Greg
Baer
The Forge of God. T. Doherty, 1987.
The discovery of several geological formations in California and Australia where
none previously existed and the disappearance of one of Jupiter’s moons
is just the beginning as the future of Earth is threatened by the arrival of
two sets of aliens with very different messages. Followed by: Anvil
of Stars (2002).
Orson
Scott Card
Ender’s Game. Tor, 1985.
In an effort to protect itself against any more alien invasions, government
agencies have bred child geniuses and trained them as soldiers, searching for
the perfect general to command Earth’s fleet against a malevolent alien
race. Young Andrew "Ender" Wiggin, an expert at simulated war games,
may be that hero. Followed by: Speaker for the Dead (1986),
Xenocide (1991), Children of the Mind (1996),
Ender’s Shadow (1999), Shadow of the Hegemon
(2000), Shadow Puppets (2002), Shadow of the
Giant (2005).
Simon
Clark
The Night of the Triffids. NAL, 2001.
In this “sequel” to John Wyndham’s classic, The Day
of the Triffids (1952), 29 years have passed since an invasion by the
deadly alien plants known as triffids blinded most of the world's human population
and caused the collapse of civilization. Living in a small, isolated colony
on the Isle of Wight, David, Bill Masen’s grown son, awakens one day that
the world has been plunged into darkness by a cloud blocking the sun and sets
off to find the cause. He eventually finds himself in New York, where he discovers
a prosperous and technologically advanced colony. But this sophisticated society
hides an evil secret—and David is about to come face to face with an old
enemy from his father’s past.
Eric
Flint and K. D. Wentworth
The Course of Empire. Baen, 2003.
20 years ago, Earth (renamed Terra) was conquered by the Jao. Now the human
race is threatened by another invader, the Ekhat, whose genocidal extermination
fleets is coming to the solar system. In an effort to defeat the oncoming attack,
a newly arrived Jao commander tries to forge a bond of understanding and between
his and the human race, but his efforts are hampered by a cruel Jao viceroy,
a reckless human resistance prepared to shed blood, and a reluctance to rely
upon human technology and troops.
Joe
Haldeman
The Forever War. St. Martin’s, 1974.
This novel isn’t exactly about an invasion of Earth, but rather inter-galactic
war. Still, it is a classic not to be missed and the edition published by EOS
in 2003 includes a great deal of material edited out of the original version.
Conscripted into the ranks of Earth's elite interstellar warriors, physics-student-turned-solider
William Mandella is less worried about fighting the Taurans in a far-off thousand
year war than he is of the residual effects of space travel, which means he
is aging only months, while his home planet is aging centuries. Followed by:
Forever Peace (1997) and Forever Free (1999).
By the same author…
The Coming.
Ace, 2000.
As Earth struggles to cope with the possibility of World War III, an astronomy
professor receives a startling message from space: “we’re coming.”
Will this first contact be a peaceful encounter or an extraterrestrial invasion?
Or is the whole thing a hoax? Speculation and political intrigue abound.
Robert
Heinlein
Starship Troopers. Putnam, 1959.
In this futuristic Hugo Award-winning tale, Earth embroiled in a vast interplanetary
war with the "Bugs," and recruit Juan Rico endures a grueling boot
camp to become a member of the Terran Mobile Infantry in order to obtain citizenship.
Brian
Lumley
Maze of Worlds. Tor, 1999.
In this second of the Spencer Gil series (The House of Doors), a group of renegade
aliens called Ggydnns, bent on using Earth as a breeding ground, seed it with
strange hybrid machines--part building, part machine, and part psychological
torture chamber--that create four-dimensional mazes. Machine empath Spencer
Gill reassembles his old team to enter the maze in an attempt to solve the mystery
of the alien threat.
Anne
McCaffrey
Freedom’s Landing. Putnam, 1995.
When the Catteni descend to Earth and easily overcome the Earth's population,
thousands are herded onto slave ships headed for the intergalactic slave auction
block. Followed by: Freedom’s Choice (1997), Freedom’s
Challenge (1998), and Freedom’s Ransom (2002).
Gabriel
Mesta
Martian War: A Thrilling Eyewitness Account of the Recent Alien Invasion
as reported by Mr. H. G. Wells. Pocket, 2005.
What if the Martian invasion was not entirely the product of H. G. Wells's vivid
imagination? What if the author based his classic science fiction novel, "The
War of the Worlds," on actual historical events that Wells himself witnessed?
L.
E. Modesitt
Adiamante. Tor, 1996.
In the future, Old Earth is a place of peace and non-aggression after years
of violence and turmoil. But that peace is threatened when the warships of a
former colony attack. Planetary coordinator Ecktor deJanes must find a way to
eliminate the menace without violating Earth's pacifist principles
Frederick
Pohl
The Other End of Time. Tor, 1996.
In 2031, Earth receives signals warning of impending destruction of Earth by
the malevolent Horch. A team, including agent Dan Dannerman and his cousin,
Pat Adcock, director of the Dannerman Astrophysical Observatory, is dispatched
to investigate and is taken prisoner by aliens, who have underestimated the
ingenuity of their human captives as interstellar war erupts. Followed by: The
Siege of Eternity (1997) and The Far Shore of Time
(1999).
John
Ringo
A Hymn Before Battle. Baen, 2000.
When planet Earth finds itself in the path of an alien race called the Posleen,
its “friendly” galactic allies offer to help and ex-soldier Michael
O’Shea soon finds himself training and leading an armed force into battle.
But all is not what it seems and it soon becomes a toss-up as to who poses the
greater threat: Earth’s enemies or its friends. Followed by: Gust
Front (2001) and When the Devil Dances (2002).
Robert
J. Sawyer
Calculating God. Tor, 2000.
When a UFO lands in Toronto, a six-legged, two-armed alien asks (in perfect
English) to see a paleontologist. Can it be possible that two distant planets
can have experienced the same cataclysmic events? And does this revelation prove
the existence of God?
Robert
Silverberg
The Alien Years. HarPris, 1998.
At the dawn of the new millennium, invasion by an alien species known as the
“Entities,” plunges the Earth into a Dark Age without electricity
and technology. But a small pocket of determined resisters led by Col. Anson
Carmichael--including his family, an aging hippie, a cold-blooded Muslim assassin,
and a renegade hacker--attempt to bring freedom to the planet.
Harry
Turtledove
Worldwar: In the Balance. Ballantine, 1994.
The master of the “Alternative History” yarn spins a tale of war
on much more than a global scale. At the height of World War II, Earth is attacked
by reptilian-like aliens with weapons far more destructive than any possessed
by the Allied or Axis forces, compelling bitter enemies to join together to
avoid conquest and destruction Followed by: Worldwar: Tilting the Balance
(1995), Worldwar: Striking the Balance (1996) and
Worldwar: Upsetting the Balance (1996), Colonization:
Second Contact (1999), Colonization: Down to Earth
(2000) and Colonization: Aftershocks (2001).
H.G.
Wells
War of the Worlds. 1898.
An English astronomer recounts the Earth’s life-or-death struggle against
an invading Martian army equipped with weapons beyond human science.
Created and maintained by: Lynne M. Kennedy.
© Copyright 2006 Sachem Public Library. All rights reserved.
Sachem Public Library
150 Holbrook Road
Holbrook, New York 11741
631 588-5024
sachemlibrary.org