«Invasion: aliens, man and society

Tuesday's books - Amélie Wauthier

«If you humans could come to understand that all your fights are, in reality, just games, and that your opponents are human beings exactly like you, are your brothers, your friends, then you could put an end to three-quarters of the trouble you create for yourselves.»

Billy Morton is an old fisherman who lives on Long Island with his wife and two children. One day, he comes across a fish unlike any other, a spherical fish with millions of silvery hairs on its body that refuses to return to the water. Billy soon realizes that something is wrong, but decides to take the strange creature home. Little does he know how much trouble he's in for. Because, as you can imagine, even if he's apparently harmless, you can't hide an ultra-freaky alien shapeshifter in your own home without attracting the attention of the neighbors, the local authorities and press, the FBI and a whole lot more trouble. Even less so when this new companion decides to hack into the servers of major American government agencies, on the pretext that «it's fun».

Luke Rhinehart's novel - whose real name is George Powers Cockcroft - is entitled «Invasion» and tells the story of how a superior life form - called «P.P.» or «Protéen» - suddenly discovers a deep interest in planet Earth and its inhabitants, it's primarily an excuse to deal with deeper issues.

«”If God created men in his image, who's the moron who invented PPs?” - Anonymous human.

 “Human beings are the means by which the planet attempts to commit suicide.” - Anonymous P.P.»

These are the first words that set the tone for the story - a story made up of extracts from texts of varying origins, offering multiple and different points of view. Indeed, the novel is a veritable satire of today's society, with the United States of America as its central, emblematic figure. What could be more appropriate than an observer from another universe to confront humanity as a whole with its inconsistencies and weaknesses?

It's the same story for corporate CEOs, banks, capitalism, Republicans, the NSA, the CIA, the FBI, the gun lobby, journalists, the education system, the healthcare system, and the list goes on, right down to the ordinary citizen who has no opinion on anything. For while this text encourages us to question the world we live in and the ways of the elite who wield economic or political power, it also invites us to introspect.

Human mistrust of any form of life other than our own - even going so far as to say that «all Protestants are guilty until proven innocent» - is reminiscent of our own tendency to regard foreigners as a threat. The result is a fear that we constantly cultivate, and which we use to justify laws and decisions that contradict our fundamental rights.

«As soon as you slap the label «terrorist» on someone, they cease to be a human being, and from then on you can torture, bomb, kill that person, their family, and even anyone who happens to be near them. Which is absolutely horrible.»

Isn't criticizing the American economic, political and social system a rather facile and redundant exercise? No, I'd like to say, because the author's caustic humor is absolutely delicious, and his use of second-degree humor and irony is so talented! The book is full of good words that we'll be quick to jot down in the margins, in a notebook or somewhere in the back of our minds. What's more, the motivations of these invaders, which are above all play and fun, encourage us to rethink our approach to everyday life and our ability to enjoy the present moment. Are the reasons we undertake anything the right ones? What about the values and priorities of our world, which tells us that we have to work hard to have more and more? Doesn't happiness simply lie in the way we approach life?

However, there is one small drawback: while the author's reflections are always biting and pertinent, they tend to become slightly repetitive and the story a little too long. Did we need to be told over and over again that humanity is both brilliant and stupid to understand this? We're probably awake enough to understand it at first sight.

Luke Rhinehart
Invasion
Editions Aux Forges de Vulcain
2018
529 pages

Write to the author: ameliewauthier@gmail.com

Photo credit: © Amélie Wauthier for Le Regard Libre