Strange Times: The Ghost in the Girl
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Founder | Tom DeLonge |
Key people | Tom DeLonge |
| Products | Books, music, media |
Strange Times: The Ghost in the Girl is a young adult science fiction novel co-authored by Tom DeLonge, the co-lead singer and guitarist of Blink-182 and Angels & Airwaves, alongside writer Geoff Herbach. Published on October 4, 2016, through DeLonge's company, To the Stars, this book serves as the initial installment in a trilogy and follows the 2015 graphic novel titled Strange Times: The Curse of Superstition Mountain.
DeLonge characterizes the narrative as loosely inspired by his own upbringing: "a tale reflecting certain peripheral experiences from my youth. It centers on a suburban boy who frequently broke rules, faced expulsion from high school, and relentlessly sought out unusual and creative adventures."
Synopsis
The story revolves around Charlie Wilkins, a former athlete, who teams up with a group of eighth-grade misfits—Wiz, Riley, Mouse, and Mattheson—to uncover the mystery behind Charlie’s father’s vanishing. His father, a member of the US Air Force, disappeared during a covert mission. Their investigation is supported by a ghostly girl linked to Charlie’s family.
Adaptation
In 2017, DeLonge revealed plans to make his directorial debut with a film adaptation of the Strange Times series, co-written with Ben Kull. Producers Stan Spry and Eric Woods (The Cartel), along with Russell Binder (Striker Entertainment), became involved in the project. The soundtrack was expected to be composed by Angels & Airwaves. By 2018, the adaptation transitioned into a television series for TBS. DeLonge described it as a "science fiction Disney" featuring punk band soundtracks from groups like the Descendents and Bad Religion. Since then, no additional information has been provided.