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''Year Zero'' is a satirical ScienceFiction novel by Robert Reid.

''"Aliens suck at music. And it's not for lack of trying."''

Humans, however, have it mastered (sans North Korea). Though our plays may be horrific in writing, our stained glass windows may be dull and unimaginative, we are quite good at music. So good that the sheer awesomeness from the [[PowerOfRock power of rock]] killed entire species, just from the rapture of listening to it. Naturally, the surviving races of the Refined League wanted a copy of our music. All of it.

Unfortunately, it wasn't until many years later they discovered [[DigitalPiracyIsEvil the maximum fine of $150,000 per copy]]. Effectively, the universe is bankrupt and some are not happy about that.

Join Nick Carter, a young copyright lawyer, as he hurdles the obstacles thrown in his path. An obnoxious cousin, a beautiful neighbor he desperately wants to hook up with, a megalomanical boss, and aliens who want to blow up the earth unless they [[ImpossibleTask get a license that allows every species in the universe unlimited access to Earth's music (sans North Korea).]]

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!!This book provides examples of:
* AmoralAttorney: "Although of course we prefer it when our quarry is able to fight long enough to run up the bills for a while. That said, we never feel great when they go bankrupt with lots of unpaid debts. After all, defending counsel deserves to get paid, too."
* BadBoss: Judy is a minor example of this. While she loves terrorizing her staff, only some of it is purely for her own amusement. She also does it to test their mettle, to see if they are worthy of promotion.
* BeethovenWasAnAlienSpy: It turns out that [[spoiler:Bill Gates]] is an alien who's intentionally retarding Earth's technological development.
* BitchAlert: Judy enjoys making sure her staff knows that she isn't nice.
* BizarreAlienBiology
* BrownNote: Earth music acts like this to the aliens of the Refined League; in extreme cases, it causes their brains to explode from sheer ecstasy. Conversely, Carly and Frampton worry that their other artistic disciplines (such as interior decorating) may have a similar effect on Nick, so they deliberately mess up their living room before allowing him into it.
* BuffySpeak. The rest of the universe learned to speak American English, in part, by watching our sitcoms and reality TV. Thus it tends to pop up from time to time.
* CorruptCorporateExecutive: "The Munk" specifically. Anyone involved in the music industry in general.
* TheDitz: [[spoiler:Carly's other defining trait on her reality show. Frampton, however seems to be this in real life.]]
* TheFederation: The Refined League.
* HeavyMetalUmlaut: Özzÿ (who is literally made out of the heaviest metal in the universe).
* HumanAliens: Carly and Frampton (along with the rest of their race) are this...
** FootFocus: ...except for their eight-toed feet.
* JerkWithAHeartOfJerk: We see small hints of this in Judy.
* KidSidekick: [[spoiler:Carly's main "role" on her TV show to her brother Frampton. However, she hints that they are both quite a bit older than they appear due to Refined Science. Outside of the ShowWithinAShow, Frampton takes on this role.]]
* MistakenIdentity: Nick Carter is neither a member of Music/BackstreetBoys nor the name partner of his law firm, Carter, Geller & Marks. He just happens to share their name, much to the disappointment of most every alien he meets.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Nick experiences this briefly when he [[spoiler:is forced to kill a group of attacking aliens in self-defense]].
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: Poor Carly. Her main role in the book seems to be inadvertently making things worse. Her first boo-boo sets the plot in motion.
* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Hoo boy, was this subverted. Throughout the book, a powerful US Senator was constantly (and condescendingly) referred to as Fido for his willingness to go along with whatever the music industry wanted, in return for some "treats" (getting his music in a movie, a phone call from a musician, etc.) Near the end of the book, though, they make damn sure you know his identity: [[spoiler:Orrin Hatch, (R-Utah)]]
** Also averted altogether. Many other real-life celebrities are named in passing, such as Music/LadyGaga, [[Music/{{U2}} Bono]], [[Music/{{Aerosmith}} Steven Tyler]] and countless other musicians.
* PowerOfRock: The Refined League first encountered our music by catching the tail-end of ''Series/WelcomeBackKotter''. The theme song caused entire alien species to die in an ecstatic haze. Just imagine what happened when they discovered Music/LedZeppelin.
* SequelHook: Pretty explicit. The book ends with [[spoiler:"There are enough loose ends out there that this whole mess is probably just beginning."]]
* ShowWithinAShow: ''Sonny and His Sirelings''.
* ShoutOut: Many many many musicians and songs as well as pop-culture references, TV shows and video games.
* TakeThat: Targets include music executives, music lawyers, Congress, politicians (both in general and in particular), unions, government employees, ultra-trendy speak-easies, {{Reality Show}}s and more.
-->'''Alien representative:''' "Our top legal scholars have researched it thoroughly. And they unanimously agree that it’s the most cynical, predatory, lopsided, and shamelessly money-grubbing copyright law written by any society, anywhere in the universe since the dawn of time itself."
* ThisIsForEmphasisBitch: Judy loves this, it seems. "“I’m Judy Sherman, bitch. And you’re in infinitely deep shit.”
* YearZero: Duh.
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