What the critics are saying about

"Ross’ book hits an interplanetary home run!" Dave Newhouse, Oakland Tribune

"I thoroughly enjoyed The Aliens of Summer!" Rob Knies, former Sports Copy Editor, San Francisco Chronicle

"The book contains an abundance of curious personae, my favorite of which was the wild-armed Apache groundskeeper, Jimmy Strongbow. Like Belteron (Earth name: Billy Icarus), he takes an unlikely path into a Giants uniform at midseason. There are a couple of crusty managers, a Renaissance man (every team nowadays seems to have one) and a cast of quirky bullpen stoppers not unlike the Eckersleys and Quisenberrys of real Earthling baseball.

Young readers...will find the fast-moving action and blend of science fiction and sport appealing. Others will enjoy the integration of Eastern and American Indian thinking that is woven carefully into the book’s plot, all without getting bogged down in ’90’s political correctness.

And the baseball itself--suffice it to say that it’s real. Ross himself didn’t play organized baseball beyond his adolescent years, but you’d never know it. The mechanics of the game, and their variations to suit other-worldly interests, are researched and blended into the fabric of the story with meticulous care. This book will entertain many a baseball man, and I’m sure The Aliens of Summer will find a spot on the shelves of more than a few bullpen dugouts around the country as the seasons unfold."

Mark R. Kent, Mobile Press Register

"You don’t need to be a baseball or a sci-fi fan to enjoy The Aliens of Summer. Yes, those who enjoy the other-worldly possibilities of science fiction will find their fill. And America’s favorite pastime does shine as a contest of galactic proportions. But what gives The Aliens of Summer such life is its assortment of characters--heroes and villains and all the shades in between. Ball Fourian baseball great Belteron is the standout. Integrity, it seems, is not confined to our little corner of the galaxy."

Lucy Lazarony, Napa Valley Register

"The novel is a perfect marriage of two of my greatest loves, sci-fi and baseball....The Aliens of Summer is a great read of absurd fun....Ross is obviously a student of the game, richly detailing the Giants’ on-field rise from cellar dwellers to the top."

Brian Kraft, The Weekly Calistogan