A BID to save the earth from being destroyed by an asteroid is the plot of a Hedge End author’s second novel which has just been published.

Mark Long’s In the Image of Man, is satire on the nature of humanity which follows a tiny god, Bob, as he attempts to increase his following to more than four and save the planet from a sudden impact.

He told the Echo got the idea for the book in a free writing exercise.

“That is where you just write down anything that comes into your head, and I found that I had written “Bob was a god” and I realised that I just had to go somewhere with that.”

He says his main influences are sci fi and fantasy authors Jasper Fforde, Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman and Douglas Adams.

His first book was Z-Day UK, a guide to surviving the zombie apocalypse iwhich contained illustrations from Shane Feazell.

And there’s a third novel on the way.

Mark said: “On New Year’s Day, I finished the first draft of my next book, Misjump, a science fiction novel set in the far future about a trader ship that has a failed hyperspace jump and and ends up in a universe where all of humanity have been taken over by mind controlling parasites.

“The crew become reluctant heroes.”

When he’s not writing, Mark teaches ukelele for the Southampton Ukelele Jam, plays gigs, films and edits music videos, and goes metal detecting.

In the Image of Man is available in paperback and ebook, and will soon be available as an audio book read by Sami Stone.