Teens who’ve just learned they’re in a computer simulation must evade forces trying to delete them in Horn’s debut YA SF novel.

New Jersey high-school sophomore Joey and his friend / romantic interest Lana survive a devastating car accident. They know that they had been coming home from a party, but they don’t remember the accident itself. Joey’s older brother Chris, who was the driver, and Chris’ girlfriend Sierra, another passenger, are seemingly dead. Joey and Lana, while trekking through the woods looking for cell service, come across an old cabin with a bizarre floating green light that draws in both teens. Back on the road, while the dazed duo waits for an ambulance, Chris and Sierra miraculously return to life after Joey and Lana touch them. Perhaps that green light gave Joey and Lana a power—which might also explain why, later on, people’s personalities seem to change with one of their touches. All four high schoolers return to the cabin, only to be met by a stranger who claims that he’s a “Guardian” and that the teens are “Sims” in a computer program. It sounds far-fetched, but after Chris and Sierra make contact with the green light, all four find they have “Admin power” and are able to materialize objects by merely thinking about them. (Along the way, they discover a handful of other special abilities, a weapon or two, and quirky techniques for hiding, many of which, not surprisingly, resemble elements from video games.) Unfortunately, the Guardians, as well as higher authority “Admins,” are fully aware of what’s happening and chase these Sims down for deletion. It gets even worse when Admins decide to shut down the entire program, which will effectively end the teens’ reality. Joey and the rest may be shocked to realize that the world they’ve always known is “fake,” but it’s still a world they’ll fight to protect.

Horn’s riveting SF story boasts a well-developed cast—the relationship between the brothers, for example, has long been strained, as the more popular Chris either bullies or outright ignores Joey. Sierra, who has lost her mother and endures an indifferent father, hates Lana for her “perfect” house and family. All of these character dynamics give rise to various questions regarding the simulation, such as: Why would a computer programmer burden Sierra with such an unhappy life? There are likewise lingering questions about what’s being simulated, as certain feelings (like love) certainly seem real. Tension surges as the narrative progresses—one of the four teens uses Admin power to do something they normally wouldn’t dream of and stirs up immeasurable trouble in their “quaint” city, intensifying the Admins and Guardians’ determination to stop the teens and the necessity for Joey and the others to defend themselves. Alternating narrative perspectives (including that of one of the baddies) stoke an unwavering momentum, even as the teens strategize or struggle with adequately describing their unbelievable predicament. The author rounds out the novel with a few unpredictable turns and an ending that provides closure while leaving enough open for a sequel or a spinoff.

An entertaining SF yarn and impressive, absorbing character study.

In Horn’s series-starting children’s book, a mischievous girl living in Fairytale Land sets out on a quest to find her favorite breakfast cereal—and causes problems along the way.

A whimsical twist on a classic fairy tale with plenty of twists, turns, and sass for early chapter readers.

A young girl aboard a starship uses her skills to cover up a costly blunder in this third installment of Horn’s middle-grade SF series.

A delightful animated tale among the stars.

In this middle-grade-SF sequel, Eudora Jenkins, a spacegoing third-grader, schemes to free a group of live lobsters before it’s served as part of a starship banquet—with unexpected results.

Horn offers the second entry in his series, following Eudora Space Kid: The Great Engine Room Takeover(2021). Eudora is an elementary-school-age girl in the year 4021, whose mother serves aboard a giant “astroliner” called the Athena. It’s populated by a diverse, multispecies crew who hail from all over the 20-world Planetary Republic. The security chief, Lt. Londo, is a leonine alien called a Qlaxon, whose fearsome warrior society is traditionally the antagonist of the Republic, but he’s a pleasant guy; Eudora’s adoptive father, Max, is a part-cephalopod scientist. The young girl manages to get into trouble routinely on the ship, much to the consternation of long-suffering Captain Jax and his no-nonsense Number Two, Stella Ying. Eudora’s misadventures this time around center on the girl’s realization that a shipboard colony of 30 live lobsters, which are objects of intense study by Max, are currently in demand as food at the great ship’s annual New Year’s Dinner Buffet. Eudora is properly horrified at this possibility, and with her friend Arnold, Londo’s human stepson, she conspires to raid her father’s lab and abduct the endangered crustaceans. But what is her next step to guarantee that the lobsters do not end up as seafood? It turns out that Eudora has not quite thought that far ahead, and she hasn’t quite worked out all the details of her plan.

This series’ fictional world obviously has a very strong Star Trek influence, although its tone is one of juvenile-level whimsy. The massive Athena is a clear stand-in for the USS Enterprise and the catlike Qlaxon seem to be generally modeled after the cherished Starfleet frenemies, the Klingons (although the Trek universe has a feline-esque species of aliens, too, known as the Caitians). In addition, the children even carry around very helpful tricorders by another name. Eudora is shown to have clear STEM ambitions in her goal to be the ship’s chief engineer someday, although that aspect of her character is shown to be somewhat less vital to the plot over the course of this installment. The narrative has no violence to speak of and the work’s central plea for animal rights (at least when it comes to lobsters) is generally conveyed with a very light touch. The work is also accessorized with grayscale illustrations by Hoover, which have a style that’s mildly reminiscent of anime. In general, this is an upbeat work that makes a fine chapter-book diversion for young readers, who may possibly use this series as a springboard to some of the juvenile-skewing titles by such SF authors as Robert A. Heinlein; for example, if one likes Eudora’s SF adventures, one may later love Heinlein’s 1963 novel Podkayne of Mars, which features the adventures of 15-year-old girl on a spaceliner.  

A shipshape but easygoing romp that offers youngsters the comical wish fulfillment of being let loose on a starship.

In Horn’s debut children’s SF novel, a human third grader, adopted by aliens, has various adventures.

For young Eudora Jenkins, life aboard the spaceship Athenais a daily challenge to make mischief. During a class field trip, she seeks to fire the ship’s plasma cannons, perhaps the most important weapons in the entire space fleet. Her detailed plan includes the use of a hypersonic shocking device she invented, but its execution lands her in the brig and in trouble with her mother. Eudora and her conscientious older sister are human and were adopted at a young age by Wilma, a doglike alien from the planet Pox, and Max, from the planet Pow, who’s close to an octopus in appearance. Eudora’s next endeavor is to engineer the Athenato pass 10 on the HyperDrive-O-Meter, which has never been done before. However, she aspires to be an officer in the AstroFleet one day, and although her love of science and math are well suited for such a career, will her rebellious experiments keep her from her dreams? Horn’s fast-paced, space-themed drama will intrigue and entertain young readers. Eudora’s quirky but focused perspective allows curious kids to ponder the possibilities of life on a spaceship, and her authentic narration is quick and witty. The protagonist’s passion for knowledge is equaled by her energy and ambition, making her a strong role model. Shipman’s illustrations complement the story’s tone and ably portray its uncommon elements. The plot is lighthearted in its approach; however, as a result, Eudora faces few consequences for her pranks, and she seems to achieve her lofty goal a bit too easily. And although the swift pace will keep readers engaged, it leaves little room to explore Eudora’s thoughts about her relationship with her adoptive parents. Overall, this series starter leaves room for further character development and perhaps more serious adventures.

A quick-witted and amusing outer-space escapade.