Kangazang!
Kangazang! is a humorous sci-fi novel by Terry Cooper.
Plot introduction
Troubled Earthman and Kebab-lover Jeff Spooner is having a bad time. His fiance found love in the arms of the local vicar, and she dumped him. Plus she wants the £50 he owes her back. And to make matters worse, he seems to be mocked by the sounds of 'I Should Be So Lucky' and 'Don't Worry, Be Happy'. Fortunately, help and hope comes in the guise of Ray, Jeff's eccentric but likeable barber. A man with a plan. A man hard to understand. A man from Kangazang! Together, this unlikely pair of heroes set off to see the sights, find a decent pub, and more importantly, save the entire universe, aided by a tribe of warrior spacehoppers, in a spacecraft made of human hair.
Explanation of the novel's title
Kangazang! is the name of the home planet of barber and space-faring alien Ray.
Potential other titles were:
"Jeff Spooner and The Man From Kangazang"
"Jeff Spooner and the Universal Remote"
Plot summary
After Jeff's break up with his fiancee he embarks on a journey with Ray, his barber- an alien that has been stranded on Earth and finally repaired his spacecraft, the 'Marshmallow Penguin', to leave the planet. The journey leads Jeff and Ray to a planet of amazonian women, simple minded men and living space hoppers where they are tasked with retrieving the 'Universal Remote', a device for altering the very fabric of the universe.
Characters in "Kangazang!"
Jeff Spooner → A human from Earth lost in a tale of space, evil rulers and the search for a beer
Barbaray Sprambladack Fasstalon-Scump (Ray)→ A humanoid alien barber that just wants to get home.
Queen Shelley Bakerloo → Evil ruler of the planet Profania Alpha.
Sarah Wood → Heart breaking hussy. Fiancee to Jeff.
Pon-Pon → Big hearted female spacehopper creature from the wastelands of Profania Alpha.
Lord Rancydd of Skragg → Tyrannical dictator of The Skraggi empire.
Overlord Kelvin → Son and successor to Lord Rancydd.
Barvlefrog & Blutekablab → philosophising immortals from Methuselah.
M4 (Gridlock) & M25 (Tailback)→ Robot (Orbot) companions to Jeff and Ray from the planet Orbitron.
Real-Life Inspiration
The author admits to basing most of the book's characters on real life actors or people he knows. A few of these are:
Bill Bailey (Black Books, Spaced) - Ray Scump.
Marc Warren (Wanted, Hustle) - Jeff Spooner.
Mark Heap (Spaced, Green Wing) - Overlord Kelvin.
Bill Nighy (Shaun Of The Dead, Love, Actually) - Lord Rancydd.
Publication history
- 2008, UK, Screaming Dreams ISBN 978-0-9555185-6-0, Pub date 25 Jun 2008, Paperback
Upcoming publications
3 x CD set, to be published early 2010. Narrated/performed by Actor Colin Baker (Sixth Doctor), and featuring additional voices by actress Claire Cage (Torchwood, Life Bites, Wire In The Blood) and author Terry Cooper. Disc 3 contains exclusive interviews with Colin Baker covering his career, his love of Sci-Fi and his time as Doctor Who. Produced and Directed by Shaun Russell.
One of the main aims with this audio version is a possible serialisation on BBC Radio 7.
This will be soon followed by the 2nd Edition of Kangazang (book) which will be sub-titled, 'Remote Possibilities'. It has been revised and expanded, featuring much more information about the universe in which it is set, and clues to the content of the sequel book.
KANGAZANG! 2 has a working title of 'Blame The Parents', and continues where the first book left off, covering more about life on Kangazang, Ray's parents and Jeff's relationship with his robotic girlfriend. Estimated release : late 2010.
Film, TV or theatrical adaptations
KANGAZANG! The movie, is currently in script development. Covering the events of the first book, it is being discussed with the Film Agency For Wales, and some valuable advice has been provided by Welsh director Justin Kerrigan (Human Traffic), a friend of the author.
Sources, references, external links, quotations
"It's a laugh-a-minute intergalactic road trip with a large dose of 80s nostalgia. It taps into the current thirst for British sci-fi like Doctor Who and pushes the boundaries forward. Terry really captures the unique humour that made Douglas Adam's books so popular." Steve Upham, Screaming Dreams.
"An intelligent, yet casual approach to the genre which hasn't been seen since Douglas Adams." Tonya Kay, "Who wants to be a Superhero" Contestant.
"KANGAZANG ... was a delight. I found it funny and sly and at times laugh out loud funny." Philip Palmer (Writer, The Bill, Rebus, author of RED CLAW and DEBATABLE SPACE)
"Kangazang! is inventive, intriguing and truly comic. As a first novel, it is a remarkable piece of work." Neil Kinnock, House of Lords.