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EarthCent Ambassador #2
Alien Night on Union Station
Sequel to Date Night on Union Station - read that book first!
Five years after the events of Date Night on Union Station, Kelly has settled into married life and her job as the EarthCent ambassador. The only fly in the ointment is that most of the aliens on Union Station refuse to talk to her. But a mysterious new game is sweeping the galaxy, changing the balance of power between species and bringing game-savvy humans front-and-center.
As the invitations to diplomatic functions pour in, Kelly finds herself struggling to understand exactly what's going on, not to mention finding babysitters on short notice. Fortunately, diplomats and alcohol go together like, well, diplomats and alcohol, and Joe has started micro-brewery business in Mac's Bones. The only thing left that could go wrong is a visit from her mother.
Five years after the events of Date Night on Union Station, Kelly has settled into married life and her job as the EarthCent ambassador. The only fly in the ointment is that most of the aliens on Union Station refuse to talk to her. But a mysterious new game is sweeping the galaxy, changing the balance of power between species and bringing game-savvy humans front-and-center.
As the invitations to diplomatic functions pour in, Kelly finds herself struggling to understand exactly what's going on, not to mention finding babysitters on short notice. Fortunately, diplomats and alcohol go together like, well, diplomats and alcohol, and Joe has started micro-brewery business in Mac's Bones. The only thing left that could go wrong is a visit from her mother.
187 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 13, 2014
About the author
E.M. Foner
50 books232 followersI wrote Date Night on Union Station while taking a break from work on a science fiction epic I've been struggling with for years. The goal was to cheer myself up and to find out if there is still an audience for a science fiction comedy that gets its laughs from dialogue and funny situations rather than from gross-outs and shocks. As many readers have pointed out, the EarthCent series could be rated PG under the old fashioned system, no bloodshed, no graphic sex, no four letter words. And after years of imagining a galaxy for my epic in which multiple human civilizations are at war with each other, it did me a world of good to write about a galaxy where most people are just trying to make a living and find some joy in life. I received so many requests to extend the Date Night universe into a series that I put aside my epic for an extended period to write a sequel, Alien Night on Union Station. The events take place five years after the conclusion of Date Night, and the plot involves a mix of business, diplomacy, gaming and family relations. As a bonus, we finally get to meet Kelly's mother. After the positive response to Alien Night, I wrote a third book for the series, High Priest of Union Station, which is currently in the editing stage and due out in mid-October. I just started a book that extends the EarthCent galaxy with a different mission and cast of characters, though they may intersect at some point.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews
July 8, 2017
I had wondered where book Two would go. Would it be a different couple each time or follow the same couple through romantic foibles? Neither!
We meet Ambassador Kelly and the gang again four years later where they have all happily settled into new lives. Sound boring? It's not. Somehow Foner has the talent to transition his cast/world building from a romantic comedy to clever episodic adventures/subtle morality tales.
I'm not doing Foner justice in this review because the only other author I've ever read pull off something like this is J.D. Robb. But these are much lighter, happier, stories than the In Death series.
If I had kids I'd be buying this series for them. The cover is obviously to appeal to adults (and I, an adult, am unapologetically finding these stories appealing) but it's all very PG.
Buying the next book immediately. Loving this!
We meet Ambassador Kelly and the gang again four years later where they have all happily settled into new lives. Sound boring? It's not. Somehow Foner has the talent to transition his cast/world building from a romantic comedy to clever episodic adventures/subtle morality tales.
I'm not doing Foner justice in this review because the only other author I've ever read pull off something like this is J.D. Robb. But these are much lighter, happier, stories than the In Death series.
If I had kids I'd be buying this series for them. The cover is obviously to appeal to adults (and I, an adult, am unapologetically finding these stories appealing) but it's all very PG.
Buying the next book immediately. Loving this!
June 29, 2016
Wow, I love this with unholy love. I laugh a lot. The children are adorable and the characters are endearing. And it's interesting!
June 23, 2017
Not nearly as good as the first one. Lots of threads, several new species, a lesson in economics, and none of the romantic humor. Clever but disappointing.
August 13, 2023
A good follow up to Date Night on Union Station
We get to see how Kelly, the Ambassador for Earth on the space station called Union Station, has grown in her skills. Along with her husband Joe, son Paul, daughter Dorothy.
There is growing intrigue centered around a virtual game, at the same time that the non-humans have all taken a large interest in doing business with Earth.
I don't want to spoil it, but there is a lot of development along these two paths.
Kelly is trying to understand why all of a sudden everyone is interested in doing business with Earth.
She is also interested in understanding why this game keeps gaining in popularity, and machinations by the players and now those in business.
The advanced AI that are running everything is trying to remain neutral.
Suspenseful and intriguing
We get to see how Kelly, the Ambassador for Earth on the space station called Union Station, has grown in her skills. Along with her husband Joe, son Paul, daughter Dorothy.
There is growing intrigue centered around a virtual game, at the same time that the non-humans have all taken a large interest in doing business with Earth.
I don't want to spoil it, but there is a lot of development along these two paths.
Kelly is trying to understand why all of a sudden everyone is interested in doing business with Earth.
She is also interested in understanding why this game keeps gaining in popularity, and machinations by the players and now those in business.
The advanced AI that are running everything is trying to remain neutral.
Suspenseful and intriguing
March 28, 2017
Games, Kitchen Gadgets & Diplomats
This review is from: Alien Night on Union Station (EarthCent Ambassador Book 2) (Kindle Edition)
Kitchen gadgets continue to be important, but in this sequel, games are preeminent in plot, popularity and economics. With more than 53 sentient species living on Union Station, confusion and diplomatic incidents abound. As does the humor which continues to remind me of Dorothy Gillman's Mrs. Polifax books.
This review is from: Alien Night on Union Station (EarthCent Ambassador Book 2) (Kindle Edition)
Kitchen gadgets continue to be important, but in this sequel, games are preeminent in plot, popularity and economics. With more than 53 sentient species living on Union Station, confusion and diplomatic incidents abound. As does the humor which continues to remind me of Dorothy Gillman's Mrs. Polifax books.
July 6, 2017
Couldn't get into this one. Characters are still flat and the story was not enough to keep my attention.
June 26, 2016
The second book in Foner’s hilarious Sci-Fi series takes place 5 years after the ending of the first book. Kelly and Joe are enjoying an overall happy and stable life with life and work in a good place – and they have an absolutely adorable toddler named Dorothy.
Things get interesting as the economic / political situation abruptly turns due to a very popular computer game / LARP game and suddenly humans go from the status of that loser being ignored in the corner to the absolute belle of the ball.
Absolutely everyone, and I do mean everyone, wants to woo the humans into a favorable alliance. Which means Kelly, as the Earth ambassador, is suddenly flooded with dinner invitations.
The book follows the same formula as the last one as Kelly goes on outing after outing, meeting, umm, colorful characters, and narrowly avoiding interstellar diplomatic incidents. Remember when Star Trek would have episodes really getting into different customs? Yeah, like that, but more so, since Foner doesn’t have to worry about budget, censor, and special effects constraints.
Luckily, among all the weird, Kelly is steadied by having her husband accompanying her as cheerful arm candy, bringing a much needed shot of sanity to most situations – along with the booze, wisely telling her that they should tell all their hosts it’s a honored ancient human custom for a guest to bring their own alcohol – pragmatically ensuring no matter what alien fare (or worse, mistranslated human recipes) they are served, they’ll at least have a drink or three to help them through the truly odd string of diplomatic dinners they sit down to.
Be warned, there is a LOT of economic theory tossed around, but it's worth it because most of it is aimed at making fun of chauvinist male pig-dogs who think little girls don't know how computer games work.
Another hilarious outing with Foner's hilarious take on empires and aliens.
January 19, 2018
Foner has written a very insightful series of books. Kelly, our heroine, has been chosen by the Stryx to work in Earth's diplomatic corps and eventually becomes Ambassador. As she learns the realities of interplanetary diplomacy, we get to follow her education and thought processes. I have enjoyed everything I have read in this series. I very highly recommend this book and this series to anyone, including younger readers, since no foul language, no nudity, no sex, and no violence ever shows up. However, a lot of wisdom and insight into human behavior does show up, especially when Kelly unknowingly sets herself up for yet another embarrassing and humorous learning experience. Read it just for fun! You will get that and more from every episode.
December 6, 2017
This is just a fun little sci-fi book. I really enjoy Foner's sense of humor and also his creativity. He keeps the 'science' stuff very light, while still situating the story in a unique universe and social/cultural situation. While short, I found it a fun sequel to the first book in the series (you don't have to read them in order, but I would recommend it). Fun and clean while also being quite intriguing. Foner sets up some specific but interconnected mysteries and wraps them up cleanly at the end. I look forward to reading the other books in the series.
October 12, 2015
Almost as good as the first
Just a fun story that makes you want to read the next one before your even 3 chapters in. So yes it's a good book.
Just a fun story that makes you want to read the next one before your even 3 chapters in. So yes it's a good book.
December 26, 2016
This is such a hilarious series and is good from beginning to end. I can't wait to read more
January 26, 2021
This book has humorous moments, but the first in the series was much funnier.
Another drawback was the total lack of comment about Kelly and Joe's marriage. The very last paragraph of the book alludes to how they got married, but what happened after that? Joe shows kindness to Kelly once or twice, but other than that, they don't appear to be especially affectionate. Are they in love? friends with benefits? They now have a daughter, so they must have had sex at least once.
Finally, at least half if not more of Alien Night on Union Station is spent on the boring Raider/Trader game. If you love business and economics, you'll probably enjoy this story. For me that part was a total snoozefest. I could barely finish.
Another drawback was the total lack of comment about Kelly and Joe's marriage. The very last paragraph of the book alludes to how they got married, but what happened after that? Joe shows kindness to Kelly once or twice, but other than that, they don't appear to be especially affectionate. Are they in love? friends with benefits? They now have a daughter, so they must have had sex at least once.
Finally, at least half if not more of Alien Night on Union Station is spent on the boring Raider/Trader game. If you love business and economics, you'll probably enjoy this story. For me that part was a total snoozefest. I could barely finish.
June 9, 2021
Foner, E. M. Alien Night on Union Station. EarthCent Ambassador No,.2. Paradise Pond Press, 2014.
In Alien Night Ambassador Kelly, now married to Joe and the mother of ta toddler, faces some new challenges in interspecies diplomacy. Joe is a virtual wargamer, and a trader ship with an improved holographic rig has created a game that many species are taking far too seriously. Kelly has her own problems negotiating with a socially aggressive large rabbit-like species. To complete the three-ring circus of her life, her nieces are now running an interspecies baby-sitting service. Let’s just say that well-meaning artificial persons are no match for a human toddler. Alien Night is a light read, but it has no pretensions to be anything else. Three and a half stars rounded up.
In Alien Night Ambassador Kelly, now married to Joe and the mother of ta toddler, faces some new challenges in interspecies diplomacy. Joe is a virtual wargamer, and a trader ship with an improved holographic rig has created a game that many species are taking far too seriously. Kelly has her own problems negotiating with a socially aggressive large rabbit-like species. To complete the three-ring circus of her life, her nieces are now running an interspecies baby-sitting service. Let’s just say that well-meaning artificial persons are no match for a human toddler. Alien Night is a light read, but it has no pretensions to be anything else. Three and a half stars rounded up.
July 15, 2017
The Stryx, the artificial intelligence who run the galaxy have banned war. Lots of combat experience is available, however, in the “Raiders and Traders” game. As EarthCent ambassador to Union Station, Kelly finds herself suddenly deluged with dinner invitations and her husband Joe is making a bundle as the game grows in popularity. This book can be read as light entertainment as the cover suggests. However, the motivation of the Stryx and their Makers, as well as the game designers can also offer intriguing challenges.
March 6, 2018
Thoroughly enjoyed the continuing story of Kelly and Joe, good read and well developed story lines and characters with lost of imagination, I haven't read anything as good since Hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy so its refreshing to read somethings as innovative and enjoyable! now looking forward to reading the rest of the series! I am surprised it hasn't been more widely publicised on social media and the like perhaps because the generations behind mine don't read like we did and it hasn't been picked up yet. Radio and TV producers could have a ball with the series!
July 23, 2017
Highly Imaginative Sc/Fi Fun!
This book is a fast, fun read. We've got many assorted aliens, a highly evolved game verse, old friends, new friends, a fascinating AI over it all, and Kelly, the Ambassador from Earthcent and her family.
A new character brings interest and a new revelation to spice things up also.
I have to say, Dorothy, Kelly and Joe's four year old daughter, steals whatever scene she is in!
I can't wait to read the next book!
This book is a fast, fun read. We've got many assorted aliens, a highly evolved game verse, old friends, new friends, a fascinating AI over it all, and Kelly, the Ambassador from Earthcent and her family.
A new character brings interest and a new revelation to spice things up also.
I have to say, Dorothy, Kelly and Joe's four year old daughter, steals whatever scene she is in!
I can't wait to read the next book!
July 24, 2017
Blurg. This sequel lacked the magic of the first book. Kelly seemed negative and perpetually one step behind everyone else. Joe completely lost his spark (why is he always on the sofa drinking beer?? I guess five years can really change a guy), and Blythe and Chastity were overly obnoxious. To cap it off, I just could not get into the Raider/Trader plot, which ended up being central to the book.
I was initially excited about this series, but I'm going to stop with this one.
I was initially excited about this series, but I'm going to stop with this one.
August 24, 2017
The first Union Station book compensated for its weak main plot with some amusing scenes and fun characters. This second book suffers from the same flaws but alas doesn't have as many redeeming features. Much of the humour fell flat for me, and the characters lacked the same sparkle. Not a bad read, but not one that would keep me coming back for more.
January 3, 2019
Another fine mess
More fun in the post-dating world aboard the Stryx sentient space station. Interracial dining. Youthful entrepreneurship gone galactic. Babysitters with attitude. Precious offspring of the AI kind. Space gaming in space. The Stryx origin story. Lots of amusing social interactions. Read it and smile!
More fun in the post-dating world aboard the Stryx sentient space station. Interracial dining. Youthful entrepreneurship gone galactic. Babysitters with attitude. Precious offspring of the AI kind. Space gaming in space. The Stryx origin story. Lots of amusing social interactions. Read it and smile!
June 17, 2019
This one wasn't nearly as amusing as the first one. It was cool we learned more about the race that created the AIs that run all of known space, but otherwise, this one was pretty much a bust. Nt sure I'll read more, perhaps if I'm looking for something short in the future, but for now, I think I'll pass.
July 2, 2019
Nice to see the characters continue from Book 1
This is a sweet story. It is sci-fi with no dystopia, no sex, no horror and no language issues. It would be fine for young adult readers, but it was pleasant for me too. I’m looking forward to continuing with Book 3. I like the relaxation.
This is a sweet story. It is sci-fi with no dystopia, no sex, no horror and no language issues. It would be fine for young adult readers, but it was pleasant for me too. I’m looking forward to continuing with Book 3. I like the relaxation.
August 28, 2021
The office meets Douglas Adams.
Absurd enough to be believable, this series skewers everyone equally--men, women, aliens, AIs, and dogs. Ok not dogs, dogs are portrayed as exactly what they are, clearly superior beings. And the main character? The ambassador representing the human race is a woman, obviously. A dirty job nobody else wants., but somebody's gotta do.
Absurd enough to be believable, this series skewers everyone equally--men, women, aliens, AIs, and dogs. Ok not dogs, dogs are portrayed as exactly what they are, clearly superior beings. And the main character? The ambassador representing the human race is a woman, obviously. A dirty job nobody else wants., but somebody's gotta do.
July 30, 2017
A lot of the good humor from the first book was missing... The story was a bit more complicated, but not particularly interesting. I couldn't get into it until maybe the last third of the book or so where things picked up a bit.
March 9, 2018
A decent sequel, not a good as the first instalment, but still enjoyable. There's a lot more world building involved in this one, perhaps to the books detriment. Looking forward to the next one, if only to see if Kelly sorts her life out
May 2, 2019
A few years after the first book, Kelly and Joe have a kid, there's a growing virtual game, and lots of alien ambassadors want to talk to her. More silly humor and situations but also a better core story. Enjoyable and very well done for what it is.
December 2, 2019
You can't help but engage with the characters in this bizarre mix of other worldly experiences. It continues nicely from the first book, and does make you wonder what goes on in the weird and wonderful mind of E.M. Foner knowing that there's another 15 books in the series.
April 10, 2020
Jetsons lost in space?
Can't visualize the characters and \or species in my mind. Sorry but I am just not a fan.science fiction is not my favorite book genre. First book was good. Some fascinating ideas for a futuristic earth someday.
Can't visualize the characters and \or species in my mind. Sorry but I am just not a fan.science fiction is not my favorite book genre. First book was good. Some fascinating ideas for a futuristic earth someday.
June 14, 2020
I enjoyed this book a good deal more than the first Union Station book. Foner does a good job at world-building. I found that I have difficulty keeping track of all of the different alien races, but that may be a failing on my own part, or the entire point of having so many.
December 25, 2020
Another addiction in the making
Former has done me in . I started reading this author with the series written after this one and was so hooked I had to read everything I could find with Corners name on it. Looks like I'll be happy for a while
Former has done me in . I started reading this author with the series written after this one and was so hooked I had to read everything I could find with Corners name on it. Looks like I'll be happy for a while
February 17, 2021
Entertaining and a light, humorous read. I am enjoying seeing the characters develop while staying quite simple. Its easy to lose yourself in the story since it flows like a sitcom might when you want to relax and not over think however enough intrigue of a plot keeps pushing you to read more.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews