Stray Pilot

by Douglas Thompson

A passionate environmental allegoryThomas Tellman, an RAF pilot who disappeared pursuing a UFO in 1948, unexpectedly returns entirely un-aged to a small town on Scotland’s north-east coast. He finds that his 7-year-old daughter is now a bed-bound 87-year-old woman suffering from dementia. She greets him as her father but others assume she is deluded and that Thomas is an unhinged impostor or con man. While Thomas endeavours to blend in to an ordinary life, his presence gradually sets off unpredictable consequences, locally, nationally and globally. Members of the British Intelligence Services attempt to discredit Thomas in advance of what they anticipate will be his public disclosure of evidence of extra-terrestrial activity, but the local community protect him. Thomas, appalled by the increase in environmental damage that has occurred in his 80 year absence, appears to have returned with a whose true nature he guards from everyone around him.

Douglas Thompson’s thought-provoking novel is unashamedly science-fiction yet firmly in the tradition of literary explorations of the experience of the outsider. He weaves together themes of memory loss and dementia, alienation, and spiritual respect for the natural world; while at the same time counterposing the humanity inherent in close communities against the xenophobia and nihilistic materialism of contemporary urban society. Of all the book’s vivid characters, the fictional village of Kinburgh itself is the stand-out an archetypal symbol of human community. In an age of growing despair in the face of climate crises, Stray Pilot offers a passionate environmental allegory with a positive message of constructive a love song to all that is best in ordinary people.

Cover Tenebrae

286 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 31, 2022

About the author

Douglas Thompson's short stories have appeared in a wide range of magazines and anthologies, most recently Ambit, Postscripts, and New Writing Scotland. He won the Grolsch/Herald Question of Style Award in 1989 and second prize in the Neil Gunn Writing Competition in 2007. His first book, "Ultrameta", was published by Eibonvale Press in August 2009, nominated for the Edge Hill Prize, and shortlisted for the BFS Best Newcomer Award. His critically acclaimed second novel, "Sylvow", was published in autumn 2010, also from Eibonvale. A third novel "Apoidea" was released from The Exaggerated Press in 2011, a fourth "Mechagnosis" is due from Dog Horn in September 2012, and a fifth "Entanglement" is due from Elsewhen Press as an e-book from August 2012, and as a paperback from November 2012,

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this SF novel about a pilot who disappears whilst chasing a UFO shortly after WW2 and subsequently reappears after eighty years to reconnect with his family and to warn humanity about climate change issues. There's a real power in this telling, which is both personal and universal simultaneously, and is written with a warmth which manages to be reminiscent of old school cosy SF as well as feeling bang up to date. The proposals for mankind to make a change seem genuinely believable, and the slight shift towards the end is both hopeful and sad. If closer examination finds some unresolved issues then I'm not going to quibble over that. This is an excellent piece of work, and possibly my favourite of Thompson's novels. It is well worth your time.

[Nicholas Whyte · Rating 2 out of 5]

https://fromtheheartofeurope.eu/stray-pilot-by-douglas-thompson-brief-note/

Failed to grab me and I put it down after 50 pages.

[Tej Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another ambitious novel by Douglas Thompson, and a great example of the wealth of his creativity. One of the things that I always appreciate about his books is how insightful they are. He is an author who has delved into several sub-genres throughout his career and his ideas are always fresh. He uses speculative fiction as a toolto ask questions about the nature of the universe and the human condition so you often finish his stories feeling like you have caught a glimpse of something you can’t quite put your finger on. The initial premise of family being reunited – along with the mystery of its occurrence – gives this tale a relatable anchor but throughout the narrative that follows other ideas are also explored. It is a very clever combination. I could see this tale being adapted very well into a film.