The Page 69 Test: "Alien Nation"

Monday, April 10, 2017

"Alien Nation"

Gini Koch writes the fast, fresh and funny Alien/Katherine “Kitty” Katt series for DAW Books, the Necropolis Enforcement Files, and the Martian Alliance Chronicles.

She applied the Page 69 Test to Alien Nation, book 14 in the series and winner of the Preditors and Editors Reader’s Choice award as the best SF/F novel of 2016, and reported the following:

From page 69:
“Jeff, Chuck, Buchanan, and your mother want me going along, Kitty,” Kevin Lewis said, flashing me a grin. He was a former pro football player who my mother had recruited into the P.T.C.U. early on in his career. He was tall, with dark black skin, twinkling dark brown eyes, fantastic teeth, and literally bags and bags of charisma. “I’m the most expendable right now in terms of what’s coming. No offense meant toward you,” he added to Len.

Kevin was married to Denise, who, besides being blonde and fair skinned, matched him in everything. They both had the best smiles and charisma to spare. Their children, Raymond and Rachel, were beautiful blends of their parents. Basically the Lewises were representing in the Humans Can Be As Hot As A-Cs department.

Kevin was also Mom’s right hand in the P.T.C.U., so if Mom wanted him along on this trip, then along Kevin would be.

“I never argue when I’m forced to travel with extra hot guys, Kevin.”

“Frankly, I’m flattered that Mister Buchanan sent you instead of coming himself,” Len said.

“I’m flattered, Kitty. And Len, I’ll try not to take that as an insult.”

Len laughed. “Never, sir.”

“Oh, stop the sir stuff with me. Like Kitty, I prefer informality, and you know it.”

“Let’s get this goat rodeo rolling, though. The faster we go over, the faster we get back.” That was me, Ms. Expedient. Len put his arm around me then stepped us through. I squeezed my eyes shut. It didn’t help.

As always, the feeling of the world rushing past me, visible out of the corners of my eyes if I was trying to be macho, and felt even with my eyes closed when I wasn’t, played havoc with my stomach. Happily, the journey was incredibly brief, and Len holding me helped considerably.

Opened my eyes to find out that, sure enough, we were in a bathroom. Nice of the police to keep to the A-Cs’ theme. Len moved us out of the way as Kevin stepped out behind us, Manfred bringing up our rear. No one looked surprised at our location. Yeah, we’d all been with Centaurion long enough—most gates were in the bathrooms of every airport, train station and, these days, bus station or any other potential transport hub we could think of.
This page of the book is actually a scene shift – moving Kitty & Company from one set of action that’s finished to the next one about to begin. We’re also still early in the book, so Kitty’s explaining things and introducing/re-introducing characters as they make their first appearance in the book. Considering Alien Nation deals with what amounts to a multi-alien invasion and all the political and religious trauma that event creates – with help from the bad guys, of course – right now, the characters are pretty calm. So I wouldn’t say it’s indicative – in a few pages things are going to start blowing up. Again. And again.