Hypocrisy by A.J. Thibault

An edgy slice of sci-fi layered with philosophical subtlety, Hypocrisy by A.J. Thibault posits a near-future crisis when Earthlings learn that non-human intelligence has been living among them for millennia. Caught in a cosmos-spanning war over a buried storehouse of galactic history, Alen Innocent is a bad alien with good intentions, and some serious concerns about the fate of the universe. Returning to the pale blue dot to save his niece and the remaining inhabitants of our “library planet,” this shape-shifting protagonist is a fascinating lead character to explore myriad issues of the human experience, encouraging readers to step back from their own stubborn beliefs and recognize the importance of compromise. Seasoned with contemporary jabs and all-too-familiar examples of cognitive dissonance, Thibault delivers a razor-sharp work of conspiratorial sci-fi, which is part satire and part earnest social critique.