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daliz's review against another edition
4.0
I picked this book up from a bargain bin on a whim years ago. Politics and Washington are typically not my thing and perhaps a stray sci-fi book in my library was the closest connection I had to begin with. I had a hunch about this book, though.
It was not my favorite Christopher Buckley novel, but as the first of his I read, it sparked me to go out and read 3 others in quick succession. I would recommend his other books first, but for a fan of Buckley, "Little Green Men" isn't a bad read at all.
It was not my favorite Christopher Buckley novel, but as the first of his I read, it sparked me to go out and read 3 others in quick succession. I would recommend his other books first, but for a fan of Buckley, "Little Green Men" isn't a bad read at all.
ogreart's review against another edition
3.0
The book was okay. I sort of enjoyed listening to it, but probably would not have read it all the way through a print version. It's my own fault. I was expecting science fiction, I got political satire. The story was not bad: political hubris, humiliation, redemption... all can be found in this uneven book. There were some surprises, but not enough.
dontpanic42's review against another edition
5.0
Little Green Men is Buckley at his best. It is a well-imagines satire of the goings-on in Washington: this time, a super-secret government organization is responsible for making sure that both the American people and the Russians maintain their belief in aliens (which they do by abducting farmers and mutilating cows); until a disgruntled employee initiates the abduction (twice) of a well-respected insider and pundit who goes on a mission (with millions of supporters) to bring extraterrestrial issues to the forefront of the political scene. Naturally, Buckley delivers his satire with laugh-out-loud humor and fast pacing--there is never a dull moment. If you like Christopher Buckley, read Little Green Men. If you've never heard of Buckley, start here and also read Thank You for Smoking. And if you don't like Buckley, well, that's just sad.
pitosalas's review against another edition
4.0
A fun, light, funny novel. I was thinking that there aren't a lot of fiction writers who write books that are funny. This is one. I will read more books by this author.!
jhoffmann's review
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
ogbergerking's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I found this enjoyable as a fan of the Men In Black movie series. The plot was somewhat slow to start, somewhat predictable, and the ending felt a little rushed. It was a relatively challenging read to get into, but I enjoyed it once the plot actually started after the exposition. I enjoyed the blatant political satire, and found the whole premise somewhat conceivable up until the marches.
I would recommend to readers looking to branch out of their traditional genres and dip their toes into politics. I would maybe read again, but it wouldn’t be my first choice.
I would also note that some of the story is a bit outdated, given that I read it in 2023, it was published in the 90’s, and reads like an 80’s film.
I would recommend to readers looking to branch out of their traditional genres and dip their toes into politics. I would maybe read again, but it wouldn’t be my first choice.
I would also note that some of the story is a bit outdated, given that I read it in 2023, it was published in the 90’s, and reads like an 80’s film.
bdhoffmeister's review against another edition
2.0
I didn't like it as much as I thought I would. Buckley gets points for his witty political satire, which makes it worth reading on the whole. Whether intentional or not, I read into it a hint that Washington players are so isolated from the rest of America that they could be considered "aliens," in a way. So it works on that level. What didn't work was the somewhat convoluted and oddly anticlimactic ending (despite the presence of an exploding rocket) and some of the logical leaps that Banion, the protagonist, was required to make to get where he ended up. Also, points off for a passage about something being found on the "surface of Neptune." Perhaps Buckley would have been well served doing a little research into gas giants first...
tabitha_thorns's review
Wasn't gripping enough to renew when the return date came along
untamable_shrew's review against another edition
Just couldn’t get into it - there are 0 likable or relatable characters and the never ending pithy remarks make it really hard to read.