How could anyone resist a title
like Three Aliens Walk Into A Bar? Well, I couldn't. I learned about
this book from a blog I subscribe to that recommends books in various genres.
Along with the title reading like the opening to a bad joke, I was drawn by the
cover.
Three Aliens is a Sci-Fi Comedy focusing on strange
characters who have gathered in a small town somewhere in Minnesota. It is full
of funny situations, but only funny; I wouldn't go as far as to say hilarious.
The characters are a group of widely diverse types ranging from somewhat normal
to outrageously strange.
While the story wasn't what I
would call great, it is good. It is solid and moves at a quick pace and is easy
to read mostly, which brings me to my major complaint about the book.
I think the author should have
run this book past the editor a few more times. The text has so many typos I
found myself looking for them and being taken out of the story.
Now, before anyone goes off
calling me a "Grammar-Nazi" I'll say no matter how many passes
someone makes over a text, a few things will be missed. I've learned this from
my writing. I've read several books that have one or two minor problems and
tend to forgive them, but Three Aliens has so many, I could not ignore
them and must wonder if this story wasn't rushed to release.
Despite the typos, I enjoyed
the story and was entertained.
A phone app called Astra is
showing numerous objects approaching the solar system from deep space.
Scientists say the nature of these objects is inconclusive and could be
anything. Later, it seems the objects' movements are not responding to gravity
well encounters, and they appear to be accelerating as well. Many people jump
to the conclusion that alien invasion is imminent. And with that, chaos and
bedlam take hold in large population centers.
Gus and Sam, a couple of
gamer-types, react as well. Gus decides it is time for a road trip to see a
woman he has been internet gaming with calling herself the Night Fox. In Gus'
grandiose thinking, this woman is his erstwhile girlfriend, and he is determined
to meet her. Sam, Gus' meek-mannered sidekick, goes along for the ride against
his better judgement.
When their car becomes
inoperable along the way to the Canadian town where Night Fox lives, they catch
a ride with a paranormal radio talk show host. Following another vehicular
mishap, they wind up in Lake Peculiar, Minnesota, thanks to a good Samaritan
who rescues them.
Meanwhile, Journey Devereaux,
and her grandmother are evicted from their cabin in the Canadian woods and told
they will have to move on. Thanks to the efforts of Sam and the good Samaritan
that saved him, they can bring Journey to Lake Peculiar. Out of the goodness of
his heart, Sam does this for Gus' sake, thinking she is the mysterious Night
Fox.
In Lake Peculiar, there lives a
collection of numerous types of people. All are interesting and some are
down-right, well, peculiar.
When the aliens arrive, it is
rumored the Russians launched nuclear weapons at a mothership and it resulted
in the complete and utter destruction of Moscow in retaliation. Many are
convinced this is an actual event, causing everyone to assume the visitors from
far away are malevolent. However, when three members of the alien race arrive
in town, they don't seem bent on destruction, or anything else for that matter.
They just seem to stand and silently observe while the sleepy little town goes
about business as usual.
Of the three principal
characters of this story, Gus seems to be the most interesting, and the most
irritating. He sees himself as a classic Renaissance man who knows everything,
but he is really just full of crap. He has the uncanny ability to extrapolate
fact from thin air with little or no evidence and gets on everyone's nerves.
When the aliens arrive, he becomes a self-appointed goodwill ambassador to the
aliens. Most of the people of the town just go about their business while Gus
continues his boisterous proclamations of how the aliens will be a beneficial
addition to the community. Everyone tends to ignore Gus once they find out what
he is all about.
Sam is the opposite of Gus. He
is wholly unassuming and rarely insinuates himself on anyone. He is almost
powerless where Gus' influence is concerned and often finds himself worse off
for it. Sam is a nice kid, and one gets the impression he is smarter than he
lets on. As the story unfolds, he shows quite a bit of growth and should be an
interesting character in future books.
Journey is blind and is also
quite smart and independent. She has accepted the situation that robbed her of
sight and despises pity and goes to great lengths to avoid showing any
vulnerability. She is the best developed among all the characters in Three
Aliens, and as such, the most interesting.
The blurb for the book promises
that "if you enjoy Garrison Keillor's Tales from Lake Wobegon, you'll love
Lake Peculiar." I would have to agree with that statement. My favorite
point of plot is the irony of the townspeople's reaction to the aliens on their
doorstep. While as the title suggests, the three aliens do not walk into the bar,
but they do little else other than mildly intimidate the population of the
sleepy little town. Everyone except for Gus avoids contact with them, but still,
they remain seemingly unfazed by the most incredible event of human history.
I enjoyed this story, but I'm
on the fence about whether I will invest time in the promised sequels. I was
intrigued and entertained by Three Aliens, but I don't feel invested in
the story enough to commit. That's not to say it isn't a fine story, it just
has a few weaknesses - aside from the poor editing - that may be a little
off-putting. Mostly, I have known too many people like Gus in my lifetime and
am not sure I want to expose myself to the attitude in my entertainment.
I would recommend this book to
someone who might look for light and entertaining story with lots of action and
head-scratching logic. It's not bad.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Jack Ravenhill loves to build
strange and complex worlds rich with unforgettable characters, hidden corners,
and looming questions. His favorite stories break down old categories and
invite you into fresh and fascinating ways of thinking. Whether it's robot
fairies or small-town aliens, whether the stakes are the fate of the world or a
teenage heartbreak, Jack always gets you through with heart, humor, and a feast
among friends.
Well, there it is...
Qapla!
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