Review: ALIEN PEOPLE by John Coon

4 Speculative Stars 

The discovery of alien life! What could be more exciting? Only that such life is both Sentient and communicating! For Astronomer Calandra, this discovery of hers reaches beyond her wildest dreams. Even more astonishing is that Calandra and her colleagues reside on the planet Lathos, in a different solar system...and that the alien probe sets forth from a very aggressive,  cruel,  global government...on Planet Earth....

I was reminded pleasurably of early Twilight Zone episodes and of Golden Age Science Fiction as author John Coon capably flips the Alien trope on its head, reversing the kaleidoscope so that Earth is the destructive alien civilization. Delightful!

 

Review: PRIVILEGE by Bharat Krishnan (The WP Trilogy Book 1)

 

5+ Speculative Stars 

I got a lot of fun out of this novel, by which I mean I found it entertaining,  engrossing, AND enlightening.  In the first couple of pages I thought, "What's interesting about some Wall Street tycoon with a drug habit?" Well that was selling short the story. It's not "any" drug, it's not "just" a thriller. 

In 2020 a lot is addressed about the lives of Blacks and Latinx. I don't think we read as much about those whose genetic heritage is of the subcontinent of India. So first of all, the enlightenment: I'he learned at length about Indian-Americans,  and how they still suffer as Celtic immigrants and Chinese immigrants did in the 19th century.  I learned about friendships and the importance of family to those who don't have it. I learned about a controlled substance which is solely the property, the entitlement,  of Caucasians, forbidden to all other ethnicities. 

Author Bharat Krishnan enabled me to see and feel what it is like to be excluded,  and how the excluded experience inclusion (through the acquisition of the controlled substance "WP"). I came away thinking how little progress Society has made toward inclusion (ethnicity,  race, religion,  orientation,  gender). I also am totally eager to read the sequel.