Hal Spacejock Series

How far would you go to make your dreams come true? On Hal Spacejock's home planet, efficient and highly intelligent robots have taken all the jobs. Hal's one of the lucky ones, because he works as a cargo loader at a third-rate spaceport. Lucky perhaps, but not satisfied. Because instead of loading freighters, Hal wants to fly them, exploring the galaxy in his very own ship. But how can he possibly save for a spaceship? Hal can barely make rent, and his boss will use any excuse to get rid of him. It all seems like an impossible dream, until Hal intervenes in a one-sided fight in the shadow of a battered old freighter... Zero is a standalone novel in the Hal Spacejock series.

Robots have a tough life in Hal Spacejock's universe: as second-class citizens they have no rights, and most are overworked, mistreated, and recycled at the drop of a hat. When Kim Baker, a wealthy industrialist, leaves his vast fortune to an elderly robot, it's front page news. Unfortunately, the robot hasn't been seen for decades ... Baker's Dough is the fifth novel in the Hal Spacejock series.

A wealthy patron is sponsoring a series of art exhibitions, and Hal Spacejock has been employed to transport valuable pieces from one venue to the next. The only question is which of them will last longest ... Hal or the artworks? Safe Art is the sixth novel in the Hal Spacejock series. Simon Haynes also writes the Hal Junior and Harriet Walsh series

The Spacers' Guild needs a new president, and Hal Spacejock is determined to cast his vote... even though he's not a member. Meanwhile, Hal's latest cargo job belongs to someone else, his shiny new ship is losing money hand over fist, and doing a good favour could turn out to be the biggest mistake of his life. Join Hal and Clunk in their tenth adventure, where the only good boots are... Cold Boots! Hal Spacejock novels are self-contained, with a beginning, a middle and a proper ending. They're not sequels, they don't end on a cliffhanger, and you could start or end your journey with any book in the series. Some events from earlier books are referenced in later ones, so it makes sense to read them in order, but it's not essential.

Strap in for the ride of your life! Witty, fast, funny and moving. What more could you ask for? Clunk's grateful when his boss sends him for a refit, because old robots are usually junked. Being old and wise, he knows there's a catch, but at first it doesn't seem too bad. The workshop performing the refit is located on a nearby planet, and Clunk's boss wants him to carry out a trivial task while he's there: help a freelancer pick up some cargo. It's a simple job, straight in and out ... but don't be late. How can Clunk refuse? He's a certified co-pilot, so landing in a deserted field under cover of darkness, avoiding customs ships, orbital lasers and trigger-happy warships along the way, is not a problem. Plus Clunk's a robot, so he has no choice but to obey. Unfortunately the freelance pilot is a much bigger challenge, because Hal Spacejock is obstinate, cocky, over-confident, and woefully under-skilled, and yet he refuses to cede control of his ship to a mere robot. Worse, Hal's only got 24 hours to pay off his debts, or he'll lose his ship ... and his life. Can the two of them sort out their differences and deliver the cargo, or will they still be wrestling over the controls when both deadlines expire? A Robot Named Clunk is one part buddy movie, two parts laughter and three parts madcap adventure.

A house clearance job sounds like easy money, but rising floodwaters, an unstable landscape and a surprise find are going to make life very difficult for Hal and Clunk. Hal Spacejock 07 Big Bang is book seven in the Hal Spacejock series

Hal Spacejock lands on planet Alteia, where he's so distracted by his own problems that he forgets to collect Clunk from the luggage rack. Not to worry, because a couple of old friends free Clunk from the spaceport ... only to reveal a great big ulterior motive: they want him to join their gang ... er, group. Meanwhile, Hal's remembered his trusty co-pilot at last ... but only because everyone's trying to kill him, and Clunk is big and metal and bulletproof-ish. Set in the distant future, where humanity spans the galaxy and robots are second-class citizens, Double Trouble is the eighth novel in the Hal Spacejock series. Book nine, Max Damage, is currently in progress.

Hal and Clunk answer a distress call, and they discover a fellow pilot stranded deep inside an asteroid field. Clunk is busy at the controls, dodging incoming rocks, so Hal dons a spacesuit, takes the jetbike and sets off on a heroic rescue mission. If he'd only known the trouble he was getting himself into, he wouldn't have bothered...