Searchers of Ex-O-da: Sci-Fi Satire

ISBN-13: 9781503073609 / Angielski / Miękka / 2014 / 410 str.

MR David D. Tracey; Mrs Diane Donovan

Opis

A group of aliens sent to Earth from their home world Exoda are tasked with an assessment operation: determine if the Earth should be harvested by the fleet behind them, or let the planet pass. Such a harvesting operation was already conducted by aliens some sixty-five million year ago; but this time the human race is in charge - and thus the planet is the subject of even closer scrutiny. As S. O. E. or Searchers of Ex-O-da evolves, there are points of reference that are fun and odd: for example, the aliens sport human names (Cecil Patrick Randolph, for example) which seem incongruous for an invading fleet from beyond the stars. Another curious note: the fate of the Earth (as well as other worlds) actually depends on the destructive actions of these aliens. Much as fire needs to clear the way for new life, so have the aliens' past actions paved the way for what is to eventually become humanity. And that's just the beginning of the story. Now move into the human realm, where individuals are just discovering their extraterrestrial origins and truths, which sometimes become sticky with complexity: "This is complicated. I must tell you first that those two people who we were led to believe are our parents, are not our parents. Our father is the brother of our real father. Our mother, she is the sister of our real mother. " "My head is spinning Royal. It is royally spinning. Anyways, why is that?" Be prepared for a hilarious comedy of errors; for S. O. E. or Searchers of Ex-O-da is a comedy of errors and ironies, whether you're talking about plots to break away from alien prisons, muddled heritage and strange genes, or the odd habits of fearless leaders with a passion for speed and an inability to resist the possibilities offered by a spaceship's long corridor: "He again floors his cart to its maximum speed. This causes panic throughout the long crowded passageway. He does this from the time he starts his trip to the time he gets out of it at his stateroom. He decides he needs to take these kinds of trips on a regular basis. He realizes he loves to witness the horror in his crew mates faces as the try in panic to avoid being mowed down. There is a speed limit throughout the ship. As the official Commander of the ship, he knows, even though he can be held responsible for other types of crimes, he is immune from any type of vehicle prosecution. This holds true should he even kill someone with his cart." Perhaps this is the strongest piece of S. O. E. or Searchers of Ex-O-da: its ability to imbibe even the most serious of plots with a zany sense of whimsy and humor that adds an element of unpredictability to the entire story line. Whether it's science fiction or fiction, real unpredictability and humor is surprisingly rare and a refreshing find. In the end the fates of human and alien worlds will become entwined in more ways than one. Without spilling beans, it should be noted that readers looking for a voice that's truly different will find it in only a few places: in Christopher Moore's successful tales and, now, in David D. Tracey's fast-paced story of Searchers who uncover more than they bargained for."