Extraterrestrial Noir

“Author Rich Leder, whose storied career includes staff favorites Cooking for Cannibals and Workman's Complication, as well as movies like Primal (starring Nick Cage), ventures into bawdy new territory with Extraterrestrial Noir. The novel works thanks to Leder's meticulous drawing of the families living in their cul-de-sac, Hope Circle. Imagine the witty neighborly banter of Desperate Housewives' Wisteria Lane, the sexual candor of Sex and the City and the absurd teenage heroism of Stranger Things rolled into one, and you'll get the idea. Leder's Hope Circle backstories deliver a lot of sizzle (such as Carol's two-time fling with Maggie), and seductions by alien incarnations of Lake and Ladd deliver a lot of steamy laughs (Ladd to Maggie: “I'm not eating you for breakfast. I'm having pancakes. Maybe some tequila first. Should I pour you one?”).

An expert lover, Ladd-Lake knows how to push all the right buttons before uttering the unthinkable: “I know how to get more money...We rob Peter's jewelry store.” With the adults falling under the alien's spell, it's up to Mike — with a little assistance from Danny — to save them and the planet itself. Along the way, Leder drops entertaining cultural references to everyone from Bill Withers to Curt Cobain and the Ramones. The story is bookended by some surprisingly thoughtful scientific-and-philosophical insights on our place in the universe that add gravitas to the fun.”

“The plotting of Extraterrestrial Noir is superb, keeping the reader engaged and excited to find out what crazy turn the story will take next. The story has a wide range of characters, and each chapter gives us a glimpse into the brain of the person in focus, with our enigmatic alien always being viewed from the outside without getting to peek into their unfathomably complex mind. The action-packed pacing and witty wording of the writer keep propelling you over the pages, and you find yourself breezing through the story at a breakneck pace, unable to find a pausing point to put down the book and take a break. The character development is wonderful as well. Aside from the visitor to our planet and our kid genius tasked with protecting her family, most of the other characters are not what they first appear. While they may seem to be fairly normal everyday folks from the suburbs at first glance, once their onion is peeled back, their dark secrets hiding underneath are revealed. Don't go into Extraterrestrial Noir expecting the characters to act with reason. The novel is full of the "don't go in there" moments you see in horror films where the actions of the characters are clearly going to lead them to their doom. However, that is part of the fun of this story, as Leder is constantly using the narrative to highlight the stupidity of mankind with his typically twistedly comedic charm.”

“Sparkling and frenetic, Extraterrestrial Noir goes miles on the absurdity of its setup, but it's the prose style that carries the day. The text derives real, consistent humor from sharp observations of conspicuous consumption, often enumerated in obscene lists. In these moments, the comically long sentences and exhaustive specificity recall the humor of writers like David Foster Wallace. Extraterrestrial Noir also loves, well, noir—as well as its snappy dialogue. The Alan Ladd/Veronica Lake alien mouths off like a PI or a femme fatale, but the rest of the gang gets in on the action, too. The plot itself unfolds in the same vein. Everyone has a secret, and every secret is more explosive than the last; literal explosions aren't long to follow. But it's still the snappy, silly prose that holds it all together. For fans of the genre, or those who want a light thriller that will keep them laughing, Extraterrestrial Noir absolutely delivers.”

“The language in Extraterrestrial Noir is fun, quirky, dark, and sophisticated. Very much like the noir films from the 1940s would feel. Alliteration which plays into the tempo of a scene just as much as it ratchets up the humor. Leder makes action-packed scenes feel like musical compositions. Extraterrestrial Noir is a wild ride. Sci-fi & close encounter fans will love the hilarious and horrifying nature of this story.”

“Author Rich Leder creates a genre-blending rollercoaster that combines sharp wit, absurdity, comedic relief, and heartfelt moments. The premise of the story is delightfully bizarre, with the alien's shapeshifting antics and noir-inspired personas adding a unique flair to the story. Mike is a stellar protagonist; her intelligence and resourcefulness really surprised me. I enjoyed how she was the one who decided the pace of the story and directed what would happen next. I loved her dysfunctional family and equally eccentric neighbors. I enjoyed the added layers of humor and tension. The fast pace of the narrative, the world-building, and the character development were fantastic. Author Rich Leder's clever and witty writing style made the story entertaining and engaging.”

“Rich Leder does an amazing job of blending different genres, keeping the story both hilarious and thought-provoking at the same time. The mix of dark humor and classic noir makes this book feel fresh and completely original. I especially loved Mike Devine as a main character—ridiculously smart but still relatable while trying to make sense of the madness. The plot moves fast, packed with unexpected twists that keep you guessing while still making perfect sense. What stood out to me was how Leder weaves philosophical ideas into the story without ever making it feel heavy—there's always plenty of fun and adventure to keep things moving. Extraterrestrial Noir is for anyone who loves stories that mash up genres, make you laugh, and keep you thinking long after you turn the last page.”

“Weaving an intriguing plot, Leder whisked me away from reality and dropped me into a world of endless magnificent imagination. The evocative depictions colorfully brought the scenes to life, making me feel like I was next to the cast, closely watching the scenes unfold. The lively conversations with an edge of dark humor had references to pop culture. They were fun and hooked me. Leder accompanies the narration with sentiment, allowing me to experience the well-crafted cast's intricate emotions. Alongside their complex traits, all this made it easy to connect with them. Lovers of fast-paced noir fiction and sci-fi novels with a touch of crime, extraterrestrial intrigue, government conspiracies, suspense, and drama will love this page-turner.”

“Unflinching and savage at its sarcastic edges, the dialogue crackles with simmering tension, especially in those moments when neighborly politeness collides with the unregulated emotions of human nature. The character balance of adults and children is also unique, allowing for a full exploration of immaturities and unexpected strengths in this eccentric cast. On first glance of the premise, the novel may seem like a combination of Desperate Housewives, Starman, and The Burbs, with a strong dash of the titular noir, but it is much more emotionally layered than that — as much drama as comedy. The story also delves quite deeply — even seriously — into some heady issues, as only a sci-fi novel can, wandering into philosophical explorations of everything from astrophysical limitation and crises of morality to the dynamism of romance and the inconceivable varieties of life that may exist in the sprawling universe. So while the novel may pose as a cozy work of fiction about ordinary people facing extraordinary situations, it is also layered with commentaries on personal, governmental, scientific, sexual, and ethical boundaries, along with the obvious madcap scenario of a celebrity alien. This is not to say that the novel isn’t funny, because it is. Leder is an expert at the searing one-liner, revealing human absurdity in a seemingly ordinary scene. Given the larger-than-life premise, Leder has the chance to spread out even further than his previous works of crime fiction, offering a hilarious satire of several genres at once, while also making readers interrogate their own feelings about loyalty, family, and humanity’s fickle nature. That’s an incredibly tough balance, and Leder handles it masterfully. This wildly entertaining satire of everything from gumshoe novels, domestic dramas, first contact sci-fi, and even America writ large is an impressive work of contemporary sci-fi that manages to be thought-provoking, emotionally rich, and hilarious, all within pages of each other.”