"In the Course of the Crimson Kings" (SM Stirling) is actually some 2010s Sci-Fi but it's very clearly an homage to Edgar Rice Burroughs and other classic authors. It shows a vision of Mars as a dying world where a decadent ancient civilization struggles to survive as more and more of the world freezes every year. Then a bunch of Earthlings showed up in rocket ships with their passion and optimism and they made a mess of everything. It's great!

ANYWAY.

Jaika will probably be willing to talk about what aliens are like but it'll take some doing to put it in a framework that makes any sense when he's from an ENTIRELY different galaxy from Earth that still somehow has humans in it. Should be fun!