Alien Virus Love Disaster

In this peculiar but pleasing collection, debut author Otis shares 12 offbeat yet arguably ordinary perspectives on extraordinary events. Wild things happen, but in these works, that’s just the way life is, and no one really reacts to the strangeness. The dystopian tale of a sex robot fallen from the sky into the care of a clutch of street urchins in “If You Could Be God of Anything” is as familiar in its portrayal of off-putting, invasive human nature as it is alarming in its brutality. “Moonkids” depicts the darkly complex future of humanity’s first children born on the moon, who are ejected from it when they failed to meet the satellite society’s standard of intellectual perfection. “Ultimate Housekeeping Megathrill 4” portrays a desperately miserable woman whose favorite escapist video game is simply about having enough time, energy, and resources to care for her family. The remainder of the collection is rife with depictions of physical invasion, transformation, and destruction—some successfully told, some less so. Though a mixed bag in terms of execution, there is plenty for devoted fans of speculative fiction to enjoy. Agent: Kristina Moore, Wylie Agency. (Aug.)

Correction: An earlier version of this review incorrectly stated this is Otis's second full-length book.