"Provocative, forcefully written, and methodical in approach, Gomel's study of alien encounters is both an important work of science fiction criticism and a timely intervention in cultural theory." Patrick Parrinder, Emeritus Professor of English, University of Reading, UK "As [Gomel] indicates, 'It is the greatness of good science fiction that it makes one think rather than emote ... Read moreand that it respects the reader's capacity to buckle the book's argument and to come up with alternatives of his/her own' (ix). The greatness of Gomel's book is that it does the same, inviting us to leave the shackles of our vainglorious humanism behind. The book belongs on the shelf of universities and colleges that have programs focusing on either SF or ethics and would be quite at home in public libraries that are building a collection of SF critical texts." Kevin Pinkham, SFRA Review Show Less