Shh! It's a Secret: a novel about Aliens, Hollywood, and the Bartender's Guide

2014 Compton Crook Award Finalist

The Brogardi appeared out of nowhere, and—telegraphing their peaceful intentions—they landed in the middle of nowhere: New York State's Catskills Mountains resorts. It was an alien invasion, of the most peaceful, friendly kind. But there had to be something sinister behind it all, right?

Movie executive Jake Berman lives fiction for a living, promoting movies to the masses. He's happy, and only moderately harried. But his peaceful existence is thrown into overdrive when one of the aliens sets his sights beyond the decaying resorts of the east—when he decides it's time to invade Hollywood!

Daniel M. Kimmel is a film critic and professor of film. His book on the history of FOX TV, The Fourth Network received the Cable Center Book Award. His other books include a history of DreamWorks, The Dream Team, and I'll Have What She's Having: Behind the Scenes of the Great Romantic Comedies. His collection of essays, Jar Jar Binks Must Die… and other Observations about Science Fiction Movies, was a 2012 nominee for the Hugo Award for Best Related Work. He is a past president of the Boston Society of Film Critics, and current co-chair of the Boston Online Film Critics Association. This is his first novel.

Reviews:

"[A] freewheeling, laugh-out-loud satire of the movie industry." —Publishers Weekly

"This first novel by Kimmel… throws caution to the winds as it spins a whimsical, amiable satire on alien first encounters, the movie industry, and American society." —Library Journal

"[Kimmel's first novel is] a true joy… let's hope there are more to come." —Don Sakers, Analog Science Fiction and Fact

"This is the book we've been waiting for from Dan Kimmel—funny, knowing, fast paced, full of humor, and told with a big heart. An absolute joy." —Robert J. Sawyer, Hugo Award-winning author of Red Planet Blues

"Dan Kimmel's first novel is a funny and delightful tour de force that will appeal to movie fans as well as science-fiction readers." —Michael A. Burstein, John W. Campbell Award-winning author of I Remember the Future

"Exceptionally funny… pretty damned spectacular… this is the funniest book of the year and one of the best debut SF novels in ages!" —Chris Garcia, The Drink Tank