When Oliver rescues Pierre, a small puppy, he has no inkling that this small act  of kindness will trigger the start of a great cosmic drama. For far out in space, higher powers are about to assess human dominance on planet Earth. 

Oliver unexpectedly finds himself as the chosen representative of humanity at the upcoming cosmic enquiry that will judge humans against artificial Intelligence. To gather his evidence he sets off, with Pierre in tow, transiting first to the Shadow-side (Earth’s twin) to meet Lord Sebastian – an advocate for humanity – and Galactic controller Ovoid – who is most certainly not. Encounters with angry centaurs, a Were-cat, a trans-avian falcon and a shrub spirit are only some of the unusual characters he encounters, as he moves ever closer to the final countdown… 

The Royal Road to the Stars is the story of a man facing a task chosen for him – to undertake the greatest earthly journey ever made, with the future of humanity at stake.  

Colin Barker, author of Turmoil in Tuscany and The Shell and Other Stories worked for many years in HR, before running a B&B for 11 years with his wife. His travels to nearly 100 countries continue to inform his short story writing, with an anthology in preparation. He lives in Henley-on-Thames.