I picked up this book because I love stories about aliens, and I've read hundreds of first contact narratives. This book was kinda like the wimpy fairy tale sibling of Stanislaw Lem's Fiasco. In some ways I would have enjoyed this novel much more if I hadn't read all of Lem's contact books. Lem explores this topic with such incredible scope, ingenuity and depth that it would be hard for anyone to even come close to scratching the surface of the topic.It's a tough sell to me, because Lem's 'Fiasco' is my favourite book (ever).But I'll stop talking about Lem and I'll actually talk about THIS book. A group of anthropologists travel to an alien planet and try to make friends with the natives. Things don't quite go as planned, and chaos ensues. Oliver does a couple things that are kinda interesting and unique with his story. I enjoyed it overall, but it felt like it was all surface, and the characters were all pretty one-dimensional. Even some of the prose was quite juvenile, like reading a first year uni student's attempt at fiction, lots of over-the-top flowery sentences, descriptive emotive lines in italics.Overall though, this book is very optimistic. It argues that there's a commonality between all men, even non-human men. A universal love throughout the universe. Perhaps I have an issue with this book because I fundamentally disagree with this idea of universal peace and love. We humans are much darker at heart than we're willing to face, and any other intelligences out there are likely to be alien beyond comprehension.Regardless, it was a good lighthearted read, kinda like watching a benign episode of the original Star Trek. But if you really want to get a deeper look into alien civilisations, you should look to Stanislaw Lem.
What do You think about Unearthly Neighbors (1984)?
