Alien Empire

by Anthony Gillis

When the aliens came, the world changed forever, but not even they imagined how. Professor Haral Karden is wry, skeptical, and the longstanding leader of his field, the history of first contacts between cultures. When aliens arrive in a fleet of beautiful ships, with benevolent words, and offering amazing technological gifts, he asks the simple question - what do they want in return?

371 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 11, 2012

About the author

The child of hippie adventurer parents, I lived on my father’s sailboat, an island off the coast of Costa Rica, a converted school bus, and a ramshackle house in Ft. Lauderdale with a leaky roof and a sand yard, before settling down to something resembling a normal childhood. Something in all that made me decide to enlist and serve in the United States Air Force, and then earn a bachelor’s degree in history and an MBA. I worked in accounting and finance from the early 1990s until 2014, but I've since made the leap to full time writer.

Reviews

[Nic · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a new perspective on Alien Science Fiction. The Aliens are a familiar race that expand from out from their home world in the quest of creating peace throughout their territory. In this book we see a futuristic version of imperialism and a world that resembles a modern version of us putting aside their differences when a need arises that is much greater than each of them individually could handle. Here we see the battle of technological stagnation due to the belief that everything is as advanced as it can be and the willingness and desperation to innovate newer technologies to stay ahead because to fail to do otherwise could mean annihilation.

This is a story of survival, innovation, and politics on a galactic scale. Truly a good read for any science fiction fan!

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alien Empire was so much more than I expected. The setting was on the galactic scale. The entire story was, in a way, classic science fiction, including stand out characters that really pull you into the story.
During an impromptu gathering in a faculty lounge a mathematician noticed that the TV news was replaying a news report that astronomers had observed, at the outer edges of the solar system, 12 simultaneous bursts of light from which observed objects were flying in formation at high speed. Soon it was calculated that the objects were flying on an interception course with their planet. And so it began.
Professor Haral Karden, who was in the faculty lounge, mentioned that historically, from a terrestrial point of view, things didn’t work out so well for those on the receiving end of a first contact visit.
As the ships got closer and their beauty and advanced design was observed there were, of course those who celebrated the arrival and those that got ready to defend themselves.
In addition to Karden who gives a strong unique point of view throughout, there are also:
Tayyis, the linquist who was able to sort out the meaning of new languages and then communicate and teach others
Professor Darex Jat, a young brilliant physicist able to make leaps in design based on observations and who joined enthusiastic debates on the theory of Faster Than Light Travel – FTL.
Neem Ranacharandgan, found often in those debates with Jat.
Pavol Harker, a businessman who excels at orchestrating opportunities for the scientists to translate science into factory production.
We soon care very much about these characters as well as others who merge in as things progress.
I liked this book very much. The scale of things – the action, the backdrop, the weaponry, science and battle theory, if done in a major motion picture, would be on the scale of Star Wars.
Readers of classic science fiction such as Ender’s Game, Star Wars, Dune, and Battlestar Galactica would like this book.

[Paul Martin Schofield · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love good science fiction and the cover really caught my eye. But that was just the beginning - from the first sentence I was hooked. This is an incredible story that builds and builds with surprising plot twists and plenty of plausible, futuristic action scenes. A huge plot twist happens in the beginning chapters that gives the story a whole different and exciting slant.

It's interesting to follow the growth and development of the main characters, seeing how they handle the complex and difficult events thrown against them. The characters and dialogue are realistic and well presented, and the science and technology is based on sound theory and not too far fetched.

The scope of Alien Empire is on a galactic scale and the flow and style remind me of classic writers like Asimov and Orson Scott Card of Ender's Game. AE contains no sex or profanity and is entirely suitable for young adult readers. The end came to a satisfying conclusion and leaves plenty of room for a sequel or series.

Mr. Gillis is an exciting and talented writer. This book, however, would benefit from closer editing. I found missing words, punctuation, and some incomplete sentences. But he is such a good story teller I was able to skip over these minor flaws with very little distraction. This is a great story and every sci-fi enthusiast should check it out.

[Donald Haack · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting story but... Who was actually who?? Were the Administrators Human? Regardless, a little science behind all of the Rifts & new armaments or the new technology would be good instead of it just magically appearing.

[Russell Townsend · Rating 4 out of 5]

entertaining plot

Fun read that makes us the invader. How different from most first contact stories. I highly recommend this for recreational reading.