Sputnik’s Guide to Life on Earth by Frank Cottrell Boyce
Book of the Week: 20 January 2019
Illustrated by Steve Lenton
This week’s choice is a book you may have missed from 2016 when it was shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal.
Aliens are often depicted as spindly beings who wish to be taken to your leader, or tentacled monstrosities who want to take over the planet. They don’t often come disguised as dogs. Sputnik wears a kilt and goggles and is about the same height as Prez, who is the only one able to see him in this form. Everyone else, including the Blythe family who are looking after Prez, sees him as a different breed of dog. Prez is apparently the reason why Sputnik is visiting Earth. The planet is in danger of destruction and Prez must come up with ten things worth seeing or doing in order to prove the whole place isn’t worthless and deserving of obliteration. Sputnik mostly communicates through telepathy with Prez and by doggy handshakes with everyone else. Despite being worried about his Grandfather who can’t look after him like he normally does, Prez has no choice but to follow Sputnik’s instructions and limit the fallout from Sputnik’s exuberance. There is the memorable time that he gives five year old Annabel a working light sabre at her fifth birthday party and she manages to cut off her friends’ hair and fell a tree.
This is a funny and endearing story that, along with wild adventures and wisecracks, has a touching message about families and a sense of belonging.
Other stories that feature aliens:
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams has a lot in common with Sputnik’s Guide to Life on Earth. Ford Prefect is an alien who is trying to save his friend Arthur Dent before Earth is destroyed to make way for a hyper-space bypass.
The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells – Earthlings are terrorised by an alien invasion from Mars.
The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham – Flesh-eating plants are free to dominate Earth after most people have been blinded by a meteor shower.
Landscape with Invisible Hand by M.T. Anderson – More satire than science fiction.
The Chaos Walking series by Patrick Ness – Human beings are the alien invaders of a planet inhabited by the Spackle.
The Fifth Wave by Rick Yancey – Alien beings disguise themselves as humans hunting down the few survivors left on Earth.
I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore – A tiny number of alien visitors try to blend in and re-group on Earth but other powers are out to get them.