"Combining two classic sci-fi tropes into one thoughtful, compelling story, Ashton''s postapocalyptic alien invasion scenario tells a tale of survival and hope against all odds." -- Library Journal " Funny, thought-provoking, deftly crafted, and possessed of a surprising intimacy." -- Locus "Ashton''s world-building is flawless, and his characters are delightful. With its unique take on the post-apocalyptic, alien-invasion themes and the unusual, sometimes buddy-comedy style relationship between its lead characters, the book will have Ashton''s regular readers cheering, and it''ll send newcomers looking for more books by this one-of-a-kind storyteller." -- Booklist "If John Steinbeck had written a novel of a post-alien invasion, it might very well look like Edward Ashton''s After The Fall . It is a story of struggling to survive by wit, luck, and dogged determination. It is also equally as harrowing as it is hilarious--a balancing act that few dare try and even fewer can pull off. I didn''t want the book to end.

I would''ve happily followed John and Martok anywhere. I miss them already." --James Rollins, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Moonfall Saga "Incredibly entertaining. Funny. and so, so smart." --Lev Grossman, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Magicians Trilogy and The Bright Sword "The best buddy road trip dramedy about a guy and his bumbling alien overlord you''ll read all year. Bad decisions and deep existential questions co-exist on this thoroughly enjoyable quest to build a true found family--and maybe even a new sort of civilization." --Tina Connolly, Hugo-nominated author of Ironskin "Enormously engaging.

Ashton carefully pieces together a fascinating world full of entertaining characters and intriguing mysteries." --Adrian Tchaikovsky, Arthur C. Clarke award-winning author Additional praise for Edward Ashton: "Humor, interspecies diplomacy, and unexpected alliances enliven this zippy sci-fi romp. Ashton strikes an impressive balance of humor, action, and thought-provoking sci-fi concepts. It''s a lot of fun watching his eccentric characters navigate sticky situations." -- Publishers Weekly on The Fourth Consort "This is a deep surprise of a story as it contemplates the perils and pitfalls of communication and the difficulty of reaching anything like understanding with a species with which one shares few if any frames of reference. Readers who found the struggle to communicate in Ray Nayler''s The Mountain in the Sea will enjoy. [and] fans of the classic Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Darmok" will find this to be a familiar and similarly complex and heartbreaking tale.

" -- Library Journal (starred) on The Fourth Consort "Ashton excels at creating compelling characters. Especially impressive is how believable his different alien races are: Each has its own culture and motivations, and they all make sense. Speculative fiction is a lens for us to reflect upon ourselves in interesting ways, and this is ultimately a delightful examination of what it means to be human." -- Booklist on The Fourth Consort "Reminiscent of the movie Enemy Mine (1985) and Alan Dean Foster''s novel Nor Crystal Tears (1982)--but much cozier. Light and enjoyable, it''s less about galactic intrigue and more about a man realizing where he stands in the universe." -- The Wall Street Journal on The Fourth Consort "Sci-fi readers will be drawn in by the inventive premise and stick around for the plucky narrator." --Publishers Weekly on Mickey7 "Mickey7 is a smart philosophical satire masquerading as an adventure novel." -- New York Journal of Books "The fun [in reading Mickey7 ] is trying to keep up with Mr.

Ashton''s twists and turns, and the extra fun is that you never do." -- The Wall Street Journal.