Headhunters from Outer Space

by Bret McCormick

Do you remember the first time you read a really wonderful book of fantastic fiction? The genre has the potential to expand minds and change the way we view reality. There are more novels of speculative fiction than ever before, but frequent readers have realized that most of these books seem like replays of books they’ve already read…several times. Too many writers choose the path of emulating some other writer’s successful “formula.” If you are still sifting through the dross of sci-fi/fantasy, searching for that memorable gem, then you should explore this incredible book; Headhunters from Outer Space by Bret McCormick. No matter what ideas pop into your head when you see that title, chances are the novel is waaaay different! The outrageous situations and memorable characters of Headhunters from Outer Space have been compared to the best of Kurt Vonnegut and Phillip K. Dick! Author Bret McCormick has created a humorously compelling world in which transdimensional talent scouts "harvest" entertainment for their own world. Our government knows all about it and keeps tabs, but what can they do against a culture that may be as much as a million years ahead of us in technological development? Big Daddy Bostwick, iconic filmmaker of the sixties counter culture, his companion Isaac Stanton and a group of three journalists doing a retrospective on the men are caught up in a whirlwind of insanity when the Headhunters from Outer Space appear in Alvarado, Texas to acquire talent. This MetaPulp novel is as funny, compelling and original as any you have ever read! “Bravo to the author for writing a truly original work of literature that eviscerates the imaginary box around all of our minds and gives us a few more things to smile about…” -Brian Wallace “If Thomas Pynchon had written a sci-fi novel, it would probably look something like Headhunters from Outer manic humor, 60’s vibe, wacky-wise cracking characters, all in a true Texas ambiance.” -J. Baldwin “My novel is about the residual effects of the 60s and the people who changed the way we saw the world. It's about the unexamined assumptions of our society and the ambivalent feelings many younger folks have about what those socially conscious flower children were up to. The book is a humorous, satirical tale with science fiction overtones that evokes deeper concerns.” -Bret McCormick

226 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 10, 2015

Reviews

[Logan Horsford · Rating 3 out of 5]

With a title like this, honestly I was expecting a bit of fluff.

Whether cotton candy fluff or nasty belly button lint fluff, I did not know.

It's kind of weird to find some fairly profound stuff within a book of this title.

More importantly - as I was not wanting philosophy but entertainment - I found it to move along well and had a lot of characters that you wanted to hang out with as opposed to brutally murder.

A refreshing change from many of the novels I'd read.

I recommend this book heartily.

[Bryan Davenport · Rating 4 out of 5]

I met Bret last year and we talked about Texas authors and what books we enjoyed from some of them. This led me into reading his short stories. I picked this up from him and it was nothing that I expected.

Aliens who are gaseous creatures that can take the body of what they choose. They have no genitalia, wear sunglasses, and they don’t have opinions as they are of all the same hive mind.

Bret’s setting was in a town that is 10 miles from my house. He mentions the town I live in and the hospital that is nearby. What really hit was that he mentions the Underground Nike Missile location in Alvarado that most people are unaware of and he uses it like he has been there.

To describe the writing style I would say he is a mix of Joe Lansdale who is also from Texas. Then add in John Swartzwelder who was he writer for some of the best Simpsons episodes and his own book series about a time traveling detective. Expect humor, drama, and a lot of mystery and sci fi. Almost like the episode of the X-Files, Jose Chungs From Outer Space.

I’m interested and would like to read more.

[Paul · Rating 2 out of 5]

Aiming for goofy and profound fails to achieve the latter. There's no payoff to the ridiculous setup.

[Al Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't very good, some good ideas just not very well presented. Either the reader didn't increase the value of this audio book experience or perhaps this book would be better read.

[Kevin Candela · Rating 5 out of 5]

My kind of story! The writer takes a fun and fast-moving hippie Douglas Adams approach to telling a fine and clever story of a pair of gaseous communal aliens that form themselves into bodies and stop by Earth like we used to stop by video and record stores...you know, to pick up some entertainment. This is no spoiler, as we learn their goals early on and instead focus on watching (good writing makes you feel like you're watching, anyway) them interact with both of our polarized modern society's extremes - frightened, close-minded "sheep" as well as inquisitive open-minded Age of Aquarians. I could not help but think of John Goodman's brilliant turn as fictional cult film legend Lawrence Woolsey in Matinee (one of my very favorite roles) when we meet and get to know Big Daddy Bostwick, a central "local" (that is, an Earthling) and understand his hard-earned and very cool life philosophy. All the characters are engaging and believable and the events - set in one day in Alvarado, Texas - weave together nicely. I'm an old school plotting fan so the fact that we don't follow one central protagonist but instead watch them come together gradually chapter by chapter is very appealing to me. So's this whole story, which is upbeat and inspiring and by that measure alone far better than most of what I've been reading lately. HIGHLY recommended.

[Jody Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Humor, nostalgia, metaphysical philosophy, oddball characters ... Headhunters From Outer Space is a thoroughly enjoyable read.

Zed and Fred, the titular headhunters, are talent scouts of a sort, that show up in Alvarado, Texas to recruit talent from the the performers and artists that gather at the club of Big Daddy Bostwick, 60's counter-culture icon. Also there to do a piece on the legend are a cynical reporter, uptight editor and photographer from a major news publication. The headhunters' recruitment methods are unique and what follows is a reality-expanding romp with the alien visitors.
It starts out a little slowly and there a few typos that proofreaders missed, but once Fred and Zed show up on the scene, it's all groovy man!
Recommended for those who appreciate the quirkier corners of speculative fiction that Douglas Adams, Kurt Vonnegut and Jody Scott inhabit.
​-Mary whealen

[Michael Baldwin]

Avoid this book at all costs and return to your comfortable sand-covered brain boxes if you have any trepidation about the possibility of expanding your consciousness. This book contains a mental virus that will make you question both reality and your place within it. Some of us find that exhilarating, but for most folks, it’s just scary. Not that this is a horror novel. It’s a genuine sci-fi with aliens, space ships (well, interdimensional conveyances), and invasions of the earth. On the other hand, McCormick uses this model as a means to explore philosophical and social ideas that may discomfit the mentally squeamish among us. If Thomas Pynchon had written a sci-fi novel, it would probably look something like Headhunters From Outer Space: manic humor, 60’s vibe, wacky wise-cracking characters, all in a true Texas ambiance. Beware, the farce is with it! Michael Baldwin

[Seth Skorkowsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

With a title like this, I was expecting something along the lines of cheesy drive-in-movie level entertainment (That's not a bad thing. I have an extensive collection of Roger Corman movies.) So, I was surprised to discover a tale that rode the razor's edge between cheesy camp and philosophical social commentary.

The later part takes a while to get going. We start with the zany setup as interdimentional talent scouts show up in a Texas town and begin collecting heads. Somewhere along the way the goofiness thins as more and more philosophical commentary is introduced and we end up with something more along the lines of Douglas Adams than Roger Corman.

Some of the dialogue feels a bit too formal at times and there's some unnecessary phrasings that could have used a bit more trimming during the editing phase (One of the curses of being a writer is that I can't turn off the editing side of my brain. Other readers might not notice or care.)