Book Review: Caution Earth by Gary R. Beebe, Jr.

Caution Earth by Gary R. Beebe Jr.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A clever social commentary, political satire, and cautionary tale wrapped in an imaginative sci-fi reality show adventure.

Caution Earth is a new science fiction novel by Gary R. Beebe, Jr., but it is also a very funny social commentary and political satire revealing basic truths that serve as a cautionary tale.

Qunot is the executive producer of the most popular and only true reality television show on the galactic stage called Caution Earth. However, after eight successful seasons, early cancellation looms as viewer ennui is setting in with the lack of forward progress in character development. To save his job and lavish lifestyle, he’s got to stimulate the show’s story arc. He’s got two seasons left in the show’s contract, and with Earth on a short approach to societal and environmental collapse, he’s not going to fulfill his obligation. Additionally, galactic laws prevent his direct intervention (think Star Trek’s Prime Directive but with deadly consequences for the violators); Earthlings don’t know they’re the subject of the once-popular reality show or even that intelligent life exists. Qunot is caught between a rock and a hard place until he identifies the perfect patsies to put his rescue plan into effect.

The description of the planet Durnita’s entertainment industry, its movers and shakers, and their sycophants are reflective of how readers have come to view Hollywood, as are the laser-hewn images of politics and the mainstream media. Earth is characterized as having advanced its technological capabilities beyond its evolutionary development, poised on the brink of self-destruction.

The story is well-told, with insight and unceasing humor. I laughed out loud at the description of a politically manipulated cause-righteous Earthside agitator as “a douche canoe environmentalist” appropriately named “Douchious.” The aliens’ super-secret spacecraft, the Wingate, is supported by Olsen, the ship’s drama queen AI, who provides many of the funniest bits of dialogue. Geese, it turns out, are alien beings Qunot stranded on Earth centuries earlier to serve as his eyes, ears, and informants, to point him and his television crew to the most show-worthy filming opportunities, and their leader, Mr. Goose, is beyond over it. I enjoyed the author’s play on cultural references, such as the mention of George Orwell being an alien, and was intrigued by the appearance of “angel” numbers; I had to look that up. On the other hand, while the narrative is consistently clever and entertaining, there is a lot of repetition of the state of politics or the human condition, which seemed to overdo driving the plot points home, at least for me, and really slowed the story down.

I recommend CAUTION EARTH to readers of science fiction, political satire, and social commentary.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from Reedsy Discovery.

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