Why am I passionate about this?

Alien invasion is just another form of apocalypse. The terrible truth is, our civilization and our world can end in many different ways. I think of myself as being on a life-long quest to read as many variations as possible. No matter how things end, I’m always interested in how authors portray human survival. Even when we inflict harm on ourselves, humanity always seems to be capable of bouncing back. It’s a form of optimism that I just can’t resist. I try to include some of that hope in everything I write. 


I wrote

Bibix

By Justin Oldham,

Book cover of Bibix

What is my book about?

Two alien species have arrived on Earth, each with very different intentions. Ten billion pacifistic Lapropods, fleeing their dying world,…

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of The Martian Chronicles

Justin Oldham Why did I love this book?

I consider this an alien invasion novel where humans are the invaders. The plight of the Martians was enough to make me stop and think. I couldn’t help noticing that Bradbury was softly making a point about the suffering of Native Americans. This story continues to make me mindful of the fact that there are two sides to every conflict. 

By Ray Bradbury,

Why should I read it?

15 authors picked The Martian Chronicles as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The Martian Chronicles, a seminal work in Ray Bradbury's career, whose extraordinary power and imagination remain undimmed by time's passage, is available from Simon & Schuster for the first time.

In The Martian Chronicles, Ray Bradbury, America’s preeminent storyteller, imagines a place of hope, dreams, and metaphor— of crystal pillars and fossil seas—where a fine dust settles on the great empty cities of a vanished, devastated civilization. Earthmen conquer Mars and then are conquered by it, lulled by dangerous lies of comfort and familiarity, and enchanted by the lingering glamour of an ancient, mysterious native race. In this classic work…


Book cover of The Day of the Triffids

Justin Oldham Why did I love this book?

When I think of this book, the first thing that stands out to me is how we could be invaded by anyone – or anything – at any time. This was my first experience with that idea, and it shook me. Another element that gave me pause was the incidental blinding of millions of people and how that affected their ability to resist the invaders. As a visually impaired person, I can’t help wondering how I would fare in a similar situation.

By John Wyndham,

Why should I read it?

11 authors picked The Day of the Triffids as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

When Bill Masen wakes up in his hospital bed, he has reason to be grateful for the bandages that covered his eyes the night before. For he finds a population rendered blind and helpless by the spectacular meteor shower that filled the night sky, the evening before. But his relief is short-lived as he realises that a newly-blinded population is now at the mercy of the Triffids.

Once, the Triffids were farmed for their oil, their uncanny ability to move and their carnivorous habits well controlled by their human keepers. But now, with humans so vulnerable, they are a potent…


Book cover of Starship Troopers

Justin Oldham Why did I love this book?

If there’s any one book that makes planetary invasion seem sexy, this would be it. Heinlein’s depiction of power-suited soldiers was definitely ahead of its time. I know this is intended as an anti-war novel. However, it gave me a better understanding of just how complicated armed conflict – interplanetary or otherwise – can be.

By Robert A. Heinlein,

Why should I read it?

11 authors picked Starship Troopers as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'The historians can't seem to settle whether to call this one 'The Third Space War' (or the fourth), or whether 'The First Interstellar War' fits it better. We just call it 'The Bug War'. Everything up to then and still later were 'incidents', 'patrols' or 'police actions'. However, you are just as dead if you buy the farm in an 'incident' as you are if you buy it in a declared war.'

5,000 years in the future, humanity faces total extermination. Our one defence: highly-trained soldiers who scour the metal-strewn blackness of space to hunt down a terrifying enemy: an…


Book cover of The White Mountains

Justin Oldham Why did I love this book?

This is the first book in a series. It was my grade school introduction to the concept of young adult post-apocalyptic themes. The fact that one of the central characters is a visually impaired young man who finds a pair of life-changing eyeglasses was a big deal to me. This might be the book that solidified my interest in post-apocalyptic literature. The fact that this apocalypse is the result of an alien invasion is just icing on the cake.

By John Christopher,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked The White Mountains as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 9, 10, 11, and 12.

What is this book about?

Monstrous machines rule the Earth, but a few humans are fighting for freedom in this repackaged start to a classic alien trilogy ideal for fans of Rick Yancey’s The 5th Wave.

Will Parker never dreamed he would be the one to rebel against the Tripods. With the approach of his thirteenth birthday, he expected to attend his Capping ceremony as planned and to become connected to the Tripods—huge three-legged machines—that now control all of Earth. But after an encounter with a strange homeless man called Beanpole, Will sets out for the White Mountains, where people are said to be free…


Book cover of Rising from the Ashes

Justin Oldham Why did I love this book?

This is the first collection of short stories I’ve encountered that deals specifically with the aftermath of an Earth-shattering alien invasion, dwelling mostly on what humans do in the ruins after the aliens have packed up and gone home. I hadn’t really thought about that part of an invasion story before. As difficult as rebuilding would be, I was heartened to read about the satisfaction the survivors got from reclaiming what they had lost. Now that I’ve read this, it’s an aspect of the post-apocalyptic genre that I’d like to see more of. 

By Anne K. Nagel,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Rising from the Ashes as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Building for Tomorrow

Humanity was unprepared for the Xanite invasion of Earth. After decades of world-wide destruction, global infrastructure crumbled and cities fell into ruin.

As the calamity unfolded, a new generation of heroes confronted an uncertain future. They came from all walks of life – some wearing camouflage, while others were garbed in food service whites. These men and women worked courageously to stem the collapse of human civilization.

It would take new thinking and new beliefs to bring about a better future and deal with the alien menace. These are some of their stories of bravery and determination.…


Explore my book 😀

Bibix

By Justin Oldham,

Book cover of Bibix

What is my book about?

Two alien species have arrived on Earth, each with very different intentions. Ten billion pacifistic Lapropods, fleeing their dying world, have inadvertently caused the virtual extermination of the human race. Nearly sixty years later, the armored and violent NorCons arrived, enslaving the Lapropods and nearly completing the job they started. Today, humans and Lapropods are trapped on Earth, their fates dictated by the harsh, uncaring NorCons. Humanity seems bound for extinction until one scared, lonely Lapropod steps forward to carry out a confused and uncertain rebellion. Bibix recruits Carl Tippet, a human soldier, to help him learn the art of war. Can he win Carl's trust and liberate both their peoples, or is his quest doomed to end in failure?

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Cytress Vee: A Dog Squad Story

By Kalvin Thane,

Book cover of Cytress Vee: A Dog Squad Story

Kalvin Thane Author Of Cytress Vee: A Dog Squad Story

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Why am I passionate about this?

Author Artist Reader Gamer Father Coder

Kalvin's 3 favorite reads in 2023

What is my book about?

Unlike the typical tales of a flawless fighting unit, this story follows Commander Kami Trenn and her ragtag squad of mixed-race space marines.

Dog Squad fights a mysterious adversary whose presence remains shrouded in secrecy. The fate of the universe hangs in the balance, but will they be able to make enough of a difference?

Can they hope to uncover the enemy’s plans for galactic dominance before the Alliance falls? Maybe. If they can stop fighting each other.

Cytress Vee: A Dog Squad Story

By Kalvin Thane,

What is this book about?

Across the void formed by two galactic spiral arms, vast forces face each other.

The tenuous Alliance, sixty civilizations united only by fear of invasion, prepare to resist the encroachment of their as-yet unseen enemy, known only as the Creeps.

The Void has become a battleground. Three thousand light years across, and populated by a scattering of ten thousand ‘dark’ worlds, it is the Alliance’s last chance to protect their way of life. Self-destructive, robotic drones pour across the Void in ever-increasing numbers, testing the Alliance fleets to breaking point.

In the midst of the surging tides of war, a…


5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in alien invasions, Mars, and extraterrestrial intelligence?

Alien Invasions 15 books
Mars 75 books