After the television series, Alien Nation, was canceled, it came back in a series of five movies. This book by K.W. Jeter used the screenplays from before the series was ended, not from the movie. There are difference between this book and that movie that some might find annoying, but with I as a cultural historian and a writer found interesting. The book is gets more into secondary character relationships on Earth and goes into greater detail about life for the upper echelons of Tenctonese slaves who help run the massive empire of the masters who never learn much about. If this story had been part of the series, I would have loved that exploration of Tenctonese life pre-crash explored over several episodes.