The Alien Years

This extraordinary science fiction novel is only ostensibly about a long period of alien occupation of Earth. It packs more dead-on social observation into the first 25 pages than vast truckfuls of our current baleful crop of "literary fiction," and without either the pretension or constipated phrase-making. Silverberg writes straightforwardly clear modern English, supple, gracefully colorful, never missing significant detail but always smoothly moving the narrative ahead. There are several very well rounded, complex characters, and few minor characters pass without something important observed about them. Truth is, this is not just a science fiction novel: an alien invasion circa right now simply serves as the platform for rich and insightful meditations upon America, the sort of people that inhabit it, California in particular, and the direction of what we call freedom. Always wry and sometimes satirical, Silverberg's give away comes early when we see the aliens land and disembark. Their curved, needle-like ships that land upright are straight out of every 1950s black and white B science fiction movie matinee. The tripod-like aliens are also common currency, and a sort of tip of the hat to H.g. Wells, who the book is partial tribute and payback to. The extraordinary thing is the aliens' sublime detatchment and disinterest in us. They start no wars, just occasionally retaliate against us as we do against yellow jackets on our patios with a can of Raid in our hands, and about as randomly. There's nothing wrong with the story's ending either, and even though the book is 480 pages you will move there very quickly. I picked this book up as a break from more serious things, and met a dimension of my fellow countrymen and the current pulse of our nation that has all but disappeared from American fiction. From old military types to new age babes, occasional heros, computer geeks, perverts, Islamists, ordinary people caught up in bigger things, everyday malcontents, moms and dads, kids in love -- a big bite of who we are and what we are about is miraculously preserved here.

If you are looking for your usual SF-hero beats everyone everybody lives hapily ever after- book look elsewhere. This is a good book and while at the time when I read it I was puzzled by it and by the slow development of the action I find myself thinking about the book long after I finished it. In fact ask youself how many books made you think? And which books made you think about the story long after you finished them? You will find that this list contains select books and more importantly books worth remembering. This is one of those books

Man, what do these guys want a freakin space opera. Silverberg is amazing in this book because his story is honest. He doesn't just try to wow you with all the old cliche trick. This book isn't about the aliens this book is about the human spirit in face with tremendous odds and how mankind would get though it. This has got to be one of the best alien invasion stories ever. I recomend this book to everyone. If you want real Science Fiction on the subject and not a waste of time space opera read this book

I must be a little different then most of the rest of the reviewers in that I really liked this book. Granted, the novel is a little dry in the sense that the action is rather light. This is a very dialogue driven novel. I really love dialogue driven novels especially when it is handled with such expertise as by Mr. Silverberg.The Aliens are almost always stage left. The main characters come and go. The story is painted on a tapestry stretching several generations. In my opinion sometimes the tension of inaction expressed in prose by a talented author is far more exciting then endless battle sequences. The book also has a very shocking ending, which I really enjoyed.A great and daring book.

Robert Silvergberg's book "The Alien Years" (ISBN 0-06-105111-X) is not the typical Earth Invasion story. In this book the citizens of Earth do not have time to put up resistance when Aliens appear and take over the world in under a week. However, there is resistance to the invasion that comes primarily from one family. The ending of this invasion is as dramatic as the ending of "The War of the Worlds" by H.G. Wells. The book is well worth reading.