Part One: Prelude to Peace is the first part of the D.I.T. Literary Universe. The next group of books is called Part Two: The Downfall of Evil.
Overview[]
The first set of books introduces the main universe in which the books are set, as well as core characters such as Annie McCallin, Savannah van Dukas, Superquack, Morgan, Roger, Sebiscuits Cardarphen, Baby Intelligence, and Lindsay Kellerman, and organizations such as the S.M.S.B.. Most of the books are short and detail aspects of the DLU that were, in the future, heavily expanded upon, with Annie exploring the outer universe, Superquack bonding with Morgan, and Baby Intelligence taking down Mr. Stupid NoHead.
Books[]
The Prime Poppies (2006)[]
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Journey to Planet 12 (2008)[]
- "I hate hoaxes, I hate con men, and I never want to think about outer space ever again."
"Hate's a strong word, Lucy. Think about how much fun we had. And now we're going home!" - ―Lucy McCallin and Doat[src]
On Earth, Moses awakes to learn that his friend Lucy McCallin has been kidnapped by aliens of Planet 12, prompting him to team up with DJ and Doat. Lucy becomes accustomed to aliens in Planet 12's capitol, Uria, and is even shown to a museum. With the night stars visible, Lucy shows Prince Charlien her home, only to realize it's not where it should be. The group finds Lucy, but she refuses to go home. When Moses reminds Lucy what will become of her decision, she realizes he is right, but then she is captured by the chairman Donheim, who has been hiding in the Yuckious Hole, where their spaceship is parked, followed by mad scientist Yidd, who the group learns has actually orchestrated a hoax to make an engorged ball in a museum appear to be Planet 12. The replica is shrunk and burned after Moses pushes Yidd back into the hole, eternally sealing him and forcing Donheim into retreat. This diversion allows the others to escape, leading to a scuffle in which they elude the vindictive Executeress and expose her for aiding and abetting. Bidding those in the museum they have saved farewell, Moses launches the spaceship home. Much later, the President of Italy recounts to Doat how a very young superhero has saved his life, claiming that his existence is a miracle.
Superquack (2010)[]
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Baby Intelligence (2011)[]
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Sebiscuits: Dawn of Transcendence (2011)[]
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The Super Babies: Pride of the Super Babies (2011)[]
Long ago, mutantry was discovered in Ancient Egypt. Most mutants advocated to use their immense power for good, but some thought they were meant to rule the weak. A terrible war began. They were led by the cruel and ruthless Dark Lord, a man determined to rule the entire universe and retake what once was his. The world gradually fell to the power of the Order. But resistance came in the most unlikely form. Now, join Baby Intelligence in his epic journey across the world. Along with the tender-hearted Baby Strength and the comedic Force Baby, he seeks to unveil the prophecy of the Chosen One. That way, he will be able to destroy the evil Mr. Stupid NoHead and his armies. Although ravaged by a deadly war, there is an almost consistent air of courage and perseverance essential to brave what lies ahead. Hope just might be the answer to paying the price of freedom.
Development[]
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D. Isaac Thomas wrote the first book of the franchise as a kindergartener in 2006. The book is illustrated entirely with photos taken from Thomas' cell phone several years later. He would not become active in literature, however, for another two years.
D. Isaac Thomas approached his brother Ammon with the idea in 2010. Ammon primarily worked on Morgan and Macroburst, while Thomas worked on Exogale and the novel's titular character. Ammon also decided Mr. Baby Tutu, the antagonist, should have a surrogate son. They frequently presented each other with ideas, some of which were much more bizarre than others, generally incorporating them into a cohesive and engaging read. Thomas also scrapped the idea early on for the novel to have a serious and dark tone, with Ammon having always wanted it to be comedic. While on an underwhelming camping trip, it was also the latter's idea for Exogale and Macroburst to be resurrected and made as major characters, instead of being martyred and staying dead as Thomas had hitherto intended. He also had the idea to make the Iron Godking a real historical figure, as Thomas once meant for him to be a myth just as Mr. Baby Tutu assumed. They based Superquack on a doll previously named "Little Quack" after a defunct franchise of short childrens' stories, while Morgan was modeled after a doll given to Thomas by his former bus driver early in 2009. Thomas' idea to include the Warrior Chicken was a late one, as he had enjoyed pretending to dub Ammon "a chicken", to which his little brother responded by dubbing him "a warrior chicken".
The book was released on December 29, 2009 as D. Isaac Thomas' first novel, as well as his first book to be rated PG (for "action violence and rude humor"). Both Thomas and Melissa Vaine consider this the former's chance to "make or break" the DLU, hence explaining Thomas' confidence of success.
Reception[]
Journey to Planet 12 is not often well-praised by readers for its overly familiar storyline, stock characters, and humor that alternates between curious and potentially offensive. While Melissa Vaine was less than fascinated and considered the picture book to be far more formulaic than what the DLU books had become, Chris has acknowledged that it does deliver a few pleasant surprises, including a smart story.
Music[]
| Song title | Artist | Book | Location(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Also sprach Zarathustra | Richard Strauss | Journey to Planet 12 |
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Trivia[]
- According to Melissa Vaine, Part One: Prelude to Peace is certainly child-friendly, but there are a couple of chapters that would make children and some adults uncomfortable.