A Personal Note From Syd
Billy McBride was nine years old when we first met, living in suburban New Jersey and dreaming of adventures among the stars. Five years later, he followed those dreams to the Jersey Shore. By nineteen, they had carried him all the way to New York City.
The Space Case Chronicles follows Billy across ten remarkable years as childhood gives way to adolescence and, eventually, adulthood. Along the way, he discovers friendship, first love, heartbreak, loss, and the courage to keep dreaming when life refuses to follow the story he imagined.
Billy grows up over the course of these three books. In many ways, I grew up with him. I hope you’ll enjoy taking that journey with us.
Volume One · Available Now
Apollo Dreams
One small laundry room. One enormous imagination.
Nine-year-old Billy McBride dreams of exploring the stars. But in April 1970, while Apollo 13 fights its way home and the Beatles come apart, Billy has a universe of his own to navigate—one filled with family trouble, a relentless bully, and a new friendship that could change everything.
Volume Two · Available Now
Shore Leave
One unforgettable summer. A lifetime of growing up.
At fourteen, Billy arrives at the Jersey Shore ready for boardwalk lights, new freedom, and first love. Then friendship asks more of him than expected—and Billy must decide what kind of person he wants to become.
Volume Three · In Progress
City of Dreamers
Billy is nineteen. New York City is waiting.
The final volume follows Billy into a city crowded with music, ambition, friendship, loss, and the frightening possibility of a future entirely his own.
No release date has been announced. More will be shared when the story is ready.
Beyond Billy’s Universe
More Stories by Syd
Billy McBride isn’t the only hero keeping me busy. There are brilliant kids with questions nobody else is asking, distant worlds where thought itself can be dangerous, and journeys that begin in places where the past refuses to stay buried.
I’m not ready to give away too much. But you can help me decide which story to reveal more about next.
What would you like to discover next?
Choose one story. No name, email address, or other personal information is collected.
01
Smart Alex
Child prodigy Alex Takashi uses science, logic, and relentless curiosity to solve mysteries grown-ups overlook.
02
Psi Wars
A science-fiction trilogy about extraordinary mental abilities, divided loyalties, and a struggle that could reshape a distant world.
03
The Boy in the Hole
A young teen, an isolated Wyoming ranch, and a mystery buried deeper than anyone expected.
04
March of the Elephants
Two brothers, an unexpected journey, and a destination that always seems just beyond the horizon.
Cast My Vote →
Your vote won’t decide what Syd writes next—his characters rarely cooperate that neatly—but it may decide what he reveals next.