The Doomsday Machine: A space opera comedy drama (Space Scrap 17)

In a galaxy teeming with oddities, where the mundane collides spectacularly with the bizarre, one garbage freighter stands at the precipice of chaos and adventure.

Enter the world of Space Scrap 17, where Captain Daisy Daryl, fresh from faking her way through the captain’s exam, is tasked with a top-secret mission that could alter the fate of the universe.

Assigned to transport a mysterious Yerbootsian ambassador to clandestine talks with the elusive Ululations, Daisy must navigate political intrigue, avoid assassination plots, and manage a dysfunctional crew aboard a ship cobbled together by her father, Admiral John Daryl, from the scrap bins of the universe.

From malfunctioning hyperspace drives to encounters with dangerous, deranged gods playing cosmic games, Daisy’s maiden voyage as captain is anything but routine. Alongside her irritable ex-lover Michigan Jones, an amphibious pilot with confusing accents, a communications officer who speaks with future selves, and a ship’s computer on the verge of a nervous breakdown, Daisy must confront the realities of command while dodging interstellar threats.

Oh, and then there’s the Doomsday Machine: a vast, unstoppable alien super-weapon designed to eat entire planets—planets like the one where Space Scrap 17 is supposed to deliver the ambassador.

Packed with sharp wit, laugh-out-loud moments, and thrilling action, "The Doomsday Machine" is a space opera parody that takes you on a wild ride through the cosmos.

Join Daisy and her crew as they tackle the absurdities of space travel and discover that sometimes, the most unlikely heroes can shine. Even if they are covered in sewage.

Erick Drake has written sketches for BBC radio comedy and in 2004 was commissioned by BBC South to write a Doctor Who TV story ('The Paradox Device' - production was cancelled due to some upstart genius called Russell T. Davies rebooting the series). A career in IT meant that Erick was well placed to take advantage of the advances in technology that allow independent creatives to produce and publish their work. I love the freedom that gives. My creative choices are my own. I can make what excites me and if the audience likes it too, well then that makes the slog worth it. Being an independent author is a bit like being a pirate or a Viking. Except without the violence and pillage. And the beards. And the ships. Actually, it's nothing like being a pirate or a Viking.Whilst a life-long lover of science fiction (Dr Who, Star Trek, Babylon 5, Isaac Asimov, Robert A. Heinlein, Peter F. Hamilton, and James S. A. Corey are particular favourites), Erick's introduction to fantasy came about when he stumbled upon 'Lord Foul's Bane' by Stephen R. Donaldson. I was hooked, says Erick, the depth of Donaldson's writing, the world he described, the psychological dilemma of his protagonist - it made my head spin.Despite his love of fantasy and science fiction, Erick's natural inclination is to write comedy; It was the first thing I wrote that I felt entirely comfortable with and which seemed to work for the audience, both on and off stage. Indeed, his comedy drama stage play 'Robin Hood - The Spirit of Sherwood', was very well received as it toured east England. But it is the draw of the oblique and the odd that informs most of Erick's writing within the realms of absurdist fiction, fantasy, science fiction and magical realism.Currently living in Essex with his wife and cat, Erick is surrounded by the rich landscapes of the Essex countryside. And hairballs.Erick's author website is https: //erickdrake.com/