#Review: Misplaced Threats by Alan Zimm

When I picked up Misplaced Threats, I wasn’t expecting to be sucked into a snarky, wildly inventive, and surprisingly satirical journey across star systems. But that’s exactly what happened. Alan Zimm’s book is the first in the Misplaced Humanity Chronicles, and if this is the tone-setter, I’m in for the ride.

At its core, the novel isn’t about galactic wars or alien overlords—it’s about human failure, bureaucratic absurdity, and the rogue spirit that somehow survives it all. The plot follows different characters: Manchez, the ego-fuelled pilot whose incompetence (and libido) nearly annihilates a city; Mike, the grounded ex-pilot trying to reinvent himself amid shady salvage deals; Diana and Tarak, a married couple whose flirtatious banter is as sharp as their survival skills; and Ghost, a hauntingly vulnerable character navigating the underbelly of a corporately enslaved planet. Each storyline weaves into a broader narrative of control vs. autonomy, dignity vs. desperation.

The writing is acerbic and quick-witted, packed with sci-fi lingo, ironic dialogue, and enough bureaucratic satire to make Orwell chuckle in his grave. I laughed out loud more than once—Zimm’s command of humour and sarcasm is impressive. But what stayed with me was the underlying commentary: how systems strip people of agency, how dignity is often a luxury, and how intelligence doesn’t always come with wisdom—especially when it’s artificially grown in a lab.

That said, the world-building can be dense at times, and if you’re not used to space jargon or cynical political humour, it might take a few pages to settle in. Some characters felt more archetypal than layered, especially in the first act.

But personally? I found it fresh, darkly funny, and strangely reflective of the times we live in—where systems are broken, but the human spirit keeps throwing punches (or bad jokes). It’s not a book of poetry, but in its satire and scattered moments of emotional clarity, it certainly feels poetic in intent.

Find this book here.