Nancy Kress-Out Of All Them Bright Stars

 "I make so little difference!"

The first word that comes to my mind when describing Nancy Kress's Out Of All Them Bright Stars, is quirky. It's a quirky fairly light hearted tale about an alien encounter that really comes across as nothing stranger than some foreigner from another country arriving at a local diner and ordering something to eat. But in this story's case he happens to be an alien with blue skin. It doesn't appear that these beings are harmful or want to blow us sky high, even though they have all the firepower in the world necessary to do so it seems that they are here willingly and for a purpose that isn't entirely known by all but one that is not the least bit confrontational. But these are aliens dang it and they don't belong here. That's the attitude that permeates throughout this short piece. It's blunt but it's true. Even Sally who feels that these strange blue men wearing "Humphrey Bogart Hats" are here to do us no harm but even she doesn't understand why they would come here. Especially since there are so many other stars they could have chosen to come to or visit instead of earth. It's a natural reaction that we all can relate to. If aliens did come and visit our world we would think the same thing that and ask the questions why are they here, and what do they want to do with us or to us? These questions are asked by the people in the story as well. As alien encounters go this one was very nonchalant. But even though the characters take this alien invasion lightly as if it's just another event of immigrants from a strange land invading the good ol' usa, the author manages to bring some weight to the situation too by showcasing the good nature of these Aliens and how it is being for the most part ignored by all. Even Sally who notices these good natured qualities and experiences them first hand at the end of the story seems more pissed at her boss and worried about keeping her job than her first hand encounter with life from another planet. I feel for these blue men. Whatever point or message they came so far away to earth to say seems to have fallen on deaf ears, and no one wants to listen. For them this must be a fate worse than death by nuclear annihilation. For them to travel so far and wide for a purpose that is just brushed off like a piece of lint on one's t-shirt? Deeply tragic. I think that is the point of Out Of All Them Stars. To show a scenario where aliens do arrive on earth but everyone just keeps on going through their everyday motions like nothing major had ever happened at all. And to be honest I wouldn't be surprised if aliens were already living among us. If they were we probably ignored them and went on with our lives years ago. Maybe they already paid a visit. Realized no one cared and went home. That would be a cold harsh truth that would be hard to stomach, and one that I hope has not already become a reality.