Selena Gray The Aliens Survival Manual (1992)

     Selena Gray The Aliens Survival Manual (1992) Nicely done variation on The Hitchhiker’s Guide, occasionally rising to the level of Adams’ brilliant nonsense, but mostly a mildly satiric look at humans (mostly men). It feels piecey, probably because much of it first appeared in mass-market magazines. Still, Gray has an eye (and ear) for the hypocrisy and lunacy that marks our species, and some of the comments have a very sharp edge. The best items are stories told by aliens. For example, the piece about “shopping” display’s an insider’s knowledge of the peculiarly female version of that sport. The traveller’s tale is a traditional mode of social criticism. Gray does an above average job of it. **½