| Hover Car Racer | |
|---|---|
| Author(s) | Matthew Reilly |
| Cover artist | Roy Govier |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Science fiction, Sports, Thriller novel |
| Publisher | Pan MacMillan |
| Publication date | 2004 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback and Paperback) |
| Pages | 438 (hardback edition) |
| ISBN | 1-4050-3621-4 |
| OCLC Number | 64449525 |
| Dewey Decimal | 823/.914 22 |
| LC Classification | PR9619.3.R445 H68 2004 |
Hover Car Racer is a popular Sci-fi/Sports/Action story written by Australian author Matthew Reilly, originally released as a free fortnightly online serial, and later published by Pan MacMillan in 2004.
The novel, as the book title suggests, is about Hover Car Racing, a sport developed in the early 21st century. The fictional technology of hover cars relies on the magnetic field of the Earth, counter-balancing it to create an ultra-fast, new type of transport.
Contents |
This is the story of Jason Chaser, a talented young racer selected to attend the Race School. He's younger than the other students. He's smaller. His trusty car, the Argonaut, is older. But Jason Chaser is no ordinary racer. And as he races against the best drivers in the world he will learn that at Race School winning is everything, that not everyone in this world fights fair, and that you never ever have any friends on the track.
The novel is aimed primarily at a teenage demographic. It bears some resemblance to Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game or Harry Potter, with each of these novels featuring harrowing situations thrust upon young protagonists in a school-like environment.
The book was originally released for free online, in eight parts, before being published in hard-cover format. It was followed by a paperback edition in 2005 to appeal more to a younger market. The first part of the story can be read here.
Hover Car Racer is written in a similar vein to an action movie script, employing similar clichés and stereotypes. According to Reilly himself, the book is best read in installments, the manner in which it was released online.
The plot has been compared to Roger Zelany's Alien Speedway. The arguments are as follows:
Some critics have also described this book as a cross between the Harry Potter series and Pod-Racing from the Star Wars saga (in particular The Phantom Menace).
A package of teaching resources was created in early 2006 by Brendan McKinnon.[1] The resources are aimed at giving students from the age of 12 to 16 a more thorough understanding of Hover Car Racer and help them to improve their skills in the areas of English, Geography and History.
Included in the resources are:
The resource package is available at: http://www.panmacmillan.com.au/ in the resources section.
Disney bought the rights to the film when the book was still only a manuscript, and has begun the screen-writing process.[2] Currently it is unknown when the movie will begin production, though the rights are still with Disney as of 2010.
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