Free Range Protocol: Tales of the Tschaaa Infestation

These 13 linked vignettes about humans fighting to save Earth from alien invaders delivers plenty of gritty action and a little sex, but very little actual story. The cephalopod-like Tschaaa, nicknamed "Squids," came to Earth to find a "replacement meat source for their civilization." While a few human ne'er-do-wells side with the Tschaaa, roving bands of former military personnel, complete with the latest hardware, gather together to fight back, assisted by gorgeous best friends Sharon and Susanne, former champion Beach Volleyball players reduced to working as strippers by the invasion. The Squids' preference for "Dark Meat", or humans of color, is a problematic plot point that's bound to raise far more questions from readers than the author seems willing to resolve. Readers searching for all the noisy, brute-force, heroics and cheesy sex of a Hollywood blockbuster, with absolutely no mental commitment, may find this mildly entertaining. (Oct.)