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Project HALFSHEEP: Or How the Agency's Alien Got High
The lords of a dying planet send Piyat, a terrified “volunteer,” on a voyage across the universe. The reluctant alien crashes in the fear-washed landscape of Cold War America near the site of the nation’s first nuclear test. Captured by the Army and stolen by the CIA, she falls into the hands of a guilt-ridden ex-operative, a psychiatrist with a lust for pharmacology, and an Agency golden boy gone wrong. They turn her into the centerpiece of Project HALFSHEEP, a Top Secret program to test mind control drugs. But Piyat is not so easy to control.
PROJECT HALFSHEEP is a darkly funny blend of science fiction and political satire informed by the real-life excesses of the CIA in its earliest years.
PROJECT HALFSHEEP is a darkly funny blend of science fiction and political satire informed by the real-life excesses of the CIA in its earliest years.
351 pages, Paperback
First published March 21, 2014
6 people are currently reading
761 people want to read
About the author
Susan Hasler
5 books77 followersIf Susan Hasler had her druthers, she would have preferred to be the person who entertains others, brings joy to others, or heals others. Unfortunately, she lacked talent in areas of entertainment, joy-bringing, and healing. This, combined with poor planning and the need for a job when only the CIA was hiring, led her to become a person who warns others. In other words, the least popular person at any party. As a CIA analyst, Hasler worked the Soviet threat, proliferation, and terrorism. Warning is a grim business that eventually warps the mind. She has always been aware of this and countered it with warped humor. Seventeen years after leaving the CIA, she still can’t escape the warning mentality or the warpage. So cautionary tales it is. Go elsewhere for fairytales.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
July 19, 2014
Review Summary:
ET on speed. Maybe LSD? Would you believe aspirin, perhaps…?
This is a brilliant novel. The alien is quite marvellous and the supporting cast all add real value to the story. Thrust from the distant planet of Utorb and onto post WW2 earth for a ‘volunteer’ mission, Piyat the terrified alien is soon captured by the army, subsequently commandeered by the CIA and forced into a substance abuse program. Brilliant storytelling.
Review in a bit more detail:
I received a free copy of this book to write an honest review. But I liked it so much I’d buy it.
Thrust from the distant planet of Utorb and onto post WW2 earth for a ‘volunteer’ mission, an hysterical and screaming Piyat the alien is soon captured by the army, subsequently commandeered by the CIA and forced into substance abuse programs.
With quotes like: “If you scream again I will thwack you senseless” and “In all the universe, the only thing I wanted was to scratch my butt”, it is clear that Piyat’s journey to earth was going to be an interesting one for the reader.
Project HALFSHEEP drifts between the first alien point of view of Piyat and the third person viewpoint of the various operatives assigned to care for the Utorbian. Not a style of writing I’d attempt, but I think Susan Hasler manages to do it brilliantly.
The book pokes fun at the US government’s treatment of an alien that is clearly far more intelligent than most of the operatives who are appointed handlers. At times the storyline reminded me of the old ‘spiders are as scared of us as we are of them’ viewpoint…! It carries along at a good pace and with an excellent dose of great humour while also casting a critical eye over the darker side of human nature. Piyat is also fortunate enough to find true care from a couple of the key characters.
As I mentioned in the review summary, this is a brilliant novel. The alien is quite marvellously presented and fleshed out. The supporting cast and Piyat’s interactions with them add real value to the story. The underlying (and quite often front-and-centre) paranoia of cold war America is used well both as a backdrop and key plot points.
This book should appeal to pretty much anyone. There are elements of humour, sci-fi and a decent CIA/ government agency story all wrapped up in a cold war environment that is quite expertly blended together.
Pete Diggins
19 July 2014
ET on speed. Maybe LSD? Would you believe aspirin, perhaps…?
This is a brilliant novel. The alien is quite marvellous and the supporting cast all add real value to the story. Thrust from the distant planet of Utorb and onto post WW2 earth for a ‘volunteer’ mission, Piyat the terrified alien is soon captured by the army, subsequently commandeered by the CIA and forced into a substance abuse program. Brilliant storytelling.
Review in a bit more detail:
I received a free copy of this book to write an honest review. But I liked it so much I’d buy it.
Thrust from the distant planet of Utorb and onto post WW2 earth for a ‘volunteer’ mission, an hysterical and screaming Piyat the alien is soon captured by the army, subsequently commandeered by the CIA and forced into substance abuse programs.
With quotes like: “If you scream again I will thwack you senseless” and “In all the universe, the only thing I wanted was to scratch my butt”, it is clear that Piyat’s journey to earth was going to be an interesting one for the reader.
Project HALFSHEEP drifts between the first alien point of view of Piyat and the third person viewpoint of the various operatives assigned to care for the Utorbian. Not a style of writing I’d attempt, but I think Susan Hasler manages to do it brilliantly.
The book pokes fun at the US government’s treatment of an alien that is clearly far more intelligent than most of the operatives who are appointed handlers. At times the storyline reminded me of the old ‘spiders are as scared of us as we are of them’ viewpoint…! It carries along at a good pace and with an excellent dose of great humour while also casting a critical eye over the darker side of human nature. Piyat is also fortunate enough to find true care from a couple of the key characters.
As I mentioned in the review summary, this is a brilliant novel. The alien is quite marvellously presented and fleshed out. The supporting cast and Piyat’s interactions with them add real value to the story. The underlying (and quite often front-and-centre) paranoia of cold war America is used well both as a backdrop and key plot points.
This book should appeal to pretty much anyone. There are elements of humour, sci-fi and a decent CIA/ government agency story all wrapped up in a cold war environment that is quite expertly blended together.
Pete Diggins
19 July 2014
July 5, 2015
Fictional aliens have visited Earth many times in the past.
Some have been friendly, others terrifying but none - even E.T. - have been as "human" as Piyat, the unwilling female volunteer shot to Earth from a dying planet in author Susan Hasler's excellent "Project HALFSHEEP: Or How the Agency's Alien Got High."
I found this to be a wonderful book on many levels.
It is, for example, beautifully written. Hasler has a real command of the language and her talents are on full display in this novel of life in the United States in the years following World War II. Her descriptions of people, of places and of events are spot on and they rope the reader into her narrative.
And what a narrative it is: Full of all the paranoia that marked America in the Age of McCarthy and other right-wing demagogues who cynically used the "Red Scare" to win elections and Constitutional concessions from the people they were allegedly trying to protect. Their paranoia allows them to treat Piyat with disdain and a total lack of humanity. They imprison her, experiment on her and treat her roughly; utterly failing to realize that she is more intelligent than they are by a long measure. Her treatment because she is alien closely parallels the treatment of Trudie, the woman who first recognizes that Piyat is special in a way the buttoned-down, fear-driven men around her do not. Like Piyat, Trudie is also imprisoned: Her cell is a loveless marriage to a cruel man who controls her life and her property.
Perhaps that's why she and Piyat bond so quickly?
In any event, Hasler's dual story lines give her the opportunity to make some very sharp observations about the status of women during the Fifties and the present.
In addition, Hasler - who spent more than two decades working for the CIA - casts a knowing eye on the workings of it and other "intelligence" agencies back in the day when it was often considered disloyal to voice any criticism of the government and its workings. It was a time when even newspaper reporters and editors took quiet payoffs from the CIA and other agencies for privately informing on co-workers and people they came into contact with: A terrible time in American history despite the Herculean efforts of television and the film industry to paint it as idyllic. Hasler's descriptions of the self-righteous men who ran the country's spy agencies in those dark days perfectly captures, in my opinion, their lack of respect for women, their recklessness, their paranoia and their almost complete perversion of the American ideal.
This is an excellent novel that will sometimes make you smile, sometimes make you laugh, and sometimes make you wonder why we Americans are always so ready to judge on appearances alone.
In short, it is a novel that will make you think.
I highly recommend it.
Some have been friendly, others terrifying but none - even E.T. - have been as "human" as Piyat, the unwilling female volunteer shot to Earth from a dying planet in author Susan Hasler's excellent "Project HALFSHEEP: Or How the Agency's Alien Got High."
I found this to be a wonderful book on many levels.
It is, for example, beautifully written. Hasler has a real command of the language and her talents are on full display in this novel of life in the United States in the years following World War II. Her descriptions of people, of places and of events are spot on and they rope the reader into her narrative.
And what a narrative it is: Full of all the paranoia that marked America in the Age of McCarthy and other right-wing demagogues who cynically used the "Red Scare" to win elections and Constitutional concessions from the people they were allegedly trying to protect. Their paranoia allows them to treat Piyat with disdain and a total lack of humanity. They imprison her, experiment on her and treat her roughly; utterly failing to realize that she is more intelligent than they are by a long measure. Her treatment because she is alien closely parallels the treatment of Trudie, the woman who first recognizes that Piyat is special in a way the buttoned-down, fear-driven men around her do not. Like Piyat, Trudie is also imprisoned: Her cell is a loveless marriage to a cruel man who controls her life and her property.
Perhaps that's why she and Piyat bond so quickly?
In any event, Hasler's dual story lines give her the opportunity to make some very sharp observations about the status of women during the Fifties and the present.
In addition, Hasler - who spent more than two decades working for the CIA - casts a knowing eye on the workings of it and other "intelligence" agencies back in the day when it was often considered disloyal to voice any criticism of the government and its workings. It was a time when even newspaper reporters and editors took quiet payoffs from the CIA and other agencies for privately informing on co-workers and people they came into contact with: A terrible time in American history despite the Herculean efforts of television and the film industry to paint it as idyllic. Hasler's descriptions of the self-righteous men who ran the country's spy agencies in those dark days perfectly captures, in my opinion, their lack of respect for women, their recklessness, their paranoia and their almost complete perversion of the American ideal.
This is an excellent novel that will sometimes make you smile, sometimes make you laugh, and sometimes make you wonder why we Americans are always so ready to judge on appearances alone.
In short, it is a novel that will make you think.
I highly recommend it.
June 17, 2014
This novel had me chuckling from the first page until the end. The wit and humour contained within the story were a delight.
An alien is sent, hysterical and screaming, to planet Earth. The army and CIA compete for control of this creature, feeling that possession of it would raise their status in secret circles. Thus begins a series of bungles and dirty tricks. To say more would mean spoiling this delightful story.
I was interested to read the “About Susan Hasler” section at the end and it made me realise that some of the criticism contained in the novel in relation to the treatment of women in CIA ranks may be true. Ms Hasler spent twenty-one years in that organisation.
The arc of the story is excellent, as is Ms Hasler’s use of language. The dialogue flows well. The characters are well-drawn.
I loved the strong voice of the alien, and because most of the story was told in the first person (or alien in this case) I enjoyed it thoroughly.
My only criticism is that the switching of point of view from first person to third was jarring at times. Otherwise it was brilliant.
4 stars
An alien is sent, hysterical and screaming, to planet Earth. The army and CIA compete for control of this creature, feeling that possession of it would raise their status in secret circles. Thus begins a series of bungles and dirty tricks. To say more would mean spoiling this delightful story.
I was interested to read the “About Susan Hasler” section at the end and it made me realise that some of the criticism contained in the novel in relation to the treatment of women in CIA ranks may be true. Ms Hasler spent twenty-one years in that organisation.
The arc of the story is excellent, as is Ms Hasler’s use of language. The dialogue flows well. The characters are well-drawn.
I loved the strong voice of the alien, and because most of the story was told in the first person (or alien in this case) I enjoyed it thoroughly.
My only criticism is that the switching of point of view from first person to third was jarring at times. Otherwise it was brilliant.
4 stars
April 9, 2018
In 1953, the fledgling CIA under Director Allen Dulles launched a mind-control program called MKUltra. The project was an experiment on human subjects with drugs that included LSD years before Timothy Leary turned on and dropped out. Caught up in the anti-Communist hysteria of the time, the CIA was searching for new ways to interrogate and ultimately control prisoners, just as they imagined "the Communists" were already doing. These illegal experiments resulted in several deaths, most famously that of a US Army biological weapons researcher named Frank Olsen. Only two decades later did word of MKUltra, the CIA and LSD reach the public through an expose in the New York Times and subsequent Congressional investigations.
In Project HALFSHEEP, 21-year CIA veteran Susan Hasler satirizes MKUltra in a fanciful science fiction novel about an alien captured by the Agency and subjected to years of experiments with mind-altering drugs. Like her earlier novel, Intelligence, Project HALFSHEEP refers to the CIA as "the Mines" and peoples the Agency with a misbegotten collection of rich, entitled misfits, undercover officers suffering from PTSD, and long-suffering bureaucrats.
The central character in the novel is a three-foot-tall creature from the planet Utorb who has been sent unwillingly on a mission to scout out Earth as a possible new home for her dying race. The alien has enormous eyes, webbed fingers, ears in her palms, wool on her butt, and a nine-inch nose that causes her to be known by many of her captors as Dick-Face. She quacks like a duck. Her name is unclear. When "volunteered" for the mission to Earth, "they took my humble name away and called me 'Piyat,' which in the high language means 'brave one,' and in the common tongue, 'idiot.'" She prefers to be called Alice Webster, after what become her two favorite books, Alice in Wonderland and Webster's Unabridged Dictionary. Oh, and she's a great chess player.
Project HALFSHEEP also tackles the perennial conspiracy theory about an alien landing at Roswell, New Mexico. Piyat crash-lands in New Mexico in 1947 far from Roswell. To prevent discovery of the real crash site, the CIA sets up a fake site near the town.
As an analyst at the CIA, Susan Hasler was involved in tracking down Osama bin Laden. She held other positions at the Agency, among them serving as a Russian linguist and speechwriter for three CIA Directors. Project HALFSHEEP was the second of her three novels.
In Project HALFSHEEP, 21-year CIA veteran Susan Hasler satirizes MKUltra in a fanciful science fiction novel about an alien captured by the Agency and subjected to years of experiments with mind-altering drugs. Like her earlier novel, Intelligence, Project HALFSHEEP refers to the CIA as "the Mines" and peoples the Agency with a misbegotten collection of rich, entitled misfits, undercover officers suffering from PTSD, and long-suffering bureaucrats.
The central character in the novel is a three-foot-tall creature from the planet Utorb who has been sent unwillingly on a mission to scout out Earth as a possible new home for her dying race. The alien has enormous eyes, webbed fingers, ears in her palms, wool on her butt, and a nine-inch nose that causes her to be known by many of her captors as Dick-Face. She quacks like a duck. Her name is unclear. When "volunteered" for the mission to Earth, "they took my humble name away and called me 'Piyat,' which in the high language means 'brave one,' and in the common tongue, 'idiot.'" She prefers to be called Alice Webster, after what become her two favorite books, Alice in Wonderland and Webster's Unabridged Dictionary. Oh, and she's a great chess player.
Project HALFSHEEP also tackles the perennial conspiracy theory about an alien landing at Roswell, New Mexico. Piyat crash-lands in New Mexico in 1947 far from Roswell. To prevent discovery of the real crash site, the CIA sets up a fake site near the town.
As an analyst at the CIA, Susan Hasler was involved in tracking down Osama bin Laden. She held other positions at the Agency, among them serving as a Russian linguist and speechwriter for three CIA Directors. Project HALFSHEEP was the second of her three novels.
October 4, 2014
This is a complex novel to describe or review. There’s a lot of humor. Since the alien learned English from Webster’s dictionary, her word choice is an ongoing source of humor. She says she “misplaced my consciousness” and got in a “feces load of trouble.” Her observations of humanity are also amusing as well as right on.
“The humans think if they chop him [time] small and give him a ticking sound, if they strap him to their wrists, they can understand time, but it’s not so. He is not nor ever will be effable. Nor is he killable, no matter how they talk about killing him.”
Another favorite alien observation: “Arguing made humans stupider.”
Basically, all the sections narrated by the alien are great, funny and perceptive, from the moment she accidentally volunteers for this mission because she’s daydreaming about genetically coloring her flocculent butt hot pink to the end where she’s switching labels on the boxes in the archives for fun. She arrives on earth shortly after WWII when the cold war was just developing and the CIA was formed. She’s captured by the army and then later taken by the CIA, so the book is filled with satire about army stupidity and the pursuit and abuse of power in government agencies. The CIA’s experiments with psychoactive drugs on unwitting subjects is treated satirically too since the alien as well as the psychiatrist become rather fond of LSD and weed.
But much of the book is also told in third person by a large cast of characters, each one fully developed with a back story and internal and external conflicts. A lot of these people are victims of domestic abuse. The subjugation of women is an ongoing theme. When the book leaves the alien and follows these other people, its tone changes. There isn’t much humor and often the pacing slows. I began to wonder if Hasler was trying to fit too much into one book, or if it might be sharpened by a little cutting. Or maybe she does successfully weave together the paranoia of the cold war, the brutality of interrogations, the abuses of government power, the suppression of women, and the horrific insensitivity of some scientists to their subjects.
Regardless, I was enthralled all the way to the end and would recommend Project HALFSHEEP for its complexity, its wit, its insights, its delightful alien, and its skewering of the CIA.
“The humans think if they chop him [time] small and give him a ticking sound, if they strap him to their wrists, they can understand time, but it’s not so. He is not nor ever will be effable. Nor is he killable, no matter how they talk about killing him.”
Another favorite alien observation: “Arguing made humans stupider.”
Basically, all the sections narrated by the alien are great, funny and perceptive, from the moment she accidentally volunteers for this mission because she’s daydreaming about genetically coloring her flocculent butt hot pink to the end where she’s switching labels on the boxes in the archives for fun. She arrives on earth shortly after WWII when the cold war was just developing and the CIA was formed. She’s captured by the army and then later taken by the CIA, so the book is filled with satire about army stupidity and the pursuit and abuse of power in government agencies. The CIA’s experiments with psychoactive drugs on unwitting subjects is treated satirically too since the alien as well as the psychiatrist become rather fond of LSD and weed.
But much of the book is also told in third person by a large cast of characters, each one fully developed with a back story and internal and external conflicts. A lot of these people are victims of domestic abuse. The subjugation of women is an ongoing theme. When the book leaves the alien and follows these other people, its tone changes. There isn’t much humor and often the pacing slows. I began to wonder if Hasler was trying to fit too much into one book, or if it might be sharpened by a little cutting. Or maybe she does successfully weave together the paranoia of the cold war, the brutality of interrogations, the abuses of government power, the suppression of women, and the horrific insensitivity of some scientists to their subjects.
Regardless, I was enthralled all the way to the end and would recommend Project HALFSHEEP for its complexity, its wit, its insights, its delightful alien, and its skewering of the CIA.
June 24, 2015
This was an excellent book with the only problem being that, towards the end, it got almost too depressing to keep reading at times.
The first thing I have to say about this book is to not let the blurb fool you. It is about everything said in the blurb, but it’s also about sexism, which is period appropriately portrayed without being exaggerated, and about the marks horrible events leave on your mind. These themes are brilliantly interwoven with the tale of the alien.
The characters were wonderfully and realistically portrayed, though it might’ve been nice to have found out a bit more about Boots to make sense out of why he was so very, very cruel.
Humor and pathos alternated throughout the tale, with the humor lessening some towards the end, as I mentioned above. In my opinion some of the best parts were the ones that blended the two, but I’ve been accused of having a very dark sense of humor before.
I had to look up several words which is something I quite like in books.
The descriptions of everything, especially the alien world and culture, were very well done. The book also had the best description of a migraine I’ve ever read.
I really loved the alien culture. It was relatable, but still, well, alien. I especially liked the differences -- or were they? -- between the high and low language, like a word meaning “adventurer” in one and “doomed” in the other, as well as little things like the alien finding 90 degree angles cramped.
And the poem the alien writes has to be read to be believed.
All-in-all, this was a very good book, and I look forward to reading more by the author.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
The first thing I have to say about this book is to not let the blurb fool you. It is about everything said in the blurb, but it’s also about sexism, which is period appropriately portrayed without being exaggerated, and about the marks horrible events leave on your mind. These themes are brilliantly interwoven with the tale of the alien.
The characters were wonderfully and realistically portrayed, though it might’ve been nice to have found out a bit more about Boots to make sense out of why he was so very, very cruel.
Humor and pathos alternated throughout the tale, with the humor lessening some towards the end, as I mentioned above. In my opinion some of the best parts were the ones that blended the two, but I’ve been accused of having a very dark sense of humor before.
I had to look up several words which is something I quite like in books.
The descriptions of everything, especially the alien world and culture, were very well done. The book also had the best description of a migraine I’ve ever read.
I really loved the alien culture. It was relatable, but still, well, alien. I especially liked the differences -- or were they? -- between the high and low language, like a word meaning “adventurer” in one and “doomed” in the other, as well as little things like the alien finding 90 degree angles cramped.
And the poem the alien writes has to be read to be believed.
All-in-all, this was a very good book, and I look forward to reading more by the author.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
September 1, 2014
This story was a very skillfully crafted, humorous yet suspenseful, jab at various government entities (alien ones included). I found myself laughing aloud on a number of occasions as I read this unique treasure, and despite the humorous nature of the relaying, I found it quite suspenseful and tense throughout.
"Remembering how the humans frequently commented that my proboscis “gave them the willies,” I rubbed it against Vince’s hand. He moved back so quickly, he knocked his chair over and sprawled on the floor. I smiled at him, giving him a view of my undazzling chewing ridges. The others laughed, and this time not at me."
The personal interactions between the alien (Doug), and his human handlers are described with rich emotional narrative that clearly conveyed the personalities of the characters. The story was well balanced and had just the right degree of "side story" to round out the rough edges on detail.
I found myself wanting to know Doug, Lee and Lloyd...I unfortunately, already know Avery. Susan Hasler did a praiseworthy job of embodying in her characters, the various major personality types one comes to be familiar with in various governmental organizations (Agency, Military, or Bureau). Despite the familiar traits, Hasler gives them enough individuality that you don't realize that's what she has done. I was curious as to why this was listed in satire, but it is very clear now. She has successfully lampooned quite a wide range of characters and agencies.
I would recommend this book to anyone as it crosses many genres, is uproariously funny at times and paints a rich picture of human (and alien) relationships. Bravo.
"Remembering how the humans frequently commented that my proboscis “gave them the willies,” I rubbed it against Vince’s hand. He moved back so quickly, he knocked his chair over and sprawled on the floor. I smiled at him, giving him a view of my undazzling chewing ridges. The others laughed, and this time not at me."
The personal interactions between the alien (Doug), and his human handlers are described with rich emotional narrative that clearly conveyed the personalities of the characters. The story was well balanced and had just the right degree of "side story" to round out the rough edges on detail.
I found myself wanting to know Doug, Lee and Lloyd...I unfortunately, already know Avery. Susan Hasler did a praiseworthy job of embodying in her characters, the various major personality types one comes to be familiar with in various governmental organizations (Agency, Military, or Bureau). Despite the familiar traits, Hasler gives them enough individuality that you don't realize that's what she has done. I was curious as to why this was listed in satire, but it is very clear now. She has successfully lampooned quite a wide range of characters and agencies.
I would recommend this book to anyone as it crosses many genres, is uproariously funny at times and paints a rich picture of human (and alien) relationships. Bravo.
June 29, 2014
What a witty tale! The story of the alien who comes to Earth and ends up being fought over and used for drug testing was surprisingly funny. The story is set during the cold war and the feel of the story seems to reflect that era. I especially enjoyed the CIA aspect of the story as well. The story is paced very well, and it never seemed to drag. The characters are well developed and keep the story fresh, especially the main character of the alien, who had me giggling on many occasions. I admit that this genre is probably adjacent to my usually preferred genre. I do enjoy a good fantasy or sci/fi tale, but I usually read things more along the lines of The Mortal Instruments or The Hunger Games. But, I have to say I was pleasantly surprised to see how much I enjoyed this story. I think anyone could enjoy the book, but you should check it out if you are a fan of fantasy/sci fi, especially if you are in need of something to make you both think and laugh.
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest and nonreciprocal review.
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest and nonreciprocal review.
September 2, 2014
I received this book free from the author for an honest review.
(Language, drug use) Project Halfsheep is well-written book by Susan Hasler. It has a solid plot that pulls you into it. I liked the alien and although the promised plot takes a while to develop there are no slow spaces. Everything is well thought out and flows from one scene to the next. Susan Hasler does an excellent job at keeping the unbelievable believable, and the story is completely unique.
There were a few things that became a little distracting, but most of the things I didn’t like were nitpicky: For example, I wanted the Trudie’s story to be more linked to Alice Webster’s; there was a lot of time spent setting up the her story and then it seemed to be replaced with that of Lee’s story. However, even with the few little things, I would still highly recommend this book.
(Language, drug use) Project Halfsheep is well-written book by Susan Hasler. It has a solid plot that pulls you into it. I liked the alien and although the promised plot takes a while to develop there are no slow spaces. Everything is well thought out and flows from one scene to the next. Susan Hasler does an excellent job at keeping the unbelievable believable, and the story is completely unique.
There were a few things that became a little distracting, but most of the things I didn’t like were nitpicky: For example, I wanted the Trudie’s story to be more linked to Alice Webster’s; there was a lot of time spent setting up the her story and then it seemed to be replaced with that of Lee’s story. However, even with the few little things, I would still highly recommend this book.
July 13, 2014
Project HALFSHEEP was really good and interesting. It was a little hard to get past the science fiction stuff of it but at it's core it has a great satirical point and the intertwining story lines keep a reader interested. There were so many different messages throughout the book that I think every reader would be able to find something to relate to. Overall a great read. I also received this book in a Good Reads giveaway and am thrilled that I did because I am unsure I would have read it otherwise!
May 28, 2014
What a story. An alien with a razor-sharp wit and a team of CIA oddballs—we’re back in the 60’s where the CIA decides to run drug tests on our extraterrestrial protagonist. The story is smart and funny, leaving me wondering how much of it was true. What if? I was fascinated and captivated. A good read!
July 30, 2014
This book was hilarious! Loved the unique concept and I enjoyed the idea of the alien. Flowing dialogue and solid characters.
December 1, 2015
I received a copy of this book through Goodreads First Reads.
Piyat, an alien from a faraway planet, crash lands in the New Mexico desert in 1947. She is soon taken into custody by the US federal government; most of the book is dedicated to the power struggles surrounding what to do about her.
The back cover copy describes Project Halfsheep as "a thoughtful and darkly funny blend of science fiction and political satire." I took this to mean that I should expect something like The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy or maybe The Princess Bride only with everyone in the CIA. To my disappointment, the book was not funny at all.
The "humor" comes in three varieties. The first is dick jokes. The second is bathroom jokes. The third type is poorly executed jokes about sensitive topics.
For example, at one point the author attempts humor about homophobia during the Red Scare. A character (who is later revealed) becomes convinced that Piyat is an "Uzbekistani homosexual." Another character continually makes ridiculous passes at a female psychiatrist. As the author makes no other attempts in the novel to discuss homophobia or sexual harassment in a meaningful way, I found these "jokes" to be unfunny.
On the plus side, the chapters are short, so it's great for reading on the bus.
Piyat, an alien from a faraway planet, crash lands in the New Mexico desert in 1947. She is soon taken into custody by the US federal government; most of the book is dedicated to the power struggles surrounding what to do about her.
The back cover copy describes Project Halfsheep as "a thoughtful and darkly funny blend of science fiction and political satire." I took this to mean that I should expect something like The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy or maybe The Princess Bride only with everyone in the CIA. To my disappointment, the book was not funny at all.
The "humor" comes in three varieties. The first is dick jokes. The second is bathroom jokes. The third type is poorly executed jokes about sensitive topics.
For example, at one point the author attempts humor about homophobia during the Red Scare. A character (who is later revealed) becomes convinced that Piyat is an "Uzbekistani homosexual." Another character continually makes ridiculous passes at a female psychiatrist. As the author makes no other attempts in the novel to discuss homophobia or sexual harassment in a meaningful way, I found these "jokes" to be unfunny.
On the plus side, the chapters are short, so it's great for reading on the bus.
August 26, 2014
I did not care for this story at all, though the authors writing was done very well. This story puts you in the mind of a forties for fifties sci-fi B movie and due to the book being set it this time period it felt right. This is a story about an alien that is “volunteered” to be sent to earth or possibly just intergalactic space travel and lands on earth. The alien was given many names but was Doug the longest so I will call her that as well. Doug is a wonderful and super intelligent alien but this book is supposed to be humorous satire but I found it sad and unfulfilling. Yes, there were parts that had me laughing out loud but overall it was not humorous at all. It took me to a place of how ignorant human beings truly are in how we treat the unknown and unfamiliar. Throughout the book Doug was severely mistreated and beaten with only brief times of kindness from the people she had to be around and endure. Trudie was her first friend but she was quickly taken away but she continued to see and be a recipient of her kindness. Lloyed was a week poor excuse for a man. Avery was a lunatic and Lee was half decent. These were the main characters with a good amount of background characters with ninety five percent of them characterized as cruel, ignorant, and evil. This book kept my attention but it was not a story I found to be pleasurable. Also we are given side stories on Trudie as well as Lloyd and Lee but we are not told or shown what becomes of them.
February 24, 2015
I received this book through GoodReads First Reads, and at first I was skeptical. As I read, the book became more than just garden variety science fiction. There is a great deal of feminist undertones (as well as overt overtones) and the writing is similar in style to that of Libba Bray, despite it being an adult book. For the most part, this book was fun and lighthearted, although the story seemed to be stretched over too many pages and ample descriptions of drug use. All in all, I enjoyed it, although it may never be a classic, it would be an enjoyable summer/weekend read.
January 24, 2015
I got this one as a first read. This book is about a alien that crash onto earth. She lands in the hands of CIA. The fun goes on from there. This book made me laugh the whole way through. However , it still has some great tense scenes and drama that made it a great read. I will definitely read more of this author.
July 26, 2015
I received this book free through Goodreads.
Susan has a wonderful way with words.
Her take on Doug's (one of her many names) phrasing after she's given a dictionary are quite amusing.
I kind of wish they had remembered to try the typewriter again.
There would have been some crazy conversations.
Of course that would have totally changed the book.
A very enjoyable book.
Susan has a wonderful way with words.
Her take on Doug's (one of her many names) phrasing after she's given a dictionary are quite amusing.
I kind of wish they had remembered to try the typewriter again.
There would have been some crazy conversations.
Of course that would have totally changed the book.
A very enjoyable book.
February 8, 2015
This was a great book. A little slow a t first but then it got very good. I still wish he could have seen Trudy one last time though. It seems they had a special bond at the beginning.
I received this book free from goodreads.com
I received this book free from goodreads.com
September 1, 2015
I received a copy of this book as a winner of a first reads giveaway. this was an excellent book. Very well written, great story line, and likeable characters. I would consider reading this book again.
November 18, 2016
I won this book from a goodreads giveaway.
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