Clash of Cultures

, #1

by

eBook, 237 pages

Published Nov. 3, 2015

ASIN:
B017K2ZFAK
5 stars (1 review)

Benjamin Taylor is just your average under-appreciated guy who’s always picking up after his boss. But when your job is junior ambassador to extraterrestrials, nothing in your world is average. After the full ambassador drops the ball once again, Benjamin finds himself taking her place in a San Francisco bistro, sitting across from a particularly unsettling alien envoy.

No one knows why forty-eight extraterrestrial ships appeared in Earth orbit two years ago, and it’s the Earth Embassy’s job to keep things peaceful while they discover why. But with the alien ambassador more interested in scatology than diplomacy, it seems likely their intentions will remain a mystery—at least for today.

When Benjamin unwittingly uncovers a secret agreement between the aliens, he’s forced into another meeting—and this time the aliens are setting the agenda. Suddenly Benjamin is on the front lines fighting for his own life and the future of humanity.

1 edition

reviewed Clash of Cultures by Steven Hoefer (Embassy, #1)

There Goes The Neighborhood

5 stars

I'll be honest. This book almost didn't make the cut. I reached the end of the sample and had to think about whether I wanted to commit to the book or not. I flipped a mental coin and went for it.

I'm so glad I did.

Hoefer's tale of alien not-quite-conquest manages to turn a scatological first act into a tender tour de force by the end.

Benjamin Taylor's negative self image and fear of public speaking makes him feel quite real in the midst of a surreal encounter with overgrown caterpillars. His absurd relationship with his boss plays against the blossoming relationships he forms with his fellow travelers as the story unfolds.

If you're a fan of first contact stories, or even alien conquest tales, you owe it to yourself to check this one out.

Highly recommended.