Alien Morning

Humans’ willingness to believe everything they see on TV—or its near-future equivalent—is the key to this thriller (parts of which were previously published as short stories) about dysfunctional families and first contact. Peter Holman is a sweeper, recording immersive sensory entertainment called sweepcasts for his social media followers. He’s in the right place at the right time on the Gulf Coast to record humans’ first contact with aliens. Suddenly, Peter’s got an exclusive contract with the aliens’ intermediaries to broadcast the hottest story on the planet. Even better, his role on the show includes seduction by sexy boss Heather Newsome—who just happens to be engaged to Peter’s brother, Tom. Now estranged from his brother, and entangled with a lover whose motives are questionable, Peter becomes the sweeper entourage of the alien called Twoclicks, whom Heather bills as “the great leader for a new Earth.” When not running from alien ship attacks, Peter recalls his troubled family history, which mirrors the ongoing war between Twoclicks and the alien’s brother. This plot-driven story emphasizes action at the expense of characterization, but it does offer an intriguing look at colonization from the viewpoint of those being taken over. Agent: Bob Diforio, D4EO Literary Agency. (Nov.)

This review has been corrected. A previous version misspelled the author's name.