“Reminiscent of Alain Fournier’s 1913 classic, Le Grand Meaulnes, this is a novel for readers who love the drama of mysterious worlds and the spell of enchanting words.”

— Alta Ifland, author of The Wife Who Wasn’t   

“At turns poignant, zany, always fresh and exuberant, A Boy's Guide to Outer Space is a bittersweet coming of age story, beautifully told in exquisite prose.”

— Linda Lappin, author of Loving Modigliani: The Afterlife of Jeanne Hébuterne    

“In his finely crafted novel, A Boy’s Guide to Outer Space, Peter Selgin presents a lost world of 1960’s small-town life with all its constrictions and aspirations. Selgin skillfully balances the warmth of nostalgia with the disquieting blaze of youthful doubt and guilt. It’s a poignant tale, with its share of loss and betrayal, but also a boisterous and humorous one—and, at its core, a meditation on the survival of the spirit.”

—Michael Nethercott, author of The Séance Society   

 “Leopold Napoli IV, known to his friends as 'Half,' is one of the most compelling narrators in modern literature. His narrative of that one extraordinary year of his life has everything: heart, wit, sly humor, tragedy, and a significant if unusual friendship. Selgin is a magnificent storyteller, and he has gifted us a confident, audacious novel delivered in beautiful, miraculous prose.”

—Chika Unigwe, author of The Middle Daughter

 “Peter Selgin has honed the craft of writing to a poignant, moving art form. In A Boy’s Guide to Outer Space, Leo is catapulted into his past by the return of a mysterious object on the beach. Selgin rivals our literary icons as he renders a tapestry colored with humor, sadness, forbidden love, and the pain of horrific, paralyzing loss. A compelling page turner by a gifted writer and storyteller.”

—Morgan Howell, author of The Moon Won’t Talk   

“‘Like all good stories, this one starts with an exploding star,’ begins Peter Selgin’s terrific new novel A Boy’s Guide to Outer Space, and this charming, wise book is proof enough of that. The kid living the story daydreams of adventures on the Moon and beyond, and lives by his late father’s advice to follow his fears. Little does Half know that following his fears will lead to life-changing encounters and irreversible decisions; it’s his own world where he finds the unexpected, adventure, and real danger. Ultimately, this insightful book reminds us that inner space is where we need guidance most.”

—David Ebenbach, author of How to Mars 

“A Boy’s Guide to Outer Space is unlike any novel I have ever read. It is so many things at once—a story of fathers and sons, a story about friendship, a war story (two war stories!), a UFO story (not an inclusive list, I hasten to say) and by turns zany, heartbreaking, exuberant, tragic, and witty—that I found myself holding my breath for entire portions of it. I never once knew what was going to happen next—where I would be taken, what new turns were coming. I’m still breathless, hours after finishing it.”

—Michelle Herman, author of Close-Up   

 “Peter Selgin's novel about an unlikely friendship between two solitary people—a man with a secret past and a boy who lost his father—is a tender, wise, and deeply moving coming of age story.  Read it.  You are in for a very great pleasure.”

—Megan Staffel, author of The Exit Coach   

“A kaleidoscopic and astronomic depiction of boyhood’s metamorphosis into manhood. Selgin’s bildungsroman celebrates the mysteries of teenage years from the vantage point of Half, a curious lad who inadvertently befriends a German POW in Connecticut in 1963 while wrestling with the guilt of his disabled brother’s tragic fate. Wrought with bottle rockets and rocket ships, A Boy’s Guide to Outer Space is a dazzling explosion of stars, innocence, and transcendence.”

— Nathan Elias, author of Coil Quake Rift