This exciting new series is based on an original idea from Thunderbirds creator Gerry Anderson. Our hero is Ben Cameron, sixteen years old. His father has been killed in a climbing accident, and the book opens at the funeral, with an impressive fly-past organised as part of the commemorations. When something goes wrong, two of the pilots are left dangling from their parachutes thousands of feet up and first his mother, and then Ben goes to their rescue. Skip this scene if you suffer from vertigo, but don’t worry, it’s just the first in a series of nail-biting adventures as Ben fights for a place in elite, top-secret rescue organisation, Gemini Force. The technology is up to date, but the ingenuity and action-based plotlines that made Thunderbirds so distinctive is the same. Great fun for fans of Young Bond. ~Andrea Reece
Lovereading4kids comment - Prepare yourself, the action and adventure not only starts immediately, it simply doesn’t stop. 16 year old headstrong Ben has a fabulous role model, his mother is courageous, determined and loyal, she is absolutely someone you would want by your side in an emergency. You can definitely feel the influence of Gerry Anderson as there is a hint of ‘Thunderbirds' in Gemini Force, however this is a refreshingly modern twist on the story of a rescue organisation. You need all of your creative wits about you to imagine the essential and fantastical machinery and transportation at the teams disposal. Ben Carrington, the new kid on the adventure block isn't perfect, he makes mistakes and a few rash decisions along the way but he's immensely likeable and a great addition to the fascinating crew of Gemini Force, this feels like the perfect introduction to an exciting new series. ~ Liz Robinson
Gerry Anderson's Gemini Force One, Black Horizon Synopsis
After the tragic death of his father, Ben Carrington's mother teams up with a wealthy entrepreneur to form an elite, top-secret rescue organisation - Gemini Force. Ben is determined to become part of the team, but can he prove he has what it takes to face dangerous situations and save lives? Impossible rescues. Maximum risk. This is Gemini Force 1.
Gemini Force One was devised and developed by Gerry Anderson before his death and completed by bestselling author M G Harris with the approval of the Estate of Gerry Anderson, led by his son Jamie. It is a complete reinvention of the magic formula of adventure and rescue which formed the core of Gerry’s most successful series, Thunderbirds and should appeal to the several generations of Thunderbirds fans and a generation of readers entirely new to the Thunderbirds phenomenon!
MG Harris is best known for her bestselling series, The Joshua Files. Brought on board with the project at an early stage, she is passionate about the project and says of the collaboration: "It's a huge honour for me as a Gerry Anderson fan to be involved in bringing Gemini Force One to life. The enthusiasm of Orion Publishing Group at all levels for this project has been inspiring. I'm delighted to be working with Orion Children's Books to add a brand new action-adventure title to their list."
Jamie Anderson says: "Dad was a prolific creative, and was constantly coming up with new ideas. Gemini Force One was one of his final projects, and something that he felt passionately would inspire a whole new generation. In continuing to develop GF1 we've been lucky enough to team up with best-selling author MG Harris who really understood the premise of the project and its "Gerry Anderson spirit" from the get-go. Now I'm delighted that we're able to team up with Orion, who share our passion for GF1, to bring this fantastic book series to a global audience. Stand by for action!"
'M. G. Harris is a very skilled storyteller, weaving together narrative strands into one compelling experience.' STARBURST MAGAZINE
Author
About M. G. Harris
M.G. Harris (M.G. stands for Maria Guadalupe) was born in Mexico City. When her parents split up, five year-old M.G. moved to Frankfurt, Germany, with her air stewardess mother and younger sister, and later to Manchester, England. Growing up as a Mancunian, M.G. based her formative years around the television series Doctor Who and Blake's 7 and the fortunes of Manchester United. As a teenager, during regular visits to her father in Mexico, M.G. became fascinated by Mayan archaeology. She made several trips to Mayan ruins in Yucatan and Chiapas and one such trip gave her the seed of the idea of what would later become The Joshua Files: Invisible City.
As a student, M.G. was interested in molecular biology and studied biochemistry at St Cross College, Oxford. M.G. spent several years working in research laboratories before setting up her own internet company. Whilst visiting family in Switzerland in 2004, a skiing accident left M.G. with a shattered tibia plateau. Forced to spend many weeks recuperating from surgery, she decided to keep a promise she'd made to herself to one day pursue a career as a novelist. Writing on a laptop next to her bed, M.G. began work on a techno thriller which combined her two intellectual loves - archaeology and biology. From this initial manuscript came the idea for a story featuring a young boy searching for a lost Mayan codex... and The Joshua Files were born.
In an attempt to cover up the fact that she's a bit of a geek, M.G. spends as much time as possible going out to salsa clubs to dance. She adores anything written by her quartet of literary gurus: Haruki Murakami, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Jorge Luis Borges and Italo Calvino. M.G. lives in Oxford with her husband and their two daughters. She was the fastest-selling UK debut children's author of 2008.
She introduces The Joshua Files in this video (and in case you missed the first one, Invisible City, there are also some intriguing details about the plot):
