National Book Award winner M. T. Anderson returns to future Earth in a sharply wrought satire of art and truth in the midst of colonization.
When the vuvv first landed, it came as a surprise to aspiring artist Adam and the rest of planet Earth β but not necessarily an unwelcome one. Can it really be called an invasion when the vuvv generously offered free advanced technology and cures for every illness imaginable? As it turns out, yes. With his parentsβ jobs replaced by alien tech and no money for food, clean water, or the vuvvβs miraculous medicine, Adam and his girlfriend, Chloe, have to get creative to survive. And since the vuvv crave anything they deem classic Earth culture (doo-wop music, still life paintings of fruit, true love), recording 1950s-style dates for the vuvv to watch in a pay-per-minute format seems like a brilliant idea. But itβs hard for Adam and Chloe to sell true love when they hate each other more with every passing episode. Soon enough, Adam must decide how far heβs willing to go β and what heβs willing to sacrifice β to give the vuvv what they want.