First published 2001
Desi has spent decades orbiting Earth, observing humans from his spacecraft with the patience of a scientist and the curiosity of a child. This extraterrestrial visitor finds humanity both captivating and bewildering. He watches their daily rituals, their relationships, their conflicts, trying to piece together what makes them tick. The more Desi studies these creatures, the more questions arise. Why do they hurt each other when they clearly need connection? How can they be so cruel and so tender within the same breath? His long surveillance mission becomes a meditation on what it means to be human, seen through completely alien eyes. Desi's observations reveal the contradictions that define human nature. He witnesses their capacity for both love and violence, their simultaneous need for solitude and community. As his vigil continues, Desi grapples with his own growing attachment to the species he was meant to simply study. The distance between observer and observed begins to collapse.
Genres: science-fiction, literary-fiction, contemporary, aliens
Vibes: atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, outsider-perspective
223 pages · Paperback · Vintage