Bob vs The Selfie Zombies

This new sci-fi comedy for children takes readers back and forth through time, following a rather reluctant hero tasked with preventing the rise of a hideous hoard of selfie-taking zombies.

Bob wants nothing more than to jam in his garage with his best friend, Malcolm, in their two piece band The Tentacles of Time. Sadly, there are quite a few distractions for him to navigate. His nosy neighbour, Dismal, keeps banging on the door trying to get in on the act with her tambourine-playing, and the school’s biggest big-head, Eno Fezzinuff, keeps showing off about the upcoming talent competition. Bob also has bigger worries on his mind, such as the recent death of his mother. He wants to be there for his dad and the last thing he needs is to randomly keep disappearing into the future.

Bob’s time travels always take him to his own future, often not too far ahead, where he encounters his future self and future Malcolm who, for some reason, always seem to be in the middle of some dilemma involving banana bread. It’s quite fun frightening Malcolm every time Bob materialises in the future from thin air, but Bob and future Bob have serious matters to attend to: The Tentacles of Time’s performance at the upcoming talent show is the only thing that can prevent the entire human race becoming phone-obsessed selfie zombies.

Time travel is a famously difficult thing to explain and stories can easily find themselves tied up in knots by its rules and theories. However, Jones’ story retains an astounding clarity throughout and never feels too complicated. The cast of characters is small and each has just a few key traits and details that follow them into the future. Though there’s a genuine sci-fi tone, the focus of the story is on the relationships that its heroes have. The future of the world depends – literally – on Bob and his friends and, when these friendships are threatened, there are moments of real emotion that will stir young readers.

With such a silly title, readers may expect Bob and the Selfie Zombies to be a slapstick affair. Though there are lots of jokes, they are clever and witty and are often the result of Bob and future Bob teasing one another. The real enjoyment of the book comes from Jones’ management of the young heroes’ relationships over multiple timelines. Bob and the Selfie Zombies is an emotional, time-travelling roller coaster.