In this short SF novel, we view an Australian city occupied by aliens from the point of view of Jack, a hotel-owner whose premises have been taken over. The relationship between the human owner and Drander, a possiblyfemale alien now in command of the hotel, forms the core of the novel. Initially a master-servant relationship, the relationship between the two evolves into something much more personal. It is, in effect, a strange love story between alien and human. It’s very tricky to pull something like this off and make it credible, but LynC succeeds very well.

As well as this important plot line, the story covers a doomed rebellion against the invaders and an attempt to use humans (including Jack) as living incubators for alien babies. Through these events we slowly gain a better understanding of the nature of the aliens and what drives them. Despite some of the horrible things Jack is forced to endure, he begins to understand their viewpoint. Eventually, a reconciliation of sorts is reached.

Although short (about 40,000 words) this is a very readable and thought-provoking novel. ( )

I finished this book in a single sitting (thank you, long train commute). It never fails to astound me how some stories can be written with so light a touch and yet still have such deep roots. Lyn plays with language and double meanings in some amazing ways, and really makes you feel for her characters. ( )

And now for something completely different!

My readers know that I don’t read much in the way of speculative fiction, but I bought the eBook version of this one on impulse when I met the author Lyn C at the Indigenous Language Intensive workshop. I was curious… and at $4.31 AUD for the Kindle edition it was cheap enough to experiment with an unfamiliar genre. I started reading it over breakfast at QV Square before the workshop… and soon found myself totally hooked by the story.

Nil by Mouth is what I recognise as classic SciFi. It has aliens who invade earth and they have various capabilities which enable them to exert control over the humans, but they have a fundamental flaw which enables the situation to be resolved. However, what makes this an interesting and satisfying book to read is the character development so I was not surprised to learn that it was shortlisted for the Aurealis Award Best Science Fiction Book in 2014.

The portrayal of an Earth defeated in war reminded me of other occupation novels I have read. The central character comes to be known as Ale, a shorthand version of Alien-lover, and he is scorned as a collaborator because his pub on the outskirts of Melbourne is taken over as a base by the Aliens. His point-of-view narration reveals a sense of resignation and despair...

To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2016/11/26/nil-by-mouth-by-lyn-c/ ( )