Scum of the Earth

By: Alexander C. Kane

Narrated by: Scott Aiello

Ezra Barker is a traitor. When the Merg invaded Earth, he didn’t fight or even hide. He cooperated, helping them as they seized control of the planet and began their pillaging of its resources. While others toil away in mines and quarries, Ezra works an office job, helping his boss, The Senator, rule over the swath of territory given to her by the Merg.

Sergeant Hayes is a brutal enforcer of the Merg’s rules. As an officer in the Health and Safety Department, he follows Merg orders, arresting, interrogating, and executing at their command.

With collaborators like Barker, The Senator, and Hayes, the Merg are strip-mining Earth, slaughtering its people, and destroying anyone who opposes them. The skies are gray, the air is poison, and the Merg seem invincible.

But there are others still fighting back.

©2023 Alexander C. Kane (P)2024 Audible, Inc.

Good audio book

Alien invasion story from a different point of view with the Great characters . Itwas very well preformed.

Another hit

Another fantastic listen from Kane. Tone is definitely more serious and dark than his previous works, but still funny at times. Characters you both love and hate. Imaginative plot. Loved it!

Sad, dark, uplifting, wonderful

I enjoy when an author or other creative person explores a different vibe. I am a big fan of everything Mr. Kane has put out so far, and this darker, less comical, version of heroic, chaotic, flawed characters was no exception. I look forward to following every old or new avenue this author takes.

Very different from other Kane novels.

I love Alexander C Kane. I really love Andrea Vernon. This novel is VERY dark. Well written as all of his other novels, however, very dark. Maybe because this book totally captures our human nature and it can be too close to the truth, As other reviewers have said this very dark, We have warned you.

Alexander C. Kane does it again

Another terrific and imaginative book from Kane, who has a knack for making wildly unrealistic situations work by being attuned to the all-too-real ways humans and institutions work. If you haven’t discovered this author yet, you are in for a real treat. If you have, well, you won’t be disappointed. Here’s hoping there is a sequel in the works…

Perfect for fans of 1984

This book was a real mind trip that put politics, human nature, and existential threats into one complete package. The twists you would have expected are not the ones that happened, but overall the whole book was poignant and darkly fun.

Fun Book, Glad it's a One Off

I enjoyed this book. Interesting concept, quick and fun. A lot of dark themes but they aren't expanded upon. I'm really glad it's a one and done. I almost didn't purchase it expecting it to be another neverending sci-fi series but the story has an ending. A nice interlude between non-fiction books.

A new take on alien invasion

I have enjoyed Alexander C. Kane's writing from the moment that Andrea Vernon and the Corporation for UltraHuman Protection came out on Audible. That series dealt with superheroes from a business management point of view. The Orlando People series featured X-men style mutants and the prejudice they faced for having small talents. Dragon Heist was just glorious fun looking at looting a lair, pulling together a band of thieves in a small Southern town, and Alabama football. (Also the funniest dragon you will ever meet.)

All of these books were light and hilarious. Sure, they had underdogs and might be touching on deeper issues but it was always in service of the adventure and humor.

This book is something else. Kane actually writes a real science fiction novel. This book looks at alien invasion from the point of the collaborators, the turncoats who wholeheartedly cooperate with the subjugation of the human race to a life of fear and misery.

So it's dark. And it's about a topic that I do not want to read about. That's why it came out in January and it took me until September to try it. In fact, I did something I never do — I picked up the Kindle copy (only $4.99 - his books are always reasonably priced) — and read the last chapter first. Hey, I read 1984 last year and I didn't need that kind of thing hitting me again. So I'll tell you it isn't 1984.

Reassured I began reading. Then, as is the case with Kane's books, I began reading faster and faster, unable to put it down. Although the book is definitely dark, it has ironic moments that help lighten the mood. There also are small humorous comments that I didn't notice until I was listening to the audio book. Kane's books have always really shone in audio. (I picked that up and began listening immediately after I finished the Kindle reading. Definitely recommended.)

I was surprised to see that, although it isn't 1984, there are definite echoes of concepts and themes that I found when reading it. Doublethink, to name just one example, is everywhere.

There are chances for redemption which are examined through the lens of all sorts of characters from True Believers (ah, but what do they hitch their belief to?), opportunists, and those seeking fulfillment in doing what they do best. All of this is expressed through the way people are living under the invasion.

And all this is still, as is Kane's talent, expressed through a riveting adventure story that you can't put down. Highly recommended.

Despite humor, this was not an easy listen

I tend to enjoy Alexander C. Kane's audiobooks. his works tend to feature both violence and levity. While I'm not generally a fan of the former, I do appreciate the latter.

Scum of the Earth has both themes in abundance. However, this is the first time I've had a hard time rooting for a protagonist of his. Ezra Barker is a traitor to humankind. He is an unlikely hero. The fact that I can picture myself in his place, making unpalatable decisions to survive, makes my feelings of discomfort worse than if I couldn't relate to him at all.

Scott Aiello is a brilliant voice actor. I might not have been able to make it through this book without him.

Overall, this was a thoroughly entertaining listen.

Rooting for The Scum of the Earth!

I've always enjoyed Kane's characters, so flawed and so very human. Even his inhuman characters never fail to be so vivid. This one's no exception!