After Arrival: A post-apocalyptic sci-fi novel

by Massimo Paradiso

In 2045, little remains of Earth. The aliens arrived a decade ago, eradicating most human life in the process. No one knows why they did it or why they are here. Their vessel stands out at sea, silently stretching up into the clouds while the survivors of Earth fight over what’s left. England is reduced to two Oxford, a beacon of hope and prosperity; and Chard, a rebel encampment. While they squabble at a distance, a girl stumbles across a secret that could turn what’s left of the world upside down. But there is far more at risk than the humans know.

Genres: Science Fiction, Dystopia, Post Apocalyptic

458 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 8, 2024

About the author

I started writing in secret - I was a little sheepish about it. Eventually my wife got suspicious and, eager to show her I wasn't having an online affair, I showed her my first draft. She admitted the words were in a legible order. I now write out of the shadows and have three books to my name, a fourth in the works and many more in my brain that I'm eager to get out. Stay tuned.

Reviews

[BookswithLydscl | · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25*
A little slow moving at times but overall a fantastic after arrival, dystopian Alien scifi story. This is how modern scifi telling classic science fiction style stories should be written. It's about family and society, the power struggle following the power grab by an elite few and the corruption of those left in charge. It's not big and outlandish, even the alien scenes feel pretty subtle and designed to add to the story rather than give a wow factor. Very glad I picked this up on kindle unlimited and will check out some of the author's other work.

[N Dzerins]

I really enjoyed this book. It was reminiscent of both 1984 and Julia, due to the lack of technology I was feeling the bucolic, 1940s style setting. I thought it was well paced and the characters were roundly developed. However it would have benefitted from some good proofreading, the author thanking his proofreaders in the acknowledgements was surprising because I didn’t think he had had any. Small mistakes on homonyms (palette/palate, peak/peek) etc but enough to take you out of the book. Also (this may be a personal preference) there were loads of sentences which would have benefited from an extra comma or two.

[Katherine Welsford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyable. Everything goes very quickly in the last 1/5th but I don't hate that. Interesting concepts and fun viewpoints

[Nick Mooney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this.

It was quite slow going until pretty much the 50% mark and then it got going.

There are a number of typos still present, but they're not overly distracting.

I liked that the chapters won't overly long.

[Erica Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this could have benefited from some significant proof reading and corrections, the story and characters were enough to keep me engaged.

A really nice spin on the climate apocalypse genre. With aliens. And a twelve year old. And a piano.

[Terri Stokes · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's 2045 and very little remains of the UK after the arrival of the Aliens who with them, brought floods, eradicating most human life while others died from the gas which arrived soon after. The Alien's vessel stands out to sea, standing tall and silent, still and has done since they arrived a decade ago, stood out to sea.

Broken down in to two places, Oxford is meant to be a beacon of hope, a place where people are trying to carry on and start again, full of prosperity. While Chard is the rebel side of things, everything that Oxford isn't. The government says one thing and the rebels another, fighting against each other, no one really knows what is the truth and what is propergander.


Yet there is hope within the grasp of a young girl, she could be the one thing which could bring the two fractions together and bring real peace to the remains of the UK.

[Pete Miles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy and generally entertaining read

This is ok to relax to, in the way that an old B movie is. It's pleasantly un-demanding and fitted the bill as a holiday read. The child is rather two dimensional, so I didn't really care as much about what happened to her as I should have done. A few sci-fi cliches together with some quite refreshing elements. I found the end a bit rushed. However, I had been struggling a bit, to get into a book, too tired and otherwise brain occupied to be bothered with the work of ploughing through the early chapters of a book to get into it. This was easy to get into straight away and I thank it for that.

[Emmanuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Massimo Paradiso’s After Arrival thoughtfully blends human drama with apocalyptic sci-fi. Set in 2045, the world is ten years past an alien invasion that wiped out most life. The massive alien vessel looms silently off the coast, and England is split into two factions: the authoritarian settlement of Oxford and the anarchic rebels in Chard. The story primarily follows Flo, a young girl who discovers a hidden secret deep within the alien structure that could change humanity’s fate and forces both factions to confront uncomfortable truths.

[Kay Padgham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. I got pulled along by the intertwining narratives and was soon rooting for Flo and her flawed dad. It's quite a weighty book, but I read it in a few days. Aliens, intrigue, backstabbing, some moments of emotion and a twist or two - what's not to like? I didn't spot lots of errors, so I was evidently absorbed enough in the story for my brain to not notice them, though 'inhalation' rather than 'annihilation' did tickle me!

[Sophia Botch · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the strongest elements is Paradiso’s pacing. While the first third slows down to establish the bleak setting and political divisions, the narrative accelerates as Flo, Costa (a rebel leader), and Winona (an Oxford politician) are drawn into a race to understand the aliens. Their contrasting viewpoints Flo’s curiosity, Costa’s distrust of authority, and Winona’s rigid pragmatism create constant tension and unexpected alliances.

[Solomon Terez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Massimo Paradiso’s author bio reveals he began writing in secret, taking a non-traditional route into publishing. He balances big sci-fi concepts with human stories, and while some readers mention occasional pacing issues or minor typos, many praise his imagination and world-building. The English countryside transformed by flooding and societal collapse is vividly described, giving the novel a gritty, lived-in feel.

[Cherie Churchill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book a lot, especially the middle section with Costa and the Spire. The author has such an amazing imagination. But I found the ending a bit of an anti-climax and a disappointment as a result. I did like the way each chapter started with a character name and the way it was written made for very easy reading.

[Emmy Yaeger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paradiso’s writing is grounded more in character and atmosphere than flashy technology. The alien presence isn’t explained through laser battles or starships but through cryptic encounters and unsettling hints about their intentions. This makes the narrative feel mysterious and introspective, emphasizing what humans do to each other in desperation rather than focusing solely on extraterrestrials.

[Glenda Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall, this book reads like a hybrid of dystopian fiction and thoughtful sci-fi. Rather than focusing exclusively on alien battles, Paradiso uses the invasion as a lens to examine human nature, conflict, hope, and what it means to rebuild a broken world. The interplay between characters like Flo, Costa, and Winona enriches the narrative beyond typical post-apocalyptic tropes.

[Shawn Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

The alien vessel itself is almost a character, silent, towering, and unfathomable. Paradiso uses it to explore themes of communication and misunderstanding: even when the aliens say something, humans struggle to interpret intention. This ambiguity keeps readers guessing about whether the extraterrestrials are benevolent, indifferent, or something else entirely

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5* rounded up for suprising me towards the end. This was an enjoyable read, but the pacing felt off. The initial third dragged enough that I almost put it down, and the final third felt rushed. It took a long time for me to care about any of the characters, but it was worth persevering with.

[Louie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable, dystopian post alien arrival sci tale...

it was a little slow in some places but overall it was a good tale.
Loved Ally and Flo, loved the 1940s world feel of the world building...yes, twas good.

[Gomez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Flo is such a compelling protagonist, a young girl who discovers something huge about the alien presence that could change everything. Her journey from scared survivor to someone who might unite Oxford and Chard really drives the emotional core of the book

[Harry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I appreciated the tension between Winona, the politician in Oxford, and Costa, the rebel voice in Chard. Their clashing motivations show the complexity of post-Arrival society, even if at times it was hard to care about both equally

[Clinton Kline · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Spire the strange structure inside the alien vessel is one of the most fascinating parts of the story. When Costa leads a small group to explore it, you realize the stakes are way bigger than just human politics.

[Costa Maverick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seeing Flo befriend a group of scavengers and then uncover a hidden archive about what really happened when the aliens arrived was gripping. It makes you rethink what everyone believes about the invasion

[Kathrine Lorretta · Rating 5 out of 5]

After Arrival isn’t a brief read. Paradiso takes his time building the world, from the flooded ruins of cities to the desolate struggles of scattered survivors. Those who enjoy detailed settings and layered storytelling will find much to appreciate, even if the story’s momentum ebbs and flows.

[Shawn Winchester · Rating 5 out of 5]

Winona’s inner conflict and her obsession with her late father’s piano add unexpected emotional depth to the military and political intrigues. These quieter character moments balance the high stakes of survival and philosophical questions about humanity’s role in the universe.

[Danielle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has 29 positive reviews all posted on 1st March within minutes of each other, all obviously AI-generated, all from fake accounts.

Wish I'd picked up on that before I bought this book. Bumping your score like that is just sad.

[Connie Suggitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved that this was a post apocalyptic story NOT set in a major city! Such an interesting premise, the world building was amazing, loved this book!

[Clare Manton · Rating 4 out of 5]

The future is in the hands of our children.
Good book felt rushed at the end.

[Lady · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Tim Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Different, clever, and it grew on me as I went along.

[Rosie · Rating 3 out of 5]

An unfortunate and rather awkward DNF.

I really couldn't get past halfway. I think the premise is worth a re-read, but unfortunately, this time around, I just stalled.

To return to.

[Daniel Madine · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute gem of a novel. Beautifully written.