Reviewed by Jennifer Reinoehl for Readers' Favorite

Glossolalia and Other Stories by John Lazarus is an anthology of science-fiction stories surrounding an alien visitation. Since the aliens did not noticeably interact with anything on Earth and merely hovered over three different biomes before inexplicably leaving after 24 hours, residents were left trying to make sense of it. In "Tanyan Omani," Rita goes looking for her husband in all the wrong places when he disappears on the day of the alien visit. In "Illustrated News," a cynical reporter investigates one of the religions that sprang up around the event. "Umwelt" takes a highly technical scientific view of the event as Dr. Laura Codrin investigates one of the sites to see if the plants there sense sounds in the same way. "Snatched" takes a look at whether it’s the conspiracy theorists or the unbelievers who are the problem. "Glossolalia" takes us to a rich Chicago-area boarding school where Abigail’s risky behavior after the visitation makes her an object of pity or disgust to some and respect to others.

John Lazarus mixes highbrow and dark humor to create a satire on humanity and its way of reacting to the unexplained. On the background canvas of women’s rights and environmentalism, each character is painted in depth. My favorite line came from Abigail’s story: “My parents, like most girls’ parents here, had ‘holdings’ instead of jobs and lawyers on retainer for each one of their messed-up kids.” Glossolalia and Other Stories will appeal to those with a more liberal view who like to laugh at the joke of human nature. My favorite character was Yui—suspicious something horrible is going on with her husband but oblivious that it is much worse than what she suspects. I also liked womanizing reporter Alan, who, in typical conflicting human fashion, believes if he had touched the U.F.O. it would have killed him but then tears down anyone who believes they received supernatural powers from it.