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Choose Your Own Adventure: Young Readers #20
Trouble in Space
The young reader becomes the commander of a rescue spaceship on a special mission to aid a spaceship in trouble and must cope with an asteroid shower, black holes, pirates, and other dangers.
50 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 1984
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 9, 2025
The original Choose Your Own Adventure series had many books set in outer space: The Third Planet from Altair, Space Patrol, Space Vampire, Planet of the Dragons, The Perfect Planet, Mutiny in Space, and Through the Black Hole are only a few that let readers explore the Milky Way galaxy and beyond. The Bantam Skylark Choose Your Own Adventure series, however, only really has Trouble in Space, and it's exceptional in more ways than one. Your parents are officers for the Galaxy Rescue Squad, which operates from a space station orbiting Earth. When they're out on missions, you stay behind at the station with Xmax, a furry alien from a race called the Zoonicks. The two of you are friends, and you rely on his sage advice. One evening you receive a distress signal from a malfunctioning ship at the solar system's edge. It needs to be corralled before the crew drift into deep space and are lost. Your parents are busy on a mission, but maybe you and Xmax could go. You'd love to prove you belong in the Galaxy Rescue Squad.
There's no telling how long your parents will be gone, but you must return home before they discover you left or you'll face serious consequences. You can take an expedited route to the distressed ship, but it hasn't been mapped. The strategy seems to work, until you run into an asteroid belt. Turbulence rocks your space pod as you and Xmax dart between asteroids, but there's no way to avoid them all even if you override the automatic pilot and steer the pod yourself. You could attempt to fix your wrecked pod with the equipment you brought to help the other ship, but even with Xmax consulting, are you capable? Evacuating the pod and detonating it as an emergency signal is your other option, but an expensive one. Your parents won't be pleased.
If you let the automatic pilot lead you through the asteroid belt instead of taking control yourself, the bumpy ride accidentally activates the pod's hibernation gas, putting you and Xmax to sleep for half a century as you zoom well past the Milky Way. You'll have been gone a hundred years by the time you return to Earth; should you and Xmax attempt the long, lonely journey, or accept your fate and explore parts of the universe never seen by a human? Either endeavor continues beyond whatever ending you reach. Almost everything will have changed on Earth by the time the middle-aged you would arrive, but it's up to you to make the most of your unexpected new life.
Rather than navigate the asteroid belt at all, you can avoid it by passing close to Jupiter. Extreme weather surrounds the planet, and Xmax warns against this option. While near the gas giant, your space pod receives an emergency hail from the moon Callisto, but is it legitimate, or a trick by space pirates? Callisto has a superheated core but its surface is covered with thick, treacherous ice. You may be unable to take off again if you land on it, but setting down on the wing of the ship that hailed you is also dangerous. You'd be completely vulnerable to space pirates, though you might not be the first Galaxy Rescue Squad to be fooled.
You can stay away from asteroids and Jupiter entirely by choosing the slower but fully charted route from the get-go. A few days of travel puts you near Pluto, where the malfunctioning ship is supposed to be. It turns out to be crewed by Zoonicks like Xmax, and the rescue won't be easy. The ship is being pulled in by a black hole, and with the engines out of order, it can't escape. Immediate repair is crucial, but should you deliver the repair kit directly, or fire a series of rockets to send it remotely so you don't risk falling into the black hole? Rockets are the safe choice, but a lot can go wrong between your ship and theirs. Are the Zoonicks capable of restoring their engines if not every piece of hardware makes it to them? Delivering the equipment directly to the ship places you and Xmax in mortal jeopardy, but perhaps you'll get away with one bold gamble. A successful mission counts for something even if it required a generous portion of luck.
Trouble in Space is one of the better Bantam Skylark Choose Your Own Adventures. The story reminds me of Edward Packard's Space Hawks sextet, as well as Through the Black Hole from the main Choose Your Own Adventure series, but the narrative still feels fresh. It also offers poignant moments: adrift in a foreign galaxy after the hibernation gas put you to sleep for fifty years, you're not sure what to do with your new life, but I guess we all go through phases of existential conflict. At least you enter your future with Xmax by your side, a loyal, levelheaded friend to help you through whatever lies ahead. I believe I'll rate Trouble in Space two and a half stars; it has more substance than all but a few others in the series. I'm disappointed by Randy Jones's illustrations, though. His artwork for Blizzard at Black Swan Inn is wonderful, but isn't very appealing here. I wish John Woodcock had written additional gamebooks, but I appreciate the one he did, and I'll enjoy many happy rereads of Trouble in Space.
There's no telling how long your parents will be gone, but you must return home before they discover you left or you'll face serious consequences. You can take an expedited route to the distressed ship, but it hasn't been mapped. The strategy seems to work, until you run into an asteroid belt. Turbulence rocks your space pod as you and Xmax dart between asteroids, but there's no way to avoid them all even if you override the automatic pilot and steer the pod yourself. You could attempt to fix your wrecked pod with the equipment you brought to help the other ship, but even with Xmax consulting, are you capable? Evacuating the pod and detonating it as an emergency signal is your other option, but an expensive one. Your parents won't be pleased.
If you let the automatic pilot lead you through the asteroid belt instead of taking control yourself, the bumpy ride accidentally activates the pod's hibernation gas, putting you and Xmax to sleep for half a century as you zoom well past the Milky Way. You'll have been gone a hundred years by the time you return to Earth; should you and Xmax attempt the long, lonely journey, or accept your fate and explore parts of the universe never seen by a human? Either endeavor continues beyond whatever ending you reach. Almost everything will have changed on Earth by the time the middle-aged you would arrive, but it's up to you to make the most of your unexpected new life.
Rather than navigate the asteroid belt at all, you can avoid it by passing close to Jupiter. Extreme weather surrounds the planet, and Xmax warns against this option. While near the gas giant, your space pod receives an emergency hail from the moon Callisto, but is it legitimate, or a trick by space pirates? Callisto has a superheated core but its surface is covered with thick, treacherous ice. You may be unable to take off again if you land on it, but setting down on the wing of the ship that hailed you is also dangerous. You'd be completely vulnerable to space pirates, though you might not be the first Galaxy Rescue Squad to be fooled.
You can stay away from asteroids and Jupiter entirely by choosing the slower but fully charted route from the get-go. A few days of travel puts you near Pluto, where the malfunctioning ship is supposed to be. It turns out to be crewed by Zoonicks like Xmax, and the rescue won't be easy. The ship is being pulled in by a black hole, and with the engines out of order, it can't escape. Immediate repair is crucial, but should you deliver the repair kit directly, or fire a series of rockets to send it remotely so you don't risk falling into the black hole? Rockets are the safe choice, but a lot can go wrong between your ship and theirs. Are the Zoonicks capable of restoring their engines if not every piece of hardware makes it to them? Delivering the equipment directly to the ship places you and Xmax in mortal jeopardy, but perhaps you'll get away with one bold gamble. A successful mission counts for something even if it required a generous portion of luck.
Trouble in Space is one of the better Bantam Skylark Choose Your Own Adventures. The story reminds me of Edward Packard's Space Hawks sextet, as well as Through the Black Hole from the main Choose Your Own Adventure series, but the narrative still feels fresh. It also offers poignant moments: adrift in a foreign galaxy after the hibernation gas put you to sleep for fifty years, you're not sure what to do with your new life, but I guess we all go through phases of existential conflict. At least you enter your future with Xmax by your side, a loyal, levelheaded friend to help you through whatever lies ahead. I believe I'll rate Trouble in Space two and a half stars; it has more substance than all but a few others in the series. I'm disappointed by Randy Jones's illustrations, though. His artwork for Blizzard at Black Swan Inn is wonderful, but isn't very appealing here. I wish John Woodcock had written additional gamebooks, but I appreciate the one he did, and I'll enjoy many happy rereads of Trouble in Space.
April 15, 2018
Nota: Ésta reseña pretende analizar las serie de aventuras contenida en el presente volumen mediante dos visiones: la del más pequeño y la del adulto, para así poder servir de ayuda en una futura recomendación de lectura y compra. Por lo cual, puede contener ciertos Spoilers
Eres el hijo de un matrimonio que se dedica a patrullar la galaxia. Cuando tus padres están fuera pasas tu rato con tu amigo Zoonik (un ser de otro planeta). Mientras estas con él y tusa padres ausentes, recibís una llamada urgente de auxilio y ambos decidís emprender el rescate, pese a las posibles complicaciones que puedan surgir.
El tomo número quince da, y con creces, lo que promete su título. Aquí nos encontramos con unos de los ramales dentro de toda Space opera que precie; la de los problemas de la navegación en la galaxia. Aquí Montgomerry (Sí, otra vez con seúdonimo) saca a relucir su buen hacer y casi (excepto por la menor longitud de su desarrollo en cada aventura, además de haberse limitado a éste problema en concreto, el de la navegación y sus problemas en un rescate) parece un “Elige tu propia aventura” de la serie original.
Así que los pequeños que lo lean, pueden despertar, casi seguro, su amor por la Sci fi al leerlo, ya que es muy ágil, intenso y altamente preciso en sus descripciones más técnicas; sin por ello casar al niño que lo lea. Entre otras consecuencias derivadas del viaje de éstos Neos, nos encontraremos con piratas espaciales, agujeros negros, viajes temporales dimensionales, asteroides, problemas técnicos del navío y auto explosiones de la misma para sobrevivir. Apenas hay finales malos; más bien éstos ‘te transportan’ a otra alternativa de vida fuera de tu lugar...¡pero recordemos que naciste en medio de galaxias!; la cual cosa no es tan distinta siendo un nómada de algún modo.
Ya veis que el infante puede cogerle cariño a las aventuras espaciales con éste libro.
Respecto a la lectura adulta, y los que de pequeños leísteis la precursora serie, recordaréis y retomaréis, de alguna manera, a la memoria el porque os gustaba tanto. Apreciaréis que es un libro muy bien confeccionado para ser de la serie más infantil, y que es ideal para embarcar a los vuestros en el amor a la lectura y a la ciencia ficción.
Probablemente, y pese a haber leído pocos de ésta serie, se destaca cómo uno de los mejores. Poco más qué decir al respecto. Excelente volumen.
Eres el hijo de un matrimonio que se dedica a patrullar la galaxia. Cuando tus padres están fuera pasas tu rato con tu amigo Zoonik (un ser de otro planeta). Mientras estas con él y tusa padres ausentes, recibís una llamada urgente de auxilio y ambos decidís emprender el rescate, pese a las posibles complicaciones que puedan surgir.
El tomo número quince da, y con creces, lo que promete su título. Aquí nos encontramos con unos de los ramales dentro de toda Space opera que precie; la de los problemas de la navegación en la galaxia. Aquí Montgomerry (Sí, otra vez con seúdonimo) saca a relucir su buen hacer y casi (excepto por la menor longitud de su desarrollo en cada aventura, además de haberse limitado a éste problema en concreto, el de la navegación y sus problemas en un rescate) parece un “Elige tu propia aventura” de la serie original.
Así que los pequeños que lo lean, pueden despertar, casi seguro, su amor por la Sci fi al leerlo, ya que es muy ágil, intenso y altamente preciso en sus descripciones más técnicas; sin por ello casar al niño que lo lea. Entre otras consecuencias derivadas del viaje de éstos Neos, nos encontraremos con piratas espaciales, agujeros negros, viajes temporales dimensionales, asteroides, problemas técnicos del navío y auto explosiones de la misma para sobrevivir. Apenas hay finales malos; más bien éstos ‘te transportan’ a otra alternativa de vida fuera de tu lugar...¡pero recordemos que naciste en medio de galaxias!; la cual cosa no es tan distinta siendo un nómada de algún modo.
Ya veis que el infante puede cogerle cariño a las aventuras espaciales con éste libro.
Respecto a la lectura adulta, y los que de pequeños leísteis la precursora serie, recordaréis y retomaréis, de alguna manera, a la memoria el porque os gustaba tanto. Apreciaréis que es un libro muy bien confeccionado para ser de la serie más infantil, y que es ideal para embarcar a los vuestros en el amor a la lectura y a la ciencia ficción.
Probablemente, y pese a haber leído pocos de ésta serie, se destaca cómo uno de los mejores. Poco más qué decir al respecto. Excelente volumen.
December 25, 2019
A high three-star book.
September 21, 2014
Decent choose your own adventure where you can end up captives of space pirates, coming home 100 years later, or other possibilities.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews