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Illegal Alien
When a disabled starship enters the Earth's atmosphere, fear is quickly replaced with awe. The first contact ever between humans and aliens is made. Seven incredibly intelligent members of an advanced race are welcomed by the world. In exchange for the resources and help to repair their ship, they offer to share their knowledge and technology. But as the people of Earth put their best faces forward, the growing sense of trust is shattered. A popular scientist, part of the aliens' traveling entourage, is found dead — mutilated and dismembered by a mysterious weapon. All evidence points to one of them . Scrambling to avoid a planetary incident, the United States government acquires the country's leading civil rights lawyer to defend the alien. In the unprecedented trial, human and alien cultures clash. And when the search for justice threatens to overshadow the truth, there may be more at stake than accounting for one human life...
300 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published December 1, 1997
31 people are currently reading
719 people want to read
About the author
Robert J. Sawyer
228 books2,488 followersRobert J. Sawyer is one of Canada's best known and most successful science fiction writers. He is the only Canadian (and one of only 7 writers in the world) to have won all three of the top international awards for science fiction: the 1995 Nebula Award for The Terminal Experiment, the 2003 Hugo Award for Hominids, and the 2006 John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Mindscan.
Robert Sawyer grew up in Toronto, the son of two university professors. He credits two of his favourite shows from the late 1960s and early 1970s, Search and Star Trek, with teaching him some of the fundamentals of the science-fiction craft. Sawyer was obsessed with outer space from a young age, and he vividly remembers watching the televised Apollo missions. He claims to have watched the 1968 classic film 2001: A Space Odyssey 25 times. He began writing science fiction in a high school club, which he co-founded, NASFA (Northview Academy Association of Science Fiction Addicts). Sawyer graduated in 1982 from the Radio and Television Arts Program at Ryerson University, where he later worked as an instructor.
Sawyer's first published book, Golden Fleece (1989), is an adaptation of short stories that had previously appeared in the science-fiction magazine Amazing Stories. This book won the Aurora Award for the best Canadian science-fiction novel in English. In the early 1990s Sawyer went on to publish his inventive Quintaglio Ascension trilogy, about a world of intelligent dinosaurs. His 1995 award winning The Terminal Experiment confirmed his place as a major international science-fiction writer.
A prolific writer, Sawyer has published more than 10 novels, plus two trilogies. Reviewers praise Sawyer for his concise prose, which has been compared to that of the science-fiction master Isaac Asimov. Like many science fiction-writers, Sawyer welcomes the opportunities his chosen genre provides for exploring ideas. The first book of his Neanderthal Parallax trilogy, Hominids (2002), is set in a near-future society, in which a quantum computing experiment brings a Neanderthal scientist from a parallel Earth to ours. His 2006 Mindscan explores the possibility of transferring human consciousness into a mechanical body, and the ensuing ethical, legal, and societal ramifications.
A passionate advocate for science fiction, Sawyer teaches creative writing and appears frequently in the media to discuss his genre. He prefers the label "philosophical fiction," and in no way sees himself as a predictor of the future. His mission statement for his writing is "To combine the intimately human with the grandly cosmic."
http://us.macmillan.com/author/robert...
Robert Sawyer grew up in Toronto, the son of two university professors. He credits two of his favourite shows from the late 1960s and early 1970s, Search and Star Trek, with teaching him some of the fundamentals of the science-fiction craft. Sawyer was obsessed with outer space from a young age, and he vividly remembers watching the televised Apollo missions. He claims to have watched the 1968 classic film 2001: A Space Odyssey 25 times. He began writing science fiction in a high school club, which he co-founded, NASFA (Northview Academy Association of Science Fiction Addicts). Sawyer graduated in 1982 from the Radio and Television Arts Program at Ryerson University, where he later worked as an instructor.
Sawyer's first published book, Golden Fleece (1989), is an adaptation of short stories that had previously appeared in the science-fiction magazine Amazing Stories. This book won the Aurora Award for the best Canadian science-fiction novel in English. In the early 1990s Sawyer went on to publish his inventive Quintaglio Ascension trilogy, about a world of intelligent dinosaurs. His 1995 award winning The Terminal Experiment confirmed his place as a major international science-fiction writer.
A prolific writer, Sawyer has published more than 10 novels, plus two trilogies. Reviewers praise Sawyer for his concise prose, which has been compared to that of the science-fiction master Isaac Asimov. Like many science fiction-writers, Sawyer welcomes the opportunities his chosen genre provides for exploring ideas. The first book of his Neanderthal Parallax trilogy, Hominids (2002), is set in a near-future society, in which a quantum computing experiment brings a Neanderthal scientist from a parallel Earth to ours. His 2006 Mindscan explores the possibility of transferring human consciousness into a mechanical body, and the ensuing ethical, legal, and societal ramifications.
A passionate advocate for science fiction, Sawyer teaches creative writing and appears frequently in the media to discuss his genre. He prefers the label "philosophical fiction," and in no way sees himself as a predictor of the future. His mission statement for his writing is "To combine the intimately human with the grandly cosmic."
http://us.macmillan.com/author/robert...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 149 reviews
May 30, 2018
If the extremity appendage covering garment does not fit, you must acquit.
Writing a first contact book only a few years after the OJ Simpson trial, author Robert J. Sawyer blends elements of a legal thriller with a pretty cool SciFi story for overall good effect. Not just a speculative fiction allegory for the “trial of the century” Sawyer makes clear reference to the earlier trial and one of the characters, civil rights defense attorney Dale Rice, had been considered for Simpson’s “dream team” according to the backstory.
A spaceship comes down and the aliens, the Tosoks, need their vessel repaired. In exchange for help, they agree to share their advanced technology with us backwater hicks. Speaking of hicks, one of the central characters is actually a Tennessee Kid from my neck of the woods who is a popular Carl Sagan type TV scientist who acts as an ambassador and friend to the small alien group of about seven.
When a human is found brutally murdered, under circumstances that implicates one of the aliens, Los Angeles’ finest puts the cuffs on our favorite Martian and the legal “trial of the millennium” is on.
What Sawyer does very well is create for the aliens a civilization for them that is sufficiently … alien … to make the kind of misunderstandings and cultural differences with our own fun to watch. I was reminded of other alien race books like The Mote in God's Eye, Speaker for the Dead, Embassytown, and Sawyer’s own Calculating God.
Where this falls flat is that it is two thirds legal thriller and one third SF and a none too subtle vehicle for Sawyer to explore legal and moral themes.
Still a good SF story and I’ll read more from him, though I don’t think this is his best work.
Writing a first contact book only a few years after the OJ Simpson trial, author Robert J. Sawyer blends elements of a legal thriller with a pretty cool SciFi story for overall good effect. Not just a speculative fiction allegory for the “trial of the century” Sawyer makes clear reference to the earlier trial and one of the characters, civil rights defense attorney Dale Rice, had been considered for Simpson’s “dream team” according to the backstory.
A spaceship comes down and the aliens, the Tosoks, need their vessel repaired. In exchange for help, they agree to share their advanced technology with us backwater hicks. Speaking of hicks, one of the central characters is actually a Tennessee Kid from my neck of the woods who is a popular Carl Sagan type TV scientist who acts as an ambassador and friend to the small alien group of about seven.
When a human is found brutally murdered, under circumstances that implicates one of the aliens, Los Angeles’ finest puts the cuffs on our favorite Martian and the legal “trial of the millennium” is on.
What Sawyer does very well is create for the aliens a civilization for them that is sufficiently … alien … to make the kind of misunderstandings and cultural differences with our own fun to watch. I was reminded of other alien race books like The Mote in God's Eye, Speaker for the Dead, Embassytown, and Sawyer’s own Calculating God.
Where this falls flat is that it is two thirds legal thriller and one third SF and a none too subtle vehicle for Sawyer to explore legal and moral themes.
Still a good SF story and I’ll read more from him, though I don’t think this is his best work.
November 8, 2022
A clever combination of two of my favourite genres!
Editor John Campbell once challenged his writers, "Write me a story about an organism that thinks as well as a man, but not like a man". In Illegal Alien, celebrated Canadian sci-fi author Robert J Sawyer has risen to the challenge and created the Tosoks, a technologically advanced non-humanoid alien species complete with personal foibles, taboos, culture, language and religious beliefs, even thinking patterns and behaviour that reflect both that culture and the physical constraints of their original planet.
When the disabled Tosok spaceship lands on Earth, first contact, initially tinged with fear and awe is actually surprisingly well handled and peaceful. Earth graciously welcomes the newcomers and humanity seeks to put its best foot forward recognizing the mutual advantages of peaceful co-existence and the enormous opportunities to be had by assimilating such advanced technology. Then Clete Calhoun, a popular astronomer and, to all appearances, the first human friend of Hask, one of the Tosok aliens, is found brutally murdered in a manner that clearly indicates one of the aliens as the perpetrator. When Hask is put on trial for capital murder, it's clear that the implications of the outcome are far greater than the innocence or guilt of one individual alien.
For the most part, Illegal Alien ignores the hard side of the sci-fi spectrum. There is some interesting discussion of orbital mechanics in multiple star systems but other than that, Sawyer is content to let such miscellaneous factors as faster-than-light interstellar propulsion or an ultra-fine monofilament that can be used as a razor sharp cutting wire creep into the story in Star Trek fashion with no explanation or attempt to explore the scientific underpinnings. Instead, Illegal Alien focuses on the softer issues of first contact, alien diplomacy and inter-cultural communication.
Not a deep story but an interesting one that blends soft sci-fi with intriguing courtroom drama and a very clever, warm twist ending that dovetailed beautifully with my personal hopes for what I am convinced is inevitable contact with an intelligent extraterrestrial species.
Highly recommended.
Paul Weiss
Editor John Campbell once challenged his writers, "Write me a story about an organism that thinks as well as a man, but not like a man". In Illegal Alien, celebrated Canadian sci-fi author Robert J Sawyer has risen to the challenge and created the Tosoks, a technologically advanced non-humanoid alien species complete with personal foibles, taboos, culture, language and religious beliefs, even thinking patterns and behaviour that reflect both that culture and the physical constraints of their original planet.
When the disabled Tosok spaceship lands on Earth, first contact, initially tinged with fear and awe is actually surprisingly well handled and peaceful. Earth graciously welcomes the newcomers and humanity seeks to put its best foot forward recognizing the mutual advantages of peaceful co-existence and the enormous opportunities to be had by assimilating such advanced technology. Then Clete Calhoun, a popular astronomer and, to all appearances, the first human friend of Hask, one of the Tosok aliens, is found brutally murdered in a manner that clearly indicates one of the aliens as the perpetrator. When Hask is put on trial for capital murder, it's clear that the implications of the outcome are far greater than the innocence or guilt of one individual alien.
For the most part, Illegal Alien ignores the hard side of the sci-fi spectrum. There is some interesting discussion of orbital mechanics in multiple star systems but other than that, Sawyer is content to let such miscellaneous factors as faster-than-light interstellar propulsion or an ultra-fine monofilament that can be used as a razor sharp cutting wire creep into the story in Star Trek fashion with no explanation or attempt to explore the scientific underpinnings. Instead, Illegal Alien focuses on the softer issues of first contact, alien diplomacy and inter-cultural communication.
Not a deep story but an interesting one that blends soft sci-fi with intriguing courtroom drama and a very clever, warm twist ending that dovetailed beautifully with my personal hopes for what I am convinced is inevitable contact with an intelligent extraterrestrial species.
Highly recommended.
Paul Weiss
July 20, 2010
In Illegal Alien, Robert J. Sawyer manages to convince me that aliens from Alpha Centauri have come to Earth and need our help repairing their spaceship. He fails to convince me that the California District Attorney could try one of those aliens for first degree murder.
Sawyer recognizes the improbability of such an event, because he doesn't even try to justify it. The president mumbles something about the federal government not being able to interfere with the case because the state has jurisdiction and it's an election year. Yeah, because staying ahead in those polls is way more important than diplomatic relations with an alien species. And no one else so much as lifts a finger to try to stop this insanity. Speaking of which, Sawyer briefly digresses into the amorality of the Tosok, who believe in a female God who predestines all events, proving that Hask is insane by human legal standards. Not that it matters: Sawyer is determined to wring a trial from this Tosok, because that is where the story lies.
OK, so let's set aside the fact that trying an alien in a human court of law is silly. It's the story Sawyer has given us, and we have to work with that. To be fair, once one gets past this premise, the whole concept is intriguing. How exactly does one go about arguing the guilt or defending the innocence of an alien being? It's more than that though. Although Illegal Alien is, at times, very pedestrian in its tone, Sawyer manages to use his contrived courtroom drama to explore more than just the legal issues. He disguises his exposition as testimony, just as parents hide vegetables in the mashed potatoes, and suddenly readers find themselves learning about alien biology, technology, and philosophy even as they wonder if Hask will be acquitted—and whether he wants to go free.
Let me be clear: the writing in this book is bad. The characters are flat, even stereotypical at times, and prone to that mode of generalization that passes for narration in a Sawyer novel. By this I mean, every thought that passes through a character's mind happens to be fundamental reflection on something integral to the plot. For example, take a thought running through the mind of Dale Rice, Hask's lawyer:
Now, I'm not black, so I'm not going to pretend to know whether this characterization is accurate. I suspect, as with all anecdotes, it's true for some and false for many others. Regardless, my point is that Sawyer handles the whole issue of race about as deftly as clog dancers dance in cement shoes. Still not convinced? The detective in charge of the murder investigation is Jesus Perez—and that's pronounced Hay-soos, he is quick to remind us every single time he appears.
When it comes to enthusiasm for cutting-edge developments in science, Sawyer is among the best writers out there. His near-future science fiction is thought-provoking, when it comes to the science parts, but his characters consistently fail to impress me. And his dialogue does not fare much better. Unfortunately, Illegal Alien is mostly dialogue, because the middle of the book consists of little more than dialogue-laden courtroom scenes broken up by interstitial moments of tension during recess. Maybe those more amenable to legal thrillers might tolerate such a high degree of dialogue; it certainly works for movies. But the sheer amount of time spent exchanging words in that courtroom, witnessing every single instance that Dale says, "Objection!" . . . rather than make me turn the page because of tension and interest, I turned it so I could finish the book faster.
OK, so let's set aside the incredible premise and the bad writing. What have we left . . . oh yes, the aliens. Sawyer uses the courtroom as a theatre to tell us all about the Tosoks. Despite their taboos about discussing internal biology (comparable to our taboos on having sex in front of other people), we learn about the Tosoks' internal organs. We learn how they shed their skin, how they reproduce, how they count their familial relations. There are myriad ways Sawyer could have chosen to expound on these subjects; he chose the courtroom, and that decision works well. Although the legal question alone is intriguing, combined with Sawyer's sneaky world-building, it almost makes Illegal Alien downright compelling. (Almost.)
It is hard to believe that the same author who wrote this also wrote WWW:Wake . I guess now that I've read this, that, and the Neanderthal Parallax series, I've seen examples of Sawyer at his best, worst, and middling. Unless there is something about this book's description that makes you salivate and throb in all the right places, this isn't the Sawyer novel I'd pimp to you.
Sawyer recognizes the improbability of such an event, because he doesn't even try to justify it. The president mumbles something about the federal government not being able to interfere with the case because the state has jurisdiction and it's an election year. Yeah, because staying ahead in those polls is way more important than diplomatic relations with an alien species. And no one else so much as lifts a finger to try to stop this insanity. Speaking of which, Sawyer briefly digresses into the amorality of the Tosok, who believe in a female God who predestines all events, proving that Hask is insane by human legal standards. Not that it matters: Sawyer is determined to wring a trial from this Tosok, because that is where the story lies.
OK, so let's set aside the fact that trying an alien in a human court of law is silly. It's the story Sawyer has given us, and we have to work with that. To be fair, once one gets past this premise, the whole concept is intriguing. How exactly does one go about arguing the guilt or defending the innocence of an alien being? It's more than that though. Although Illegal Alien is, at times, very pedestrian in its tone, Sawyer manages to use his contrived courtroom drama to explore more than just the legal issues. He disguises his exposition as testimony, just as parents hide vegetables in the mashed potatoes, and suddenly readers find themselves learning about alien biology, technology, and philosophy even as they wonder if Hask will be acquitted—and whether he wants to go free.
Let me be clear: the writing in this book is bad. The characters are flat, even stereotypical at times, and prone to that mode of generalization that passes for narration in a Sawyer novel. By this I mean, every thought that passes through a character's mind happens to be fundamental reflection on something integral to the plot. For example, take a thought running through the mind of Dale Rice, Hask's lawyer:
Still, there weren't many times when it was an actual advantage to be African-American. He was used to the screwups in restaurants. Waitresses bringing him the wrong meal—mixing up his order with that of the only other black person in the entire place. White people constantly confused him with other black men, men who, except for their skin color, looked nothing like him, and were often decades younger.
But the one time it perhaps was to his advantage to be big and black was when he wanted to go for late-night walks.
Now, I'm not black, so I'm not going to pretend to know whether this characterization is accurate. I suspect, as with all anecdotes, it's true for some and false for many others. Regardless, my point is that Sawyer handles the whole issue of race about as deftly as clog dancers dance in cement shoes. Still not convinced? The detective in charge of the murder investigation is Jesus Perez—and that's pronounced Hay-soos, he is quick to remind us every single time he appears.
When it comes to enthusiasm for cutting-edge developments in science, Sawyer is among the best writers out there. His near-future science fiction is thought-provoking, when it comes to the science parts, but his characters consistently fail to impress me. And his dialogue does not fare much better. Unfortunately, Illegal Alien is mostly dialogue, because the middle of the book consists of little more than dialogue-laden courtroom scenes broken up by interstitial moments of tension during recess. Maybe those more amenable to legal thrillers might tolerate such a high degree of dialogue; it certainly works for movies. But the sheer amount of time spent exchanging words in that courtroom, witnessing every single instance that Dale says, "Objection!" . . . rather than make me turn the page because of tension and interest, I turned it so I could finish the book faster.
OK, so let's set aside the incredible premise and the bad writing. What have we left . . . oh yes, the aliens. Sawyer uses the courtroom as a theatre to tell us all about the Tosoks. Despite their taboos about discussing internal biology (comparable to our taboos on having sex in front of other people), we learn about the Tosoks' internal organs. We learn how they shed their skin, how they reproduce, how they count their familial relations. There are myriad ways Sawyer could have chosen to expound on these subjects; he chose the courtroom, and that decision works well. Although the legal question alone is intriguing, combined with Sawyer's sneaky world-building, it almost makes Illegal Alien downright compelling. (Almost.)
It is hard to believe that the same author who wrote this also wrote WWW:Wake . I guess now that I've read this, that, and the Neanderthal Parallax series, I've seen examples of Sawyer at his best, worst, and middling. Unless there is something about this book's description that makes you salivate and throb in all the right places, this isn't the Sawyer novel I'd pimp to you.
August 15, 2012
My thoughts :
This novel is clearly sci-fi : first contact with aliens, can you get something more obviously sci-fi? And yet, it is more an exploration (and a critique) of the US justice system. The outsider points of view helps, because the lawyer has to explain everything to his alien client, Hask. It shows the unfair aspects of the justice system, even if, in the end, Sawyer's message is not entirely pessimistic : we finally learn the truth about Clete's death. I really liked this aspect of the book : the idea that there is more than meets the eye in a particular situation, that you have to ask questions and look for the truth (even if lawyers and the DA are not concerned by the truth, more by strategies, jury choices, ...).
The end of the novel is honestly not the best : I felt like the author used an alien ex machina to tie his plot, but then, the real point of the plot is the trial, not the sci-fi aspect, so I can forgive it.
This novel also introduces an important theme, even if it's not original : religion, science and how people can live with those two "forces". More specifically, the theory of evolution has a large part in the later developments of the plot, and Sawyer clearly take a side : he shows how ridiculous it is for people to believe religious arguments/ideas when there are facts that contradict them. For the record, I totally agree with Sawyer : anyone who argues against the theory of evolution because it's not what the Bible teaches us need a serious reality check.
Verdict?
Illegal Alien is a good novel, but don't read it thinking you'll find advetures and traditionnal sci-fi themes. It explores US society and points out what could be improved in the Justice system. I found the trial engrossing, and the three main characters (the lawyer Rice, Frank Nobilio who is the White House representant among the aliens, and Hask) quite well developped. The other characters were fonctions in the storyline. I think this book is a good read for somone who is looking for an unusual sci-fi novel, or for someone who is discovering the genre but doesn't want to read a space-opera or a post-apocaliptic dystopia.
This novel is clearly sci-fi : first contact with aliens, can you get something more obviously sci-fi? And yet, it is more an exploration (and a critique) of the US justice system. The outsider points of view helps, because the lawyer has to explain everything to his alien client, Hask. It shows the unfair aspects of the justice system, even if, in the end, Sawyer's message is not entirely pessimistic : we finally learn the truth about Clete's death. I really liked this aspect of the book : the idea that there is more than meets the eye in a particular situation, that you have to ask questions and look for the truth (even if lawyers and the DA are not concerned by the truth, more by strategies, jury choices, ...).
The end of the novel is honestly not the best : I felt like the author used an alien ex machina to tie his plot, but then, the real point of the plot is the trial, not the sci-fi aspect, so I can forgive it.
This novel also introduces an important theme, even if it's not original : religion, science and how people can live with those two "forces". More specifically, the theory of evolution has a large part in the later developments of the plot, and Sawyer clearly take a side : he shows how ridiculous it is for people to believe religious arguments/ideas when there are facts that contradict them. For the record, I totally agree with Sawyer : anyone who argues against the theory of evolution because it's not what the Bible teaches us need a serious reality check.
Verdict?
Illegal Alien is a good novel, but don't read it thinking you'll find advetures and traditionnal sci-fi themes. It explores US society and points out what could be improved in the Justice system. I found the trial engrossing, and the three main characters (the lawyer Rice, Frank Nobilio who is the White House representant among the aliens, and Hask) quite well developped. The other characters were fonctions in the storyline. I think this book is a good read for somone who is looking for an unusual sci-fi novel, or for someone who is discovering the genre but doesn't want to read a space-opera or a post-apocaliptic dystopia.
April 5, 2017
While reading the initial chapters of this book, my impression was of the author indulging his personal fascination with the sensationalism that accompanies high-profile American criminal cases (specifically the O.J. Simpson murder-trial circus), due to the story being constructed as a legal thriller à la John Grisham, though with a science fiction variation. But that first impression faded as the story progressed and developed into a complex intriguing mystery. The one element of this book that I disliked was the author's transcription of a character's spoken Appalachian accent, which leapt off the page obtrusively and inauthentically. Otherwise, however, the book was highly engaging and difficult to put down.
The numerous plot twists which unraveled were genuinely surprising. Without spoiling anything, I can assert that the book's conclusion is exceptionally satisfying. It may even be my favorite ending to any book that I have read.
The very fine works of Robert Sawyer have yet to disappoint or bore me. I am glad that I picked up this novel, and I definitely recommend it to fans of science fiction/courtroom drama/mystery.
The numerous plot twists which unraveled were genuinely surprising. Without spoiling anything, I can assert that the book's conclusion is exceptionally satisfying. It may even be my favorite ending to any book that I have read.
The very fine works of Robert Sawyer have yet to disappoint or bore me. I am glad that I picked up this novel, and I definitely recommend it to fans of science fiction/courtroom drama/mystery.
July 25, 2020
This is a nice courtroom drama with -real- aliens. Sawyer is more philosophical here than when he is at his hard-science gosh-wow best, but that's okay. He might tend to go a little overboard on the preaching a time or two and the ending didn't completely thrill me, but overall it's engaging and a nice, rather hopeful, and good-humored story. You know, if A Few Good Men met Independence Day...
February 15, 2014
Mankind makes first contact with an alien civilization when a space ship is stranded in our solar system. The Tosoks come from Alpha Centauri, which is about four light-years away. One of the eight astronauts was killed in a tragic accident when he tried to repair the damage the ship sustained crossing the Kuiper Belt, an asteroid belt on the outer rim of the solar system. The other seven Tosoks are received on Earth with open arms. It looks like they have to spend two years on our planet until the parts they need for a lift off can be made. The strangers are a big media event and nobody thinks to ask them why they came here in the first place. Everybody just assumes that they are scientists wanting to make contact with other civilizations. A close friendship forms between Cletus Calhoun, the host of a popular scientific TV program, and Hask, one of the Tosoks. When Calhoun is found murdered in his quarters and Hask is the main suspect, the public is shocked.
ILLEGAL ALIEN is a well-done mixture of science fiction and mystery. The idea of an alien defendant in a courtroom on Earth is intriguing and quite new. There's no Grisham-style dynamic young lawyer who wants to kick off his career with a spectacular case. The lawyer for the defense is a not quite young African American who seems predestined to defend a member of a very special ethnic minority. Sawyer doesn't bore the readers with endless trial preparation, but lets the bigger part of the story take place in the courtroom and describes the investigations that shed more and more light on the nature and origin of the Tosoks.
The description of the Alpha Centauri system is vivid, and in the end you are convinced that even a technically much more advanced civilization doesn't have to be all that different from humanity. The beliefs of the Tosoks were shattered when they discovered evolution and realized that they were not created in the image of their omnipotent god. Without moralizing Sawyer holds up a mirror and shows us what grotesque shape religion as a universal phenomenon can take. ILLEGAL ALIEN is probably no eternal masterpiece, but a fun read and one of my favorite books by this author.
ILLEGAL ALIEN is a well-done mixture of science fiction and mystery. The idea of an alien defendant in a courtroom on Earth is intriguing and quite new. There's no Grisham-style dynamic young lawyer who wants to kick off his career with a spectacular case. The lawyer for the defense is a not quite young African American who seems predestined to defend a member of a very special ethnic minority. Sawyer doesn't bore the readers with endless trial preparation, but lets the bigger part of the story take place in the courtroom and describes the investigations that shed more and more light on the nature and origin of the Tosoks.
The description of the Alpha Centauri system is vivid, and in the end you are convinced that even a technically much more advanced civilization doesn't have to be all that different from humanity. The beliefs of the Tosoks were shattered when they discovered evolution and realized that they were not created in the image of their omnipotent god. Without moralizing Sawyer holds up a mirror and shows us what grotesque shape religion as a universal phenomenon can take. ILLEGAL ALIEN is probably no eternal masterpiece, but a fun read and one of my favorite books by this author.
December 31, 2012
I really liked “Illegal Alien.” It was written at the time of the O.J. Simpson murder trial and Sawyer cannot resist mentioning it throughout the book. This is fine, as it allows the author some flexibility of plot and pacing: an old lawyer who has won his share of cases, Mr. Dale Rice, a black man who knew Martin Luther King, Jr. and at 70+ years young gets the chance of a century – to defend an alien accused of the murder of Calhoun, a PBS news/astronomer who was the first to step aboard an alien vessel, make friends with the creatures and introduce tehm to society.
Plots: It is interesting how Sawyer uses the alien as a complete zero in looking at the American justice system. The author admits (on other forums) to have thoroughly researched our system of justice and in many ways it does come up wanting. The shifting of gears between defense and prosecution, the calling up of witnesses, jury selection, and so on is interesting.
Themes: Racism plays some part; also reliability, trust, deception and a stick-to it tiveness runs the gamet of the novel.
The only thing I did not like about the novel was its apparent criticism of those who love UFOs, Star Trek and other geek elements. Minor point.
Bottom Line: Creative, a bit dated, and fascinating look from a Canadian (alien?) perspective of our sometimes wild and crazy justice system. Recommended for lovers to To Kill a Mockingbird and whoever sat through the entire broadcast of the O.J. Simpson trials.
Plots: It is interesting how Sawyer uses the alien as a complete zero in looking at the American justice system. The author admits (on other forums) to have thoroughly researched our system of justice and in many ways it does come up wanting. The shifting of gears between defense and prosecution, the calling up of witnesses, jury selection, and so on is interesting.
Themes: Racism plays some part; also reliability, trust, deception and a stick-to it tiveness runs the gamet of the novel.
The only thing I did not like about the novel was its apparent criticism of those who love UFOs, Star Trek and other geek elements. Minor point.
Bottom Line: Creative, a bit dated, and fascinating look from a Canadian (alien?) perspective of our sometimes wild and crazy justice system. Recommended for lovers to To Kill a Mockingbird and whoever sat through the entire broadcast of the O.J. Simpson trials.
May 30, 2018
Illegal Alien was an entertaining mix – Matlock meets the Twilight Zone. Earth has been visited by aliens – the Tosoks – and a murder is committed that all the evidence points to one of the alien visitors. This is a much legal thriller as it is science fiction. There isn’t a lot of depth to the story, but it is a light, entertaining read. Not one of my favorites by Robert J. Sawyer, but still worth a read.
October 14, 2012
Robert J Sawyer always tells a well constructed story line, with believable characters, and a sense of cheekieness.
This story is no different; when some stranded aliens are accussed of murdering a human scientist. It's a who dunnit with what appears to be an abvious killer but is he ?
Great read
This story is no different; when some stranded aliens are accussed of murdering a human scientist. It's a who dunnit with what appears to be an abvious killer but is he ?
Great read
October 26, 2014
Fascinating.
This book was shades of Orson Scott Card, just sans the thinly veiled preachy undertone. So the better parts of OSC's work.
This was primarily mystery/legal drama with SciFi flavour. As seems to be common thus far, Sawyer is an incurable idealist. Though since I was raised with one of my parents being a Trekkie, there's definitely an appeal here.
This book was shades of Orson Scott Card, just sans the thinly veiled preachy undertone. So the better parts of OSC's work.
This was primarily mystery/legal drama with SciFi flavour. As seems to be common thus far, Sawyer is an incurable idealist. Though since I was raised with one of my parents being a Trekkie, there's definitely an appeal here.
November 8, 2024
Read - 26 November 2003 - ***. I started this book last night and finished it today; it's a pretty fast read. It's a combination murder mystery/science fiction story. A small group of aliens are the first to visit Earth, when one of the humans that are accompanying them is murdered. The prime suspect is one of the aliens, and is put on trial for murder. The courtroom scenes frequently refer to the OJ Simpson trial of a few years ago, and Stephen Jay Gould is no longer with us, so it is beginning to be a little out of date. On the other hand, there are plenty of in-jokes for sf fans like me. The book turns more serious towards the end, and the outcome of the trial relates to the Design Argument for the existence of God. I hope I haven't given too much away!
March 2, 2021
Більше половини книги - детальний опис судового процесу. Може комусь це й цікаво, але не мені, це точно. Очікував, що може Соєр хоч під кінець придумає щось цікаве (камон, він же написав купу достойних книг, лауреат всіх премій!), але нічого кращого за бластер і супер-цивілізацію - переможця всіх "поганих" не з'явилось. Це точно не найкраща книга Соєра.
July 10, 2023
Oh man, this book is something. What if aliens visited Earth, and ...committed murder?! An astronomer who lived alongside the aliens is dead in a gruesome murder and one of the aliens (called a Tosack, and deemed "Hank") has been charged with his murder.
The premise is ridiculous, as I would assume any alien shanigans would be taken care of by the military or diplomatic relations, not local police. However the trial and mystery was interesting. I stayed up a couple of nights trying to finish so I could find out who dun it.
I wished this book was more realistic in how Earth with actually interact with aliens in terms of communication and politics, but oh well!
I would say this is more of a mystery/law book, with some sci-fi elements. Dont expect a hard sci-fi /alien contact story.
The premise is ridiculous, as I would assume any alien shanigans would be taken care of by the military or diplomatic relations, not local police. However the trial and mystery was interesting. I stayed up a couple of nights trying to finish so I could find out who dun it.
I wished this book was more realistic in how Earth with actually interact with aliens in terms of communication and politics, but oh well!
I would say this is more of a mystery/law book, with some sci-fi elements. Dont expect a hard sci-fi /alien contact story.
December 22, 2015
Un classico dei gialli, il legal thriller che fa pensare subito a Perry Mason; solo che questo è in salsa fantascientifica e ben strutturato, con la classica tensione delle prove a carico dell'imputato che si accumulano senza pietà, con un colpo di scena finale e tutti i parafernalia del genere .
Con un bel paragrafo che smonta l'idiozia tanto cara agli arteriocattolici antievoluzionisti sull'occhio umano "troppo complesso per essere frutto dell'evoluzione". Anzi. L'occhio è la migliore prova dell'evoluzione al lavoro.
Per tacere del simpatico capitoletto nel quale ci si chiede, in caso di condanna, come fare a sopprimere un alieno del quale non si conosce la fisiologia, e dove si intravede l'ipocrisia della pena di morte "che non deve far soffrire"
Non a caso l'autore è canadese, e NON statunitense. Certe cose i born in the USA difficilmente le comprendono.
Con un bel paragrafo che smonta l'idiozia tanto cara agli arteriocattolici antievoluzionisti sull'occhio umano "troppo complesso per essere frutto dell'evoluzione". Anzi. L'occhio è la migliore prova dell'evoluzione al lavoro.
Per tacere del simpatico capitoletto nel quale ci si chiede, in caso di condanna, come fare a sopprimere un alieno del quale non si conosce la fisiologia, e dove si intravede l'ipocrisia della pena di morte "che non deve far soffrire"
Non a caso l'autore è canadese, e NON statunitense. Certe cose i born in the USA difficilmente le comprendono.
September 6, 2013
Un gran bel romanzo, dove niente è lasciato al caso e dove non tutto sembra come appare.
Una nave aliena, con buona parte dell'equipaggio in ibernazione, giunge in orbita terrestre oggi. Gli alieni sono ben descritti, appaiono amichevoli, poi, per caso, si scopre che uno di loro, il più amichevole, ha commesso un omicidio. Ha ucciso un uomo, e lo ha sezionato. Il perché lo ha fatto è la vera sorpresa.
Una nave aliena, con buona parte dell'equipaggio in ibernazione, giunge in orbita terrestre oggi. Gli alieni sono ben descritti, appaiono amichevoli, poi, per caso, si scopre che uno di loro, il più amichevole, ha commesso un omicidio. Ha ucciso un uomo, e lo ha sezionato. Il perché lo ha fatto è la vera sorpresa.
November 8, 2017
I had pretty mixed feeling for this book. On the one hand, I always enjoy first contact stories and also murder mysteries. But on the other hand, I really don't like courtroom drama (especially American courtroom drama)... and two thirds of this novel took place in the court room! Nevertheless, I liked the ending, so it was worth reading through.
February 16, 2024
There's a lot of dumb stuff in this story. However there's also a lot of really good stuff. And best of all, its a good read and never gets bogged down in the minutia.
Basically the story of Illegal Alien is that an alien ship appears over the Pacific and does a water landing. The US Navy, a Russian submarine and a Brazilian cruise ship are nearby and hasten to the area. I love the idea that a cruise ship just happens to be nearby and may be the first to make contact with the aliens. It's a funny detail that has the ring of truth to it. These type of little touches make "Illegal Alien" fun to read.
First contact is made, the aliens come to address the UN and we learn their mothership is damaged and they need our help to repair it. Repairs are estimated to take 2 years. While the aliens provide the technology for what must be done and get to know the earthers, surprisingly one of the book's main characters is found murdered, vivisected and one of the aliens is the chief suspect.
From there on the book is part whodoneit, part sci-fi and part courtroom drama. Where it gets dumb is in details like who is going to pay for the alien's lawyer. Tons of would be lawyers out to make a name for themselves and the biggest names in law would want to do this for free in order to handle the biggest case of the century. If not, you know some billionaire would underwrite the case.
Don't want to go into a blow by blow recitation of all the little dumb or silly things like that because while annoying they are not enough to ruin what turned out to be a pretty good story that got even better as it went along.
Basically the story of Illegal Alien is that an alien ship appears over the Pacific and does a water landing. The US Navy, a Russian submarine and a Brazilian cruise ship are nearby and hasten to the area. I love the idea that a cruise ship just happens to be nearby and may be the first to make contact with the aliens. It's a funny detail that has the ring of truth to it. These type of little touches make "Illegal Alien" fun to read.
First contact is made, the aliens come to address the UN and we learn their mothership is damaged and they need our help to repair it. Repairs are estimated to take 2 years. While the aliens provide the technology for what must be done and get to know the earthers, surprisingly one of the book's main characters is found murdered, vivisected and one of the aliens is the chief suspect.
From there on the book is part whodoneit, part sci-fi and part courtroom drama. Where it gets dumb is in details like who is going to pay for the alien's lawyer. Tons of would be lawyers out to make a name for themselves and the biggest names in law would want to do this for free in order to handle the biggest case of the century. If not, you know some billionaire would underwrite the case.
Don't want to go into a blow by blow recitation of all the little dumb or silly things like that because while annoying they are not enough to ruin what turned out to be a pretty good story that got even better as it went along.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 6, 2018
I've read other books by Sawyer and would have to say this is my least favourite so far. Not that it's terrible, but maybe it's a little dated now (being over 20 years old), both in reference to technology and also in general treatment of alien communications. After my joy of watching "Arrival" and the sophisticated explanations of the difficulties of communication between species so very different, I found the utterly simplistic way that alien communication is dealt with in this novel to be jarringly unbelievable. Also, it's less pure science fiction and more of an American courtroom drama; and while I enjoy the former, I tend to avoid the latter so the last half of the book definitely dragged on a bit. So, massive suspension of disbelief required at many points in the book, and while the premise was entertaining and probably a bit more original 20 years ago, the effort didn't really pay off for me. Not terrible, and if you like courtroom dramas you'll probably like it more than I did, but definitely not one of Sawyer's best.
February 8, 2025
I picked up Illegal Alien by Robert J. Sawyer for a buck at a used bookstore, knowing nothing about it other than the intriguing plot synopsis on the cover. There wasn’t much on Goodreads to go off of, but I trusted my gut—and wow, I’m so glad I did. This book was phenomenal.
The premise is wild: an alien species arrives on Earth seeking scientific assistance to repair their ship, but when a human is murdered in their presence, one of the aliens is put on trial. That’s all I’ll say because if you decide to read this book (which you absolutely should), I don’t want to spoil a single moment. The story is packed with twists, and I was especially blown away by the ending and epilogue—I genuinely didn’t see them coming.
What really impressed me was how well-written and engaging the book was. It felt like a gripping episode of Star Trek, blending thought-provoking sci-fi with a courtroom drama that kept me hooked from start to finish. If you love smart, compelling sci-fi with unexpected turns, this one is a must-read.
Five stars, no question.
The premise is wild: an alien species arrives on Earth seeking scientific assistance to repair their ship, but when a human is murdered in their presence, one of the aliens is put on trial. That’s all I’ll say because if you decide to read this book (which you absolutely should), I don’t want to spoil a single moment. The story is packed with twists, and I was especially blown away by the ending and epilogue—I genuinely didn’t see them coming.
What really impressed me was how well-written and engaging the book was. It felt like a gripping episode of Star Trek, blending thought-provoking sci-fi with a courtroom drama that kept me hooked from start to finish. If you love smart, compelling sci-fi with unexpected turns, this one is a must-read.
Five stars, no question.
June 28, 2025
I've read a number of Sawyer's books and enjoyed them overall. This was one of his earliest and I can see that in his writing style still developing. The story is intriguing and I like the idea but found it a little clunky. It was a bit obvious somethings were contrived a bit to carry the plot through. The big plot point also seems somewhat hokey but it was used well in the story he created. I did enjoy the small science lessons in it and learned a couple of new things from those. It is a good book for one of his earliest but future books would flow smoother and fit together better. My actual more refined rating would be 3.5.
September 12, 2019
I had read this book when it was first published and loved it, so I was apprehensive about rereading it---so often SF does not stand the test of time. I was delighted to find I enjoyed it as much this time around.
I love courtroom dramas, and the idea of putting an alien on trial for murder was great fun. It also threw very clever SF thinking into the book without overloading the story. I thought the attention given to the design of the aliens' bodies was especially admirable.
Definitely worth the second read!
I love courtroom dramas, and the idea of putting an alien on trial for murder was great fun. It also threw very clever SF thinking into the book without overloading the story. I thought the attention given to the design of the aliens' bodies was especially admirable.
Definitely worth the second read!
September 22, 2019
Начинается книга хорошо, после трети уходит глубоко в не очень мной любимый судебный процедурал. Исключительно из любопытства я пролистнул в конец книги обнаружил, что весь этот процедурал совершенно никому не нужен, поскольку в конце разворачивается межзвёздная драма в духе "Теорема трёх тел", с последующими розовыми соплями. Есть сильное впечатление, что китаец прочитал этот роман и просто не смог не развернуть тему. Честное слово, если б автор две трети книги посвятил тем событиям, которые он едва осветил в конце, книга была бы на порядок интереснее. Ставлю троечку исключительно за язык.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 8, 2023
Humanity makes first contact with a race called the Tosoks. A delegation arrive on Earth to get materials to repair their ship. A human member of the Tosoks entourage is killed. The Tosok Hasker is charged with the murder. Civil rights attorney Dale Rice is asked to defend Hasker. A interesting combination of a first contact story and court thriller. Sawyer has woven a complex mystery. There are some great twists in the story. Thrown are some interesting comments on the American judical system.
August 24, 2018
Funny story. When I got divorced I stored a few boxes of books in dad's garage. Dad died, I'm now moving those boxes into my apartment. My car died on the freeway last Sunday. Called a tow truck, had a 90 minute wait. Dug through a box o' books in the back seat and found this gem.
I'm liking it. I can see how it's going to end (I'm betting the Aliens are The Bad Guys), but it's a fun read.
I'm liking it. I can see how it's going to end (I'm betting the Aliens are The Bad Guys), but it's a fun read.
May 26, 2024
Delightful and fascinating, as I trust Sawyer for. Sense of Wonder and What If, for which I read SF. Satisfactory ending. Only problem with this particular book is the dated setting, esp. the pop culture references... but surely you can get past that.... I am glad I did.
"a human being has one quart of blood for every thirty pounds of body weight."
"our science correspondent Miles O'Brien..."
"a human being has one quart of blood for every thirty pounds of body weight."
"our science correspondent Miles O'Brien..."
October 16, 2024
I found it very interesting that there would ba an alien race that would come down to earth and participate in the earth’s judicial process. The alien movies always seem to be those where the alien has come down almost always to be violent attackers.
Even the aliens in this book do come down with an intent to wipe out humans on earth they are portrayed as reasonable beings willing to work within the confines of human laws.
Even the aliens in this book do come down with an intent to wipe out humans on earth they are portrayed as reasonable beings willing to work within the confines of human laws.
October 18, 2017
More courtroom drama than sci-fi. Was an enjoyable read, with somewhat predictable outcomes. Sawyer managed to avoid his typical shortfall and actually ended the book satisfactorily without going into existential debate or unbelievable futures.
One of the better novels of RJS that I have read. On par with Triggers and the WWW series.
One of the better novels of RJS that I have read. On par with Triggers and the WWW series.
November 28, 2017
The aliens and alien technology portrayed in this book were no disappointment, compared to Sawyer’s other books. The book was the story of the trial of an alien who is arrested for committing murder. While I wish the story had more aliens and their technology in it, the legal proceedings in the LA court system were well written and made me reflect a lot on human civil rights.
November 30, 2018
Sawyer can write. He'll make the reader feel like they're part of the story. This one is a Grisham style courtroom drama meets science fiction. It's not solid science but plausible. There's friends in strange places and with strange faces (those that have faces). The ending may not be expected but it is hoped for and I'll leave it at that. Definitely recommend.
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