A light-hearted science fiction story
My book, Klubbe the Turkle and the Golden Star Coracle, is a light-hearted science fiction story.
I wrote it to amuse myself and, hopefully, others. Basically, it is the biography of an inventor. On the planet Ankor, a marine mishap inspires Klubbe the turkle to invent a flying craft he calls the Golden Star Coracle. His inventions and explorations change not only his life but that of his entire planet.
Turkles are close cousins of turtles. Unlike them, they have yellow golden skin and back shells, walk on their hind legs, have the gift of language, and the ability to create their own culture.
Much more about them and the beings they encounter from other planets can be found in my book.
The novel was inspired by a tiny toy model of a turtle, designed to fit on the end of a pencil, I once found. It looked odd to me, for it stood on its hind legs with its front legs folded on its chest.
So I decided it was not a turtle at all, but a creature that only looked like one. I changed the second t in turtle with a k to get turkle, gave him the name, Klubbe, and decided he lived on a planet, called Ankor, first as a hermit, then, by chance, as an inventor.
Having enjoyed reading science fiction stories, by such writers as H.G. Wells, Jules Verne, Arthur C. Clarke and Greg Bear, I decided that my biography of Klubbe would have none of their high seriousness and complexities. Instead, it would be a simple, light-hearted tale with some bird brain humour, with no villains, darkness or conflict.
Most of all, I wanted Klubbe and his fellow turkles to be happy. In the beginning of his story, Klubbe is quite content to be a hermit in his house near the ocean. Like all turkles, he is cheerful, good natured. Only by chance does he become an inventor.
Other turkles in the story include Kribb, a young journalist with an ambition to be the star reporter for the Turkle Times, Mook, an ex mariner, a bargeman on the canals, and members of the Royal Family of Ankor, most notably, King Zilk, Queen Zubria, and their daughter, Princess Corka.
I have written fragments of a sequel to my book, called Assinarc, the name of a star city invented by Klubbe, which I may finish one day.
My book has had positive reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, I am very pleased to say. "A joy to read," one reviewer wrote of my book. Others have said the same, which is a relief to me and what I wanted.
For more information on this book, click here to visit Amazon.