Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Illegal Alien  By  cover art

Illegal Alien

By: Robert J. Sawyer
Narrated by: Joe Barrett
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $19.95

Buy for $19.95

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

When a disabled spaceship enters Earth's atmosphere, seven members of the advanced Tosok race are welcomed by the world. Then a popular scientist is murdered, and all evidence points to one of the Tosoks. Now, an alien is tried in a court of law -and there may be far more at stake than accounting for one human life.

©1997 Robert J Sawyer (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

What listeners say about Illegal Alien

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    273
  • 4 Stars
    197
  • 3 Stars
    72
  • 2 Stars
    12
  • 1 Stars
    6
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    294
  • 4 Stars
    154
  • 3 Stars
    35
  • 2 Stars
    7
  • 1 Stars
    1
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    234
  • 4 Stars
    174
  • 3 Stars
    64
  • 2 Stars
    18
  • 1 Stars
    4

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Sci-Fi-Courtroom-Drama?? Yes!!

Yet again Sawyer hits ANOTHER home run!

What a great story! I just loved it – glued to the developments and did not want to put it down.

I expected nothing less from this author; terrific!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Enjoyed the concept

Applying Earth Laws to Aliens brings it down to a base understanding. Well depicted here

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Trial stopping invasion.. Narrator did a good job

Narrators job did save the story, the story was slow at first, became really good in the middle but all threads got tangled in a mess at the end. It could have been a great story, but..

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Another great work by the great RJS

Illegal Alien has all the features you expect from a novel by Robert J Sawyer: interesting believable characters, mystery and intrigue, good science, word play, wonderful writing and thought provoking moral dilemmas. Some of the technology is a bit dated but there's no way around that (since technology does match on) and it was minimal enough to pass over without being distracting. I would have given the narration a higher rating if one had been allowed. The narrator's range, accents and characterization swerve stellar.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Slow to Start BUT VERY GOOD

It was initially slow to Start, but the story S very good. I highly recommend.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Interesting take on the first encounter story

overall it is an interesting take on the first encounter story with legal drama thrown in. It did not go exactly where I suspected. Not exactly a twist ending, but definitely kept me interested.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
  • CJ
  • 01-06-15

Sci-fi Drama!!

What did you love best about Illegal Alien?

It's sci-fi, court room, whodunit, fantastic.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Hard to say, it was different chapter to chapter.

Which scene was your favorite?

Well, the great reveal, betcha don't see it coming...

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

NO, but I still loved it

Any additional comments?

Great listen,fleshed out, well if you can flesh out an Alien, still I would recommend it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

4.5 stars!

I enjoy Robert Sawyer's books and this one doesn't disappoint. Definitely a departure from your average first contact story. Very well put together and definitely some twists along the way.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

This is It.

If you want true science fiction, then turn to Robert J. Sawyer. This is my seventh Sawyer book and this is the best, but they are all good. If you don't like this, you don't like Science Fiction.

Sawyer explores the question, What if Aliens land in the United States in peace, but one of them commits a murder? Sawyer explores this question and we are along for the ride. It is a great ride with some mystery and lots of twists and turns, along with commentary on the U.S. Justice system.

Sawyer never cops out by having aliens that look and act like us. He examines evolution, figures out what type of creatures would come from certain planets and goes from there. Evolution is explored in this book in great detail and some cool things about humans are explained.

Written in 1997, it is just a little dated. There is talk of VCR's and no mention of cell phones. Blockbuster is even mentioned.

I wish I was more articulate, I loved this book and I want you to read it.

Narrator was absolutely excellent.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

28 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

terrific!

To begin with, the narrator was excellent - each character was distinct. I felt the summary sounded a bit hokey, but nothing could be farther from that. This was a great courtroom drama and interesting Sci-fi thriller rolled into one.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!