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Alienese
Dave Ladd, has-been musician, didn’t mind being abducted by aliens. Especially when those aliens had plenty of cash to compensate him. Let them keep whatever secret they seemed to have learned about Earth. So he thought when he was returned to his home in rural Alabama. But he was already too involved in that secret — a secret that involved the survival of humanity — and soon was on the run with an alien girlfriend, first on Earth and then ‘out there.’ A solution must be found by the motley band of humans and aliens thrown together in ALIENESE, a science fiction novel by Oliver Davis Pike.
- GenresScience Fiction
166 pages, Paperback
Published June 14, 2019
About the author
Oliver Davis Pike
5 books3 followersA writer of light-hearted science fiction adventures. That would be Oliver Davis Pike—or at least that would describe the author of his books. That writer is a fiction in himself, a pen name.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 14, 2019
'Alienese' is a rather short novel, not quite a novella but bordering on it. There is, of course, nothing wrong with that. It seems to be as long as it needs to be. It is also not at all a fast-paced adventure. Cliff-hangers are few.
It is fairly straight-forward science fiction, but with a fair amount of humor of a low-key sort — not an outright comical novel nor farce. It is much more about the relationships between people (human and otherwise) than anything else. It also is an interesting portrait of its lead character/narrator, a has-been country singer abducted by aliens. ‘Alienese,’ incidentally, is what he calls the language they teach him.
Then he becomes romantically (more-or-less) involved with one of them. No more on that for fear of stepping into spoiler territory. I’ll just say that the two go on the run, both on and off Earth. There is a certain amount of cliché in the tale but it is rather obviously intentional, spoof or irony or whatever term one might choose.
All of this is in the wry voice of our country boy narrator (who is certainly no redneck dummy). I admittedly like it. It's pretty much up my alley as fiction goes.
Finally, a fairly large caveat: I was involved in editing this novel and getting it released, so I have my prejudices about its merit. I suggest you read it and form your own prejudices.
It is fairly straight-forward science fiction, but with a fair amount of humor of a low-key sort — not an outright comical novel nor farce. It is much more about the relationships between people (human and otherwise) than anything else. It also is an interesting portrait of its lead character/narrator, a has-been country singer abducted by aliens. ‘Alienese,’ incidentally, is what he calls the language they teach him.
Then he becomes romantically (more-or-less) involved with one of them. No more on that for fear of stepping into spoiler territory. I’ll just say that the two go on the run, both on and off Earth. There is a certain amount of cliché in the tale but it is rather obviously intentional, spoof or irony or whatever term one might choose.
All of this is in the wry voice of our country boy narrator (who is certainly no redneck dummy). I admittedly like it. It's pretty much up my alley as fiction goes.
Finally, a fairly large caveat: I was involved in editing this novel and getting it released, so I have my prejudices about its merit. I suggest you read it and form your own prejudices.
June 18, 2019
At first glance, 'Alienese' seems an entertaining genre piece. Underneath that, it is a novel about tolerance. Tolerance for those who are different in all sorts of ways — the various aliens are an obvious symbol of this but so are the human characters.
There is a certain amount of sex in the book. Most of that is explored through talk and the thoughts of our first-person narrator, rather than through graphic scenes. It is at most a 'PG-13' novel. That narrator is pretty funny at times, with his wry observations on everything imaginable, himself included. As a voice, he is well-done.
The other voices? Pretty good — the aliens perhaps more so than the humans. But (skirting a possible spoiler here), it can sometimes be asked exactly who is human and who is alien. 'Alienese' is not at all an action novel; it is, however, a fun (and quick) read and a thoughtful one.
There is a certain amount of sex in the book. Most of that is explored through talk and the thoughts of our first-person narrator, rather than through graphic scenes. It is at most a 'PG-13' novel. That narrator is pretty funny at times, with his wry observations on everything imaginable, himself included. As a voice, he is well-done.
The other voices? Pretty good — the aliens perhaps more so than the humans. But (skirting a possible spoiler here), it can sometimes be asked exactly who is human and who is alien. 'Alienese' is not at all an action novel; it is, however, a fun (and quick) read and a thoughtful one.
June 17, 2019
This book was recommended by an author whose work I enjoy (and who apparently played a role in publishing it), Stephen Brooke. It is a very fast-paced sci-fi novel, and also a short one. Stripped down, one could say, maybe too much so for some.
There is a fair amount of humor in Alienese. It is not, however, a comic novel in the 'Hitchhiker' sense, despite having our protagonist kidnapped by aliens to start things off. It remains grounded in the reality the author has created, sometimes absurd but always believable.
Nor are there much in the way of deep thoughts or messages. Rather, it sprinkles observations and insights on this and that through the narrative, without letting them get in the way of a good story.
There is a fair amount of humor in Alienese. It is not, however, a comic novel in the 'Hitchhiker' sense, despite having our protagonist kidnapped by aliens to start things off. It remains grounded in the reality the author has created, sometimes absurd but always believable.
Nor are there much in the way of deep thoughts or messages. Rather, it sprinkles observations and insights on this and that through the narrative, without letting them get in the way of a good story.
September 9, 2019
This is my very own book so, to be sure, I like it a lot! I hope the rest of you will too.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews