Alien Nation

In the Utopia of Anthem, everyone wants to be a psychopath.

For eighteen-year-old Jason Freeman, this dream has always felt out of reach. A service android doesn’t dream of murder—he is made to serve. Even after years of intensive therapy, Jason remains awkward and meek. Unlike other androids, he feels genuine compassion, a trait blacklisted in Anthem. When he learns he’s to be replaced, Jason feels a glimmer of relief, knowing his struggle will soon end. Yet, the prospect of a soulless avatar taking his place fills him with profound, seething dread.

His childhood idol, Prince Marcus Kane, was raised to despise deviants like him. Despite all the lurid temptations that come with his stature, Marcus refuses to wash his hands in blood. He has always seen himself as hopelessly naive, a romantic—the antithesis of a psychopath. When his father, the godhead of Anthem, arranges for the girl of his dreams to be married to a despicable deviant, he begins to fantasize about burning it all down.

But everything changes when the All-Father offers Jason a special pardon. To win back his right to exist, Jason must infiltrate the pantheon of tyrants, where murder is always graced with a smile. His mission will push Marcus to the brink of madness, as Anthem descends into civil war. And when the flames of revolution reach the doorstep of psychopaths, no one will be spared.

Alien Nation is a pulse-pounding story about desire and carnage, and what happens when society pushes us too far. Some themes and scenes may be disturbing to readers.

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What People Are Saying

  • "I felt that the idea of people striving to be branded a psychopath created a poignant social commentary about the lengths people will go to to get what they want… The integration of the sci-fi elements gives another layer to this story, creating a multi-faceted, jam-packed read for science-fiction and dystopian readers."

    LoveReading

  • "Startlingly creative… Alien Nation places great trust in the reader to explore and parse out the nuances of its imaginative and immersive world: A utopian (for some) theocracy, ripe for rebellion… I highly recommend Alien Nation for lovers of secondary-world, character-driven science fiction."

    Independent Book Review

  • "A fascinating, eerie glimpse into a warped 'utopia' that reflects and critiques real-world societal ideals in ways that are sometimes chillingly real... King also masterfully builds suspense, particularly through Jason's tense infiltration and Marcus's deeply relatable struggle against his upbringing. This keeps readers on edge and makes every twist and revelation impactful for the characters' overall journey."

    Readers' Favorite

  • "The many themes that come into play in Alien Nation, from social acceptance, socially accepted pathology, shame and redemption, and miscarriages of justice create a multifaceted tale that will lend especially well to sci-fi book club debates and discussions... Libraries seeking heady philosophical and social inspections from sci-fi stories that rest as firmly on these examinations as on nonstop action will find Alien Nation a powerful acquisition and recommendation."

    Midwest Book Review