected treasure to find, what a laugh, plus emotional moments, plus lots of "well that'll be what happens if we continue what we do", plus "what utter delightful nonsense" plus "yes, exactly what aunties are like" - I enjoyed this immensely, definitely recommend for anyone who likes Terry Pratchett, Jasper Fforde and writers in that "category" (apologies for the many quotation marks).

[Harrison Tescher · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A lovely sci fi story that knew how to ride the lines between comedy, adventurer, action, and horror. Has many of the key features to expect from snarky British comedy.
If you enjoy the discworld series, I think you'd enjoy this.

There are a few audio errors, like retakes from the reader in the audio.

[Jeremy · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Really neat bit of World building . I did not expect the ending