Today's DSN was picked because of its humorous title and premise. On Earth as It Is on Television by Emily Jane promised a fun and also strange tale of human's first contact with aliens, and what that means for three seemingly unconnected people in the U.S. who have no idea how the event will change their lives.
The Situation: When an alien spaceship is seen hovering over Washington, D.C, there is naturally a range of reactions from the humans of earth. As even more spaceships appear over other cities around the world - London, Tokyo, Manila, Cairo - Blaine does his best to wrangle his semi-feral children, and keep tabs on the strange actions of his wife, while also maintaining a tenuous hold on the belief that the simplest explanation must be the correct one. On the other side of the U.S, Heather wonders what the appearance of the spaceships means for her, and if it will at least help with her feelings of being an outsider in her own family. And for Oliver, the appearance means being woken up from the catatonic state he has been in for the last two decades.
The Problem: Some are excited about the aliens' appearance, others are scared, and more than a few are hostile. Bunker sales skyrocket - as do gun sales - and while Blaine's coworker talks of government conspiracies, his television-addicted children callously consider who they know that should be skinned alive in an attempt to see if there are aliens among them. And while his wife has always acted...different, it is clear she is now either suffering some sort of break down, or cheating on him. Oliver may now be 'awake,' but the doctors struggle to explain it, as he acknowledges that it is now time for him to move on, but move on to what exactly? All he has are pieces of what he remembers from twenty years ago, and a cat that he believes is insisting they travel west.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a science fiction novel set in the modern-day U.S. The three characters that are the main focus - Blain, Heather, and Oliver - all end up traveling away from their homes, making different journeys across the U.S. for different reasons, but all related to the sudden appearance of alien spaceships. The appearance of, and reactions to, the spaceships will remind many readers of War of the Worlds (both the book and the historical radio broadcast of 1938), as well as other stories of alien invasions from pop culture such as the television show V from the 1980s, the movie Independence Day from the 1990s, and the movie that first entered my mind, Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The appearances lead to paranoia, suspicion, excitement, curiosity, fear, all of the reactions that would be expected from human beings when something strange is introduced to the world they thought they knew.
My Verdict: The initial mystery behind the appearance of the spaceships is intriguing, as is whatever is going on with Blaine's wife, and Oliver's condition. And Blaine's two children provide enough comedy relief (some of it incredibly dark and concerning) to keep readers turning the page, which proves necessary once the biggest mysteries are solved halfway through the book. For me, the more answers that are given for what is happening, the less interesting the plot became. Already more than a bit silly, the story devolves into something that is still entertaining, but with the humorous aspects overshadowing the more emotional and engaging story of Oliver's past and current journey. And I am not sure the ultimate conclusion will be worth the journey for a lot of readers.
Favorite Moment: For whatever reason, I was delighted and fascinated by Blaine's wife's obsession with and love for bacon. I mean I get it, bacon is pretty great...but still.
Favorite Character: I was mostly interested in Oliver and what would happen to him now that he has woken up after 20 years of being mostly unresponsive.
Recommended Reading: I recommend Walk the Vanished Earth by Erin Swan.
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