CHARLIE'S TRIPS

A Sci-Fi version of The Wizard of OZ

An outcast from a lost past... with memories of the future.

A tornado sweeps through an area of the deep Middle West and takes away a teenage soldier, Charlie Bradshaw, who’s hurled into space-time and ends up 21 years later, on the West Coast, off San Francisco. He’s found on a beach, alive but unconscious.

He finally emerges from a 2-day coma... with no idea of where and when he is, what he has become and what is happening around him.

L. Frank Baum's legendary story meets Philip K. Dick, H.G. Wells and Roald Dahl in this surprising, forward-looking YA novel about a new kind of character, able to see into the future when he lost his past.

“The funniest Sci-Fi adventure story to hit shelves since Catch-22.” – Khaleelah Jones

“A truly astonishing book, from a writer whose prose style sets him as the new Will Self. Come on, Random House, you need a hit, publish this.” – Popbitch





EXCERPT

    In the end the wind was too powerful, so the drill had to be stopped. And the warning to be given. And the base to be upside down.

    There was the noise of the siren. The alert siren.

    The soldiers were now running all across the buildings and the main yard. This time there was no more time for discipline. But they were all converging to the same points: the exit, then the cars and jeeps parked outside the base.

    It was very dark. The sky had turned to gray black almost in one moment, covered with the heaviest clouds that could exist.

    There was a storm. And at one point of the sky, emerging from the clouds down to the earth… there was something.

    Some of the guys were packing their stuff. This was part of another kind of exercise that had been given to them: evacuate the place, as fast as they could. They could hear more or less panicked voices shrieking from the swarmed corridors; yelling things like: “Come on, come on, go, go, go, go, go…!”

    Some other guys had not started to pack. One of the rooms could witness three of them; two were stuck at the window, watching with disbelief.

    “Jesus Christ…” one of them said.

    “I’ll be damned…” the other one whispered.

    Soon they were joined by the third one. “What’s that?” he asked.

    They had a quick glance at him, saying nothing.

    The thing was coming to the barracks, fast. It was a twisted column of air, rotating very quickly, like a top. It just didn’t stop. And it was much bigger. And so much more violent. Even from the window they could see it destroying everything on its way.

    A tornado.

    With thunder and lightning breaking out all around it, especially on its top, acting like its deputies.

    The three guys were brutally grabbed from behind and taken away from the windows by two big-looking newcomers, in fact sergeants who forced them to pack up, and fast.

    Charlie was still in his dorm room, alone and still packing up! Of course he was doing it in a hurry, but he had too much stuff to put into his bags.

    A soldier appeared in the room. He saw Charlie and his eyes widened. “What the hell are you still doing here?” he asked, flabbergasted. “D’you wanna die or what? Move your ass out of here!”

    But he didn’t make Charlie do it. He just left the room quickly.

    Charlie kept packing, but after a moment he gave up. He closed his three bags and started out, leaving some of his stuff behind. No more time.

    He was only on his way out when the building started shaking, vibrating. All the lights went off. Soon the noise became unbearable.

    Just after Charlie managed to leave the room, a window exploded. Then another. The beds and closets started moving across the room, soon one then two of the closets were tossed down. More followed.

    Once in the dark corridor he was hit from behind by something and collapsed. He stood back up and started running to one of the ends of the building, then he went down the stairs to the exit door. It was the closest one to the gate.

    Once he got outside Charlie lost his balance and was thrown straight down, across the stairs to the ground.

    The wind was blowing like crazy, so hard that it was whistling. Charlie stood up, picked up his bags and looked up. Now the tornado was quite close to the barracks, about to erase it from the surface of the earth. Some pieces of the buildings torn apart by it were already flying across the yard. The soldiers had to dodge them while running to the gate.

    At this sight Charlie just couldn’t move. He only stood there, watching with round eyes. For a split second he thought that the world was coming to an end, that this cyclone was about to destroy it, and his beloved country along with it.

Go to the Facebook page for more info - and check the trailer!

You can buy Charlie's Trips online, as

Kindle ebook - only $3 (£2)!
Paperback