New Book Alert: Asparagus Grass by Adrian Deans; Surreal Satirical Science Fiction Reveals The Aliens Behind Earth's Scenes

 New Book Alert: Asparagus Grass by Adrian Deans; Surreal Satirical Science Fiction Reveals The Aliens Behind Earth's Scenes

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: Since Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Science Fiction has shown us that if an alien invasion is ever upon us, then we should look for some unassuming idiot because apparently that idiot is the galaxy's pick for the one who will save us all.

The Idiot Du Jour in Adrian Deans' Asparagus Grass is Mitch Kuiper, a gardening assistant in New South Wales' parks department. Besides cleaning up the grounds, his daily activities usually consist of trying to stay out of his super Garrett's bad side, avoiding suck ups like Timmy O'Toole, drinking with his best mate, Cam, and sleeping with any woman who looks his way. The sleeping with is what gets him intergalactic interest because he slept with Martina Vader AKA Marty Mindshadow. Marty works in the office of the parks department and is considered drop dead gorgeous but strange. 

It is only after they are together does Mitch realize how strange Marty actually is. She takes him in a mini shuttle, called a shell, and takes him to a space station  to tell him the truth. She is part of the Aelur, an alien race that lived on the Earth for thousands of years. However, another race, the Xyk, took over Earth by using their own greed, ambition, and dominant nature. Because of this, the Aelur plan to destroy Earth. Mitch manages to get a negotiation that if the current head Xyk is taken out then Earth will be spared. Marty and the other Aelur agree except now Mitch has seven days before the planet goes boom boom bye bye.

Asparagus Grass is one of those novels that will describe the potential end of the world but does so in a satiric or farcical light to keep things humorous. Part of the humor is in its lead character. Mitch is the last guy anyone expects to be a savior of anything, which Marty insists means he's perfect. The Aelur are a race that believes in equality so much that no one strives for leadership positions. They consider that a Xyk trait. Mitch definitely is not leadership material. In fact, he only attends a leadership seminar because his boss, Garrett, cajoles him into it.

 Most of Mitch's actions consist of either making dumb decisions or getting out of them through chance and luck.

In one chapter, he decides that Marty's news is so grave and could put him in danger, that it would be best not to tell anyone. In the very next paragraph, what does he do? Tell Cam after a few drinks. He also foolishly sleeps with another woman, Lisa, and continues to talk to her even after he learns, oops, she's a Xyk.

He's supposed to be a hero. No one ever said that he was smart.

Marty is also a fascinating character. At first, she appears to be a vapid and spacy airhead, or possibly has ADHD, but when she reveals her truth, she is a lot smarter than many give her credit for. She becomes a source of wisdom for the information that is going on but she also lives a hedonistic lifestyle free of Earth restraints. She boasts of many lovers and doesn't care if Mitch has any (though certainly gives him an "I told you so" about Lisa). In fact, she says that because she spent so much time on Earth with hedonists, she developed her vague "Mindshadow" persona. 

Asparagus Grass has some fun with conspiracy theories by making the Xyk members of a secret organization that of course plan on taking over the world. Of course, they happen to be meeting right when the infamous Bilderberg group is also meeting, leaving Our Heroes to infiltrate a protest group against them. They have to find out which Bilderbergers and protestors are really Xyk and where the ones who are Xyk are having an even more secret meeting. The plot points and twists are enough to give one a headache.

Despite that the book is mostly played with laughs, there are some genuine moments of suspense. The fact that the Xyk could be anyone that they know definitely carries a lot of paranoia within the characters, not to mention that a character who was once very friendly is now ready to kill them because their Xyk Overlords insist on it.

There are also some moments of genuine warmth between Mitch, Marty, and the friends they make on their journey. It isn't just one laugh per page. There is time for plenty of other emotions.

Asparagus Grass is one of those books that describes a potential end of the world but does so with plenty of humor so the Reader doesn't mind.