Tag: Outer Space Quest

From The Martian to Project Hail Mary

~ GraydonJonesWriter ~ 1 Comment

Back in September 2022, I wrote about Andy Weir after hearing him speak during ProWritingAid’s Writer’s Week. His interview stood out to me not just because The Martian is one of my all-time favourite stories, but because of how down-to-earth he came across. Despite his book ‘rocketing’ to success, Andy spoke with humour and humility, sharing how social media helped propel his work before a major publisher picked it up.
I was struck by his approach to research, which mirrors my own: keep the story internally consistent, even if the science bends a little. As he explained, the ferocious Martian storm that stranded Mark Watney couldn’t happen in reality, but it made for a brilliant opening. As Slartibartfast would say, “I’d rather be happy than be right any day.”
At the time, Andy admitted his follow-up novel Artemis hadn’t resonated with readers in the same way, partly because the protagonist wasn’t wholly likeable. I hadn’t read it myself, but I understood his point—sometimes a character can push us away before the story has a chance to pull us in.

Fast forward to now, and I’ve finally read Project Hail Mary. It was brilliant. The format and feel reminded me of The Martian—that same mix of humour, tension, and science-driven storytelling—but with its own fresh spark. I couldn’t help imagining Tom Hanks in the lead role, a cross between his Cast Away survivor and Matt Damon’s stranded botanist in The Martian. No offence to Ryan Gosling, who’s set to star in the film adaptation, but Hanks feels like such a natural fit for the lone astronaut.
What makes Project Hail Mary so good is exactly what Andy talked about back in 2022: believable science wrapped in compelling storytelling, with a protagonist readers can root for. It feels like a return to the hit writing that made The Martian such a success.
Looking back, I’m glad I put this book on my reading list. Andy Weir has proven once again that when you combine technical curiosity with a spark of imagination, you can create a story that captures readers and keeps them turning the pages.

The cabin, the clock and the click. An off-grid drama.

~ GraydonJonesWriter ~ 1 Comment

Wales. Pembrokeshire. A cabin in the woods. Early October 2025.

The clock ticked. 22:41 BST. Which, thanks to the cruel arithmetic of time zones, meant I had just under twenty minutes to hit “authorise” before what I’d spent the last twelve months trying to bring into the light slipped back into darkness.
Who’d have thought it would come down to this?

No router. No broadband. Just me and my iPhone, clinging to a signal like a gumshoe to a half-baked lead. I’d set up a personal hotspot—one of those modern miracles that works until it doesn’t.

I tilted the bottle of 10-year-old single malt and poured a generous measure into my favourite heavy-bottomed glass—the one I kept tucked away with my other ‘special’ tools of the trade.

The webpage froze. I stared at the screen as if it owed me money. Was it the phone? The laptop? The distant server? Or had the whole internet decided it didn’t owe me any favours and found something better to do?

Then the phone rang. Unknown number. Of course it was. I let it ring out. I didn’t have time for mystery callers—not unless they were offering bandwidth.

Outside, the wind had picked up, and the bramble scratched urgently on the other side of the remote log cabin’s wall.
I sighed and rebooted my tech, because that’s what we do—whether you’re a schoolteacher or work for a shady government agency.

Behind the cabin, the geese stirred. The farmer told me they were better than guard dogs. More vigilant. More vocal. Right now, they sounded like they were auditioning for a duet with Andrea Bocelli.

I stepped into the night air, hoping the altitude of the veranda might coax a few more bars of signal out of the ether.
The geese honked as a cool gust sent ripples across the water trough, blurring the reflection of the moon. Somewhere in the trees, a squirrel dropped a pinecone with the kind of timing that makes you believe in fate.

I stepped backwards, not taking my eyes off the darkness until I could pull the doors closed on whatever lurked outside.

I tried the page again, my heart thudding in my ears.

It blinked, but offered as much as a novel with a missing last page.

I swirled the whisky and hit F5, watching the page refresh through the bottom of my tumbler.

The page loaded. 23:58 GMT or 22:58 BST. It was now or never.

I clicked on the only key that interested me. The last move in a long-running chess game.

An egg-timer flashed onto the screen. Tilted right ninety degrees, hesitated and flashed off. That was that.

I had released Annika Dash: The Dark Side of the Moon.

Author’s note: Well, this is how I remember it 🙂

Where No Girl Has Gone Before.

~ GraydonJonesWriter

While on holiday in the beautiful Welsh hills last week, I found myself thinking back to when I first imagined the Seven Systems. It began as a playground for soft sci-fi. Distant worlds, speculative wonder, and the thrill of invention. I didn’t know then that Annika Dash would come along. But I’m so glad she did.

Annika Dash and the Unicorn from Space introduced us to the little girl who was not afraid to do what she believed was right—even if that meant putting herself in danger. The story planted a seed of an idea in me: why not take her curiosity and determination on a journey that any little girl or boy could take?

Annika Dash: The Dark Side of the Moon does just that, nudging our young heroine into navigating territory often reserved for boys: engineering, problem-solving, and the occasional heroic leap of faith. In this story, she’s older, and when she’s not navigating alien tech, diplomatic tangles or a kitchen filled with her great-uncle’s inventions, she’s easing herself—and her middle-grade readers—into the world of STEM.

STEM—science, technology, engineering, and maths—it’s part of the story’s heartbeat. I believe girls should see themselves as equal participants in these fields. Curious minds deserve space to explore, invent, and lead—regardless of gender. If Annika’s journey sparks even a flicker of that ambition, then I’ll count that as a win.

The second book in the series arrives in a few days, and I can’t wait to hear what readers think. I’m excited—and a little nervous—to share it with you.

Book Three? Still under wraps. But let’s just say… Annika won’t be staying grounded for long.

If you’ve followed my work on the Seven Systems, thank you. If you do pick up Book Two, I’d love to know what you think here. Annika’s journey is one we’re all part of now—and I hope it continues to surprise you.

She’s older, she’s bolder… She’s back!

~ GraydonJonesWriter

And breathe…
The last time I updated my blog, I was feeling rather pleased with myself. Annika Dash 2 was well on the way to being delivered.

That was October 2024, and I’d just wrapped up Draft 2.

Since then, I’ve delivered Draft 3 (which I thought was ready for publication)

That was May 2025. But trying to align my time with that of my lovely illustrator proved… well, impossible.

With things caught in limbo, I fell into a trap many writers know all too well: rereading what I’d written. GASP. And so began the spiral.

I now have Draft 20*… Don’t ask. I said, don’t ask. Oh, alright—I did a line-by-line review of the manuscript. How long could that take? Again, don’t ask.

A few weeks ago, I revisited everything I’d learned about self-publishing on KDP. That led me to my calendar. Imagine my surprise when I saw the date… September 2025. SEPTEMBER 2025!

I know. Breathe.

What can I say other than this: Annika Dash 2—or more precisely, Annika Dash: The Dark Side of the Moon—is ready. And I think you’ll find it was worth the wait (even if I say so myself).

Available on Amazon from 4th October 2025.
(Pre-release copies available direct from me, 26th September.)
(*I have been known to exaggerate when it’s for a good cause or dramatically imperative.)

Well, that went well…

~ GraydonJonesWriter ~ 1 Comment

On the 10th of September 2024, I completed the first draft of Annika Dash – The Dark Side of the Moon. Immediately, I sighed and thought, “Well that went well.” It’s that feeling you get when you reach the end of something you may have doubted you’d complete. Of course, I’ve lots more to do, but I think it’s important to stop and celebrate one’s success, right?

Now Draft 1 is complete, I am resting; stepping away. I’m doing other things. I found, that the longer I leave it before going back to edit, the more likely I will spot errors or ways to improve the plot, characters or settings. That’s what I’m doing now. I’ve started redesigning my creative working space at home, working on processing photos I took in the summer, and preparing to write some new music. My next writing session is planned for November to coincide with this year’s NaNoWriMo.

This is an American initiative, but it’s been widely adopted in other countries to encourage anyone to write a novel in November. The definition of a novel, for NaNoWriMo, is 50,000 words. That’s roughly 1666 words a day. These targets are important because they give the writer focus. One of the main reasons we don’t complete our work is that no one holds us accountable, encourages us forward, or picks us up when we fall. This is because writers normally work in isolation, choosing when to write. NaNoWriMo provides a robust framework to help with this. Some writers meet daily in cafes and libraries to participate in writing ‘sprints’. A sprint is a specific time, during which everyone writes together. Each sprint can be set to last between 20 to 30 minutes. Far more common are virtual meet-ups, with Zoom and FaceBook being popular platforms.

How will I work? The target I will set myself will be different. I will aim to edit and complete a second draft of Annika Dash – The Dark Side of the Moon. Accountability? I hope I have the discipline to complete my draft, but I will look for others who may need help, and join them if I can.

Entertainment recommendations this month…

Ludwig 2024

I have to mention another BBC comedy drama, Ludwig. If you like David Mitchell, then this programme is for you. It’s the ideal vehicle for his character to shine through. Like Upstart Crow it centres around a character blessed with talent, yet struggling with the world around him. It also stars the brilliant Anna Maxwell-Martin who has been in countless other stage and screen productions. Anna portrays the wife of ‘Ludwig’s’ much more successful brother who is missing. She comes up with a hair-brain scheme enlisting her brother-in-law; the identical twin brother of her husband. Brilliant Series 10 unicorns out of 10

Oblivion 2013

I caught a video on YouTube about the making of Oblivion. This 2013 Sci-Fi, based on a graphic novel, is probably one of my all-time favourite films, and the video reignited my enthusiasm for it. The video goes behind the scenes into inception, concept, set creation, locations, and stunts. Maybe I should be reviewing/recommending the YouTube video? Okay, here’s the link – Oblivion (2013) – Behind the Scenes Compilation (CinemaScope). I won’t say anymore other than it’s a… Brilliant film, 10 unicorns out of 10

Next month

I will concentrate on Draft 2 of Annika Dash and The Dark Side of The Moon from now until the end of November. After that, I will let you know how I did. In the meantime, I will keep posting on my FaceBook page.

Top ten success… Order my yacht!

~ GraydonJonesWriter

Spotify is playing James Brown, “I Got It (I Feel Good)“

I’ve been suffering from a nasty chest infection since just before I released “Annika Dash and the Unicorn from Space”. This has restricted the amount of dancing around the kitchen with my t-shirt over my head that I can do. Still, it couldn’t dampen my spirits as I watched my first book dip in and out of the top 10 of Amazon’s “Best Sellers in Children’s Science Fiction Comics & Graphic Novels”, achieving #6 on the 1st of April 2024.

[Top Ten 1st of April 2024]

I didn’t expect that feeling to be surpassed, but this has been… twice. First, when I received pictures of a young reader, from the other side of the world in Australia, opening my book. Second, last night I discovered my book received its first review on Amazon. No idea who left this, but I couldn’t sleep last night — I was so excited.

[Independent review 6th of April 2024]

The one sad thing is that, with being poorly, I haven’t been able to present copies to my niece and her big brother. I certainly didn’t want to give them my germs! Hopefully, this is something I will do over the next few weeks. In the meantime… mums the word. It’s still a surprise I want to share.

So, what’s next?

I didn’t do a book trailer for TUFS. But I’m working on one now. It’s really to determine what is possible and what I can do myself. I could release it retrospectively, or save it for Annika Dash’s second adventure. Whatever I do, working on this trailer is an interesting project. I composed the soundtrack, wrote the script and compiled the art and images. I have also had the script performed by a professional voiceover artist. I’d say I have a draft or concept finished, but I’m still considering what to do with it.

What else? Oh yes! I’ve started working on a follow-up story, which I’ll refer to as Annika Dash 2, or AD2, and have a concept for a third story.

The bare bones for AD2 I’ve shared with my posse (Sorry Tim/Tracy, this is way cooler than calling you my trusted beta readers… Note to self – Graydon to change the title of Beta reader messenger group to GJ’s Posse). These are just ideas at the moment, such as, what Annika will do when [insert baddy’s name here] will try to [insert something really awful here], because [insert baddy’s motivation here], and therefore [insert the consequences here]. As you can see, pretty detailed thinking going on 😉

Incidentally, I’m not ordering a yacht, but I have to go to the shops for eggs, milk, and butter. And melon

My first book

~ GraydonJonesWriter ~ 2 Comments

Annika Dash bounds into action in my first book, a children’s story, written for my little niece.

Those who know me would tell you I was happily writing about spaceships, lasers, and aliens from outer space. I had no serious aspirations about publishing my work, as I was content saving the universe from the comfort of my study in rural Lincolnshire. I felt nothing was more satisfying than giving those nasty little green, bug-eyed creatures a darn good thrashing – single-handed!

Then, a chance meeting – a family meal – revealed my niece had taken an interest in my writing, and asked if my stories were about unicorns. What could I say? The rest, as they say, is history

The paperback is due to be released at Easter 2024, with the Kindle edition following later in the year.

The illustrations are by Aisha Haider, a brilliant artist and illustrator.

Here’s some information for you. It’s taken from the Amazon page, which will be revealed nearer the publishing date.

“A family day out, a rock from outer space, a tricky museum curator and his bungling assistants. What do they all have to do with unicorns? They all feature in this thrilling, fun-filled adventure for girls and boys aged between 7 and 11, starring our small, determined young heroine, Annika Dash...”

From the back…

“8-year-old Annika Dash doesn’t want to go to the Space Museum with her family, but when she discovers a real-life unicorn needs her help, Annika sprints into action! Will she be able to save the small creature from outer space? Or will Mr Henry Littlegood, the Space Museum curator, capture the unicorn and turn her into his prize exhibit?”