This luminous novel takes us inside the complex lives and loves of the owners and captives of an alien spacecraft. It is rich with detail, humor, and, most importantly, wisdom about both human AND alien nature—how impossible it is to truly autopsy someone. It is about how those “more evolved beings” who “seem” to have “the instruction manual to life” often don’t have a “clue.” This enthralling, imperfect cast of characters could stun me with their capacity for cruelty to each other, but then could melt away my harsh judgments as they attempt to turn their lives around and forgive. Paul’s talent for storytelling, his wisdom, and imagination captivated me from the first rich, bustling abduction scene to the last somber, reflective page. Bravo, S.T.U.D.!

— Olivia de Quinckly Smythe-Jones Rogershammerstein, Co-assistant events microphone stand adjuster