Shock Troop

Zurg, an anxious insectoid commander, has been chosen to lead the first landing in an ambitious invasion of a mysterious green planet. His superiors expect a swift conquest: frighten the mammalian inhabitants, paralyze them with telepathy, and secure a foothold before the main fleet arrives. Zurg, however, is more concerned with his aching antenna and the nausea caused by deceleration.

The invaders’ plan depends on precise knowledge of their enemy’s reactions, yet nearly everything about the planet—and its inhabitants—is uncertain. Their elaborate equipment, alien customs, and carefully rehearsed tactics may not work quite as intended when they meet the locals face to face. With a hidden spacecraft, a nervous commander, and an operation built around provoking shock, this lighthearted science-fiction adventure turns the machinery of invasion into a wonderfully awkward comedy of errors.