I really enjoyed this one! It was as weird and wild as a real life first contact scenario would probably be. There was a lack of awe and wonder from the characters that felt very believable, especially after 2020. "Oh aliens are real, that's great, I guess there will be another damn town hall..."
I liked the focus on more everyday people than governments and politicians. I don't want to call it "light scifi" because that sounds pejorative, but it's comforting and cozy in a way I really enjoyed. No evil monsters, not even any villains to speak of. Just a bunch of humans dealing with an unprecedented event.

Received a complimentary ARC of On Earth as It Is on Television from Hyperion/NetGalley. Scroll past the BOOK REPORT section for a cut-and-paste of the DESCRIPTION of it from them if you want to read my thoughts on the book in the context of that summary.

BOOK REPORT
I gotta be honest with you; it was mention in the description of it of one character’s desire to follow a strange cat on a westward journey that made me want to read this book.

And while, sadly, there wasn’t enough “cat” in this wildly entertaining story to suit me, I’m glad I listened to Crazy Cat Lady Kristi and decided to spend a great deal of what feels to me like an unseasonably cold and rainy Saturday in my pajamas reading On Earth as It Is on Television. (I say feels to me like because who knows anymore what the weather is really _supposed_ to be like at certain points in this construct we call time?)

I came for the cat, got sucked in by the characters and their various storylines, and just thoroughly enjoyed seeing how everything came together in the end. At one point I found myself thinking, “Hmm, this is kind of like that 2021 Netflix movie ‘Don’t Look Up,’ except it’s not because it’s all feel-goodie.” Well, maybe not ALL feel-goodie. But an awfully lot so. Could most definitely see this being made into a movie or streaming series…..that continues on past the actual ending of the book proper, but of course!

Thanks for a good time, Emily Jane! Ready for your next book!

DESCRIPTION
In Emily Jane’s rollicking debut, when spaceships arrive and then depart suddenly without a word, the certainty that we are not alone in the universe turns to intense uncertainty as to our place within it.

“Weird and sweet … like a 2020s White Noise: loud and colorful Americana with a sprinkle of apocalyptic doom.”—Edgar Cantero

“Heartfelt, witty, and secretly romantic … a delightful and poignant story about what it is to be human, and what we owe each other.” —Christina Lauren

Since long before the spaceships’ fleeting presence, Blaine has been content to go along with the whims of his supermom wife and half-feral, television-addicted children. But when the kids blithely ponder skinning people to see if they’re aliens, and his wife drags them all on a surprise road trip to Disney World, even steady Blaine begins to crack.

Half a continent away, Heather floats in a Malibu pool and watches the massive ships hover overhead. Maybe her life is finally going to start. For her, the arrival heralds a quest to understand herself, her accomplished (and oh-so-annoying) stepfamily, and why she feels so alone in a universe teeming with life.

Suddenly conscious and alert after twenty catatonic years, Oliver struggles to piece together his fragmented, disco-infused memories and make sense of his desire to follow a strange cat on a westward journey.

Embracing the strangeness that is life in the twenty-first century, On Earth as It Is on Television is a rollicking, heartfelt tale of first contact that practically leaps off the planet.

It's difficult to describe the style of Emily Jane's debut novel. The best comparison I can make is Douglas Adams but with more emotion, or Carl Hiaasen but with more aliens. One thing is undeniably true: if you love cats, you'll appreciate this book.

One day, a fleet of alien spaceships appear in the sky over numerous cities worldwide. After several days of hovering, while everyone loses their shit, the spaceships turn around and leave without even trying to make contact. The story focuses its attention of the impact of the abbreviated alien visit on three individuals: Oliver, who has been in a vegetative state for 20 years but suddenly regains full consciousness; Blaine, whose perfect wife is acting strange; and Heather, a recent high school grad who feels like she is the odd one out in her over achieving family.

The book doesn't work as a satire; we already know how people react in the face of a big unknown (like a pandemic) and we've all seen the worst of social media, so the fact that there is a big rush to profit from the alien visit is no surprise. When we eventually learn more about the aliens, the Earth objects they prize are also predictable (although their description is entertaining).

But as the story progresses we start to connect with the main characters, hoping that they will find connection and happiness even if the end result is sometimes unconventional. The author's take on aliens is much more "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" than "Starship Troopers," so you don't have to worry about violence and world annihilation.

And then there are the cats. Emily Jane is obviously a cat person, and the feline population plays a very important role in the book. After all, "One could not purchase answers. Answers came when they damn well wanted to come, which was sometimes not at all. Answers were, in that respect, like cats."

Would I read another book by this author? IDK. Her style is a little too loose for me (the fact that Blaine always refers to his spouse as "The Wife" is just weird), and her jokes are frequently no better than "Saturday Night Live" skits. But this debut is unlike anything I have read recently, so I will be interested to see where she goes from here.

ARC received from Net Galley in exchange for objective review.

If you set up two television screens side-by-side and simultaneously watch National Lampoon’s Vacation on one and Close Encounters of the Third Kind on the other, while snacking on a pound of crispy bacon and a plate of cupcakes, in a room filled with cats, you might get a hint of what’s careening your way in On Earth as It Is on Television, by Emily Jane.

I’m not giving anything away by saying that we start off with an alien invasion. Well, it’s not exactly an invasion. The aliens arrive, spend some time hanging in the air much in the same way that bricks don’t, and after giving the Earthlings enough time to get whipped into a froth wondering when they are going to do something… they simply leave.

But their visit has changed humanity forever, simply by proving that life beyond our planet exists. Humanity reacts to this revelation in as many different ways as there are people, and that’s far too big a concept to fit into one book. So, in her debut novel, author Emily Jane focuses on three distinct situations.

A bored, rich teenager named Heather (because of course she’s a Heather) watches a hovering spaceship from Malibu, while floating in her parent’s pool. But she’s more annoyed by her family, especially her stepdad, than any flying saucer. She treats the situation with indifference and drunkenness. Eventually, she’s forced out of her complacency, which was a relief as I was just about ready to crawl into the book and give her a swift kick.

Meanwhile, Oliver reacts by simply waking up. That wouldn’t be such a big deal, if he hadn’t been in a coma for the past twenty years. He’s got a lot of catching up to do, and fragments of memories to try to make sense of. His progress is slow but steady. I found him to be a lot more interesting and endearing than Heather. I genuinely liked Oliver and wanted the best for him.

And finally, there’s Blaine. His story is told in frantic bursts. Whenever the book swerves into his situation, you’ll feel a change in the writing. It becomes hyperactive, with a tendency to slip into a stream of consciousness style. This reflects his family life well. He’s got an overachieving, overeating, career-minded, impossibly perfect wife. And they have two kids. The children have been gifted with mindboggling levels of energy, a serious addiction to television, an obsession with the family cat Mr. Meow-Mitts, and the inability to ever stop chattering. Whew. You’ll need a restorative nap after spending time with Blaine’s family.

Over the course of the story, we bounce around between Heather, Oliver, and Blaine’s situations, following each of them on a distinctly unique path. But where are they going? And what’s with all the cats?

My favorite books are the ones that keep me entertained, yet always wondering. I love being pulled along by my curiosity. On my ‘what happens next’ scale of 1 to 10, this book rates an 11. It takes patience to read at first, but try to stick with it. There’s a tipping point where you won’t be able to stop. As cats are my witness, I promise.

On Earth as It Is on Television releases on June 15, 2023 and is available to pre-order at Amazon. My thanks to author Emily Jane, Hyperion Books, and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advance digital copy of this book. This review is my honest and unbiased opinion. This review was initially posted at SciFi.Radio.

This book started out pretty bleak, and I struggled for a while to really get into the story. I am glad I stuck with it. On Earth as It Is on Television is a new take on alien visitation and how a handful of humans from different walks of life react to it, but it's also a bit of a love letter to cats, a look at consumerism from the eyes of others, and a tale of relationships. As a Kentuckian, I also enjoyed the references to my home state and can truthfully say that if you're in the area, you absolutely should visit Red River Gorge and eat at Miguel's Pizza (wash it down with an Ale-8-One)! If you like quirky reads or want to try something a bit different, I highly recommend this. Thanks to Netgalley and Hyperion Avenue for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of On Earth as it is on Television.

I love books about aliens, and I'm always up for a new take on the premise.

On Earth as it is on Television is an original premise on a familiar tale; spaceships arrive and are seen hovering in all the major cities and countries of the world.

Are they friend or foe?

Then, just as suddenly as they appeared, they leave, and the main characters are forever changed.

We follow the stories of an entitled brat from Malibu, a once catatonic man from an assisted living facility, and a father of two children whose wife is not who he thinks she is.

The lives of these people will intersect in ways they can never imagine, and their future depend on the choices they will have to make when the spaceships return.

The narrative is funny, quirky, but at times the pacing dragged, especially with the cat perspectives and Dave, the nutcase survivalist.

I did like how when the wife reveals her true identity, her husband remains loyal and true to her. He's not freaked out or disgusted.

The author adds a few not-so subtle digs at some of humanity's biggest problems; the aliens' love of cheap fast food and single serving plastic, which is hilarious.

There were scenes that went on far too long; for example, the childrens' antics with the cat, their obsession with TV, more cat stuff, more Dave stuff, and more cat stuff.

I can see how the constant shifts in POV could be distracting, and the titles helped to remind the reader which character perspective we were going to be reading about.

This was a quirky, heartfelt spin on the 'alien invasion' story but with a modern twist.

I love the ending!

Loved this. Recommend for fans of Hank Green’s The Carls series or Ben H. Winter’s Last Policeman trilogy. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for advance reading access.

This book is about aliens living among us and then coming to Earth. It is told from multiple point of views including some of the aliens and the humans that they know. So if you like silly alien stories then this is the book for you.
I gave this book 2/5 stars because I did not personally enjoy it, as it not my preferred genre but it was easy to follow once you got into it and I think that other people would enjoy it. I didn’t find it to be fun or amusing. I also didn’t understand the obsession with the cats and the ending part for Oliver. The beginning of this story made it feel like it was going to be apocalyptic in a way but nothing bad happened. I can appreciate the underlying message of this story, which is to judge people based on one unchangeable attribute and to actually look at the person as a whole. Overall, I did not like this book but I think that other people might. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley, publisher, and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review
4.5 stars out of 5

this book blew my mind soooo many different times for a first contact on human scale. humorous, complex, sincere, and endearing characters. some i connected with more than others, and by extension some were easier to read than others. the writing style was a struggle to get into the flow at first but after about 30-50 pages i was fully on board and invested. a slight ding for some characters being involved in the story more often or in big chunks than others, sometimes being removed from the story for a while. some great surprises as the plot progressed. id definitely read more stories set in this world.

This book was such a delight. I came for the aliens, and got so much more.

The narrative voice doesn't just leap off the page, it beams directly into your brain, and a tinfoil hat won't save you from devouring this book. It's gorgeous prose wrapped in ̶b̶a̶c̶o̶n̶ quirky, off-the-wall humor. I highly enjoyed the lighthearted weirdness, and it never overshadowed the character relationships at the center of the story.

Far less grim than an H.G. Wells, and without the complete silliness of something like Hitchhiker's Guide, 𝘖𝘯 𝘌𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘴 𝘐𝘵 𝘐𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘛𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 hits a spot somewhere in the middle. If you like your flying saucers tucked into a cozy story of family togetherness (and cats, and bacon, and disposable plastics), then this one is for you.

On Earth as It Is on Television is such a sweet story. It reminds me of the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind, but as a comedy. It's nice to see the good side of the possibility of visitors from outer space as opposed to apocalyptic results.

I am a library associate and received an advance copy from #NetGalley.

I went into it knowing very little about the story and was pleasantly surprised. To briefly summarize, the novel describes how the lives of individuals are irrevocably changed as a result an alien ship mysterious arriving on Earth.

Darkly and sharply written, it runs the gamut of reactions to a global event, from the fanatical to the indifferent. Which feels quite apt for the current moment, without pandering.

As the title suggests, it plays into television tropes, its consumerism and sensationalism. This was advantageous, as I had inferred some of the major plot points early on, but having the familiar beats (particularly as they were overt hints) didn’t detract from enjoying the reveals.

At its most gratifying, the novel takes pleasure in observing human nature & culture from a foreign perspective. Quite sensible to observe humanity through lens of entertainment & commodities.

As a criticism, I would have liked to see more balance between plot lines, particularly early on. The unbalanced narratives contributed to the feeling that the overall narrative meandered in the middle. I also would’ve liked some more time spent exploring the dynamics between certain characters.

Overall, the story was quite endearing and affirming. I'm sure it will stay with me for some time.

Thanks to Hyperion for sharing this ARC!

This is a strange little book, and I mean that in the best way. As aliens arrive on Earth (and then disappear!), we get to explore the many ways that humans deal with the situation. This book has an incredibly intriguing premise and I feel that though it wasn't for me, it will be enjoyable for those who love quirky and humorous stories.

Alien spaceships have arrived, and they’re just… sitting there. On Earth as it is on Television takes a look at how some people are dealing with alien arrival, and all the oddities that it brings out. This is a fun look at how may deal with aliens, and also how they’d deal with us.

Note: ARC kindly provided in exchange for honest review
4 stars

A really original take on the aliens among us trope. Funny, a little zany and cats, lots of cats.
This book is so much fun and could very well happen.

I selected this book because I like scifi comedy and this seemed a fun and quirky first encounter story from the description. At about 40% into the novel, I told a friend that there really wasn’t much scifi yet. Alien ships had appeared over major cities and disappeared. The book was mostly, to that point, about different people and the ways that the aliens impacted their lives. At that point, I wasn’t sure I could recommend it as scifi, but I did really like the characters and their stories and was eager to get back to the story to see what happened. By the end of the book, which I won’t give away, I can firmly say that I really enjoyed it. It wasn’t overly quirky as scifi comedy often is, but it did have the lighthearted quality of the subgenre. The book is about how the people, and aliens living on earth respond to the return of the ship. For anyone with a love of cats, they feature prominently in the story in a very heart warming way. If you like your scifi to be about technology and war, this is not the book for you. If you like a cozy story about what happens if you find out your relative is an alien and the mothership is returning, then please, do yourself a favor, and grab this book.

This was fun and different. It's not fast paced, so avoid if that's what you're seeking. The author has a good imagination and puts it to good use here.

I really appreciate the free ARC for review!!

Everything about this book had me intrigued.... the vaguely religious title, the concept, the pop visual cover, plus its a debut novel. I was sold and so so grateful to get a digital ARC approved via NetGalley. I struggled a bit at the onset of reading On Earth as It Is on Television. Initially I struggled to connect with characters who referred to their spouse as "The Wife" and with so many US based characters to follow it started off a bit more scattered than I expected. The moment we entered the mind of a cat around the 30% mark, however, I knew that I at least needed to find out what was going to happen to Sir Muff Mitts and the other cats compelled by an unseen force to leave their homes and families.

I AM SO GLAD that I kept reading!!! This was a unique, touching, intriguing take on not just an invasion story line but also consumerism, the meaning of family, grief, and understanding what we truly want and need out of life. I spent the first 30% wondering if I would ever connect with all of these characters and the last 70% worried about having to say goodbye to these characters when the book came to its natural close. I found myself laughing and also genuinely crying through this novel. I know that this is one I'm going to pick up again and I cannot WAIT to see what Emily Jane does next. If this is your debut, I know we are going to see some truly fantastic things from her.

3 Stars

Unfortunately this book didn't end up being for me, but I do think is an audience who will really enjoy it.

I like how the book is setup like a television series and parts are broken into episodes and then into character stories. There is even a perspective from the cat of the main family.

Owens perspective by far my favorite. I'm a vegetable state for 20 years after a crash, he suddenly just awakes when the alien ships appear. It's like nothing ever happened to him and he's perfectly healthy. That was so interesting to me.

What I struggled with was the pace of the book. It went pretty slow and was difficult for myself to follow.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion ave for this advanced reader copy. My review is voluntarily my own.

On Earth as It Is on Television by Emily Jane

This felt like a real bait and switch. I couldn’t finish this book - I couldn’t get past the prologue.

I picked this book up because the blurb text made it sound like a fun romp: “First Contact stories have never been as intoxicating and fun as in Emily Jane’s novel of the sudden arrival—and equally sudden departure—of spaceships above Earth.”

Instead the prologue begins with a child on the run from her rapist, who happens to be her mother’s boyfriend. Driving her is her half brother, who drives while impaired by marijuana and drives them off a cliff.

This is NOT the fun first contact story I was expecting when I requested an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I also didn’t love the writing style - it felt too dreamlike for my tastes, but I didn’t really get to encounter too much of it before I had to nope out of this terrible reading experience.

Maybe NetGalley should put some content warnings on its postings. This is NOT the book for me. I hope it finds its audience.