Occupied Earth: Stories of Aliens, Resistance and Survival at all Costs

by Gary Phillips (Editor), Richard Brewer (Editor), Rachel Howzell Hall

RESISTANCE IS ALL

For years, writers and filmmakers have speculated about the possibility of the Earth being invaded by aliens from another planet. But what if the aliens have been watching us, infiltrating us via human collaborators, or even surgically altering themselves to look human?

Occupied Earth is a groundbreaking anthology that explores the idea of what the world would look like years after its conquest. 20 years after a successful invasion by the Makh-Ra, humanity still exists, only it has become subservient to a race of occupiers who govern the devastated planet. But, as much at things continue with some sense of normalcy, something has happened in the Mahk-Ra’s empire. Earth, once considered a strategic beachhead of major importance to the Empire, has been downgraded in its value. Things are starting to degrade. Our planet is the last place any self-respecting Mahk-Ra officer wants to be assigned. Yet, despite everything, life continues.

These stories bring us face to face with annihilation — and show how we can pull ourselves back from the brink. Featuring Rachel Howzell Hall, Lisa Morton, Matthew V. Clemens, Howard Hendrix, Nathan Walpow and more, OCCUPIED EARTH is coming. Stay safe. Stay strong. Survive at all costs.

Genres: Science Fiction, Anthologies, Aliens

352 pages, Paperback

First published October 13, 2015

About the author

GARY PHILLIPS has been a community activist, labor organizer and delivered dog cages. He’s published various novels, comics, short stories and edited several anthologies including South Central Noir and the Anthony award-winning The Obama Inheritance: Fifteen Stories of Conspiracy Noir. Violent Spring, first published in 1994 was named in 2020 one of the essential crime novels of Los Angeles. He was also a writer/co-producer on FX’s Snowfall (streaming on Hulu), about crack and the CIA in 1980s South Central where he grew up. Recent novels include One-Shot Harry and Matthew Henson and the Ice Temple of Harlem. He lives with his family in the wilds of Los Angeles.

Reviews

[Frank Errington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every now and again I like to step away from the horror genre and read something different. I saw this one and thought it might be a nice change of pace. It was exceptional. Occupied Earth: Stories of Aliens, Resistance and Survival at all Costs is a shared world anthology where the earth has been conquered by an alien race and is now under their rule. Each story is a slice of life and what it's like living under the authority of the Mahk-Ra.

There weren't a lot of familiar names in this anthology, at least they weren't familiar to me, they may be to you, and they certainly are to the writers themselves.

Each writer manages to tell a solid story of life in the aftermath of an alien invasion, and at the same time keep the overall mythos of the new Earth consistent throughout. Kudos to editors Richard Brewer and Gary Phillips who, no doubt, played a big part in pulling that off.

Hunter X – Parts 1-3 by Richard Brewer and Gary Phillips

Richard and Gary are the editors of the anthology. Richard is a native Californian, has always been a lover of stories and storytelling. He has worked as a writer, actor, bookseller, story editor, book reviewer, movie and television Development Executive, and audiobook narrator. Gary has family roots in Texas and the Mississippi Delta, he's a native of L.A. and was editor of the bestselling Orange County Noir. His graphic novel about a money launderer, The Rinse, has been optioned for television.

The Hunter X story is split into three parts. It starts and ends the anthology and there's another piece about midway through the book. In this story FBI Special Agent, Paul Hunter, and his partner, JoHannas-ra, make up the first Mahk-Ra-human investigative team. "...a shining symbol of interspecies cooperation. Harmony among the species and all that." Told with a touch of humor, this story sets the stage fort the rest of the anthology.

Do No Harm by Rachel Howzell Hall and David W. Hall

Rachel Howzell Hall is the author of the critically-acclaimed mystery series featuring LAPD Homicide Detective Elouise Norton. David Hall is the Design Director for the digital arm of the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN). This is his first story collaboration with his wife writer Rachel Howzell Hall.

Years after the Mahk-Ra occupation two EMTs just doing their job stumble upon a scene which will change their lives again. Just because the Mahk-Ras can do whatever they like doesn't make it right.

Pike Street Pick-Up by Adam L. Korenman

Adam Korenman has been dabbling in writing for most of his life, but only recently began spilling the crazy thoughts down on paper. Adam is also a Captain with the Army National Guard, serving with a company of tankers in California.

Pike Street Pick-Up is a fine story of a street urchin and pickpocket who lifts more than he bargains for from a Mahk-Ra official.

Union Day by Lisa Morton

Lisa is a six-time winner of the Bram Stoker Award®, a recipient of the Black Quill Award, and winner of the 2012 Grand Prize from the Halloween Book Festival. She also knows more about Halloween than just about anyone in the world.

Union Day is a Halloween story, of sorts, set in this shared world of alien domination.

How the Game is Played by Rob Hart

Rob Hart has been a political reporter, the communications director for a politician, and a commissioner for the City of New York. His debut novel, New Yorked, was published by Polis Books in June 2015.

How the Game is Played shows how even with the occupation it's politics as usual.

Strange Alliance by Cliff Allen

Cliff is a lifelong fan of the space program, and that has led to an avid interest in science fiction as a literary form.

Strange Alliance features clever storytelling and good writing. It's about a merciless human who rises high in the ranks of the Mahk-Ra.

Hope by Matthew V. Clemens

Matthew V. Clemens is a long-time co-conspirator with Max Allan Collins, the pair have collaborated on over twenty novels – including CSI and Criminal Minds TV tie-in books.

Hope is another well-told story of occupation and resistance and how one should never jump to conclusions.

Location, Location, Location by Howard V. Hendrix

Howard Hendrix is the award-winning author of six novels, as well as numerous non-fiction books and short stories.

A prime example of how life goes on after the occupation. The story of an ex-astronaut turned real estate agent working to make a sale of a movie making property to the Mahk-Re.

Letting Go the Ghosts by Marsheila Rockwell and Jeffrey J. Mariotte

Marsheila (Marcy) Rockwell and Jeffrey J. Mariotte have written more than 60 novels between them. They’ve also written dozens of short stories, separately and together.

For the Occupied Earth anthology they've written a powerful story of the Taovayan native Anerican tribe continuing to make their way under Mahk-Ra occupation. Now comes an offer for the mineral rights to their land that the Taovayan cannot refuse, but not everyone believes they should sell.

A Day in the Life by R. M. Johnson

Richard M. Johnson is a screenwriter, copywriter, playwright, and poet. His short stories can be found in several anthologies. He is also a performer and photographer and uses both avocations as excuses to occasionally get out of the house and into the sun.

Another solid story. This one set in occupied L.A.

Second Coming by Craig Faustus Buck

Craig Faustus Buck is an LA-based writer for both print and screen. He is President of Mystery Writers of America SoCal chapter, a member of the board of Sisters in Crime LA, and an active member of the Writers Guild of America and International Thriller Writers.

This was my personal favorite story in the anthology. Quite an original tale. I would love to see this given a longer treatment someday.

The Devil You Know by Jessica Kaye

Jessica Kaye is a partner at Kaye & Mills (www.kayemills.com), a law firm specializing in publishing and entertainment. She is an audiobook producer of hundreds of audiobooks, more than a few of which have been nominated for Grammy Awards.

Another well told story of Mahk-Ra and humans working together, with a nice twist.

Johnny and the Warehouse Women by Nathan Walpow

Nathan Walpow is a prolific writer, a past president of the Southern California chapter of Mystery Writers of America, and a five-time Jeopardy! champion.

A simple warehouse robbery uncovers a prostitution ring involving Mahk-Re women. From there, things get a bit complicated.

Traitor by Adam Lance Garcia

Adam Lance Garcia was raised on comic books, movie serials, and lightsabers. In addition Adam has also worked as a full-time television producer and a part-time screenwriter.

A brilliant story of revenge.

Occupied Earth: Stories of Aliens, Resistance and Survival at all Costs is out now from Polis Books and is available in paperback, e-book, MP3, and Audible formats.

Recommended.

[Michaela Shannon-sank · Rating 5 out of 5]

At the risk of using an overdone phrase, this book is a MUST READ! Occupied Earth is a collection of stories all written with the same premise; life on Earth after an alien race has successfully invaded and taken over. The Mahk-Ra control everything. Life goes on but it is definitely not the same. These are the stories of what happens after the Earth has been conquered by an alien race and how humanity copes. We have politics as usual, because beauracracy transcends race, even alien race, we have vice, lowlife scumbags, both human and alien, violent culture clash, murder, sacrifice, treason, and the unstoppable power of hope. The rebels, the resistance and the promise and threat of revolution. If you love sci fi then this book is for you. The writing is crisp and clean, the stories wildly imaginative, gritty, realistic, downright dirty in places, heartbreaking, shocking, and ultimately uplifting. Because resistance is all.

[Aimee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review originally appeared @ Reading Lark: http://readinglark.blogspot.com/2016/...

There are plenty of first contact stories in science fiction, and there are plenty of alien invasion stories too. But I’ve never seen a book quite like Occupied Earth which is a collection of short stories by different authors about humanity living as a conquered race under the alien Mahk-Ra. I chose to review this book because I was intrigued to see how the different authors would envision life moving on under such an occupation. This multi-faceted collection has it all: “fighting, chases, escapes, revenge, true love…” Okay, so it’s not at all like The Princess Bride, but Occupied Earth does have all that plus collaborators, resistance fighters, traitors, and regular working people just trying to get by.

The story that best shows what life is like for conquered humanity is the second story in the collection, “Do No Harm,” by Rachel Howzell Hall and David W. Hall. During a busy night, Joseph, an EMT, gets called with his partner to a crime scene in which a human has shot a Mahk-Ra. Despite the justified nature of the shooting, protocol demands the Mahk-Ra be cared for first. The decisions that confront Joseph and the rest of humanity on a daily basis brought me deep not only into his story but into the world.

“Letting Go the Ghosts,” by Marsheila Rockwell and Jeffrey J. Mariotte, also spoke to me. What better eyes to look through for perspective on the aftermath of alien invasion than Native American eyes that have seen it before? Kimberly Greymountain is a curator at the Taovayan Cultural Center, which preserves the Wichita people’s history and cultural artifacts. The Mahk-Ra make an offer to buy the land on which it stands for the minerals that lie deep beneath. Should the tribal elders make a deal with another conquering force? Will it turn out better than other deals have historically? How long do the ghosts of the past linger?

The other two stories that really made this collection worth reading for me were “Traitor,” by Adam Lance Garcia and the “Hunter X” frame story, presented in three parts by the editors, Brewer and Phillips. “Traitor” follows the trajectory of “the woman who sold the world.” I loved that the author never blatantly comes out and says who she was before the invasion, but gives the reader enough clues to figure it out. Traitor or not, Joanne Adeline is a woman you don’t want to cross. “Hunter X” was the perfect frame to set the other stories within not just because the reader gets a great overview of the new government and how the humans and Mahk-Ra have had to learn to work together, but also because it gives at least some hope that the humans have a chance.

“Down, but not defeated. Resistance is all.”

[Nanette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written and interesting

[Bernard · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book, and sporadically, I did. The premise is interesting: An anthology of stories set a generation after aliens conquer the Earth. As with most anthologies, it's a bit hit-or-miss in terms of writing quality. Frustratingly the copy editing is quite poor - almost every story had at least one example of a dropped word or clipped paragraph - enough to continually pull you out of the story. The aliens are insufficiently alien - very little is explored of what makes them different. And some of the science is ludicrous: The aliens have gravitic drive which they use even for planetside travel, but they also ship Earth's petroleum off-works to use in their wars. Ugh.

Overall, a harmless but ultimately forgettable read.

[Jesús · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's not a book about the war with the aliens, it's a book about what happens once we have been defeated and occupied. We'll find stories of all kind, with differents points of view and for all tastes. However, its major flaw, as with other similar books, it's that aliens are too human-like, which makes it a lot easier for the writer but much less interesting for the reader.

[Brannigan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not good.

[Maddalena · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 and 1/2 stars

Originally posted at SPACE and SORCERY Blog


I received this book from Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review.

This kind of anthology is usually centered round a core theme that individual authors choose to develop as they wish, while here I found a different interpretation: there is a common background, concerning the invasion of an alien species called Makh-ra, who have conquered Earth and are ruling it and exploiting its resources. Therefore each author had to work inside a set of pre-established parameters, giving this anthology a very different feel than usual – in other words, this reads more like a novel developed through a change of POV at each new chapter, rather than a collection of disjointed stories, and that gives it a more cohesive feel that I found quite enjoyable.

Another point of interest in these collected stories is that they don’t focus on the actual invasion: that’s already in the past, one generation removed or thereabouts. What the anthology chose to show is the aftermath, the way in which people and customs re-arrange themselves in the face of occupation, the dichotomy in outlook between those who remember life as it was pre-invasion and those, like the younger people, who have known nothing else. The Earth that comes through these stories is quite a dismal place: the stripping of resources by the Makh-ra has generated shortages (like water, for example, that’s subject to rationing) and supplies are not as plentiful as before; cities present large ruined areas, some as the result of battles during the invasion, others because the changes in economy have decreed the end of once-flourishing activities. The separation between those with power and influence and the rest of the populace has increased, and only individuals who have chosen to collaborate with the new rulers can enjoy a semblance of normal life.

“Semblance” being the operative word here, because the Makh-ra’s rule is far from a benevolent one: the overall flavor of this situation strongly reminded me of the stories of occupied France under the Nazi invasion in WWII, with a curfew in place, strong restrictions on travel and frequent searches of places or people suspected of aiding rebels. As it happened in that historical period, many have chosen to collaborate with the alien invaders: some for personal gain, some because they have no other choice, with all the possible variations in between the two opposites. There are a few instances of attempts at integration as well, the case in point being that of the three-part story from the anthology’s editors, that acts as a sort of frame for the others: here a human FBI agent works side-by-side with his Makh-ra colleague, and they manage to reach a sort of mutual understanding through shared work and dangers.

In general, though, the Makh-ra act as conquerors and oppressors, and even though some of them seem willing to adopt a few human traits and preferences, still they maintain an air of arrogance, the inner conviction that conquest is something of a god-given right stemming from superiority in mind, body and customs. The Makh-ra, however, also represent the weakest feature of this anthology in my opinion, because they are not alien enough: I’m not speaking about their appearance, which is roughly humanoid except for their taller, stronger frame and the dark, light-sensitive eyes. The lack of alien-ness I perceived comes from the mind-view that seems more like that of a stolid bureaucrat, rather than that of an off-world creature: granted, this allowed for many of the interesting developments portrayed in the stories, but still I could not avoid the comparison with the Star Trek aliens – my main disappointment with the various incarnations of the series – who are nothing more than humans with strange noses or foreheads. In my opinion, to be truly alien a creature requires one to exhibit some outlandish traits, some quality that is so far removed from our own experience that the sheer otherness of it jumps straight at you. Sadly, that was not the case here, though it was not a major problem.

The quality of the stories is generally good – with anthologies it’s a given that some might appeal more than others – and there are two of them that I found truly outstanding: Strange Alliance (by Cliff Allen) concerning a human who has risen through the Makh-ra ranks to a position of prestige, and Traitor (by Adam Lance Garcia) focusing on the woman who aided and abetted the alien invasion, and the consequences on her personal life. These two were several steps above the others, breathing life and consistency into their characters.

In short, this is a peculiar kind of collection that’s certainly worth exploring and offers a new outlook on a well-known trope.

[Selina Tropiano · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as part of a Goodreads Giveaway. Below is a short excerpt from my blog.

"As with any anthology, some stories were great, some were forgettable and some just couldn’t catch my interest. You can’t really judge the book by a single story or author.

I only had one real issue with the book as a whole. The stories were all supposed to take place in the same world, but there were some discrepancies that made it feel like they didn’t. Some stories outright contradicted each other where the rules of the world were concerned... I wish the authors had stayed more in sync with the rules of the world."

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

This anthology is interesting. It is constructed like one of the detective collections where all the authors contribute a chapter to the story line. Writers are pulled from different genres including non-fiction Halloween history, detective noir, fantasy, science fiction, graphic novels, novelizations of movies/TV series and even a screen writer for "V: The Final Battle".
They pull the story together better than I have seen in better publicized straight detective stories.
Worth a read.

[Judy · Rating 2 out of 5]

A collection of short stories. Too much strong language for my taste. I didn't finish it.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the short stories as well as the premise of those living under the oppression of alien occupiers. No award winning writing here but a fun read.