Planet Alterra
Written by two teenage, neurodiverse Australian authors, Planet Alterra is a family-friendly sci-fi adventure that is tense, heartwarming and hilarious. Perfect for ages 10 to 110!
The novel...
When Splash, the humanoid fish-creature, wakes up inside a hidden underground lab filled with mutants and unimaginable terrors, her first instinct is to make friends with everyone. But she quickly learns that it's a creature-eat-creature world out there, and some people are willing to do anything for power.Planet Alterra is billions of light-years away from the disgraceful, uninhabited wasteland known as Planet Earth. On the surface, it seems like the perfect technology-filled utopia, inhabited by both humans and anthropomorphic animals called power creatures, whose DNA was altered by the planet's chemical-filled water. But underneath the glossy exterior lies the inner darkness of the planet.
Splash is very different to the other creatures. For one, her DNA was mutated to make her able to feel other people's emotions. And secondly, she's not supposed to exist.Will Splash be able to overcome the wrath of her villanous creator, or will she be transformed into the monster that she was intended to become?Planet Alterra is 150 pages and 72,000 words.
About the authors
Madeline Lowe and Layla Ottaway are the 17 year old co-authors of Planet Alterra, and writing it has been a two-year project.The authors both have autism, and writing is their gift.Madeline Lowe
was born in Warrnambool, Victoria, in 2004. From the moment she could hold a pencil (incorrectly), she has been drawing and writing stories that seemed like complete and utter nonsense from a normal humans’ standpoint.
Madeline enjoys wasting her time by creating and drawing weird made-up creatures, such as fish snorks and shockenas.
One day she got the brilliant idea to actually put these made up people into a story, and that’s how the idea of Planet Alterra formed.
When she isn’t drawing, (which is very rarely) Madeline loves to research about robotics, animate, work on overly complicated and absurd projects, make very strange scrapbooks, and spend lots of time with her friends and pet frogs.Layla Ottaway
was born in 2003 in Hobart, Tasmania. She hates talking about herself in third person, so I will write in first person from now on. From the time I realised I have eyes, books have been and still are a massive inspiration, sparking major interests in things such as chemistry, physics, and other sciencey stuff. I waste most of my time doing things like building over complicated structures in Minecraft, singing, writing, and not doing much of anything. I’ve been trying to write a complete book for thousands of years with no success, but if you’re reading this now, then I’ve finally done something worthwhile with my time.
To buy for $20 + post, contact us here:
Our book is available to purchase through Fullers Bookshop
Here’s their contact information…Click here to visit their website…
Phone number… (tel: 03 6234 3800)
Address… 131 Collins St, Hobart TAS 7000
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You can also purchase our book from Blackmans Bay post office, here’s their contact information…Address… Bayview Market, Shop 11/5 Opal Dr, Blackmans Bay TAS 7052
Phone number… (03) 6229 6474
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If you’d like to buy Planet Alterra directly from us, we
- accept direct deposit
- accept credit card payment over the phone
- provide an invoice for payment by schools or other organisationsTo order, please fill in the email form below, or call or text Kathy on 0402 255 844, email [email protected]
or message via Instagram @planet.alterra.book.official
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The authors are happy to write someone's name in the front of the book when they sign it. Just let us know.Planet Alterra can be followed on Instagram @planet.alterra.book.official
The Instagram account features art and animations of the characters and scenes from the book, quotes and chapter sneak-peaks, facts and Q and A, upcoming event information and more!
And the authors can be emailed here: [email protected]
Send an email if you want to buy a copy of Planet Alterra, or for business enquires, fan-art or questions about Planet Alterra.Thanks so much for your support!
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Q and A about the book and the authors!How much is the book?
It’s $20 AUD, plus postage to anywhere on Earth including the moon (if you can afford intergalactic travel, that is.)How can I buy the book?
You can email us, or send us a private message on our Instagram account. Take a look at the “contact us here” section of the website.What ages is the book for?
The book has been written so that every age can enjoy it. We’ve had kids, teens and adults all read it and love it equally.Who are you two?
Our names are Madeline and Layla, we are best friends and we’re both on the autistic spectrum. When we’re not spending our time together laughing hysterically, we do other stuff, such as writing a book and crying once it was done. We both love reading and coming up with stories, and we’re so excited to share our first ever book with the world!What is the book about?
Planet Alterra is a colonised world full of hybrid creatures, some who are part human, and many who have special powers. The main character, Splash, finds herself locked in a fish tank in an underground secret laboratory, where she meets a friendly bird-human scientist named Ethan, who is caring for her, and Ethan’s very scary scientist boss, whose name is Shrill. Splash finds for the first time that she has a special power where she can see people’s memories and sense their feelings.Will you both be writing any more books?
Yes, definitely! We are both going to be writing more books in the future, wether it be Planet Alterra spin-offs or sequels, or entirely new stories. We just don’t know when exactly, so follow our Instagram to stay updated!
Review of Planet AlterraMy kids and I just finished reading Planet Alterra, which we bought at its launch, and we loved it so much. We laughed, (frequently), we cried, we got way too late to bed because, "Just one more chapter...Well, we can't leave it there...No! We have to find out what happens next!!!" It's gripping, exciting, funny, original, unputdownable, and just a darned good read. Me and my kids loved the book so much. We love the humour, and so much of the imagery - metaphors, similes, etc. It’s very clever and original. I found myself a few times going, 'ooh that's good, I'll have to remember that' (and 'borrow' it). Very clever use of language, and we totally cracked up at the authors' appearance in the book. Original and unpredictable, Planet Alterra is a totally believable, well-crafted world. I highly recommend buying a copy. You'll be doing yourself, and your kids, a favour.Fiona Lohrbaecher, playwright and author.