CONNIE WILLIS’S NOVEL The Road to Roswell (Del Rey) is paved with crackling dialogue, New Mexico–specific humor, aliens, men in black, UFOs, and some out-of-this-world adventures. Willis, a winner of seven Nebula and 11 Hugo awards for her speculative fiction, tells the story of Francie, who arrives at Albuquerque Sunport reluctantly bound for Roswell and her college roommate’s UFO-themed wedding. Francie is slightly amused but mostly annoyed by all the talk of alien abductions—and then is flabbergasted to find herself at the center of one, while wearing a neon-green bridesmaid’s dress, no less. While Francie gets to know her otherworldly kidnapper, she digs deeper into the fascinating mysteries of the Southwest.

Read more: “Eerie New Mexico” author Ray John de Aragón speaks about his work as a folklorist and historian.