Book Review: The Android's Dream by John Scalzi

After reading the last John Scalzi book, Fuzzy Nation, and being extremely disappointed by it, I became very hesitant to pick up another one of his books. But this one was on sale and had a pretty blue cover, so I closed my eyes and clicked "buy".

The Android's Dream is a science fiction, space opera, political comedy written by John Scalzi. It's available as an eBook, audiobook, and those paper things your grandparents used to read.

Overview

The leader of an alien world is assassinated, and citizens of Earth have to help install the next ruler by finding a certain bread of sheep. (Trust me, it's actually a great book despite the incredibly stupid premise.)

The Good

Characters. The characters are incredibly likable. Each feels very real, but not incompetent, which too many authors do. Some are more powerful or more able than any real person should be, but that's what makes science fiction fiction and fun.

Dialog. If you've ever read anything by John Scalzi, you've read this type of dialog before. He's only able to write in one voice well. But this is him at his best with that voice.

Twists. This story has a lot of twists, some I saw coming, but others I did. Yet all of them felt right and earned. None felt contrived or pulled out of left corner.

Narration. Wil Wheaton has the perfect voice for this kind of story and tells it just how it should be told.

The Bad

Names. The alien names are a little hard to remember or keep straight. They sound so similar and more like noise than deliberate sound.

Dated. You can tell this book is a decade or too old, because some of the references and details are very dated, but not dated enough to make it feel period. But it doesn't spoil the story.

What I Would Like to Have Seen

I wouldn't have done anything differently.

Overall

The Android's Dream by John Scalzi is an exciting, hilarious, twist-filled ride with interesting characters and a very satisfying ending that ties everything up but doesn't make it seem too easy or too neat. I give it 5 out of 5 eReaders.