This is not about an alien invasion. Forget everything you know about those science fiction plots. In Harmony, humans merely exist at the edges of the alien civilization that has always been there.
“I had no agenda, no manifesto other than to survive as comfortably as possible. I was no revolutionary.”
Just like other humans, Dodge tries his best to simply survive, dodging the curfews set by aliens and scrounging for the scraps of a decent life. He scrapes by until suddenly aliens start systematically destroying the places where the humans live. With a ragtag group of individuals, he sets off to seek safety and perhaps to learn what it is to be truly human.
Why is this on our bookshelf?
Aliens have a rich history in showing up in geeky books since before H.G Wells wrote War of the Worlds. A book that puts a new twist on the interactions between aliens and humans definitely deserves a place on shelves.
In addition, Harmony (titled Alt.Human for the UK edition) was a nominee for the 2012 Philip K. Dick Award, a literary award for science fiction paperbacks.
Rating (4 stars)
Although Harmony was a beautifully written adventure and an interesting exploration into human origins, it didn’t wow me the way a 5-star book does. I definitely enjoyed reading it, however, and loved author Keith Brooke’s vivid imagination in the world he built for this book.
Although parts of the book seemed slower than others, the way the book ended was satisfying enough to make up for the wait.
Read this book:
If you like stories with journeys that are more than just about traveling from one place to another.
Don't Read this book:
If you think aliens are such a thing of the past. C’mon, it’s zombies and vampires now, people!
Once you're done, do this:
Devise a way to speak in click-language and implement it in a conversation.
