Book Review: Columbus Day by Craig Alanson
Have you ever wondered what a sci-fi story would look like if humans weren’t the dominant force in the galaxy? Perhaps you're looking for a story like this, with a healthy dose of satire. If so, I have a recommendation for you.
Columbus Day by Craig Alanson is the first book in the Expeditionary Force series. This Military Sci-fi story about humans trying to survive being pulled into the galactic war before they’re ready is filled with amazing twists that keep you on your toes. It’s a must-read for any fan of Science Fiction.
When a group of hamster-like aliens invades Earth, Joe Bishop, a Specialist in the US Army, is on leave in his hometown. His training kicks in when the aliens crash land in his town, and he takes up the fight, becoming a local legend for attacking the aliens with an ice cream truck. As the dust settles from the battle, the alien race that intervened to save Earth helps organize a fighting force to go off-world and exact revenge.
As the U.N. Expeditionary Force arrives on a new world to train with the lizard-like Kristang, the humans begin to realize that their saviors aren’t as benevolent as they had originally thought. Joe Bishop and his friends train and join the fight against the Ruhar to avenge their fallen friends and family. Despite this, he begins to search for something to keep from giving in to their ally’s brutality.
From everything I’ve mentioned so far, it sounds like a very brutal Military Sci-Fi novel. While this is partially true, Craig Alanson is a master of perfectly timed humor that keeps the story light while dealing with these topics. The master of this humor in the story is an Alien AI named Skippy, who decides to help Joe Bishop rescue Earth.
This novel is the opening to a fantastic series that I’d recommend to any fan of Military Science Fiction. The Expeditionary Force series is now eighteen books deep and it is still going at a high level. It may seem like a big commitment, but these novels are all good quality and are great for lacing into your other reads to slowly work your way through.
Craig Alanson was one of the first Indie published novels to catch fire and prove that indie novels are worth reading. As an indie author myself, this book’s success was one of the big reasons that I decided to go down that path. He is also active in the writing community, talking about his successes and how hard he had to work to achieve his success.
Are you ready for an epic adventure and good laughs while humans fight for survival? Maybe you want to see what current humans would look like in a fight with more advanced aliens in a more real sense. Or maybe you want to laugh at a sentient AI that has no filter when he speaks. If so, Columbus Day is the book to you.
