When COVID-19 sweeps through NYC, Jamie Gray is stuck as a driver for food delivery apps. That is, until Jamie delivers to an old acquaintance who works at “an animal rights organization,” and whose team needs a last-minute grunt. What Tom doesn’t tell Jamie is that the animals aren’t on Earth. In an alternate dimension, dinosaur-like creatures named Kaiju roam a human-free world. They’re the universe’s largest, most dangerous endangered species, and they’re in trouble. It’s not just the Kaiju Preservation Society who found this alternate world. And these others could cause millions on Earth to die. Although the central topic is the same, first contact stories can differ wildly. How do humans and aliens first come into contact? Do aliens have good intentions? Do humans have good intentions? Does the encounter take place face-to-face, or is it established through technology? If it’s the former, where does it take place – Earth or another planet? What do aliens look like? How does human-alien communication work? There are endless possibilities, which is why authors and readers alike so enjoy diving into this topic. Whether you’re a seasoned reader of first contact stories, or you’re just now dipping your metaphorical toe in this sub-genre, these eight stories will hit the spot. Would you like to read more sci-fi featuring aliens? Say no more. The Oankali swooped in right in time to prevent humanity’s extinction. But they survive by genetically merging with primitive civilizations, and they don’t think to ask for permission. Now, when Lilith leads them back to Earth, a new species will arise. Flash forward a few centuries. Tom and Sharon, historian and theoretical physicist respectively, become interested in the disappearance of a small German town, Eifelheim. Eifelheim, previously known as Oberhochwald, vanished without a trace in 1349. This is the predicament in which Roen finds himself. But he’s not the only one who’s unhappy with the situation: Tao’s last host was a trained secret agent. Being in an out-of-shape IT technician’s mind this time? A significant downgrade for someone who has a war to win.
