Alien Morning

September 12, 2016
Humans’ willingness to believe everything they see on TV—or its near-future equivalent—is the key to this thriller (parts of which were previously published as short stories) about dysfunctional families and first contact. Peter Holman is a sweeper, recording immersive sensory entertainment called sweepcasts for his social media followers. He’s in the right place at the right time on the Gulf Coast to record humans’ first contact with aliens. Suddenly, Peter’s got an exclusive contract with the aliens’ intermediaries to broadcast the hottest story on the planet. Even better, his role on the show includes seduction by sexy boss Heather Newsome—who just happens to be engaged to Peter’s brother, Tom. Now estranged from his brother, and entangled with a lover whose motives are questionable, Peter becomes the sweeper entourage of the alien called Twoclicks, whom Heather bills as “the great leader for a new Earth.” When not running from alien ship attacks, Peter recalls his troubled family history, which mirrors the ongoing war between Twoclicks and the alien’s brother. This plot-driven story emphasizes action at the expense of characterization, but it does offer an intriguing look at colonization from the viewpoint of those being taken over. Agent: Bob Diforio, D4EO Literary Agency.

September 15, 2016
Set in 2030, former professional athlete-turned-social media star Peter Holman vies to save his home planet from dueling alien royalty.Peter is recording a "story" to stream live on his multisensory social media channel when a seemingly benign alien race, the S'hudonni, initiates first contact. That facade fades as Peter discovers that two royal alien brothers are warring to control Earth, a future he will risk his life to alter. In his trilogy launch, Wilber (Rum Point, 2009, etc.), a prolific sports, sci-fi, and thriller writer, introduces the S'hudonni, who hail from a watery planet and resemble dolphins, and brings back cast members from previously published short stories. The Holman siblings, Peter, Tom, and Kait, get swept into a global crisis as the S'hudonni princes (Twoclick and Whistle) play violently at divvying up the Earth and its rarities, like small-batch Irish whiskey, in a game to impress their father--a family dynamic familiar to the Holmans'. Peter is in conflict with his brother Tom, a professor of marine biology, over their deceased father's reputation, their wild-child sister, and Tom's wealthy benefactor, Heather Newsome, who might have an agenda of her own. Both sets of brothers are caught up in squabbles with each other that spin out of control, and both must find their ways toward family harmony. While Wilber's first-contact novel hums along, it leans heavily on cliches and unoriginal plot devices--a hypersexy shape-shifter, a comical but deadly alien porpoise, and a young ingenue who is also the girl next door. One cool tech twist: Peter uses a multisensory form of mental podcasting to broadcast a live feed meant to lead the aliens astray. Intergalactic sibling rivalry that toggles between fun and familiar.

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October 15, 2016
The first book in Wilber's Alien Trilogy introduces readers to Peter Holman, broken-down former professional basketball player enjoying a new career in sweeping2030's answer to podcasting. While out on a sweep date with a lovely young woman, Holman sees a series of flashing lights over the Florida Gulf. He is witnessing the S'hudonni landing. They have come to earth with the aim of offering advanced science. But is that their only reason for the trip? Along the way, we meet royal alien Twoclick and his brother, Whistle, as well as scientist Heather, Twoclick's assistant, who happens to be engaged to Peter's younger brother, Tom. A sibling squabble between the two aliens could either end up tearing a family apart or destroying the planetnicely paralleling the family dynamics of Peter and Tom. This is the start to a great trilogy (featuring characters Wilber has introduced in previous short stories) and an enjoyable read for any lover of first-contact sf.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)