"Out of All Them Bright Stars" and Other Stories Background

"Out of All Them Bright Stars" is a short story written by author Nancy Kress. Nancy Kress is an American author born in 1948; she wrote numerous books ranging from fantasy to science fiction.

The titular short story talks about a sudden appearance of aliens on Earth. It starts with an alien called 'John' who was going to a diner to order food. The waitress was very excited for his presence but the manager was not satisfied with his presence. The manager treated John rudely. Regardless of all of this, John remained very polite and did not appear offended. The country started to spot blue aliens in several places and started an investigation. They thought aliens were going to invade Earth and destroy humanity. However, these aliens, especially John, turned out to have positive effects in many people.

Kress started writing fantasy then turned to science fiction later on. She says on her website that she started writing books when she stopped working as a teacher and started to sit home and care for her children. The story was liked by many, although it is not very popular. It received a 3.5 out of a 5-star rating on Goodreads. One of the readers commented: "One of my favorite stories of all time. Gosh, she's a beautiful thinker!" Davis Nate from Exposure reviewed it and said: "“Out of All Them Bright Stars” conveys the “what if” idea of aliens visiting Earth in a very positive way. John’s humble endurance of the owner’s hostility is unexpected."