The Blue Moon

In this spirited dystopian retelling of the 1980 film The Blue Lagoon, Webster (New Horizons) delivers a rollicking intergalactic tale of survival against desperate odds. Paddington Pin works as an engineer on the Tian, a transport ship hurtling through space in the hopes of finding a safe haven for what’s left of the human population following the “exodus of earth.” When the Tian catches fire, Pin saves two child passengers in an escape pod. They land safely on a beautiful distant moon that promises to be an idyllic retreat from their life aboard ship, until it becomes clear that they are not alone. The creatures that lurk on the moon gradually tear the makeshift family apart, leaving the children to fend for themselves. Webster uses his isolated characters to explore the nature of humanity and describes the awe and terror of space with verve, but to readers with knowledge of the source material, the story will feel a bit stale. Science fiction fans coming to the story with fresh eyes will find plenty to keep their attention in this high-flying adventure tale. (Self-published.)