Outernet (novel series)
A humorous children's sci-fi series about alien resistance.
Outernet is a children's science fiction book series by Steve Barlow and Steve Skidmore, known for its humor. It includes six titles: *Friend or Foe?*, *Control*, *Odyssey*, *Time Out*, *The Hunt*, and *Weaver*.
The plot begins when Jack Armstrong, a British boy living on a US military base with his financially struggling parents, receives a laptop for his birthday. With his friend Lothar Gelt, called Loaf, and acquaintance Merle Stone, he discovers the computer is actually alien technology. Activating it lets them communicate with a stray dog named Bitz, who reveals he is actually a shape-shifter called Sirius, and Merle’s cat Googie, code-named Vega. Both belong to the Friends, a resistance group fighting the Tyrant and his Forces of Evil (FOEs). The Tyrant has captured all galactic servers except one, which Sirius and his partner Janus disguised as the laptop and hid on Earth. The Server’s Help program is sarcastic and unhelpful. Jack is teleported (called t-mailed) to meet Janus on another planet. Loaf’s reckless use of the Server leads the FOEs to imprison some Earth resistance members. Janus rescues them, but a Bug—a rhinoceros-like alien working for the Tyrant—follows them to Earth after Tracer, the Tyrant’s right-hand man, sends a virus into the Server. Merle and Loaf fend it off with chess and an arcade game, but when Jack plays Battleship, Bitz jumps on the keyboard and hits the wrong button, letting the Bug arrive. Janus battles the Bug, and both fall into N-space, presumably dead. A delayed message tells the group they can either stay safe on Earth for Friends agents to find them, or search for the mysterious Weaver, founder of the Outernet.
In *Control*, Loaf tricks Jack into giving him the Server to make money, taking out a loan from aliens. His greed breaks the Chain protecting Earth, so the Tyrant sends another Bug. Jack and his friends are stranded on the dangerous planet Deadrock, crawling with FOEs, while Loaf encounters alien loan sharks. On Earth, the Bug poses as a US government agent and takes control of Merle’s father, Colonel Stone. Jack and Merle find allies, but the Deadrock Freedom Fighters face terrible odds with only primitive weapons and the unhelpful Help program. After a revolution on Deadrock, they return to Earth, rescue Colonel Stone, and destroy a FOE server that monitored all electronic information.
- Field
- Children's science fiction literature
- Known for
- Humorous series about alien technology and resistance against The Tyrant
- Number of books
- 6
- Authors
- Steve Barlow and Steve Skidmore
Lore & Background
The series begins on Jack Armstrong's birthday, when he receives a laptop from his British parents working on a US military base. With his friends Loaf and Merle, he discovers the computer is alien technology that allows communication with a stray dog named Bitz, code-named Sirius, and a cat named Googie, code-named Vega. These are shape-shifters trapped in Earth animal forms, members of the 'Friends' resisting The Tyrant and his FOEs (Forces of Evil). The Server's 'Help' program is sardonic and unhelpful. Jack is teleported (t-mailed) to meet Janus on another planet. Loaf's irresponsible use of the Server leads to FOEs imprisoning Earth resistance members, but Janus rescues them. A Bug (rhinoceros-like extraterrestrial) follows them to Earth after a virus is sent, and Janus sacrifices himself to protect the Server.
Reader's Guide
The Outernet series is significant as a humorous entry in children's science fiction, blending alien technology, shape-shifting characters, and galactic resistance with comedic elements. The books incorporate literary allusions, notably Odyssey drawing heavily on Homer's Odyssey with parallels to Cyclops, Lotophagi, Sirens, Scylla, and Charybdis. The series explores themes of friendship, responsibility, and the misuse of technology, as seen in Loaf's greed and the consequences of breaking the Chain. The recurring sardonic Help program and the shape-shifting animals Bitz and Googie provide comic relief. The series' legacy lies in its accessible, fast-paced storytelling that introduces young readers to science fiction tropes while maintaining a lighthearted tone. The unresolved search for the enigmatic Weaver and the activation of Earth's ancient defenses in The Hunt leave the series open-ended.
Did You Know?
- The dog Bitz is code-named Sirius, a pun on the Dog Star.
- Odyssey contains allusions to Homer's Odyssey, including Cyclops, Lotophagi, and Charybdis.
- The Help program is sardonic and fails to live up to its name.
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