Humans and Other Aliens is a most unusual sci fi book, and one that I enjoyed due to the mix of sci fi and metaphysics. For me the ideas it contains takes it out of the ordinary and into the extraordinary in terms of books. Anyone who knows my own books, knows how all my fantasy has metaphysics woven into the story, so it’s not surprising that I like books that do the same. Apart from this mix, however, the story itself is unusual. There are the good guys and the bad guys as usual, of course, but here we see ‘good’ motivations acted out in ways that are decidedly not good for human beings by alien beings with a completely different way of viewing things. If that sounds complicated, it might be why some reviewers found the book hard to follow, and it certainly would be better had the author had it line edited to improve clarity of expression and get a better balance between metaphysics and action. I liked it because of its ideas, but the examination of those ideas did slow the pace of the book. If you love metaphysics you’ll probably enjoy it, but if you want a fast paced sci fi, this isn’t it.
It has gems such as: “Once wrong ideas have been seen as such truth shines by itself. Truth requires no mental understanding, rather it’s the opposite. As soon as you try to understand you move away from it.”
That quote is from Delta, a human/alien cross-breed, who Jon, a genetic scientist, created to save mankind from an invasion by aliens invisible to most humans. Delta is a wise being, and he’s a proponent of non-violence, particularly when it comes to dealing with his alien half brothers and sisters, but the invasion has come because humanity’s addiction to power, technology and social media has reached a crucial tipping point. Is there any hope for mankind against a powerful foe who has given up on them?
“Our task will be to make your people see,” Delta says. “To guide them on a journey to a place you call the here and now.”
4 stars.
Though I enjoyed book 1 in the series, I couldn’t finish book 2. Unfortunately, the second book added nothing to the first, and the plot became bogged down with wordiness. It really needed a line edit.
