Episode 2, Walk the Plank: The Human Division

Was disappointed on how short this installment of the series is. Also seems disconnected from the first chapter plot wise. Seems almost like a writing exercise than a genuine chapter. Well, there are 11 (?) more chapters to go, hope it gets better, Scalzi's a good writer most of the time.
UPDATE: have now read through chapter 8, and have a little better opinion of this chapter and the series.
It's not a traditional novel in the sense that these are chapters in ongoing plot and/or character lines. So far at least, each chapter stands on its own as a short story, or maybe vignette is a better word. There's a thematic tie between them - the Colonial Union needs allies, and somebody doesn't want them to succeed in that - but there's no real plotline(s) or character development. Some characters make an appearance in more than one chapter, or are referenced, and the same with events in previous chapters. There's no traditional narrative though. It's sort of like Tales of the Colonial Union, the Treaty Building Years.
Whether you like this approach or not is up to you. It's not bad once you accept it for what it is, but if you're looking for another Old Man's War, this isn't it.

This installment has zero overlapping characters from the last story, but in itself is interesting and hearkens back to Golden Age scifi again, with a tip o' the hat to Stopping at Slowyear.

Once again, the story starts with a bang and ends with a crash and I'm dying to see what happens next week.

Read if: You want a short story/vignette of a harsh wildcat colony and some mysterious Space Pirates.

Skip if: You are waiting until the whole thing comes out.

Read while you're waiting:
Stopping at Slowyear

An interesting, and yes, short, interlude of sorts. Several new characters are introduced, and the stage is set for what I assume will be an interesting next chapter. If you don't like unresolved endings, you might want to hold off on this one until the subsequent volumes are out.

This story seemed so lacking in depth compared to the first installment in the series. I don't mind episode style releases, but it was advertised as having each story be a stand alone with a threaded plot (I had imagined something like CSI on tv). For being so short, the plot trudged along with both characters and colony containing little development or engaging banter. I know we're still in the opening act of this series, but I didn't see much relevance to a larger plot and was mostly bored throughout this read. I'll still try the next one or two before abandoning the series. I'm a huge fan of the universe and Mr. Scalzi's other works... I'm nervous though.

The second installment in "The Human Division", we get our first contact with the bad guys--whoever they are. In grand Scalzi fashion, a lot of story is packed into a small package. "Walk the Plank" is surprisingly poignant for its brevity, but leaves me panting for more. Thank goodness tomorrow is Tuesday!

This episode was great had a very unique and interesting way of moving this episode along. I know some people a complaining about the length but i have purchased many short stories from various authors and find this is not an unusual size. Looking forward to the future episodes

After the first double length release (The B-Team) I was initially displeased with the length of this chapter of the story. Upon reflection and re-reading the story, I have to revise my feelings. The chapter is significantly different in style and emotional impact. "The B-Team" could stand alone as a short story and as such was a satisfying read. "Walk The Plank" is a much darker chapter in a larger story that is yet to be revealed. The writing is as tight and expressive as anything Scalzi has written but it leaves me wanting to know more about what is going on. I am impatient with the one chapter a week release schedule and would prefer to read the whole novel in one go, but I don't want to wait for the complete novel. So, I am reading it as it is published. Hey Scalzi, Is there any chance we could get more than one Tuesday in a week?

This story probably won't end up being my favorite one in the whole book of The Human Division, but it is not only a good story, but looks like it's doling out information that I'll need when I read the rest of the book.

I really enjoyed this entry in the Human Division. The concept of serialization has been around since the time of Dickens (indeed, most of his works were published in serial form), but has fallen out of favor since the primary mode of literary consumption became the printed book.

Scalzi has noted *repeatedly* that the episodes vary in length. If you think you're not getting your money's worth from this episode, you're certainly getting more than your money's worth for the other episodes, particularly the B-Team, which was originally posted for free. It all averages out.

I think this episode would have suffered if more had been added to it. The writing was fantastic and for a story that was nearly entirely dialogue, there was a LOT of information and context provided in a very subtle way, which can be difficult without expository details.

TL;DR: Quit b*tching and remember that you are participating in literary history, in more ways than one. GOOD STORY.

Be warned: if you're expecting this installment to be as long as the first episode, you're in for a surprise (of course, you would know this if you looked at the description more carefully (32pp) - I didn't). This makes me question whether buying this whole series makes any kind of financial sense - but that't something you need to figure out for yourself.

This episode seems to have nothing at all to do with the characters we met in The B Team, although I'm sure there will be a smart tie-in at some future point. I appreciate that, unlike the Kindle Serials, the author doesn't spoon-feed you the plot, and you have to make connections on your own. This episode could thus be read entirely on its own as well - I'm not sure why you would want to though, since, as stated above, it's really really short.

This episode comprises of a transcription of a conversation between the colony leader of a wildcat (rogue) colony and an uninvited guest - a crew member from a spaceship who was made to 'walk the plank' and landed up, heavily injured, on the colonized planet. The transcription/dialogue idea is an intriguing device, and I very much enjoyed reading this episode, in spite of its by now well-documented brevity.

You do not have to have read Old Man's War to enjoy this series.

Definitely enjoyed the second episode and look forward to learning more about what is going on. I did feel a bit lost going into it though due to the fact that it had been nearly three weeks since I read the first ep. I can't wait to see where this thing takes us next.

Taking place on a wildcat colony, there was no mention of our familiar characters, even those from the B-Team. While the new characters are interesting, the shorter length (even compared to the B-team) and relatively flat narrative structure left me disappointed. The writing is as clear and engaging as always, but leaves me dubious about the as-of-yet unreleased Human Division stories.

This episode was an exciting short story with lots of potential for linking to the complete "over-story" of The Human Division. Others have been put off, but I thought it was well told as a transcript. I'm greatly looking forward to the rest of the episodes.

Much like other things Mr. Scalzi has written, once I started reading this I did not want to put it down until I was finished. For me, that's the hallmark of a good story and one worth buying.

Yes, it's a short story, but I found it a good one.

This was very enjoyable and over before I was ready (I was fairly engrossed & was actually taken by surprised when it was over; so much so I checked the contents to make sure that I hadn't skipped something). I enjoyed the recount of the Erie Morningstar's fall & the fate of the crew from Malik (poor guy). Mostly though, I was pulled in by El-Masri, the colony leader of New Seattle. He has a thankless job & seems to be the right person to do it. I'm curious to see how this bit ties in with the rest & who exactly it was who attacked the Erie Morningstar. I look forward to the next installment.

I see a lot of reviews complaining about how short this episode is, but I think that even though it is short, it is a complete and complex episode, and cleverly written in a script-like style. I could see this story unfolding bit by bit, like a great TV episode, and it was heartbreaking and intense even though the story was told mostly second-hand. I can't wait for the next one so I can get some more context, but I appreciate Scalzi's daring in making this his second episode and I hope readers don't give up on the episodic format too soon- I'd love to see more novels come out this way! (though only if the author understands and uses the format well, which I think Scalzi does)

Really clever story progression. Starting to care about the characters already - and remembering Wilson fondly from Old Man's war. The serialisation is driving me crazy, but I'm loving it. Would usually read a scalzi in one go; a couple of hours; now its staying in my head for weeks.

Yes, this episode is shorter than the first one (which was so long that it surprised me!)

It is, however, a great illustration and reminder of the various colonial situations out there in the "Old-Man" Universe. I really liked seeing the wildcat colony leadership's thought process on the survivor and the reintroduction/expansion of the dangers associated with the colonization efforts.

I'll keep buying these -- I can't wait until May to get them all at once!

I liked episode 2. There have been some complaints about length, and no lie, it's short, but it's a nice example of how this episodic format may play out. Scalzi uses the short episode to try a format you couldn't get away with in a full length (seriously, it would be exhausting to read) but it works to convey a short, brutal story in an engaging way. I look forwards to seeing how this ties together with B-Team and subsequent episodes.

I have no problem with the length of the story -- it's an entertaining read. The background events provide a nice layer to the story itself and continue the basic series premise laid out in The B-Team. The script-like format of the story is a nice change of gears. I plan to keep reading.

Waiting for the next installment of this series is both fantastic and excruciating. By breaking everything into short stories, Scalzi can weave a much a much bigger tale than one simple novel. He has a pretty deep world so far, and this is an excellent way to explore it!

Have to agree with tne reviews of other readers who have expressed dissatisfaction with the length of this installment. I got to the end and hit the "Also by John Scalzi" section and I couldn't believe I was done already. I will stick with the series for the next episode or two, but I really expect more than this for my money.

This installment of the story is related in an "audio transcript" format. At first, I found it somewhat awkward to read, but it didn't take long to get used to it, and in the end, I felt that it really worked well for the story.

There are a few details of the story that are left to the reader's imagination. Though I don't doubt that some readers would not be satisfied with that, I personally feel that it makes the story a little bit stronger, because it draws the reader into thinking about the story and the situation a little bit more.

When I read that Scalzi was doing these installment books, I was really excited-- new material each week!

However, it wasn't until I'd blown through this in 10 minutes that I realized that ALL the subsequent material was about the same length.

Sorry, but I'll wait for the collection. This isn't a case of wanting to save a couple bucks, it's about sparing myself the frustration-- I'd rather wait, and have a satisfying experience, than to have the story end before I'd even really settled back into the universe again.

John Scalzi is one of my favorite writers and one of my favorite people. That said, if I have to wait a whole week for each installment of "The Human Division," and if it's going to cost me $12.87 to read the whole thing, it would be nice if it took as long to read each installment as it takes to download them. They're short and therefore unsatisfying, given the wait and the price.

I was surprised how much tension the author successfully created using the unusual style of telling the story through transcribed conversations. Even once-removed from the key action, the story was captivating and poignant. That feat alone makes this episode worth reading.

I am also surprised by reviews that complain about the story's short length. While I would have liked the story to keep going, the episodic nature of this work makes sense and was about what I expected. Like a good TV show, I have no idea what is coming next, but I am looking forward to the next episode.

This is waaaay to short. And to the people saying "its short, get over it", no. When I buy something, even if it's only a dollar, I expect it to be worth it. This is not. It took maybe 10 minutes to read. 1O MINUTES!. I also didn't like the script format that it was written in. Maybe when all of the singles have come out and they are compiled into a full book with a reduced price it will be worth it, but for now I would steer clear. I appreciate that Scalzi is trying something new, but it just doesn't work for me. And also the 70+ 4 and 5 star reviews in one day seems suspicious. Another reviewer said that on Scalzi's blog or forum he told people to go to the store and review it so of course it will be a heavily biased (positive) reviewer base, which doesn't seem appropriate to me.

Loved the first one and was looking forward to more. This felt way shorter than the first with no feeling of anything accomplished in the story other than a vague idea being tossed around with no real idea where to go with it. Hope there's more like the first one coming which was a solid story wrapped up and a hint of more to come.

So there seem to be three main issues people have with this (mini) book, I'll address them separately.

1. Length
It was never a secret that this series Scalzi is doing will be short, it's not what people have come to expect from ebooks and writers, but I like it. Some other indie authors are experimenting with 3-4 month release cycles of full books and I think it's good to shake the dust off of SOME writers who keep us waiting for years for the next installment *AHEM* Patrick Rothfuss.

The other side to the length argument is pricing, but if you look at Scalzi's other books, they're in the $10+ range. As an example, Redshirts (a few months after it's initial debut so probably a bit cheaper now) is $10. The length is 320 pages, so if we do the math here... 320/10..carry the two..damnit..*calculator*...32 pages per dollar! So you didn't get ripped off. Scalzi just has a lot of readers, and can get away with charging more (well, his publisher can).

2. Format
For anyone who read the Three 'Codas' at the end of Redshirts you got the idea that he likes to experiment with different ways of telling a story (many writers do) One was told entirely in blog posts and featured a blog post where he dictated the dialogue between the blog writer and someone they were interviewing in much the same style as this book was written. Another if I'm remembering correctly was told in second person or something strange like that. The point is, not all books are going to be alike, and that's a good thing. That is also what short serials like this are good for; trying out new things.

3. Substance
Unlike the previous book in the series this didn't really feel like a full story. It was, but not the story we thought we were going to hear. Instead of hearing the story about the wildcat colony, and how they were going to survive or this enemy in the woods etc. We got the story about how this guy's ship got taken over and they all were forced to 'walk the plank' as told by the sole survivor.

So really it was just the length that made this story seem incomplete, but that's a sacrifice you make with shorter stories.

So, in my opinion, there's nothing wrong with this book, you didn't get ripped off, and if you want more to the story of the wildcat colony the description of The Human Division #3 seems to indicate we'll be hearing more about it soon.

I have to agree with previous reviews. Way to SHORT. When i finish it in 30 minutes, it is to short.
I liked the the series so far. Have really enjoyed his previous books and this one looks like it will be along the same quality.
Just that when the series is done it will equivalent to one book.

I was very happy to see this serialized offering from John Scalzi, so I pre-ordered the first few--- I've liked some of his previous stuff after I'd tried Old Man's War on the store's recommendation. It's not that it was horribly written but there was just nothing there; hey a short story can be great---- I know he can do better. I'd like to give Mr. Scalzi the benefit of the doubt and blame agent or publisher, BUT anyway I only gave it the 2 stars because I like him; had I never read Scalzi before it'd get. 1 star and I'd probably not give him another try--- which is a shame

Scalzi is my fave author these days. The price vs. amount of content in this ep. of the serial is challenging to rationalize. It jeopardizes this interesting biz model. I will certainly buy the full edition of human division when it's avail, and had always planned on doing so, but I don't know if I will buy any more of them piece meal.

#1 was fantastic, a complete novella. This was a short story with no action, little plot, and way too short. Maybe this is setting up some kind of mystery, but it does not work as a standalone story. I don't feel ripped off (it was $.99), but it wasn't particularly good as a story and unfortunately the bar has been set very high with #1.

I love John Scalzi's work. Even his short stories like 'The tale of the Wicked' are great, but this ....... I don't know what this was. Ok it was an interesting read but it went nowhere. I was just disappointed. The movie script style of writing was interesting but I found it a bit annoying. I already had a good idea of who was doing the talking. I guess maybe John's trying a different style of writing.

Please John tell us this is going somewhere. I've already preordered all the series so I'm hoping the rest are more like #1 and less like #2.

The B-Team intro was interesting and told a story. This installment was over before it began. Not much bang for buck. I will bow out of this serial episode progression and maybe read the thing when it is an actual book.

I'm listening to these episodes of The Human Division slowly, fitting on in between larger books. Why? Because I think if I get up to date with the episodes I will wail that I don't have any left to listen to! Yes this is what John Scalzi has reduced me to... wailing!

These are so good! The first one really piqued my interest, and I liked the second one just as much.

Walk the Plank is a transcript of a discussion following a injured stranger turning up at a Wildcat colony, called New Seattle. The stranger tells his story about how his team were practically made to "walk the plank" when they were attacked by an unknown enemy.

Walk the Plank is a good story on it's own. William Dufris manages to portray all the pain in the injured soldier's voice, and I'm curious how this little story will fit into the rest of the episodes. Very curious! It took me a couple of minutes to get used to the transcript style, but I enjoyed it a great deal and found it easy to follow.

I'm really enjoying these episodes. With the fourth one being released today I'm glad I have two more to listen to, and am probably aiming to be caught up by next Tuesday.

Interesting business model for a writer. I bought #1 and thought it was a nice read at 93 pages for 99 cents. Then I picked up #2 without bothering to find out that it was only 32 pages. So I'm reading along what I took to be the introductory chapter, turned the page and THE END....

Disclaimer: I read Scalzi's Blog, and he asked people who had an opinion to comment. I definitely have an opinion.

I Like Castle (TV Show) but a lot of the "Red Herrings" leave me cold because I can look at the clock. "Oh, it has 30 minutes left, he cannot be the murder". One of the things I like of the eBook short stories is the length. I never know when the story is going to end. This is a disadvantage when I have to work the next morning, but great for maintaining suspense and interest. So I am not paying for X pages, I am paying for an interesting story. So far all of Scalzi's eBook short stories have been worth reading. If you do not like his previous short fiction, you may not care for a novel made of episodes.

Ratings:
Episodic 5 Stars (what happens next?)
Part of the Book 4 Stars (what just happenend?)
Reread rating: insufficient data (just finished #4 A Voice in the Wilderness)

This is the second installment in John Scalzi's The Human Division, of which there will be 13 parts. This was much shorter than the previous episode, and serves mostly to thicken the plot. There is a mini-arc within this installment, but its resolution is unknown. One can guess, based on the information presented.

The story is told through voices on a recording. The leader of the New Seattle colony, a hardscrabble settlement with few resources, is called in to speak with a mysterious new arrival, a young man who's severely injured. He'd been on the cargo ship scheduled to drop supplies when it was taken over by pirates. At least, that's who the young man assumes hijacked his ship, and he never saw their faces. Then he and the rest of the makeshift security team is dropped out in cargo containers onto the planet.

The colony has a shortage of painkillers, and no way to combat the disease the young man got in an open wound, something apparently nastier than run-of-the-mill sepsis. They could cut the leg off, but, if the Rot is in his bloodstream already, that won't do him any good, anyway.

The story closes without telling us the young man's fate, nor does it reveal how this ties into the greater plot. I'm sure the latter question will be answered before long, but the former, I suspect, is left to the reader to surmise.

This installment is less exciting than the first, but no less intriguing. It adds to a greater picture of a world that's hostile to humankind, and of the people determined to survive in it.

I listened to an audio copy of this story. The audio quality is fine. I didn't have to adjust my volume for whispers or shouting, as I do with some books, and the narrator is clear, with distinct voices for each character.

(Review crossposted on Goodreads and my writing/review blog.)

The episodic aspect of this is great. It is similar to King's "The Green Mile". I am enjoying getting a little story each week and then being able to finish it in one sitting rather than wading through a book. The writing is amazing and the world Scalzi has created is stupendous and I cannot get enough. I have always tried to remember that they are the writers and I am the consumer, same goes with music. He sees something that I can only hope to imagine and I am thankful that I get to experience great art at my such a rapid pace. This episode was short but sweet. It covered tons of ground in a small amount of time. Brevity is the key, being able to pack so much into so little.

Note: I reviewed on Audible as well.

This episode of John Scalzi's new Human Division is written in the style of dialogue from a recording between a leader of New Seattle, a small colony on a harsh world, medical staff, and a stranger who has a harrowing story to tell. It's the stranger and the classic sci-fi elements of his troubled story that makes this episode so enjoyable. While shorter and not following directly from the earlier "The B-Team" episode, the story is a strong vignette in its own right, and in tandem with part 1, builds a wider sense of world that I'm looking forward to exploring.

I recommend the audio reading as well -- the voice work adds great atmosphere.