Under The Alien Sky

A Financial Times Best Science Book of 2023 • A Science News Favorite Book of 2023 • A Scientific American 2023 Staff Recommendation "The next-best thing to traveling through space and time." —Laura Helmuth, editor in chief of Scientific American A rip-roaring tour of the cosmos with the Bad Astronomer, bringing you up close and personal with the universe like never before. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to travel the universe? How would Saturn’s rings look from a spaceship sailing just above them? If you were falling into a black hole, what’s the last thing you’d see before getting spaghettified? While traveling in person to most of these amazing worlds may not be possible—yet—the would-be space traveler need not despair: you can still take the scenic route through the galaxy with renowned astronomer and science communicator Philip Plait. On this lively, immersive adventure through the cosmos, Plait draws ingeniously on both the latest scientific research and his prodigious imagination to transport you to ten of the most spectacular sights outer space has to offer. In vivid, inventive scenes informed by rigorous science—injected with a dose of Plait’s trademark humor—Under Alien Skies places you on the surface of alien worlds, from our own familiar Moon to the far reaches of our solar system and beyond. Try launching yourself onto a two-hundred-meter asteroid, or stargazing from the rim of an ancient volcano on a planet where, from the place you stand, it is eternally late afternoon. Experience the sudden onset of lunar nightfall, the disorientation of walking—or, rather, shuffling—when you weigh almost nothing, the irritation of jagged regolith dust. Glimpse the frigid mountains and plains of Pluto and the cake-like exterior of a comet called 67P. On a planet trillions of miles from Earth, glance down to see the strange, beautiful shadows cast by a hundred thousand stars. For the aspiring extraterrestrial citizen, casual space tourist, or curious armchair traveler, Plait is an illuminating, always-entertaining guide to the most otherworldly views in our universe.

Disoriented and confused, Kyla Anderson awakens on an unfamiliar beach instead of her Denver bound plane. Forced to accept the fact they are no longer on Earth, the humans must learn to exist on a wild, primitive world and realize they are at the mercy of alien created creatures hunting them. Stranded, with no hope of returning home, Kyla and the others learn of a vast plot responsible for hundreds of humans being abducted and forced into new communities on this alien world. William Sanders, a powerful contractor on Earth, was used to being in control. Playing on the tiny community's fears, he molds them into a fearful population forced to serve him. His power schemes soon unravel when Kyla and a few brave people stand up for the others. As she fights for existence amidst the cold realities of her new world, Kyla begins a long journey toward self-discovery and personal growth.

Under the Alien Sky is a very different kind of novel from the mainstream fictional genre. It is written as an oriental fable, which means it has a subtext in addition to its surface story. It sets out to paint a picture of a remote and secretive state in the middle of Sulu Sea the Sultanate of Michaeli, which is a small island seldom shown on maps and many people in the southeast are unaware of its existence. By good chance, the writer manages to establish that the Sultanate of Michaeli really exists and he gets the rare opportunity to visit it. The story describes his voyage to the island, and the odd people and weird events he encounters during his week there. Unfortunately, this little paradise on earth became a living hell when the Gang of Four sidelined the Sultan and ushered in a reign of stygian gloom. The story is essentially about the Southeast Asian way of life as seen by the western visitor. The intention is to paint a picture of what it is like living under the alien sky as the writer has done for the past 30 years. Under the Alien Sky is a work of fiction based on fact. A feature of the book is the comical and satirical subtext which should lift the spirits of the armchair reader especially in the current economic gloom. Another feature of the book is the copious end-notes which are for those English teachers who have never been beyond Portsmouth, or Irish reader who have never been further south than the city of Cork. People in the Americas and other parts of the globe travel more widely and may have some knowledge of Southeast Asia even though a former US president could not tell Iraq from Iran. Under the Alien Sky is light reading, perfect for the long train journey, or holiday reading. It has all the ingredients of a good read a stimulating story, larger-than-life characters, exotic location, and candid observations on the oriental way of life. Being based on fact, it reads almost like an authentic journal. The settings are authentic but the characters are fictional. As far as the subtext is concerned, the story is an oblique indictment of political intrigue, corruption and religious bigotry. It attacks shame and hypocrisy as well as stony-faced religious zealots. In putting the focus on the Sultanate of Michaeli, the writer is synthesising the current political situation in any one of a dozen Southeast Asian democracies. He exposes the frailty of the ruling class, their crass avarice, corrupt practices, cronyism, and their not-so-subtle methods of silencing all opposition. However, the characters and events described in the novel are purely fictional.

From the mind of Sid Kotian (Gambit, The Adventures of Apocalypse Al, Dream Police, Dents) comes Beneath an Alien Sky. On an alien planet a mad man releases a deadly monster onto an unsuspecting populace. The creature is the last of its kind. And it comes from the third planet orbiting a yellow sun. The Krimikitan are an alien race who brought themselves to the brink of complete ecological destruction. After a devastating war they refer to as the Realignment their society reformed themselves under the leadership of a god like AI called Control. Having done away with the political class, peace reigned. The new societies were self-contained inside giant domes. The natural world outside was left to heal itself unencumbered by their meddling. However not everyone was happy with this Realignment. Appi, a remnant of the old world, plots to ruin the world by introducing the universe’s most violent and invasive species into the fragile, recovering ecosystem. Standing in his way is Kopa, a cop. Appi and the creature’s destructive ambition and Kopa’s naïve ambition collide with the fate of the domed city and the struggling natural world outside hanging in the balance.

A rip-roaring tour of the cosmos with the Bad Astronomer, revealing the sky as never seen before—from everywhere but Earth. How would Saturn’s rings look from a spaceship sailing just above them? If you were falling into a black hole, what’s the last thing you’d see before your spaghettification? What would it be like to visit the faraway places we currently experience only through high-powered telescopes and robotic emissaries? Faster-than-light travel may never be invented, but we can still take the scenic route through the universe with renowned astronomer and science communicator Philip Plait. On this lively, immersive adventure through the cosmos, Plait draws ingeniously on the latest scientific research to transport readers to ten spectacular sites, from our own familiar Moon to the outer reaches of our solar system and far beyond. Whether strolling through a dust storm under Mars’ butterscotch sky, witnessing the birth of a star, or getting dizzy in a technicolor nebula, Plait is an illuminating, entertaining guide to the most otherworldly views in our universe.

A boy out in a large pasture with several cows grazing peacefully around him. The quiet setting became dark and the wind started blowing. He saw a bright light approach from the sky.

"But there is a different, unexpected answer to the riddle. Lorili and Kyal will have to fight for their theory - and their lives."--BOOK JACKET.

Harvard's top astronomer lays out his controversial theory that our solar system was recently visited by advanced alien technology from a distant star