A Hertfordshire father-daughter duo are set to release their debut sci-fi novel next month.

Adam and Harriet Frosh, who live in Harpenden, have worked on their action-packed alternate history book for two years, after dreaming up the story sitting in a KFC drive-thru.

Adam said: “Harriet pointed out a black, London style taxi cab that was in the parking bay and remarked, ‘What’s a black cab doing all the way out here?’

In a Star Wars-themed response, Adam replied: “Out here in space...”

From there, the two began imagining a story featuring a Robert de Niro-type New York cab driver with alien passengers.

Outside their novel-writing ventures, Dr Frosh is a consultant ear, nose and throat surgeon at the Lister Hospital and Harriet, an English student at the University of Nottingham.

She said: “I still can’t believe that what started as a fun idea in a drive through has turned into a reality, and the finished book looks amazing.” Space Taxis is available from Barnes & Nobel, Amazon and Waterstones from November 6.