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Alien Nation #8
Cross of Blood
The pregnancy of Newcomer Cathy Frankel by her human boyfriend, Matt Sikes, ignites tensions city-wide as extremist groups who fear the implications of the birth of the first half-human/half-Newcomer child threaten Cathy's safety. The danger escalates when the medical facility treating Cathy is attacked, forcing her into seclusion. Meanwhile, George Francisco is drawn into a Newcomer cult headed by a mysterious messianic figure. Obsessed with the cult, George quits the police force to devote all his time to his new religion. Now with his partner gone, Sikes must defend his newborn baby from a hostile band of criminals determined to destroy anyone who's different-- even an innocent child.
- GenresScience FictionFiction
308 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published July 1, 1995
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79 people want to read
About the author
K.W. Jeter
112 books365 followersKevin Wayne Jeter (born 1950) is an American science fiction and horror author known for his literary writing style, dark themes, and paranoid, unsympathetic characters. He is also credited with the coining of the term "Steampunk." K. W. has written novels set in the Star Trek and Star Wars universe, and has written three (to date) sequels to Blade Runner.
Series:
* Doctor Adder
Series contributed to:
* Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
* Alien Nation
* Blade Runner
* Star Wars: The Bounty Hunter Wars
* The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror
* The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror
Series:
* Doctor Adder
Series contributed to:
* Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
* Alien Nation
* Blade Runner
* Star Wars: The Bounty Hunter Wars
* The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror
* The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 18, 2016
Fui una fan de la serie, que trataba de que ocurriria si una nave de alienigenas caia cerca de Los Angeles y terminaban viviendo entre la poblacion humana. Para que esto funcionara, las diferencias no debian ser demasiadas, cuando menos por fuera, pero la cultura y otras cosas fisiologicas diferian, desde cuestiones de apareamiento hasta el hecho de que el hombre lleva a término la gestación de su especie. Sip, canon MPREG, casi.
Lo que hacia especial esta serie era un buen llevado de los personajes, y un tema que sigue tremendamente vigente: discriminacion y racismo.
Senti curiosidad por este libro, porque una cosa que exploraba la serie era la relación entre Tectoneses y Humanos. Y Matt y Cathy ya se habian encontrado con buena dosis de detractores, entre ellos hasta el mismo Buck en un momento. En eso falla este libro, sin embargo, porque se explora poco el concepto de prejuicios. El final me llegó como sorpresa, no me lo esperaba. Pero las consecuencias de ello, la reaccion de Cathy sobre todo fue pasada por alto, falta dar una expresión a todo lo ocurrido.
La serie y peliculas derivadas son a todas luces recomendadas, este libro no tanto.
Lo que hacia especial esta serie era un buen llevado de los personajes, y un tema que sigue tremendamente vigente: discriminacion y racismo.
Senti curiosidad por este libro, porque una cosa que exploraba la serie era la relación entre Tectoneses y Humanos. Y Matt y Cathy ya se habian encontrado con buena dosis de detractores, entre ellos hasta el mismo Buck en un momento. En eso falla este libro, sin embargo, porque se explora poco el concepto de prejuicios. El final me llegó como sorpresa, no me lo esperaba. Pero las consecuencias de ello, la reaccion de Cathy sobre todo fue pasada por alto, falta dar una expresión a todo lo ocurrido.
La serie y peliculas derivadas son a todas luces recomendadas, este libro no tanto.
September 23, 2022
What a bummer. First, this book is the last one—and kind of feels like it’s meant to conclude some storylines. So if you’re a casual fan like me, don’t start here.
Second, if you’re reading the book because of the cover—it misrepresents the story. This isn’t about an alien human couple dealing with parenthood. Boooooo!
There were parts I enjoyed, but when I finished the book I did not like it. The story itself is interesting, but how it ends is ridiculous, how the characters act is ridiculous, how the story is crafted is ridiculous. As Balki Bartokomos would say, “Don’t be ridiculous.”
I still love Alien Nation and would read another book.
On a positive note, the author did a good job of capturing the voices of the characters.
Second, if you’re reading the book because of the cover—it misrepresents the story. This isn’t about an alien human couple dealing with parenthood. Boooooo!
There were parts I enjoyed, but when I finished the book I did not like it. The story itself is interesting, but how it ends is ridiculous, how the characters act is ridiculous, how the story is crafted is ridiculous. As Balki Bartokomos would say, “Don’t be ridiculous.”
I still love Alien Nation and would read another book.
On a positive note, the author did a good job of capturing the voices of the characters.
May 26, 2025
The last of the Alien Nation tie ins does a lot of good and some bad in the storytelling. Early in the book we get some good Sikes and Francisco interaction but part way through they split the characters up again. The George Francisco story arc ends up being very strange and almost pointless bar one random element added in. What we do get is a lot of development in George’s son, Buck, in this story. He becomes a major part of the story in the final third.
There’s also more development for Albert and Captain Grazer’s relationship. There was a moment where I wanted to punch Grazer so hard. I think the books in general don’t really get Grazer’s character from the series. They get the pomposity of the character but there’s some stuff that he ends up doing in a couple of the books that I couldn’t ever see the character from the series doing.
All in all the final tie in book does a really great job of continuing the story of the characters and the world bar a few hiccups. It also manages to give some feeling of conclusion but also leaving the door open for more stories.
There’s also more development for Albert and Captain Grazer’s relationship. There was a moment where I wanted to punch Grazer so hard. I think the books in general don’t really get Grazer’s character from the series. They get the pomposity of the character but there’s some stuff that he ends up doing in a couple of the books that I couldn’t ever see the character from the series doing.
All in all the final tie in book does a really great job of continuing the story of the characters and the world bar a few hiccups. It also manages to give some feeling of conclusion but also leaving the door open for more stories.
May 18, 2023
Really hard going for a long time, nearly gave up. Then, just after half way, got really good. Worth the trudge, in the end!
January 17, 2016
A human newspaper reporter wants to try to appear as a Newcomer to do a series of articles on how they are really thought about and treated. He's a very caustic and opinionated writer, and his series of articles stirs up tremendous controversy.
He ends up being murdered, and Sikes goes undercover, undergoing the same type of operation the writer did in order to appear to be a true Newcomer. Sikes soon finds out just how rough of a life some of them live, even to the point of being beaten by other police officers. Things only get worse, and before long the entire series is engaged in a series of riots, burnings and killings. The only way to stop it is to find who killed the reporter, and why.
The book has a good story, but that's not where the strength of the book lies. The major part of the book is about its message about racism, and just how horrible and how wide-spread that disease still is in our country. The book doesn't pull any punches, and no one escapes, not even the police, as there is a rough scene where Sikes, in his Newcomer appearance, is severely beaten by a number of police when he had done absolutely nothing to even justify being stopped, much less nearly killed.
The book is probably the strongest message about racism that I have read in any book, fact or fiction. It's a message that will upset many people, and cause some people to question their own beliefs. If it can cause at least some people to realize that racism is everywhere, probably even within themselves, then its purpose will have been served.
He ends up being murdered, and Sikes goes undercover, undergoing the same type of operation the writer did in order to appear to be a true Newcomer. Sikes soon finds out just how rough of a life some of them live, even to the point of being beaten by other police officers. Things only get worse, and before long the entire series is engaged in a series of riots, burnings and killings. The only way to stop it is to find who killed the reporter, and why.
The book has a good story, but that's not where the strength of the book lies. The major part of the book is about its message about racism, and just how horrible and how wide-spread that disease still is in our country. The book doesn't pull any punches, and no one escapes, not even the police, as there is a rough scene where Sikes, in his Newcomer appearance, is severely beaten by a number of police when he had done absolutely nothing to even justify being stopped, much less nearly killed.
The book is probably the strongest message about racism that I have read in any book, fact or fiction. It's a message that will upset many people, and cause some people to question their own beliefs. If it can cause at least some people to realize that racism is everywhere, probably even within themselves, then its purpose will have been served.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews