calimac

which is the novel by Leonard Richardson I'm reading prior to its being the discussion topic at Potlatch this weekend.

In Constellation Games, the aliens have come to Earth, and they speak in English through translation synthesizers using the voices of celebrities:

That's when I recognized the voice. The oldest person in the universe communicates with humanity through the cute squeaky voice of Sarah Vowell. I couldn't unhear it. Every time she spoke, I expected Her to give an update on her quirky project to visit all the national parks.

And, of course, there have to be suspicious "Men in Black" type government agents:

Fowler's face was taut; I could almost hear the dramatic music playing in his head. Here at last was the excitement he'd signed up for. He was Earth's last line of defense. Against a four-foot hermaphroditic otter armed with strawberry pie and a piece of paper.

Which is an accurate description of what's going on at the moment.