PLANET STORYLAND

In Metts’ SF novel for young readers,a young alien is shocked to learn about the history and daily lives of Earthlings.

Quentin Augustine from the planet Gliese has always been a curious sort. One day, while looking at books at the local library near his home, he discovers a thick tome titled Earthlings by an author named Randolph Reed Stewart. As he reads, he’s puzzled by its description of Earth’s human inhabitants (“Each and every one of them has a lot of questions, but they do not look for the answers”), and shocked to find they still make war with one another. After he heads home, he announces to his parents his desire to travel to another planet; he plans to go to Earth and engage in his own anthropology project to better understand its alien species. His father, who read the same book and harbored a similar desire in his youth, decides to explain the true nature of Earthlings to his son. Metts’ work begins as a promising exploration of Earth from an alien perspective. However, it ultimately devolves into conversations, ostensibly aimed to instruct the novel’s young readers, that often come across as overly didactic and explanatory. While exploring important themes, such as the spread of information, inner- and outer-group conflicts, and the role of government in society, they often read more like lectures than natural conversation. This somewhat wooden style extends to other dialogue, which often starts with mundane greetings and does little to push scenes forward. Anthony’s sporadic full-color, realistic illustrations—four in total—help to round out the fictional world a bit, but they could have been better integrated into the story.

An intriguing premise for a kids’ book that fails to develop into a cohesive story.