“Sci Fi with a Sound Track”Singer Selena M rescues a very non-human alien from a crashed spaceship and nurses it back to health. She is surprised to discover that it communicates through song, and they help each other rekindle their passion for singing. But the government wants that spaceship and comes to take it from Selena.How did this young alien escape her home world and make a taboo trip to … taboo trip to Earth? What was she running from? How long before the Elders come after her?
And if Selena is recommitted to her music, how can she be pulled into an adventure in space?
You’ll find no shoot ‘em up space battles or all-powerful alien monsters. But if you like David Brin’s Uplift series, where diverse beings have to get along, you’ll love my stories. Light-hearted, wry humor, real characters, and I make my impossibilities plausible.
Plus, there’s music, sung by Selena and the alien. You can listen on Soundcloud. Sci fi with a sound track!
This is Book 1 of the Agate and Breadbox trilogy. My Spaceship Calls Out to Me and Space Girl Yearning continue Selena’s adventures. And more music!
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This is a rare book, one I loved.
It starts as a classic contact story and I immediately connected with the characters. They were cool and engaging and alive through many details.
Then the story progresses and went where I wasn’t expecting it to go. I believe, today, when we have read so many contact stories, it felt good to see it handled entirely differently.
The story moves on, like life does, the characters adapt and all becomes always more interesting as it progresses toward the end.
Definitely one of the good surprises of 2021.
A Charming, Witty, & Imaginative Human-Befriends-Alien Adventure!
Overview: After a spaceship crashes on her property, a perky but stage-worn singer meets an actual alien being who communicates through song in “Aliens Crashed in My Backyard”. Peril draws near when the songstress must choose between making it big or saving the life of her newfound friend.
Mike Van Horn’s alien adventure isn’t the typical Sci-Fi fare—There are no galactic empires to battle, frightening alien beings that will eat you alive, or flashy laser fights between two worthy adversaries. What this delightful, first-person, fictional account of a human meeting an alien does contain is a vivid and thought-provoking tale of how a genuine friendship develops between two beings who find a way to communicate on a deeper level than using simple words.
Van Horn’s protagonist, Selena, is—as most driven performers are—a spitfire; questioning her purpose in life and her destiny; inevitably running full-force toward her next adventure; and never taking “No” for an answer. Selena’s punchy, staccato dialogue compels readers to get excited about what’s happening in her life, and her impetuous, quirky mannerisms lend much wit and wonder to what is essentially a tragic story.
Van Horn’s two main characters, the human, Selena, and the alien, Breadbox (so named because of her general appearance), are both well-constructed and have backstories that make sense. It is through music that Selena and the alien, Breadbox, find that they have so much in common, and as their friendship grows, so do the chances of reigniting Selena’s singing career. Van Horn provides an entire musical portfolio to support his storyline, complete with songs and lyrics that apply to his characters’ relationships.
The plotline benefits from the addition of Selena’s friends who help take care of her and her newfound alien charge. There is, however, somewhat of a disconnect between Selena and these individuals midway through the story that punctuates their involvement in her life and cuts their relationships a bit too short. Perhaps the author could have provided a tighter and more involved connection to some of these characters (in particular, Cole—a love interest of Selena’s), allowing them to play more significant roles in the latter part of the story.
All in all, “Aliens Crashed in My Backyard” is a charming, witty, and imaginative human-befriends-alien adventure. Van Horn includes much bonus material for his readers, such as sketches of his main characters,—including the alien, Breadbox; an explanation of how alien science works; and complete song lyrics supporting his story. This tale reads much like an alien fairytale—It is simply and captivatingly told, and quite entertaining. I recommend this feel-good read for Sci-Fi fans ages 15 and up.