Review of Mayor of PØmpington: Contesting Aliens

[Catarina Luciane Silva]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Mayor of PØmpington: Contesting Aliens" by Dr. HB Paksoy.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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The book Mayor of PØmpington: Contesting Aliens by Dr. HB Paksoy is the third in a saga about aliens and politics (terrestrial and extraterrestrial). Even without prior knowledge of the events and characters, I felt the author does not rely too much on previous events to develop this volume. I finished it quickly because of the simple language and short length. The main character is called “mayor”, and others are referred to by their positions rather than their names. This is something different and makes the book stand out from others in the same category.

I also found it quite funny that the book begins by stating it's all fiction, leaving it up to the reader to decide whether the events are “real or not”. I'm not in the group of people who believe in nothing; to me, staying open to the idea of a real-life twist at any moment is being prepared. But, is there a way to really prepare ourselves for the revelation that, in fact, all political decisions in the world so far have been controlled and prepared by a race that does not reside on our little blue planet?

For me, this question has a lot to do with the content of the book. It is a book that has a narrative and does not propose this particular debate in a philosophical way, containing pragmatic dialogues about the information known by the human race and the characters' plans regarding the defeat of the aliens. The premise is very interesting: the aliens read minds, so the human characters cannot complete their thoughts. They need to avoid thinking directly about their actions at the risk of leaking the plan because their mental space is compromised.

I can't help but mention my most positive surprise about the book. One thing that is essential in every book is a good romance, and I definitely wasn’t expecting Mayor to be such a flirty guy with women. There’s way more flirting than I expected, and it all has a James Bond movie vibe!
The ending is absolutely bonkers, as are the developments throughout the book. I can't say that it was expected, because I think the narrative keeps the reader in the dark with a very crazy and eventful story, in my opinion. Perhaps a very astute person who often reads police-investigative sci-fi books like this one could have guessed the ending. I would be the number one admirer of such an astute person!
Some films that have a similar ending, in my opinion, are Breaking Dawn Part 2 and The Mist, if you want to avoid the book because of that. For some, the plot twist might be cool, but I was left with this feeling of “So I read everything just for this to happen at the end?”, just like I felt when I finished watching the two movies I mentioned. It’s a 5 out of 5 book, worth reading, but there’s this little caveat about the ending for me.

Do you understand when I say “flavor” or “smell” of a story? It’s the immersive feeling that the story evokes, like a synesthetic sensation when watching or reading something. I am referring to the personal impression each type of media leaves on its consumers. I say this because: how can a book have the same flavor as the anime Dandadan? I can’t help but laugh at my own perception — how is that even a thing?

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Mayor of PØmpington: Contesting Aliens
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[Gerry Steen]

I am up for a James Bond type of story with aliens who control decision-makers' minds. I also love short novels. The pace is fast and the twists can astound the reader. I am adding this one to my bookshelves. Thank you for the delightful review!