Agent to the Stars

Agent To The Stars, John Scalzi, Subterranean Press, 2005

How can a spaceship full of friendly aliens introduce themselves to the people of Earth without causing a worldwide panic? Enter Tom Stein, hotshot Hollywood agent.,

Carl, Tom's boss, has given him the full-time job of representing Joshua, who looks a lot like a pile of green slime. Carl was "involved" in Joshua's birth (it's complicated) so Joshua speaks fluent contemporary American English. Joshua also has the ability to enter, and take over, another being, like a neighbor's dog.

Tom needs to hand off his present clients to other agents, which raises some eyebrows in Hollywood. Among his clients is Michelle Beck, your stereotypical twenty-something blond bimbo actress. Michelle is good for low-budget sci-fi pictures or beach pictures, but not for an ultra-serious film about the life of a Holocaust survivor. Michelle really wants the lead role, but the audition does not go well. On the set of another low-budget sci-fi film, Michelle suffers a freak accident, which puts her in a deep coma.

Can Joshua and his alien friends do anything about it? Is there enough of Michelle left to save? Do the aliens come up with a way to say Greetings to mankind without causing a planet-wide freak out?

I totally enjoyed this book. It's an excellent mashup of Hollywood and a really intelligent first sontact story. It's also very easy to read, and is very much recommended.