about the book
When the President of the United States shows up at your house, you kind of freak out.
When he and his cohorts tell you that you’ve been chosen as one of four human children to take part in a competition to determine if Earth can join the Confederation of United Planets, you really, really freak out.
I’m Zeke. I come from a long line of science-fiction fans and, I guess you could say, targets for school bullies. For me, being chosen to go to outer space is about as exciting as Captain Kirk defeating The Gorn with diamond weaponry. That was brilliant, you’ve got to admit.
I was kind of hoping the fact that I was chosen to take part in the competition would change my status from geek to god. Unfortunately, the other three human kids here with me were chosen for their intelligence, skill, and athletic abilities. They’ve been snubbing me ever since I stepped foot on the Commonwealth spaceship, saying I’ll only drag them down in the competition. I’m a “random,” I’m told, chosen for my “wait-and-see-what-happens” ability. I guess this geek status follows me wherever I go.
Still, being here is cool. I’ve met other randoms who aren’t accepted by their teams either: a lizard alien named, Steve. (Yeah, I know. Steve.) And a feline creature, Tamret. (She has some anger issues, if you ask me.)
There’s something else too that’s getting under my skin. You can say I’ve watched “Gattaca” on replay too many times, but something’s going on. A Commonwealth space shuttle has been destroyed and I smell a conspiracy.
The problem is, when I usually try to go in and fix a situation, I’m the one who gets the blame. Since when have I let that stop me?
about the author
Even though he was a one-time encyclopedia salesman (and let’s face it, what could be more exciting than that), David Liss says he always wanted to be an author. After pursuing academia and stalling on a doctoral dissertation at Columbia, he began to write his first novel. He didn’t finish his dissertation, but he did finish the book and his new career as a writer was born.
A self-described science fiction geek, David had always wanted to write a science fiction novel, but felt that his early attempts sounded a lot like what had already been done in films like “Star Trek” and “Star Wars.” He abruptly changed course when he decided to embrace his fandom and write about a character who also was a sci-fi nerd. His Randoms young adult series stars Zeke, a lover of sci-fi movies and comics.
David writes in many different styles and genres from comics, to short stories, to historical fiction, to young adult books. While some writers worry about alienating their audience, David believes strongly in “writing what you love to write” and hoping the audience comes along for the ride.
He does not, however, believe in eating what you love to eat. He is a passionate vegetarian and animal rights activist who lives in San Antonio with his wife and children.
Source:
Author website
Author biography: Simon & Schuster
Author biography: Goodreads
Video interview: Simon & Schuster
Author interview: The Big Click
Author interview: SFF World
Also by David Liss:
Rebels (Randoms, Book 2). Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. 2016.
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