Genre: Sci-Fi, Romance
LGBTQ+ Category: Gay
Reviewer: Jay
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About The Book
Leth has spent centuries studying civilizations without ever becoming part of them.
His latest assignment should be simple: observe humanity, document its behaviour, and maintain the distance required of every good researcher. Emotional attachment is forbidden. Interference is unacceptable. The people of Earth are subjects, not companions.
Then he meets Finn, a marine biologist whose easy kindness draws Leth out from behind his careful observations. What begins as professional curiosity becomes coffee, shared routines, late-night messages, and moments Leth cannot reduce to data. For the first time, he is no longer merely witnessing a life. He is being invited into one.
But Leth’s presence on Earth is built on a lie, and the closer he grows to Finn, the more dangerous the truth becomes. To remain detached is to lose the first person who has ever made him feel at home. To stay is to risk everything he has known.
Field Notes From Earth is a tender queer science-fiction romance about observation, belonging, and learning that some of the universe’s most important truths can only be understood by choosing to take part.
The Review
Leth is an alien, assigned to Earth to observe humans and their interactions. The story is told from his point of view. At first, the field notes are cold, almost robotic. Then Leth gradually realises he has developed a relationship with his primary subject and must make a number of decisions.
Should he admit his alien nature to his friend? Should he tell his superiors and risk being reassigned? Can an alien and a human truly relate to each other?
In the course of the decision making we get a fresh ‘alien’ perspective on what it means to be human. There is the added treat of a clearly intelligent octopus and Finn, the marine biologist who draws Leth’s attention, also interacts with a number of other marine animals both at the aquarium where he works and Leth observes and in the wild.
This is an unusual and compelling novella. The story is beautifully written and will please not only sci fi fans, but others who enjoy a slow burn romance and a happy ending.
Highly recommended.
The Reviewer
I’ve been doing book reviews on my website, crossposted or linked to various social media, for a few years. I read a number of genres but I really enjoy all kinds of speculative fiction so thought I’d like to share my views with you. I love sci fi and other speculative fiction because of the way it can, at its best, make us see ourselves in a new light. Quite apart from the exciting stories, of course! I used to be an English teacher, and I’m a writer (fantasy) so I can be quite critical about style etc. but I hope I can also appreciate properly some books that don’t appeal to me personally but might be simply perfect for others. I have, obviously, read widely, and continue to do so.
