Following the success of their Goodnight Sweetheart Series 7 campaign, our friends at Idiot Box Books are jumping through time again, this time with ‘The Girl from Tomorrow’, the iconic Aussie sci-fi series that first aired in 1990. The beloved time-travel tale is making a literary comeback via a brand new crowdfunded trilogy, now live on Indiegogo.
For those who need a refresher, ‘The Girl from Tomorrow’ was a 12-part Australian children’s sci-fi series that aired on Channel Nine in 1990 and hit UK screens on BBC One in 1991. It followed Alana, a teenage time traveller from the year 3000, who was kidnapped by a rogue named Silverthorn and stranded in 1990. Cue a collision of futuristic tech, classic ’90s vibes, and time-bending adventure.
The show was created by acclaimed Aussie TV writers Mark Shirrefs and John Thomson (Spellbinder, Mako Mermaids, Neighbours), who also penned two novelisations in the early ’90s. Those books — The Girl from Tomorrow and Tomorrow’s End — have been out of print for decades… Until now.
The Tomorrow Trilogy: What’s in the Box?
Idiot Box Books has teamed up with Shirrefs and Thomson to produce The Tomorrow Trilogy, a new paperback and ebook boxset which includes:
- The Girl from Tomorrow – a reprint of the original 1990 novel
- Tomorrow’s End – the long-lost 1992 sequel
- A New Tomorrow – an all-new third novel set 35 years later, continuing the story for original fans and new readers alike
And yes, it’s all official. The trilogy is fully licensed by Screen Australia and, if successfully crowdfunded, will be available from Summer 2026.
A New Tomorrow – Grown-up Sci-Fi With Heart
The third book, A New Tomorrow, picks up in the year 3035. Humanity has colonised space, but a rogue 2025 space probe, launched by a tech billionaire turned cult leader, is about to doom the Earth by inviting the attention of a hostile alien AI.
To stop it, Alana must break every time travel law going and return to 2025. There, she reunites with her old friend Jenny, now a divorced rock drummer raising a teenage son. What follows is an epic road trip through the Australian outback, blending alien threats, family dynamics, cults, intergenerational trauma, and, of course, time travel.
Expect:
- Reunited friendships
- Generational storytelling
- Space-faring action
- The dangers of Big Tech and cult thinking
- Some classic sci-fi humour and heart
Something for Everyone (and Every Time Period)
If you’ve never encountered The Girl from Tomorrow before, don’t worry. The original books are being lovingly reprinted for new readers, and the stories hold up beautifully.
This is sci-fi with soul. It tackles everything from climate change and nuclear fear to foster care, identity, and adolescence, all through a kid-friendly lens. Think Doctor Who meets Back to the Future, but with more Transducers and fewer DeLoreans.
The new book shifts gears slightly to a more adult tone (the fans have grown up too), but it’s still suitable for older kids and teens, and packed with action, emotion, and clever sci-fi ideas.
Who’s Behind the Tomorrow Trilogy?
Mark Shirrefs and John Thomson are veterans of Aussie TV and kids’ drama. Alongside The Girl from Tomorrow, they created Spellbinder, Land of the Dragon Lord, and contributed to everything from Neighbours to Pig’s Breakfast to The Bureau of Magical Things.
They’re both based in Victoria, Australia, and are thrilled to be revisiting Alana and Jenny’s world 35 years on.
“We are delighted to be creating together again and excited to discover what will happen when Alana and Jenny meet again as middle-aged women with the future of the Earth once more facing an existential threat.”
— Mark Shirrefs & John Thomson
Support the Campaign!
You can support The Tomorrow Trilogy on Indiegogo right now. Whether you’re after a digital copy, a signed paperback set, or the full collector’s box, there are plenty of options for fans new and old.
Click here to support the campaign!
The books will be available in paperback and ebook, with exclusive rewards available during the campaign.
And if you want to revisit the original show (or introduce it to someone new), both series of The Girl from Tomorrow are available to stream and buy on Amazon in the UK.
Login to Geektown