SLAG LIKE ME (ALIEN NATION 5) [Paperback]

Barry B. Longyear (Author)

Book Description

Series: Alien Nation | Publication Date: July 1, 1994

Detective Matthew Sikes and his Newcomer partner George Francisco must track down a missing human journalist, named Micky Cass, who has gone undercover as a Newcomer to expose racism and discrimination against the Tenctonese. From the beginning, the journalist's articles about his experiences ignited fierce controversy. When Micky Cass disappears, the controversy explodes and violence wracks the city. It is now up to Sikes and Francisco to solve a case that has the entire city caught in a grip of hate. Finally, as the city burns, Matt Sikes must go undercover as a Newcomer and place himself at the center of the worst violence Los Angeles has ever known...

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Detective Matthew Sikes and his Newcomer partner George Francisco must track down a missing human journalist, named Micky Cass, who has gone undercover as a Newcomer to expose racism and discrimination against the Tenctonese. From the beginning, the journalist's articles about his experiences ignited fierce controversy. When Micky Cass disappears, the controversy explodes and violence wracks the city. It is now up to Sikes and Francisco to solve a case that has the entire city caught in a grip of hate. Finally, as the city burns, Matt Sikes must go undercover as a Newcomer and place himself at the center of the worst violence Los Angeles has ever known...END

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Pocket (July 1, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671795147
• ISBN-13: 978-0671795146
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,338,693 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Hugo & Nebula winning author of Enemy Mine (made into a major motion picture by Fox)

BARRY B. LONGYEAR is the first writer to win the Hugo, Nebula, and John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer all in the same year. In addition to his acclaimed Enemy Mine Series, his works include the classic Sea of Glass and Infinity Hold series, SF & fantasy novels, recovery and writing instruction works, and numerous short stories.


Nominations and Awards*:

1979 (Nomination) John W. Campbell Award for best new writer.
1979 John W. Campbell Award for best new writer.
1979 Hugo Award, best novella, "Enemy Mine."
1979 Nebula Award, best novella, "Enemy Mine."
1979 Locus Award, best novella, "Enemy Mine."

1979 (Nomination) Hugo Award, best novelette, "Homecoming."
1980 (Nomination), Hugo Award, best novelette, "Savage Planet."
1980 (Nomination), Locus Award, best novelette, "Savage Planet."
1980 (Nomination), AnLab Award, best novelette, "Savage Planet."
1981 (Nomination) Locus Award, Single Author Collection, Manifest Destiny.

1981 Distinguished Achievement Award, University of Maine at Farmington.

1982 (Nomination), AnLab Award, best short story, "Collector's Item."
1984 (Nomination) Prometheus Award, best novel, The Tomorrow Testament.

1990 (Finalist) Philip K. Dick Award, best novel, Infinity Hold.

1990 (Nomination) Prometheus Award, best novel, Infinity Hold.
1991 (Nomination) Prometheus Hall of Fame, Circus World.

1993 (Nomination), Locus Award, best novelette, "Chimaera."
1994 (Nomination), Locus Award, best novelette, "The Death Addict."

1999 (Nomination) Prometheus Hall of Fame, Circus World.

2002 (Nomination), Locus Award, best novella, "Silent Her."

2006 AnLab Award, best novella, "The Good Kill."
2007 AnLab Award, best novella, "Murder in Parliament Street."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Keep in mind, this five stars for an _Alien Nation_ book, May 8, 2000

By 

Julia Walter (Cobleskill, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: SLAG LIKE ME (ALIEN NATION 5) (Paperback)

Meaning they are qualified stars. I like the premise of Alien Nation, usually better than I like the actuality, but that's common on series sf TV... The Alien Nation books tend to be better than what we saw on TVs. Besides this one I like, _Body & Soul_ and _Passing Fancy_. All are about what is to be Tenctonese and human, that's an interesting concept to me.

The reporter in this one is a not very veiled Harlan Ellison, IMO, and I found that amusing. I also found a copy of _Black Like Me_ at a used bookstore after reading this. Telling _Black Like Me_ in a sf mode is interesting, well done, worth reading if you don't end up paying too much for it.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Knew it was Longyear by the title, June 19, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: SLAG LIKE ME (ALIEN NATION 5) (Paperback)

I love the "Alien Nation" characters, so sue me. I miss the show and find the books comforting. Unfortunately, the quality varies between authors; I approach each title with a janudiced eye. But when I saw "Slag Like Me", my first thoughts were, "that sounds like Longyear". And to our good fortune, it is. Barry's razor edged style is coated with poignancy. He's eloquent, articulate, and damned funny. Would that he could write more "Alien Nation"s, but at least he's written this one. Get it, you won't be sorry.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Would have made a great episode, July 10, 2007

By 

Evan the Dweezil (A Place-Sort Of, Montana) - See all my reviews

This review is from: SLAG LIKE ME (ALIEN NATION 5) (Paperback)

Written by the author of The Change, even brining back Newcomer FBI Agent Paul Iniko, this book is a great addition to the Alien Nation universe. Leaps and bounds better than The Change, Slag Like Me takes a tough look at racism in the post Civil Rights era, showing how behaviors and practices once carried out in public are run underground and the personal nature of this more passive agrresive oppression.

This novel is less about seeing Matt Sikes going undercover as a Newcomer and more about the demons that live in us all. It was a very enjoyable read that had some substance to it.