Left by Paul McGrath
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A Sci-Fi Satire of Alien Espionage, Southern Charm & Chaos on Earth!
First-time novelist Paul McGrath delivers a sharp, witty, and wildly entertaining sci-fi satire that asks: What if an alien held up a mirror to America—and we didn’t like what we saw?
Anton-7—aka Roy McDonald—was supposed to observe Earth, not get stuck on it. But after missing his ride back to planet Xylodon, he decides to make the most of his exile in Hernando, Mississippi. Breaking the number-one rule of alien espionage—never interfere—he dives headfirst into human affairs, finding friendship, romance, and the simple joys of a good cup of coffee and a highly anticipated trip to Buc-ee's.
But when tragedy strikes, Anton-7 takes matters into his own hands, setting off a whirlwind of chaos that shakes both Earth and Xylodon.
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Paul McGrath is an award-winning journalist and educator whose career spans five decades. He spent thirty-seven years working at the Houston Chronicle after stints in Conroe, Lubbock, and Lockhart, Texas. He currently teaches at Texas A&M University.
Left, Paul McGrath’s sci-fi satire, was not at all what I expected. Based on the blurb, I pictured a romp through the South punctuated by trips to Buc-ee’s and the same kind of new-to-the-world adventure that characterizes stories such as Netflix’s Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt or Ron Howard’s Splash.
Instead, I experienced Roy McDonald’s journey through grief, determination, and intervention—all centered around one of the most divisive issues of our time: gun control. The unexpected depth of the story and the strong emotions it portrayed (and evoked) kept me turning the pages, as did the author’s lack of qualms about sharing his stance on the debate. His opinion is clearly stated when the character Anton muses:
“The Second Amendment had become like the snake swallowing its own tail. Instead of preserving peace, the cancerous laws that had sprung from interpretations of the Second Amendment had become roadblocks to that peace.”
While I am not taking on the complex and layered gun debate in this review, I will say that I appreciated many of the sentiments expressed in McGrath’s story. One that has stayed with me is this, a quote from his character as President of the United States:
“How about introducing a law that would require members of Congress to serve as pallbearers the next time there’s a school shooting?”
McGrath uses the consequences of Roy McDonald’s actions to explore a United States without guns—an exercise I found fascinating. He fully acknowledges the argument that “Guns don’t kill people, people kill people.” He shows us that even without guns, there is still violence—and responds with a “Yes, but those with guns kill significantly more people than those without.”
While the author delves into these heavy topics, the story carries them well. The relational elements kept me invested in the characters, and the humor (often the crass flavor of a middle-school boy’s) kept me amused. The fact that he leaves us with a fantastic twist ending was the icing on the cake.
Above all, McGrath left me thinking—one of the highest compliments I can give a book—and I highly recommend Left to readers.
If you liked this story, you might enjoy watching: The Day the Earth Stood Still, The Man Who Fell to Earth, Roswell
You might also enjoy listening to:
To learn more about the book, look for #LoneStarLitLeft on your preferred social media platform.
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