The Android’s Dream

I definitely consider myself a fan of Scalzi's style, and this wonderful tale is a great example of why I feel this way from the first words to the last, I thoroughly enjoyed the story, the characters, scientific concepts employed, and all the rest. If you're up for a fantastic story, a few laughs and an overall great read, then buy your copy now!

I had read a couple of reviews of this book that lead me to believe it wouldn't be worth my time. Fortunately I ignored them.

This is an excellent read, however I'm sure it won't appeal to everyone.

A little strange but definitely kept me interested the whole way. I can see a movie being made from this and as I read I can picture who would play each character. If your a fan of Space fiction and Wil Wheaton you should like this book. I definitely recommend it.

Entertaining novel. Only one plot problem that I didn't think he explained properly. Clearly one of the best sci fi writers of our day. Won't grab you like the Old Man's War series, but a good read if you like Scalzi...and I do.

Scalzi has that rare ability to be eminently readable - his prose flows. Other authors may put words on paper, but the manner in which Scalzi does it makes his books easy, fun and engrossing to read. Butcher's Dresden Files books are similar - but his other ones - the Codex Alera series - aren't. Maybe it's the humor angle ...?

This book starts very well and had me laughing out loud which doesn't happen often. The description of Aliens is not overloaded leaving your imagination to fill in a few bits. Well paced and worth reading.

This book by Scalzi continues to show his brilliance in writing dialogue. It's like that witty friend of yours, just not so hung up on its own irony that your not sure you want to hang out with it anymore. I laughed so hard one time that my kidney came out of my nose.

I found the Android's Dream playful, suspenseful, & witty! Imagine an alien race who desires a specific sheep for it's coronation ritual & a human woman being the last one who has this DNA. Great story!

Fresh, new, incredible funny and really well written. After finishing this book it is possible that you will look up charters of the Church of the evolved lamb near your neighborhood, have a completly different take on gas produced by the human body and a better understanding of intergalactic poltics. The Android's dream is one of the best sci fi books ever written it reminds you of the best the genre has to offer and still feels completly different from what you have read before. I think this will become a classic and a few years from now people will recomed it as we recomend Dune or The Neuromancer to new readers today.

I enjoyed all the other Scalzi books I've read--the Old Man's War books as well as Agent to the Stars--but didn't take to Android's Dream because the plot hinges on some points that are a bit too preposterous. I understand that this is a fun book about aliens and sheep. It just would have been much more fun if it didn't require so much suspension of some basic knowledge (e.g. what constitutes a species) and logic. I came away feeling that Scalzi could have made the book much better with just a little more thought and effort. And, in a minor note, the Kindle edition at least has a number of typos that are quite distracting.

If, for whatever reason, you just have to read about a quest for sheep, I would recommend A Wild Sheep Chase by Murakami. There aren't any aliens, but you can get by on the vast number of other oddities.

It starts with a fart joke and just gets better from there. This book is a fun romp and I enjoyed the intricacies of the plot. It's clever and funny while maintaining the sense of urgency that drives the characters. All in all, a good read.

Just like with the "Old Soldiers" series, Scalzi has another winner here. Enough plot twists to keep you guessing until right up to the end and great character development. Scalzi is undoubtedly a great new light in the SciFi realm.

I have loved all of his other books but this one is just OK. It's not that it is a bad book the pace just seems off compared to other novels.

I am looking forward to his new one in the "Old Man's War" universe this Summer

This is an all too rare and successful attempt at science fiction humor with sci-fi in-jokes and action. It works for me as satire of politics, religions, and civil servants in extremis with interstellar war as an afterthought. The artificial intelligence characters are the real stars.

This is an all too rare and successful attempt at science fiction humor with sci-fi in-jokes and action. It works for me as satire of politics, religions, and civil servants in extremis with interstellar war as an afterthought. The artificial intelligence characters are the real stars.

The revenge bit at the start of this book had me *howling* with laughter. The rest was ok, but it felt a little worked. The end, especially, was so well-telegraphed that I almost didn't bother finishing the book. Nonetheless, a decent read.

This book is not deep, but is an entertaining story and would have rated 3 stars from me, except for an issue beyond the control of the author. There are problems with the publisher's formatting of the text. Not enough to called serious, and seemingly trivial, but enough of a problem to destroy any enjoyment I may have derived from reading Scalzi's story. To potential readers of this book, if the two problems I describe below will not bother you, then please enjoy Scalzi's story.

First: The font is forced one size larger than the Kindle's standard sizes. I often switch between a novel and a technical manual on the Kindle - this font sabotage by the publisher creates the unnecessary step adjusting font sizes when switching (ever tried to read a technical manual all in fine print?). This is not the only novel to suffer from this issue. Publishers refuse to learn that ebooks live in an environment very different from physical books. It reminds me of the bad old days when software publishers believed their software was the only important software installed, therefore re-writing the system configuration and/or crashing other software was acceptable to them (thankfully, most of these software publishers are now out of business). Remember publishers, this is my Kindle, not yours - you do not have my permission to mess around with MY Kindle.

Second, and more seriously: Poor proofreading. The Kindle version contains errors not found in the hardcover version. Every error appears trivial, except they occur so often and are so blatant as to throw me out of the story flow. Compounding this, is that these errors are inconsistent, making it impossible to adapt.

Well, I don't know about much of the plot content. I read more than a third of the book before giving up and gave the book away. I'm into sci fi, but this seemed too silly for me. If it had had a joke line running through it, I would have thought it a concoction of Monty Python--as it is, it just got boring.

This book WILL WIN both awards. It features an excellent storyline, Heinlein-esque characters, and more laugh out loud humor than anything I've read in several years. Treat yourself to this one and wonder, as I do, how I'm going to wait for the next Scalzi book.

Scalzi is a throwback to a simpler time in science fiction where the universe is populated with a 1000 alien species, most of them described in a few broad strokes, and the less said about how the hyperdrive works the better. That the book works, (much as the tv show "House" works, despite being entirely forumlaic... "what, only 40 mins past the hour, this can't be the real cure...") because they are fun, with a frenetic energy and a goofball, unpredictable sense of humor.

The writing is plain, and the the plot picaresque: a series of unlikely, escalating confrontations between the forces of the good guys and those of the bad guys, takes our hero from a dead-end job to an interstellar coronation ceremony, by way of a space cruise ship populated entirely by veterans of a battle he just happened to have fought at and won a Medal of Honor... get the picture?

Adding insult, the protagonist is not only a military savant with hands registered as deadly weapons, but he is also a brilliant computer programmer who has cracked the problem of artificial intelligence and is aided in his quest by an all knowing AI computer friend.

I read it with reasonable enjoyment, but even I have to caveat that review by saying I only read sci fi -- so that that with a grain of salt.

I'm of the same mind that some others have mentioned. I've read quite a few of Scalzi's books and enjoyed almost all of them; but not this one - not in the least. It vacillates between being simply preposterous to the point of absurdity and being a crude version of disingenuous political commentary. (A "sheep / human" hybrid that couldn't be aborted because of fundamentalist beliefs?" What is that all about?) End the end, suffice it to say that when he attempts to be humorous, it's not really funny and when he takes obvious yet subtle "stabs" at cultural targets of opportunity it simply reads like a hatchet job or pulp / trashy paperback. But what actually bothers me most of all is that Scalzi has in the past made public and poignant points about science fiction that "isn't believable" - and yet here seems to invite us to give him a pass on that very concept with many of his own inventions that are simply too preposterous for any but the lowest common denominator plot lines. It's beyond being a waste of time; it's something trying to be everything and managing only to be offensive: Satire that doesn't work; tabloid-style invective that simply turns me off; and attempts at humor that shows how far he has to go before he will EVER understand the likes of Terry Pratchet or Douglas Adams. I shelved this disaster before I was 1/2 way through and doubt very seriously I'll ever be coming back to it. It is NOT worth the price... (And don't forget, this is Scalzi; so it isn't a cheap Kindle file.)

I really liked Scalzi's "Old Man's War" books. Read them both quickly. I just could not get into this. The book is about 400 pages long, and I struggled through the first 200 pages, hoping it would pick up, get better, go somewhere. Alas, it did not. Very slow, very boring, really not very interesting. The first chapter was the best. That chapter focused on dialogue with an alien diplomat which was very funny, and interesting. After that it really just gets to slow for my taste. There was a mildly entertaining action scene in a mall, but it still just did not do it for me. If you can't intrigue me in 200 pages then im done. Sorry John. I think I'll stick with your military action sci-fi, and pass on your attempt at humor or bondish action.

This crazy book opens with Dirk Moeller planning on sabotaging the trade negotiations by causing the Nidu ambassador Faj-win Getag the son of his sworn enemy go on a rampage. He would accomplish this by using a device implanted into his butt that helps to send out messages within his farts. The Nidu have very sensitive noses and certain scents can have certain meanings. But only those of the higher castes can smell these meanings. Dirk sends out insults and the Nidu ambassador goes wild. He lets him know that it was him that sent the messages and the ambassador gears up to yell its battle cry when he suddenly has a stroke and dies. Dirk begins laughing and dies of a heart attack.

State Department gets involved because they are clued in by Dirk's assistant that something was up and they got the device from the medical examiner and intend to keep this to themselves. However, the Nidu believe that their ambassador was assassinated and are willing to overlook it if United Nations of Earth can provide the sheep needed in a ceremony a week away to crown the new Fehen of Nidu since the old Fehen has died and the next in line is to succeed him. The problem is that the sheep is a special breed genetically modified specifically for the Nidu by one man and all of the Nidu and this man's sheep have all come down with a bacterial infection and have died. No one else has been allowed to breed this sheep. But there should be some out there somewhere. It's up to State Department to find just one of these breed of sheep named Android's Dream [For those who don't know the name came from the book written by Phillip K. Dick called Do Android's Dream of Electric Sheep? which is what the movie Blade Runner is based upon.].

The Secretary of State's assistant, Javna, knows just the person for the job of finding the lost sheep: his dead brother's best friend, Henry Creek. Creek already works for the State Department breaking the bad news to those who work in the Embassies. He's also a bit of a computer whiz. He borrows a large IBM computer from NOAA calling in a favor from a friend and from his computer at home he brings to life a sentient artificial intelligent agent that operates on his computer. It has taken on the form of his dead friend Brian at the age of around eighteen. Brian executes searches for the DNA of the sheep and finds that someone is going around killing the sheep that do exist on earth.

That someone is the Defense Department who, working with Jean Schroeder who fixed Dirk up with the fart machine, want to stick it to the Nidu but aren't really thinking much beyond that. There's a reason military intelligence is an oxymoron. But there is one sheep still available and her name is Robin Baker. Robin was adopted and is the offspring of a bizarre experiment between a sheep human hybrid and a human father. She is 20% sheep but the sheep DNA is junk DNA and has no effects on her appearance.

To make things even crazier there's the Church of the Eternal Lamb, a religion that began life as a cult started by a failed science fiction writer turned conman who was trying to get money out of the richest woman on earth. However, she knew what he was up to and played along, but doled the money out sparingly. The writer wrote prophesies from his drunk drug-addled mind and soon died in frustration with the old woman. The old rich woman lived to be 104 and left her assets to the church. The church has spent the past twenty years making sure that the prophecies come true by engineering things that they do. Their goal is to save the lamb.

If all this sounds a bit crazy, well it is. It's also hilarious and an incredibly fun book to read. Robin is a great character who takes everything coming at her rather well, considering, but then Creek is a master at telling people bad news. Creek is ex-military and ex-cop so he does a pretty good job of protecting Robin. He's also an intriguing character who's been through a lot in life and just wants a quiet life. Something he's not getting right now. I really loved this book. Scalzi is a favorite author of mine and I count this one as one of his best. I can't recommend this book enough.
Quotes
Nice is nice. But being a bitch gets results.
-John Scalzi (The Android’s Dream p 293)

This is it. This is by and far one of my favorite books. It's right up there with The Book Thief, but it's also an entirely different genre, so take that as you will. I'm also at a slight advantage with the pronunciations in this book, as I listened to it on Audible (read by Wil Wheaton!) before I bought it.

This is the story of an ex-military man and a pet store owner with a surprising past as they attempt to get away from the government of an alien race who is attempting to murder them through any means possible.

Scalzi's impressive governmental structure system of the various alien races that populate this future earth is very well done. They're diverse and truly believable. Everyone in this novel has good reasons for doing what they do, and the governmental corruption is particularly unsettling, considering the way the US government is currently going. You're never left wondering, "Well, why'd they do that?" which is great.

This novel is fast-paced without being overwhelming. You get to encounter several alien species, a human-computer hybrid, an intergalactic cruise liner, and several unfortunate souls. The ending is an absolute joy to read, and while you feel like you know what it's leading up to, you're still surprised when the event happens (or at least I was).

Scalzi's brand of dark-ish humor is particularly compelling, and he's got a strong narration style throughout. This book never loses its tempo even through the multitude of twists and turns it takes on the way to the end. When I was listening to it, I had several Oh NO that did NOT just happen! moments, made even greater by Wheaton's narration. I'm still having those moments as I reread the book almost a year later, and they're just as stunning reading them to yourself. It's hilarious.

I have but one complaint with this book, and it's really more of a commentary/warning. Scalzi will frequently take the reader out of the action to explain something, such as the intricacies of the Win-Getag clan's politics (of the Nidu race), or how specific things work. It works in some aspects, but in others it's a little jarring to be pulled out and then thrust right back in. For me, it doesn't take away from the book very much, but it can be frustrating sometimes as you're in the middle of a fight scene and you're trying to find out what happens next.

In short, this is a book I think everyone should read if you have even a passing interest in science fiction. If you're on the fence, here's the first sentence of the book, to let you know that this IS what you need to be reading:

"Dirk Moeller didn't know if he could fart his way into a major diplomatic incident. But he was ready to find out."

This is a wonderful read. Exclamation point. It is a delightful mix of humorous science fiction with solid knock-em-down military scifi, crossed with a delightful secondary element that is a nice rif on Scientology and classic SF author L. Ron Hubbard, who set out to create his own religion. It's an entertaining rif. This novel well rewards readers who enjoy literate SF and also readers looking for thoughtful action-adventure in the David Webber mold. Melding the two together requires a master writer. John Scalzi is that kind of writer. I've read a few of his other novels, including Old Man's War, and this was every bit as good a read. It was also hard to put down for meals, sleep, etc. I really like the main characters of Harry, a valorous Army grunt who survived Earth's first battle on another planet under the duplicitous direction of Earth's allies, a rather slimy lizard-like species, and Robin, who appears to be a normal pet shop owner until 'things turn up'. Scalzi avoids the predictable romance and turns this tale into a story of 'opposites surviving together' in a far future Earth where little Earth is a minor member of a galactic UN. I quite enjoyed the spins on diplomatic sins and presumptions that diplomacy is anything other than war by other means. Set partly on Earth and partly in distant space, this is high octane space adventure that is rewarding for any reader of any age or gender! Most highly recommended.

I came into Android's Dream hoping to find a strong read and I was impressed beyond my expectations. Wil Wheaton adds his touch to smart scifi that has quite a few laugh out loud moments. The plot takes turns and weaves political intrigue with funny and empathetic characters who must outsmart enemies who've been planning this for so long even their people have forgotten the original masterminds. With two or so hours left I thought, okay, I know what's going to happen, how is he going to keep things interesting? Then he threw in a curve ball that set up a great conclusion to wrap it all up and keep me laughing and mostly excited to see what would happen next. If there's a downgrade in this, it was that while the plot was smart, the turns were unpredictable, and the funny moments consistent enough, there was a sense that I didn't care as much about the events as I'd like to. The book is still very good, and it has a similar quality to Ready Player One in the fun, funny geeky tone, but it didn't quite hit the level of classic, have to tell your friends about that top two or three book you read this year. It is still very entertaining and I'm glad I discovered it.

A review copy of this audiobook was provided by Audible Studios for an honest review.

In the not-too-distant future, Robin Baker is a pet store owner and is being hunted by multiple factions both human and alien for reasons she doesn't understand. Harry Creek works for Earth's State Department in a world where foreign relations with alien species can be just as delicate and convoluted as our current relationship with many of today's countries. Harry is doing his utmost to protect Robin from the factions that are out to get her. Together, Harry and Robin must escape both scheming aliens and duplicitous humans in an attempt to ensure Robin's safety and ultimately thwart the converging machinations attempting to take advantage of Robin for their own purposes.

The Android's Dream is an enjoyable, quick read from the talented author of Old Man's War. Scalzi's sense of humor pervades this quirky tale of both aliens and humans scheming and plotting to grab power for themselves no matter the cost. I couldn't help but laugh as the very first chapter centers around farting amongst alien beings. After chapter one, the book continues it humorous jaunt through several earthly and extraterrestrial locations all the while composing a tale worth reading until the end. This stand-alone novel is recommended for Scalzi fans as well as those interested in just an easy page-turner.

Initially I had a hard time getting into this book. The opening chapter was interesting but a little to zany for my liking. Thankfully as the book progressed I found myself enjoying it more and more. The main characters are well developed (even if many of the villains felt a little stock) and as you start to care for them the author takes this story to some strange and interesting places. The ending was really well done and wrapped up the story nicely.

I really like Takk, a giant brute of an alien who has a lot more depth than initially indicated. He ended up being the most interesting character of the book.

My biggest complaint is that I couldn't keep the alien names straight in my head. Too many auf-Getag and win-Getag clans made my head spin. Thankfully I just kind of ignored it and just kept reading and was able to enjoy the story just fine without distinguishing between the similar alien names.

Highly recommended to readers who enjoy creative sci-fi

This is Scalzi's ultimate homage to Philip K. Dick. It is in the tradition of Dick's early wish-fulfillment novels which works fabulously in the comedic form. As usual Scalzi captures the essence of PKD's style and elevates to it to the comedy of the absurd.

As is often the case the tone of the story is set in the first sentences:

"Dirk Moeller didn't know if he could fart his way into a major diplomatic incident. But he was ready to find out."

After that follows three hundred and ninety-four pages of laughs across the universe. Scalzi updates the Dickian worldview with hackers, genetics, and the politics of Late Capitalism. There is the constant questions of what is life? and what is human? but now not on a philosophical level like the Postmodern SF Dick inspired but on the dull level of the law. Scalzi is no longer asking if these things will happen but rather he ridiculing the farce that the Enlightenment's rule of law will make of them as they are integrated into our globalized world order.

With lots of action and a bagful of laughs, this is a fun read for every sci-fi fan.

I managed to read this one in four days, something of a miracle considering my current reading load and how the rest of my life is going (School, mostly.).

The book starts off talking about farts, something that almost put me off immediately. I enjoy funny books, and I know that humor sometimes gets crude, but potty humor is, for some reason, something I nearly always find disgusting.

Thankfully, this type of humor worked perfectly into the plot, and made sense. It also was not a large part of the rest of the novel.

That’s not to say the rest of the book wasn’t funny. I haven’t read a book this hilarious since Sanderson’s Alcatraz series. Many of the plot points and ideas–even the alien species and the religions–in the book seem ridiculous and crazy at first glance, and I found myself laughing throughout.

But Scalzi also managed to do something here that I’ve never seen done before quite so well: he blended the ridiculous levels of humor and insanity into a coherent plot, where every part, every rambling explanation of how a man wrote prophesies as poems to get money from an old lady, and inadvertently founded a church (Uh, yeah. That happened.), and makes it not only make sense, but also play a critical role in what happens in the plot. I was continually astonished by the way he did that in this novel; every time he went off to explain some new and crazy idea, I expected it to be just put there to be silly. I was wrong every single time, and it made me happy, every single time.

The plot itself was gripping. It follows a rather interesting and shady bunch of people across the galaxy. Many of them are brilliant at what they do, some are simply despicable. My favorite is, hands down, Harry Creek. He is, in many ways, everything I wish I could be. A talented programmer, a brilliant soldier, and a genuinely good guy, who’s just trying to do what he can to save the human race from complete annihilation at the hands of a race of aliens who want… A sheep.

Two of the main characters, Harry and Archie, are both very good with computers, and technology plays a critical role at several points in the plot of the novel. I’ve read plenty of books before where the computer science side of things was handled with a hand-wave or a few fancy tech buzz-words. Not here. This is the real deal. Scalzi knows what he’s talking about when he talks about computers and how they work. I’m a second year computer science student, and I’m not sure that I could write those portions of the novel as accurately as he did, but I definitely know enough to know that he wrote them correctly. I’m not sure if he is that knowledgeable himself, or if he called in an expert to help him (Sanderson has said, for example, that he did something of the sort with the medical scenes in The Way of Kings.), but the end result is excellent. I want to thank Scalzi for the attention to detail, and I wish more authors would do this.

The plot of the novel itself is never forgotten for more than a few pages, and the pacing is excellent. In a novel that could easily become sidetracked in the richness and humor of the universe, Scalzi manages to focus on the single central plot, and I was very impressed and never bored with the book. I finished it in four days, and it did not feel like I was rushing. In fact, I usually put it down at 3 AM, wishing I could read more, but knowing I had to get up and do other things the next day.

This novel is a stand-alone, and it shows. At times, I think I forget how satisfying a good stand-alone novel can be, lost in the glory of Randland and Westeros, the Cosmere and Temerant (Kudos if you know them all.). I’ve loved other stand-alones before, most notably Tigana. The Android’s Dream reminded me why. It is completely self-contained, and has an incredibly fun, twisty, and satisfying ending. It reminded me of a Sanderson ending, with its complexity and unexpectedness, although I was able to call a few of the major twists a few pages before they happened. Four days to start, live, love, and finish an entire world. I really should read more stand-alone novels.

In conclusion: The Android’s Dream by John Scalzi is a fast-paced, laugh-out-loud hilarious–even if it does occasionally stray into crude humor–stand-alone novel. It manages to make the humor utterly ridiculous and simultaneously integral to the completely serious plot. It’s one of the few novels I’ve read that portrays computer technology accurately, and it has a very twisty, satisfying ending.

It blew me away. If you like brilliantly funny novels, and you want a quick, satisfying read, I highly recommend The Android’s Dream. Five of Five stars.

Originally posted on my blog.

I got this book for Christmas, and as a huge Scalzi fan, I was excited to read it.

The Android's Dream is a science-fiction comedy (like Scalzi's previous Agent to the Stars). There has been a diplomatic incident with the Nidu, a race of not-that-powerful-but-still-more-powerful-than-Earth aliens, and war looms on the horizon - unless a specimen of a rare variety of sheep can be found. Harry Creek, a mid-level State department bureaucrat and war veteran, is tasked with getting to the bottom of the events.

The best word to describe this book is a "romp". There are layered conspiracies, refreshingly practical religious zealots, artificial intelligences, and a lot more. The tone of the book reminded me of a (revived) Doctor Who episode - lots of witty banter and ridiculousness, some heart and a deus ex machina resolution that you don't really want to look at closely.

I liked this book fairly well, but I prefer Scalzi's more serious books - the Old Man's War books, Fuzzy Nation and Redshirts. I hear that The God Engines is his least comedic work, so I'm pretty excited about reading that one someday too.

I really enjoy John Scalzi's audiobooks read by Wil Wheaton. I can listen to them for hours at a time without getting bored, falling asleep, or getting completely confused. These are the perfect type of books to listen to. I have tried listening to massive sci-fi books, but I feel a good sci-fi audiobook needs humor.

Scalzi's futures always feel more realistic. The humor is found in the mundane and procedural. The Android's Dream is D.C. politics, but in the future with aliens. It is a fun sci-fi adventure with law and procedure added in.

The technology in this novel is all very cool. The artificial intelligence too. Scalzi does an excellent job of placing guns on the mantle that always get fired in the third act. The way everything falls into place feels very natural. It always comes down to the specifics.

I like the way religion was portrayed. A self fulfilling prophetic group is such an interesting concept.

Wil Wheaton does an excellent job capturing the light humor as well as the interesting sci-fi details.I give this audiobook a 4/5 and will definitely continue to listen to more Scalzi/Wheaton combos.

Though the cover art and title lead one to believe otherwise, The Android's Dream has nothing to do with androids or their dreams. It's more of a literary wink-wink-nod to Philip K. Dick. This is the first and only work by John Scalzi that I've read. I actually received the book via a Secret Santa exchange run on Librarything. You may have also heard of or read his most popular book, Old Man's War.

From the opening chapter, you realize that the story is going to be chock full of humor, complex political intrigue and ridiculous tropes; and I mean ridiculous in the best way possible.

Without spoiling too much about the plot, the fate of Earth lies in a precarious balance due to an unintentional political assassination. The only way to resolve the issue peacefully is to locate a rare breed of sheep called Android's Dream. It sounds simple until the group that has been tasked with finding said sheep realize someone is trying equally as hard to ensure it's never found. Bring in a third player, a quasi-religious organization (not so loosely based on a real life organization founded by a science fiction writer) with their own agenda and the ride just got a whole lot more exciting.

For the most part, the characters were flat, but this book was about the farcical and therefore driven more by plot and backstory. I found most of the humor to be on point, but I also realize comedy is subjective and a few folks on here didn't find it funny at all.

Still, I'd recommend this for those who like to mix the ludicrous with their 'hardish' sci-fi.

I read the first sentence and closed the book. I did not expect to ever read it. I am not a fan of scatological humor and the opening fart joke turned me off. I am not twelve years old any more. And though a joke or two in that style is fine, Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams are more my cup of tea when it comes to humor.

But a friend of mine with a similar sense of humor and taste in books in general convinced me to give it another try. So I kept reading. I am glad that I did.

John Scalzi wrote a tale of action, adventure, interplanetary and intraplanetary politics. All of the forces which may shape a character are there. Religion. Love. Avarice. Jealousy. Hope. Even a few moments of horror. And they are treated thoughtfully and with humor.

Ah, yes. Scalzi's wit. I wish that it could be bottled. I would drink it on gloomy winter days. If you are a fan of clever characters saying witty things in absurd situations, then Scalzi is your man.

This book is light. It is fun. It is popcorn for the soul. And not the microwave stuff with artificial butter flavor. This is the real deal. Popped over the stove. Lightly salted. Not truly a guilty pleasure. Just enjoyable as a snack as you munch before the next real meal.

Read Android's Dream and enjoy the well choreographed and fun action sequences. Laugh at the genuinely funny phrasings and descriptions. The Android's Dream is a day at the amusement park. It is a book that is just plain fun. It is escapism. And well done escapism at that.

You know The Android's Dream isn't meant to be taken seriously long before genetically altered electric blue sheep make their appearance. The sheep and the title combine to form a not-so-subtle reference to Philip K. Dick's classic novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (the inspiration for the film Blade Runner). For reasons too convoluted to explain here, the electric blue sheep are important not just to the ruling family of a race of aliens from the planet Nidu but to an Earth-based religion called the Church of the Evolved Lamb, a religion that was founded as a scam by a hack science fiction author. That not-so-subtle reference to L. Ron Hubbard and Scientology seals the impression that John Scalzi's tongue was firmly embedded in his cheek as he wrote this novel. Of course, the opening scene, in which a human farts an alien to death, suffices to establish Scalzi's comic intent. Taken in that spirit, the action-filled story is a fun romp, although not nearly as memorable as Scalzi's serious fiction, particularly Old Man's War and its progeny.

Harry Creek, a veteran who lost his best friend in a disastrous military conflict, is happily employed in a dead-end government job when he's unexpectedly tasked with tracking down a rare sheep of the Android's Dream breed. His search causes him to revive his dead friend as an Artificial Intelligence, then leads him to a woman named Robin Baker, who (for reasons that are best described as twisted) happens to share some DNA with the Android's Dream. For most of the novel, Harry and Robin are fleeing and fighting to avoid capture by a variety of humans and aliens who think the ruling family on Nidu should or should not get hold of Robin. Either eventuality seems destined to trigger an interstellar war that would not end well for Earth.

It says something about Scalzi's writing ability that a plot this silly actually holds together. Given Scalzi's proficiency with military science fiction, it should come as no surprise that the most powerful scenes in The Android's Dream occur on a battlefield, as humans join Nidu in a botched effort to suppress a native rebellion on a Nidu colony world. Yet the novel's strength lies in its acerbic look at politics and its practitioners. Scalzi also has fun lambasting pseudo-religious doctrine. For additional comic relief, Scalzi serves up an alien who eats people whole, a practice that his native religion not only permits but encourages, although only during that short period during which he must take a religious journey to discover himself by exploring decadence. Naturally enough, the religious alien finds himself drawn to the nonsensical writings that underlie the Church of the Evolved Lamb.

Scalzi puts more imagination into throw-away sentences than some sf writers can muster for an entire novel. Silly as it is, The Android's Dream is tightly plotted; the many plot threads all tie together in a nifty package by the novel's end. I wouldn't call this laugh-out-loud science fiction of the sort often produced by Connie Willis, but it is nonetheless a fun, amusing read. I would give The Android's Dream 4 1/2 stars if that option were available.

This book is a real hoot to read! I read the "Old Man's War" series and enjoyed it, but I think this is now my favorite Scalzi sci-fi novel. I'm always amazed with the imagination Mr. Scalzi has for his books, but this one is imagination-boggling. Starting with a lethal device that drives an alien to his death with scents from a device embedded in the bowels that is powered by flatulence and continuing with the search for an electric-blue sheep that is needed for a coronation ceremony, the story is primarily about Robin Baker and Harry Creek who are being hunted as a part of this ceremony. This story has much more humor that the Old Man's War series, and the characters are fun as well. It is so different from just about any other sci-fi novel I've read, and I suspect that I enjoyed it so much because it is so different. Give it a try!

The human race is looking down the barrel of destruction caused by diplomatic incident. An incident in which a human causes the death of his alien counterpart by the tactical use of flatulence. A rare genetically bred sheep is the only way to avoid the ire of the alien race. It just so happens that all of these sheep are dead and rather recently to boot. Who else but Mr Scalzi can turn such a convoluted plot into a top notch read?

Yet again the author reinforces my belief that he is one of the best Sci-Fi writers around. This book achieves a fine balance of action, intrigue, plot twists and humour to deliver a near perfect tale. I am fast running out of superlatives to use when describing John Scalzi's work. So I will put it simply "YOU HAVE TO READ THIS BOOK". I guarantee you will not be disappointed.

I absolutely love Scalzi's science fiction and Wheaton's reading voice and vocal acting when reading Scalzi to me. But the best thing about this story is the humor. Scalzi just cracks me up! Fuzzy Nation was funny. Agent to the Stars was really funny! But this one has me about to wet myself! I need to double check, but this may be the last of his library for me. I hope that he writes something new, very soon. :)

Android's Dream has a similar comical-absurdity to that of the Discworld series. However, I've always had difficulty binge-reading any of the Discworld novels, and found them to be better suited for the shorter 20 min lunch break. They never fail to entertain, but just lack a certain compelling plot element (perhaps as a side-effect of the absurdity level).

Scalzi has done well to integrate a very realistic (Sci-fi wise) plot to tie his absurdity together. When I was reading this, I'd often find myself laughing at all of the situational insanity, yet every time upon deeper inspection, I was forced to conclude that what transpired was perfectly and utterly sane and logical.

This is a very serious and realistic portrayal of one of the most significant points in Earth's history. It was simply told with an intention to entertain.

Harry Creek had the misfortune of being an infantryman in Earth's biggest military defeat of the 21st century. His best friend's brother died in his arms during the retreat. Now Harry's kind of drifting, but he's about to get a short, sharp shock....

Robin Baker runs a small pet shop on the outskirts of DC. She's leading a dull-normal suburban life, but she's about to meet Harry, on a truly memorable first date....

Heinlein, with Irony.
---------------------
Phil Dick's "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" inspired the title, and yes, unusual sheep are involved -- but this novel reads like prime-period Heinlein, cyber-charged for the 21st century. From the opening lines -- "Dirk Moeller didn't know if he could fart his way into a major diplomatic incident. But he was ready to find out." -- the pace and story-telling never slacken. We have a Competent Man protagonist, a spunky female lead, snappy dialog, sneering villains, the Fate of Earth in the balance.... even a clever analog to the Church of Foster (here the Church of the Evolved Lamb). All set in a well-lived-in near-future where the aliens have come to call. *Lots* of aliens. Moore's Law marches on, with cool new cybertoys, with much the same problems of today's cool cybertoys.... And lots more really Neat Stuff, which I'm not going to tell you about here, but which you're gonna love. Trust me.

This is a pretty near perfect light planetary romance, ending splendidly with all the Bad Biters badly-bit, and the Good Guys (and Girl) well-rewarded. Really a wonderfully entertaining book -- definitely a keeper. This is my second Scalzi novel -- I liked _Old Man's War_, but that was apprentice work, compared to _Android's Dream_. Sure, there's a place or two where Scalzi noodges the plot-logic a little hard. Yeah, it's wish-fulfillment fantasy [1], laid on a little thick. So what? This is a remarkably well-crafted entertainment, squarely in the center of my SF home-comfort zone . If you don't have just a whole lot of old-fashioned SF fun reading this one -- well, our tastes differ greatly. Highly, and enthusiastically, recommended.

Happy reading--
Peter D. Tillman
Review first published at SF Site

Note 1) Scalzi's dust-jacket photo looks *just like* a Ranger sergeant. Coincidence?

Let's start with the negatives. This book is not serious literature or hard core science fiction. There's profanity and low-brow humor throughout the book. The aliens are entirely too human-like.

Now on to what I like about the book. It's hilarious without the humor being right in your face (well, except for the farting jokes in the opening). The main characters are likable, our main hero likes to keep a low profile and doesn't go swaggering around looking for trouble, our damsel in distress has a sense of humor, the villains are just bad enough without going over the top. There are just the right amount of plot twists to make this an easy read instead of making your head spin. A little suspense, but not so much that you can't bear to put down the book to go to sleep.

This might be the book that's the most fun to read for me this year (and it's June). A very entertaining and relaxing read. I highly recommend it.

What I love about Scalzi is he is able to build fairly fleshed out worlds seamlessly. You bond fairly quickly with the main character as you zip through fun scenes and interesting plot developments. There are several parts in the book where you just laugh out loud. If you liked Agent to the Stars then you will love this story. If you haven't read Agent to the Stars then get that book ASAP. Anyways, this was a great fun ride. Mr. Scalzi, if you ever happen to stumble across this review, know that you've got a reader for life. Keep them coming and thanks for the ride :)

After reading the first chapter, you really wonder - with some level of justifiable trepidation, what level of humour awaits you in the rest of the book. Rest assured, it doesn't take long for the plot to rise from its flatulent beginnings to encompass a range of very interesting human, hybrid, extra-terrestrial and AI characters working to engineer or thwart an extra-terrestrial incident with severe repercussions for humanity. There is a great incident in the Arlington Mall, where the romantic interest has an unforgettable first date with our hero. From there on the plot just gets more involved and amusing. I was leaning towards rating this book 4 stars, but I laughed so much in the final few chapters that I had to keep wiping my eyes to finish the book, hence the top rating!

The title of John Scalzi's The Android's Dream is an obvious allusion to Philip K. Dick's classic, Do Android's Dream of Electric Sheep, but if you are expecting a reality-bending tale reminiscent of Dick's best works, you are going to be disappointed. The Android's Dream is not Dickian, but it is a fun novel that reads like a sci-version of a Carl Hiaasen book.

The book begins with a major diplomatic incident between Earth and the alien race called the Nidu. Dirk Moeller's imaginative insult to a Nidu trade representative will put humans on the brink of war with the Nidu, a war that Earth definitely does not want; after all, while the Nidu may rank 488th in military might of the 617 sentient races in the Common Confederation, Earth is at 530 and would quickly lose any fight. Fortunately, there is a way to placate the Nidu: provide them a special sheep called the Android's Dream for a coronation ritual.

Harry Creek, a war hero, computer genius and now low-level State Department employee is tapped to find this rare sheep, a hunt that is not made any easier by some intriguers intent on the sheep not being found, even if it means killing a lot of ovines in the process. Creek is indeed resourceful, however, and gets a lead with Robin Baker, a somewhat flighty pet store owner with a secret. As others catch on the secret (which even she doesn't know), she becomes a target of different factions, only some of whom want her alive. Only Creek can protect her, but that will lead a chase that will eventually take them off Earth and to the Nidu colony where Harry once fought.

As previously mentioned, Scalzi is akin to Hiaasen in style, with the latter's ability to create humor out of bizarre situations and off-beat characters. I don't want to spoil any of the humor, which is why I'm not really disclosing any of it in this review. Suffice it to say that The Android's Dream is an often funny and often suspenseful work. As an introduction to Scalzi's novels (as it was for me), it works great, as it makes you want to read more of his books in the future.

This is the first non-Old Man's War book of John Scalzi that I've read, and although I didn't enjoy it as much as the other books, I still found it quite enjoyable. Scalzi, once again, demonstrates that he can do character development as well as he can write action sequences - he doesn't get so wordy that it kills the pace, but he also writes in a way that you can relate to almost every character (even the bad guys).

Scalzi must have a soft spot in his heart for war vets, and this book seems to empathize even more with vets than the "Old Man's War" series did.

Good story, interesting twists, and enough suspense that you'll be reading past your bedtime, just to finish one more chapter - just to find out where that opening segment about flatulence will lead you next. (Yes, you read that correctly - the opening chapter is about a fart that shook up galactic politics.)

"The Android's Dream" by John Scalzi

The distant future; Man isn't alone in the universe as we have now become aware of a great number of alien races spread throughout the cosmos. Coming with this knowledge is the knowledge that the human race is near the bottom where military power is concerned. Where before there was national and international political intrigue, now there is interstellar intrigue. An ambassador of the alien race the Nidu winds up dead and the Nidu suspect murder. The death is near sparking a war however the Nidu seem willing to let things slide if Earth can come up a special item they require for a ceremony, an item that has suddenly become very rare. Needing to get things done from outside of the government, Harry Creek is tagged with the charge of finding the item and delivering it to the Nidu...

This was a refreshing read and I will be eagerly pursuing more of Scalzi's work. "The Android's Dream" which is something of a misnomer is a great read. Scalzi combines just the right amount of plot, humor and action which are all carried nicely by his prose.

The Good: Great writing overall. Scalzi delivers great characters, a well thought out plot and the right blend of action, and humor.

The Bad: Nothing memorable

Overall: Great read. If you haven't read anything by John Scalzi this is a great place to start.

By the author of "Old Man's War" (excellent) and "Redshirts" (hilarious). This book is more in the hilarious category, although the "killed by farts" line got me to read it there are some serious issues covered in this book, but even the hired killer (who eats his victims) has "humanity."

"The Android's Dream" was not exactly what I expected. I may be wrong in my assessment, but it seemed that John Scalzi was attempting to mimic Philip Dick's style in this novel. He did that adequately, and for that the novel was okay. But otherwise, this novel was not as good as "Old Man's War" or other works by the same author.

Maybe it just did not work for me, but I found the alien races described a bit inconsistently. There was much background that was not explained, and just seemed to be assumed.

The characters were okay and somewhat engaging, but again, not as good as other works by this same author.

THE ANDROID'S DREAM(2006) follows in the footsteps of books from the humorous THE HITCHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE UNIVERSE series - but with a serious Military SciFi bend. We have quite a few aliens - mostly of a militant persuasion. Set sometime in the 22nd Century, Earth is a weak new member of the Common Confederation (of planetary governments), who could easily be crushed militarily by other more powerful members - and this scenario (of being crushed) begins to come to pass, when an American Diplomat sneaks a "flatulance machine" into an interplanetary business negotiation meeting with the "Nidu" (a reptilian race with a supreme sense of smell... smells which are used much as humans use language)... The antics which transpire with the "flatulance machine" are quite laugh-out-loud funny... and lead to all sorts of wild scenes, as the hero of the book (Harry Creek) tries to "save the universe".

This book was my first introduction to John Scalzi and I intend to read a lot more of his stuff. I found the book to be very smartly written from the Sci/Fi angle and full of satirical humor to boot. It made me fall in love with the genre all over again. My first introduction to Science Fiction was through Robert Heinlein, the Dean of SciFi and I think Scalzi is a worthy successor.

I loved the idea of the Church of the Evolved Lamb, the exploration of ultimate computer hacking, DNA manipulation, impending galactic war, political shenanigans, and the relationship between Harry Creek (war hero and computer genius) and Robin Baker (a pet shop owner with sheep DNA in her genes). It's a testament to Scalzi's writing that he manages to pull all these disparate themes together and makes it so highly readable.

A few months back, I was walking through the Scifi/Fantasy section of my favorite bookstore, doing my standard routine:
- search for new books (or new to me), research and think about for ~6 months before maybe picking up', when an employee there came by and asked if we needed help. Kick in the 'avoid the car dealer/Carnie' alert, and despite me spouting, 'No', he was actually helpful and just mildly suggested 2 or 3 titles, This was one of his recommendations. Crank up my interest meter and spark my girlfriend's to life, and The Android's Dream promptly made it onto her Christmas list. Not to mention, I've had Old Man's War on my list of books to over-scrutinize for months. (another book by this author)

Luckily Santa (her mother) sent her the book and since I recently finished Cory Doctorow's 'Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town' (which is fantastic by the way) I quickly picked up Android's Dream before she could.

I am typically a standard fantasy reader but am trying to branch out, and this was a good in between book for me. More mainstream but enough creativity to spark my imagination. This is a good book for a lot of different types of readers. Its funny, has a bit of action and excitement, underlying political plots, and of course a religion started by a 'second rate scifi writer.' Its quite amusing and had me eager to read whenever I had a free moment. If you are between books, waiting for a series book, or just don't want to read anything on your shelf, pick it up, you'll like it.

I enjoyed this. It was exciting, adventurous, sarcastic, and fun. I enjoy Scalzi's sense of humor, and the dialogue between his characters is great. If you've read Old Man's War, then I think you'll enjoy this. I took me a bit to get over the fact that this isn't set in the same world as OMW, especially since the main character's name is Harry. If you haven't read Old Man's War, then this is a great introduction to Scalzi's writing style. This is more of a sci-fi thriller, where Old Man's War is definitely military sci-fi. There are some explanations of scientific topics, but not at the "hard sci-fi" level, which is great because that usually goes right over my head. There were some political explanations that went on a little too long for me, but there weren't many so I was okay with that. If you're new to Scalzi, I would suggest starting out with Old Man's War.

Absurd yet fun story, many references to classic SciFi, good chase-type story.
Certainly not on par with the Old Man's War books but still a good read.
However there are dozens of typos, grammar mistakes, spelling errors in the book - proofreading didn't happen here?

John Scalzi knows that the best way to get a reader interested in his work is to hook said reader from the opening sentence. Scalzi opens The Android's Dream with a fart joke. A really good and creative fart joke. Then he spins that fart joke into a brilliant opening chapter which sets the stage for everything that follows. Essentially, John Scalzi sells the entire novel on the premise of a fart joke and then he makes it work. Amazing. It is a work of art.

The Android's Dream is about two groups of men. One group is trying to prevent the intergalactic diplomatic incident that was begun by that opening fart joke. The other is trying to spread the floodgates open wider and really mess things up. The solution to the problems of both parties was to locate a particular sheep. Yes, a sheep. The solution to prevent an intergalactic war is to find a sheep. Obviously hijinks ensue and trouble abounds and things do not go smoothly, but from a fart joke to a sheep (and O what a sheep!), John Scalzi has put together a very funny, sharp, witty, clever, and creative novel. The Andoid's Dream is an outstanding piece of science fiction and serves as a good reminder of what the genre can do.

Really, this book deserves three or four pages of praise rather than three short paragraphs, but it is what it is. Fans of Scalzi, Science Fiction, or Good Writing: You must read this book. Period.

-Joe Sherry

When diplomat has his revenge fantasies come true Earth is pushed into a sudden diplomatic crisis. Harry Creek is then seconded from his low level diplomatic job to find a lost sheep needed to fix the crisis. A sheep on which earth's future depends.

This book is full of surprises - not the least is how such a strange plot actually works out really well. It's very different from the author's military series and it doesn't take itself too seriously. I'm glad I took the time to read this book. Once I got into it past the initial plot set up I found I really liked the characters and wanted to see what happened to them. If you like a bit of humour in your sci-fi pick up this novel.

It's four in the morning on a Wednesday (Harold Crick would appreciate the irony) and I can't stop thinking about John Scalzi. Let me say first that if you're looking for an analytic and evaluative review of "The Android's Dream" then this is most assuredly NOT the review for you. If, however, you are looking for a review that will make comparative observations between Scalzi and other authors (all beloved by said reviewer) and expound on the joys of the discovery of brilliant, dynamic, exciting and god-like in their awesome displays of talent new (albeit perhaps new to the reader) authors; then by all means read on and here's hoping I can actually manage to string together a series of words that will be of some value to those of you who, like me, regard yourselves as eccentric enough to take, and appreciate, an author for what they themselves actually write. Without trying to second guess, look obsessively for flaws, or just generally focus on those flaws as opposed to giving yourself over to the unmitigated joy of being flung head-first into someone else's world and then counting yourself LUCKY to be allowed to live there for however long that author chooses to let your adventure continue. You see, if I don't like an author I just stop buying their books and go off in search of one who will be better able to captivate my imagination and delight my brain. But I digress...
and apparently, I'm going to keep on digressing.

My introduction to SF came via the gift of Frank Herbert's "Dune". The same friend who gave me that book (noting that I was going to LOVE science fiction, I just needed an introduction to it by someone other than the author we had been assigned to read in high school) later gifted me with the hard-back first edition of "Children of Dune" easily accomplished as it had just been released. I was just 21 when I was loaned the recently released "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by another friend who made the observation that it was entirely possible that Douglas Adams and I were twin psychos (she didn't actually use the word psycho) of different mothers and I MUST read his book so I would know I was not alone in the universe. I think "The Foundation" series came after that but then there was Sherlock Holmes and my introduction to the world of mystery and can I just take a moment to say THANK YOU for Dorothy Sayers, Agatha Christie, Minette Walters, Carl Hiasson, and Caleb Carr!

At this point, I'm sure you're wondering where the h@$$ all this is going and when am I going to get back to John Scalzi for #%&^'s sake? Well, since you asked nicely.... I never really left him! Remember, I did mention earlier that this would not be a typical review per se but that I would compare him to other authors I loved, some of whom I regard as best friends although we've never actually met... and I was just getting to that part so hang in there if you can and hey I understand if you can't... Like my favorite authors to me and like I am to my actual friends and family... I am an acquired taste and if yours is already saying "ick" about mine, then by all means STOP READING and get on with your life! ;-)

At 48, I can honestly say I don't remember a time when the voracious acquisition of new and great authors didn't consume at least some part of my life. I am proud to say that I have read EVERY Simon R Green he's ever written and am collecting his new series book-by-book as it is released and I am delighted to find that while we are clearly both growing up, we are not growing "old"! I am also extremely hopeful that I will be able to say the same thing about John Scalzi in a number of years and therein lies the point (if you can call it that) that I was originally trying to make. There are authors and series I feel a real connection/kinship towards. They have expanded my mind, altered my consciousness, increased my intellect and in many cases, healed my heart. Authors and books I read and reread because I find something new about them and myself each time I do. Because I can't NOT reread them or I would be depriving myself of the company and companionship of old friends. By the way, another such "friend" is "The Immortals" series of books by Piers Anthony. In any case, much has been made of the series John Scalzi has written and indeed "Old Man's War" and "The Ghost Brigades" are EXTRAORDINARY and immensely impressive books. I am equally certain that "The Lost Colony" will be another bright star in his universe. Which is why I chose "The Android's Dream" to write about. It is not like it's siblings. Furthermore, it shouldn't be. "The Android's Dream" is NOT the same story. Is it in JS's voice? YES! Is is told with intelligence, warmth and humor? YES! But just as JS is a unique individual with many aspects of his personality, so are his books! I, for one, rejoice in that fact. It is what makes him so wonderful to read. He is not going to write one series ad-nauseum for the length of his life and then bequeath said series to his son to continue after his death so said son can continue to milk that idea for whatever it has left in order to satisfy readers who want NO deviation or diversity from their books or authors (much like avid music fans who are put off when a band decides to revisit some old songs in a new way) in that "one-trick-pony" mentality that views the world as a box of neapolitan ice cream and god help anyone with the audacity to want a flavor that tastes like root beer float or is in any way outside of their "box"! Huh??????????......... OK, so where was I?

"The Android's Dream" is richly sarcastic, darkly comedic, astonishingly insightful and scientifically authentic. It is, in point of fact, A DAMN GREAT READ; and fie on anyone who says otherwise! I am THRILLED with the way his mind works and the intelligence with which he writes. I wrote this "review" the way I did because, oddly enough, I read reviews on the store all the time and one of the reviews I found the most useful was one where other series and authors were recommended in the course of the review. It gave me a frame of reference for what the reviewer liked to read that was similar to my likes and it also gave me a couple of new places to go look. Over the years, I have learned that if an author I really respect endorses a book, then it's worth my time to take a look at it. Turns out, that is also true of reviewers but only when you know you have some common ground (literary ground that is) to stand on.

There's no question John Scalzi tells a wonderful tale and this is science fiction at its best. The universe Scalzi creates is consistent and perhaps even believable and the book starts with a wonderful cameo of human vengance in the form of flatulent slurs on another's ancestry. What is especially delightful is that this cameo not only sets up the story which follows, but also carries a moral lesson for those who seek revenge.

Even so, there is far more to Android's dream than simple science fiction. Strip away the future history. Strip away the supercharged science. Strip away all those things that require us to suspend disbelief. What is left is a rich, warm story of human beings at their worst and at their best. This is one I suspect I'll read many times.

Joel B. Reed, author of Ravenwolf, Lakota Spring, and the Jazz Phillips mystery series.

The Android's Dream is a deep tale of diplomatic intrigue where competing element from Earth and the Nidu Empire try to unravel decades of relations. At the center of it all is a sheep breed called Android's Dream. The plot is fast moving with excellent character development. While the story is primarily told from Harry Creek's perspective (a hero from and early war that's now a low-level diplomatic person [the breaker of bad news to alien diplomats], former detective, and general computer geek); secondary and tertiary characters have their moments to expand the story; each with their own little bit of personality and history (I loved Brian Javna and Andrea Hayter-Ross, and excellent twist). Timeline wise this story set prior to Old Man's War (noticeable due to the lack of nanotechnology).

Rating wise this was a solid 4.5 star book. Mr. Scalzi set a nice pace that while predictable, has interesting twists that always open another door. This makes for a believable story that almost seems to have come from the Washington DC we all love. Harry Creek is a perfect hero, offsetting with some excellent villains (Narf-win-Getag and Acuna). Since the storyline is closer to our time (I placed the story about 100 years in the future, give or take 50) the technology is very believable and doesn't overwhelm a story about people and the things they do to get ahead. However, since the store only permits me to use whole number, I'm going to round it down to 4 stars, not meaning to take anything away from this story, but it did stir me as strongly as Old Man's War did.

Btw, trivia for those that are interested, Mr. Scalzi's Android Dream name was selected from Phillip K. Dicks Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?. While no characters are named Deckard, the plot twists almost as much as Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep.

When diplomat has his revenge fantasies come true Earth is pushed into a sudden diplomatic crisis. Harry Creek is then seconded from his low level diplomatic job to find a lost sheep needed to fix the crisis. A sheep on which earth's future depends.

This book is full of surprises - not the least is how such a strange plot actually works out really well. It's very different from the author's military series and it doesn't take itself too seriously. I'm glad I took the time to read this book. Once I got into it past the initial plot set up I found I really liked the characters and wanted to see what happened to them. If you like a bit of humour in your sci-fi pick up this novel.

It's four in the morning on a Wednesday (Harold Crick would appreciate the irony) and I can't stop thinking about John Scalzi. Let me say first that if you're looking for an analytic and evaluative review of "The Android's Dream" then this is most assuredly NOT the review for you. If, however, you are looking for a review that will make comparative observations between Scalzi and other authors (all beloved by said reviewer) and expound on the joys of the discovery of brilliant, dynamic, exciting and god-like in their awesome displays of talent new (albeit perhaps new to the reader) authors; then by all means read on and here's hoping I can actually manage to string together a series of words that will be of some value to those of you who, like me, regard yourselves as eccentric enough to take, and appreciate, an author for what they themselves actually write. Without trying to second guess, look obsessively for flaws, or just generally focus on those flaws as opposed to giving yourself over to the unmitigated joy of being flung head-first into someone else's world and then counting yourself LUCKY to be allowed to live there for however long that author chooses to let your adventure continue. You see, if I don't like an author I just stop buying their books and go off in search of one who will be better able to captivate my imagination and delight my brain. But I digress...
and apparently, I'm going to keep on digressing.

My introduction to SF came via the gift of Frank Herbert's "Dune". The same friend who gave me that book (noting that I was going to LOVE science fiction, I just needed an introduction to it by someone other than the author we had been assigned to read in high school) later gifted me with the hard-back first edition of "Children of Dune" easily accomplished as it had just been released. I was just 21 when I was loaned the recently released "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by another friend who made the observation that it was entirely possible that Douglas Adams and I were twin psychos (she didn't actually use the word psycho) of different mothers and I MUST read his book so I would know I was not alone in the universe. I think "The Foundation" series came after that but then there was Sherlock Holmes and my introduction to the world of mystery and can I just take a moment to say THANK YOU for Dorothy Sayers, Agatha Christie, Minette Walters, Carl Hiasson, and Caleb Carr!

At this point, I'm sure you're wondering where the h@$$ all this is going and when am I going to get back to John Scalzi for #%&^'s sake? Well, since you asked nicely.... I never really left him! Remember, I did mention earlier that this would not be a typical review per se but that I would compare him to other authors I loved, some of whom I regard as best friends although we've never actually met... and I was just getting to that part so hang in there if you can and hey I understand if you can't... Like my favorite authors to me and like I am to my actual friends and family... I am an acquired taste and if yours is already saying "ick" about mine, then by all means STOP READING and get on with your life! ;-)

At 48, I can honestly say I don't remember a time when the voracious acquisition of new and great authors didn't consume at least some part of my life. I am proud to say that I have read EVERY Simon R Green he's ever written and am collecting his new series book-by-book as it is released and I am delighted to find that while we are clearly both growing up, we are not growing "old"! I am also extremely hopeful that I will be able to say the same thing about John Scalzi in a number of years and therein lies the point (if you can call it that) that I was originally trying to make. There are authors and series I feel a real connection/kinship towards. They have expanded my mind, altered my consciousness, increased my intellect and in many cases, healed my heart. Authors and books I read and reread because I find something new about them and myself each time I do. Because I can't NOT reread them or I would be depriving myself of the company and companionship of old friends. By the way, another such "friend" is "The Immortals" series of books by Piers Anthony. In any case, much has been made of the series John Scalzi has written and indeed "Old Man's War" and "The Ghost Brigades" are EXTRAORDINARY and immensely impressive books. I am equally certain that "The Lost Colony" will be another bright star in his universe. Which is why I chose "The Android's Dream" to write about. It is not like it's siblings. Furthermore, it shouldn't be. "The Android's Dream" is NOT the same story. Is it in JS's voice? YES! Is is told with intelligence, warmth and humor? YES! But just as JS is a unique individual with many aspects of his personality, so are his books! I, for one, rejoice in that fact. It is what makes him so wonderful to read. He is not going to write one series ad-nauseum for the length of his life and then bequeath said series to his son to continue after his death so said son can continue to milk that idea for whatever it has left in order to satisfy readers who want NO deviation or diversity from their books or authors (much like avid music fans who are put off when a band decides to revisit some old songs in a new way) in that "one-trick-pony" mentality that views the world as a box of neapolitan ice cream and god help anyone with the audacity to want a flavor that tastes like root beer float or is in any way outside of their "box"! Huh??????????......... OK, so where was I?

"The Android's Dream" is richly sarcastic, darkly comedic, astonishingly insightful and scientifically authentic. It is, in point of fact, A DAMN GREAT READ; and fie on anyone who says otherwise! I am THRILLED with the way his mind works and the intelligence with which he writes. I wrote this "review" the way I did because, oddly enough, I read reviews on the store all the time and one of the reviews I found the most useful was one where other series and authors were recommended in the course of the review. It gave me a frame of reference for what the reviewer liked to read that was similar to my likes and it also gave me a couple of new places to go look. Over the years, I have learned that if an author I really respect endorses a book, then it's worth my time to take a look at it. Turns out, that is also true of reviewers but only when you know you have some common ground (literary ground that is) to stand on.

There's no question John Scalzi tells a wonderful tale and this is science fiction at its best. The universe Scalzi creates is consistent and perhaps even believable and the book starts with a wonderful cameo of human vengance in the form of flatulent slurs on another's ancestry. What is especially delightful is that this cameo not only sets up the story which follows, but also carries a moral lesson for those who seek revenge.

Even so, there is far more to Android's dream than simple science fiction. Strip away the future history. Strip away the supercharged science. Strip away all those things that require us to suspend disbelief. What is left is a rich, warm story of human beings at their worst and at their best. This is one I suspect I'll read many times.

Joel B. Reed, author of Ravenwolf, Lakota Spring, and the Jazz Phillips mystery series.

The Android's Dream is a deep tale of diplomatic intrigue where competing element from Earth and the Nidu Empire try to unravel decades of relations. At the center of it all is a sheep breed called Android's Dream. The plot is fast moving with excellent character development. While the story is primarily told from Harry Creek's perspective (a hero from and early war that's now a low-level diplomatic person [the breaker of bad news to alien diplomats], former detective, and general computer geek); secondary and tertiary characters have their moments to expand the story; each with their own little bit of personality and history (I loved Brian Javna and Andrea Hayter-Ross, and excellent twist). Timeline wise this story set prior to Old Man's War (noticeable due to the lack of nanotechnology).

Rating wise this was a solid 4.5 star book. Mr. Scalzi set a nice pace that while predictable, has interesting twists that always open another door. This makes for a believable story that almost seems to have come from the Washington DC we all love. Harry Creek is a perfect hero, offsetting with some excellent villains (Narf-win-Getag and Acuna). Since the storyline is closer to our time (I placed the story about 100 years in the future, give or take 50) the technology is very believable and doesn't overwhelm a story about people and the things they do to get ahead. However, since the store only permits me to use whole number, I'm going to round it down to 4 stars, not meaning to take anything away from this story, but it did stir me as strongly as Old Man's War did.

Btw, trivia for those that are interested, Mr. Scalzi's Android Dream name was selected from Phillip K. Dicks Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?. While no characters are named Deckard, the plot twists almost as much as Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep.

Scalzi is nothing if not original. He's best known for the "Old Man's War" military series, but this off-the-wall yarn is quite different, being a combination of spy fiction, interplanetary conspiracies, deliberately created theology (by a third-rate science fiction author-slash-con man, no less), a satirical treatment of federal bureaucracy, some intriguing future computer applications (involving a resurrected infantryman turned semi-superhero) planet-busting space fleets, and through it all a cynical, dour humor and some great dialogue. And every now and then, the laughter freezes in your throat when the plot shows its teeth. A good weekend's read.

Another great story from John Scalzi. He takes his unique brand of sci-fi adventure, adds in come fun characters and then mixes it together with a convoluted plot so full of twist and turns it would out do any roller coaster. Along the way the reader gets taken on a fun ride which has very little down time and really gets the imagination going!

Blade Runner's Papa (The author of "Do Androids's Dream of Electric Sheep" which by the magic of Hollywood became "Blade Runner" the movie) would be proud. And that is high praise because all three stories are absolute winners. The styles are different and this one takes some getting used to, but that was also true of the original in its time. Scalzi is not at his best when he is writing about "dimwits", but with intelligent action heroes he is unexcelled. Just the scene in the Shopping Mall is worth the whole book and could be an unforgettable film sequence. If you like it half as much as I did, you will be very pleased.

An interplanetary incident is about to explode when the Nidu (read alien, sort of reptilian) trade representative dies in a suicidal rage induced by carefully aimed odors. Yes, of course, the story takes place far in the future, faster-than-light travel is commonplace, the world is shared by a number of alien species, and--of course--unless the Nidu can be pacified, the destruction of the world as we know it seems likely. And soon. What the Nidu want is a sheep of a rare breed (The Android's Dream) to be used in a sacrifice as part of their coronation ceremony. Turns out the sheep have all been destroyed EXCEPT for humble pet shop owner Robin Baker who happens to have some sheep DNA. (Don't ask, don't ask). Harry Creek is the low level State Department official who is trying to deliver Robin for the ceremony without getting her killed, while interdepartmental mayhem makes everything exceedingly complex.

The novel includes page-turning adventures, a dramatic shoot-out in a mall, death-defying escapes, satifical riffs on previous Sci Fi themes, even a religion started by a former sci fi writer. Imagine that. While the story is mostly pretty silly, it does move right along, and everything turns out well in the end, as you would expect.

That said, I must add that the book is not well written, with numerous typos, unnecessary repetitions, unnecessary adjectives, way too many characters, too many vulgarisms, and an excess of violence and bodily fluids. If you like space opera (and satire) you will probably enjoy this one. And naughty bathroom humor, oh yes. Reviewed by Louis N. Gruber.

John Scalzi is the best. I will read anything by him because I know I will be impressed. Having just finished the Old Man's War quadrilogy as well as Your Hate Mail Will Be Graded, I didn't want to read anything unless it came from John Scalzi's imagination. Thus, I came upon The Android's Dream and was nothing but impressed. Scalzi is an incredibly intelligent, funny, exciting writer that one can be nothing but impressed by his style. People compare him to Robert Heinlein, but are missing one major thing:

John Scalzi is better than Heinlein.

-O'Brien

I don't want to give any spoilers, so it's difficult to explain why this novel seems average to me. The history of how the religion was created and the character of Brian were interesting, but the character development was just average. For me, I never cared about the characters and what might happen to them so I didnt fell "caught up" in the story.

Philip K. Dick inspired this elegant book - if you liked "Blade Runner" you saw a distilled version of "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep." "Minority Report" is a bit closer to the trademark Dick fire hose of new, wild, fascinating ideas.

The razzle-dazzle of ideas can elbow out plot or character, though Dick's women (or maybe woman) character(s) have a minimalist charm.

Scalzi captures the razzle-dazzle, but also makes you think twice about the characters, and at least one, the heroine, has a voice that made me imagine Katherine Hepburn playing Robin Baker. If you can imagine a brontosaurus skeleton collapsing under her, or making you care about "divorced couple re-marries," then I think you are ready for "pet store owner becomes Queen of the Galaxy" (okay, just one alien species, but that's part of the Scalci charm).

The Church of the Evolved Lamb is especially well realized, a riff on, "suppose we invent our own church?" as well as Dick's own mystical experience, friendship with Bishop Pike (the early church was a mushroom cult, but personally magnetic) and even the fate-freedom aspect of Greek tragedy. The SF hack who inadvertently writes a prophetic scripture does sound like Phil Dick, and Horselover Fat, but maybe also Jubal Harshaw.

Okay, Hepburn passed away - would Sandra Bullock dye her hair red for the role?

This is my favorite Scalzi novel, and this "review" is to point you to the main page for The Android's Dream
-- where you will find it for around $7 or less. My real review of AD is there, too.

Happy reading--
Peter D Tillman

Scalzi has quickly become a favorite of mine in recent months. He reminds me a great deal of Robert A. Heinlein, blending quirky humor with fast-moving plots. In this novel, Scalzi uses a complicated mish-mash of events that deftly weaves satire, interstellar cloak and dagger, moral questions, and action. I won't go into any of the details, but there are several moments in the book that are truly laugh out loud funny. The satire is sharp enough to cause several involuntary gasps of incredulity, especially when the target is L. Ron Hubbard's "Scientology".

The novel reminds me poignantly of several, earlier works, chief of which are Heinlein's The Star Beast and Friday. Like these earlier works, there are questions about the nature of sentience and humanity that are answered only through the trials that the characters journey through. Don't expect complex characters, though. Characters here are a charcoal sketch at best, drawn with broad strokes that leave room for the reader to interpret their actions by placing themselves in the character's shoes. Some may say that this type of characterization is typical in Scalzi's work before ripping him on character development, but that would be an unfair criticism. The characters are drawn as they need to be in order for Scalzi to tell the story that he wants to tell. All else is dross.

Do yourselves a favor by picking this one up.

I enjoyed the old mans war books, but this one surpasses them. This was the first book in over a year that I bought and just could not put down until it was done.

I am not going to tell you anything about the book since everyone else has already done that. But I will tell you that if you like sci-fi with a bit of humor, then this is one you must buy. If you like a novel that is well written and has charcters that you can identify with, then buy this book.

Eh, I don't know if I'll read Scalzi again. I mean, the fart thing was indeed hilarious. But as a female reader, the three female characters (amongst many, many males) were pretty lacking in substance. Only one female alien, mentioned in passing, notable for cheating on her spouse. The other two show early in their development a pathetic romantic/sexual interest in the male characters they first encounter. One of them is naturally the offspring of a genetic freak. An entire separate species of alien is integral to the story, and not one female among them is introduced. Disappointing.
If you're a man, you'll probably like this book. If you're a woman looking for strong, interesting, complex female characters to be included in your sci fi, you might want to go somewhere else, because it isn't here. The dust jacket claims the author is married with two daughters. Does his subsequent writing begin to introduce more complex, interesting females? Because he is a good writer, I hope he begins to take into account his family dynamics and realize that replacing a few of the male characters in his writing with females makes it better for all.

The Android's Dream is a humorous science fiction story about a man and a woman, along with aliens, sentient computer programs, made-up religions, various government agencies, a visit to a mall, a space cruise, and, of course, sheep. The first chapter is rather crude humor, but don't let that throw you; it is a hilarious and wonderful book.

This was a really fun book to read with the kind of quirky, geeky humor that I like. I can't think of any reason why I should give it any less than 5 stars. The plot was complex, but easy to follow, and I laughed out loud many times throughout the book. The first chapter is my favorite. Totally unexpected, but set the theme for the rest of the book. This was the first John Scalzi book I've read, but definitely won't be the last!

This book is really funny! It is full of funny situations which make me chuckle even after I am done reading the book. Also, the plot has some nice twists till the end. The book has some nice science fiction too, but do not really read it like a science fiction. The first few pages might seem a little cheap, but after that I just could not put it down.

I would like to add that the title of the book is not very apt and I am curious to know why did the author come up with the title "Android's Dream".

Futuristic computer network - check
Fart jokes - check
Aliens - check
Weird sex fetishes - check
Entertaining, fast-paced story - check

Overall, a great book to relax with on vacation. The humor is great. The writing is uncomplicated. The characters are a lot of fun.

The strong points of this novel are its humor and a few original ideas about computers, artificial intelligence and 'cult' mentality. Scalzi does know how to make a satire of contemporary international politics and American society. Those things make it a good and fun read for the most part.

However, there are a few moments where the text degenerates into action-type Hollywoodesque scenes. It actually becomes boring in those bits. The hero is also quite an uninteresting and unbelievable character: he is too smart, too strong and too good to be true. Again, like in Hollywood.

One wonders if Scalzi was hoping to get his novel to the big screen at some point. He might.

After his time as a war hero in some OLD MAN'S WAR, Harry Creek enjoys the anonymity of being a minor State Department employee who works with alien ambassadors assigned to Earth. However, a monstrous blunder has occurred when an earth diplomat kills a representative of the technologically superior Nidu race. They demand reparations or else they will turn earth into a wasteland for this affront.

Harry is assigned to meet the Nidu demand of finding and delivering the Android's Dream, an electric-blue sheep needed for their coronation ceremony. The military on both sides wants the mission to fail so they can obtain an increase in funding at the cost of a few million or billion lives and be recognized as heroes. Department of Defense snipers and Nidu marines try to assassinate Harry, who has found one clue to the whereabouts of the blue Android's Dream. Pet store owner Robin Baker contains sheep DNA in her genes. Now all they have to do is escape earth, avoid space marines and the followers of the Church of the Evolved Lamb, and land on Nidu where he is unwanted and she is the guest of honor.

With THE ANDROID'S DREAM and the OLD MAN'S WAR, John Scalzi is carving out a special niche in the military science fiction arena as he lampoons those leaders who sit back in air conditioned safety taunting the enemy with bring it while others do their fighting. The military on both sides of the conflict and religious groups want to prevent Harry from succeeding because those in charge seek personal affirmation and glory. Adding to the fun of the tale is the ironic self jab at a twenty-first century sci fi author writing about sacred sheep that in the future has become the foundation for a religious movement. This is a great satire by an author to watch unless you are the Commander in Chief, a VP to busy to have served, or a Defense Department general officer and their civilian equivalent/superior.

Harriet Klausner

Scalzi has written a pretty funny book about interstellar diplomacy where genetically modified sheep acts as a centrepiece. Do not give it up after reading the somewhat vulgar opening scene, where a well timed fart causes a diplomatic crisis. This book is actually better than it pretends to be. But, as is not unfamiliar to Scalzi, it does go a bit overboard at times. However this only makes the book stroger, imho, because we are forced to realise the this is entertainment for its own sake. Not some deeply thought out philosofical considerations being novelised.

If you want a good space-operatic novel with lots of humour and cool things, this is it. If you want deep thoughts and heavy philosophy, go somewhere else.

I really enjoyed The Android's Dream. Many people apparently want every book to be Dune or The Moon is a Harsh Mistress... but funny, light-hearted, and well written is a combination not many authors do well which is why Scalzi is awesome. I would love to see a sequel!

Like many who were disappointed in Android's Dream, I am a fan of Scalzi's other work and believe he is capable of much better. Obviously I did not expect this novel to be in the SF militarism vein of Ghost Brigades, etc., and I believe I am judging it on the merits of what it actually attempts to do.

Android's Dream reads very much like an oddball 1960s-era SF novel full of goofy social commentary. Brand names are delivered occasionally with a TM, for example. In this sense the novel is very much an homage to Phillip K. Dick. Everyone remembers the paranoia and reality bending of Dick's work. Few people remember (for some reason) the humor and social commentary. So I believe I see what Scalzi is going for here, but the trouble is, what might have seemed like biting social commentary in 1966 is just trite and lame in 2008. Strange products. Weird advertising. Gee.

So funny this book is not.

However, it does have just a huge amount of very interesting alien culture, a very unique and intricate plot, conspiracies, secret organizations, and horrors galore. On that level the book is certainly worth a read. Scalzi's imagination is as vivid and fun as ever.

The biggest beef I have with this book are what I think of as outright errors. Scalzi begins with an acknowledgment tipping his hat to the famous friends (Cory Doctorow!) who read the MS before publication and gave him guidance. What I read really makes me question the intelligence of those good writers who helped him.

For example, an important plot point hinges on an artificial meat product (grown in vats without the aid of actual living animals) called Boar/Bison. The product is a genetic merging, somehow, of boar meat and bison meat. The logo features a friendly bison-ish boar wearing cowboy boots. At one point the question arises as to whether boar/bison is kosher. The two individuals discussing this issue state clearly that the question of kosher-ness depends on whether the combined boar/bison creature would have cloven hooves. Now, I'm not Jewish, but I happen to know that both pigs and bison have cloven hooves--in fact, all hoofed animals have cloven hooves except for the horse, donkey, zebra, and, I suppose, hippopotamus. Jews are not forbidden from eating cloven-hoofed mammals. They eat beef, sheep, goat, and so on. This discussion was just so profoundly ignorant that I nearly put the book down right there.

A similar bit of ignorance is manifested in a scene where our hero and the "sheep" are fighting some bad guys in a mall. Our hero hits a fire alarm which causes various fire doors to swing shut. Ok. But then the narration makes it clear that none of these doors can be opened until the fire marshal arrives, thereby preventing the bad guys (and everyone else) from escaping. Obviously I don't know what fire safety regulations will be like in the future but it would be a pretty pernicious system that purposefully traps people in burning buildings.

Maybe it's just me, but these two episodes really bothered me. I'm still willing to give the book a weak recommendation. But all these 5-star reviews? Come on, people. Have at least some level of discrimination.

It's tough to leave impressions which haven't already been touched upon, but this book was simply engaging and fun to read. I picked this up impulsively after suffering through a couple of dry novels, and this really rejuvenated my interest in sci-fi.

Such a perfect blend of humor, sci-fi, and drama- one of the best I've read in quite some time.

I really enjoyed this book. I had the chance to listen to it. Wil Wheaten is a very engaging narrator. I felt like it took a little long for the plot to pick up, and there were a lot of different characters. Not just human but other aliens, so it for a little hard to follow. Nonetheless a very entertaining book and it would make an awesome movie.

This is one of the funniest books I have read in a long time.Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy is the only satire I can think of in this league.

There were so many great lines (including the first) that I almost started highlighting them.

Great fun - as good as his other books but in a completely different way! The title refers to the Phillip K Dick story that inspired Bladerunner.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I found the presented ideas creative and bizarre at the same time a combination which had me chuckling most of the time while reading this book.

To avoid spoilers I refrain from listing the ideas here; if you like sci-fi in general and do not look for super deeply intellectual literature then this book is for you. 5 stars for entertainment value! (Very seldom that you find so many cool ideas in one book...)

Scalzi shows himself once again to be one of the most inventive sci-fi guys writing. While every aspect of the plot is completely ridiculous and unbelievable, the whole is more than the sum of its parts and hangs together in a way that will have you laughing throughout.

funny, funny -- laugh out loud hit the pillow comedy. I really enjoy how the author was able to be very humorous, but at the same time develop an intricate plot that encompasses interesting (semi believable) characters, and topics like politics, and even love, and of course some really mind blowing technology from artificial intelligence to a very advance body odor generator! At the end there is even a little bit of some weird transcendental plot that is revealed.
Enjoy, but be warn, this book is very difficult to put down once you start it.

Where Old Man's War may have been a nod to Heinlein, this is more of a nod to Douglas Adams. The Publisher's Weekly synopsis gives you a fair overview of the story, but there are some nice twists that the review doesn't spoil (and I won't either). This was the second Scalzi book I've read - I'm ordering more and looking very forward to his future works.

Scalzi's, "The Android's Dream" is a lot of fun. One of those rare pieces of sciencefiction that has you laughing out loud (with the author, not at him). I would have liked it even better if not for the subtle attack on religious faith.

Any book that starts out with a fart joke has me right away ;-) It was a great premise and well executed. I love the sense of humor in the book and I hope he puts out a few more exploring the world in Android's Dream, there's a thousand books of stories in it!

I very much loved reading this book, as well as his other sci fi novels. The only complaint I have about this particular book is the poor editing. There's a ton of typos! I think, if this goes into a reprint, they should re-edit the book. Despite the editing, this was a wonderful, funny book to read.

I read "Old Man's War" first, and was expecting something similar. Ready to quit after about 10 pages, but at 20 pages couldn't stop. I went to work sleepy a couple of days, reading this too late into the night. No, it's not "Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy", it stands on it's own merits. Scalzi has his own sense of humor, and it sure had me laughing.

The Android's Dream had me hooked from the fart (the diplomatic incident that nearly starts a war) and it kept me on the edge of my sheep the whole time. Part satire, part homage (to PKD) and completely filled with Scalzi's signature witty dialog makes this a novel that does not disappoint.

I enjoyed Scalzi's series that began with The Ghost Brigade very much and looked forward to seeing what his more lighthearted fiction would be like. I should have known better when I read the first sentence, "Dirk Moeller didn't know if he could fart his way into a diplomatic incident", but I hoped that an adolescent sense of humor would not dominate the novel and spoil the book. I was wrong. I gave up completely some time after page 100 when I learned that the female lead character was part sheep, being the offspring of a genetically modified part-human part-sheep bred for males with certain sexual proclivities usually alluded to in bad jokes about farm boys.
So why did I give it even 2 stars? Despite the flaws, I was enjoying the intricate conspiracies among all sorts of political, religious, and other interests and found some genuine sweetness in some of the characters and situations. This could have been a book I would have recommended, if the humor had been raised above (or maybe to the level of) Animal House.
If your sense of humor is VERY broad (to put it politely), then maybe you would enjoy this book. If you are looking for the kind of thoughtful story you would expect from the author of The Ghost Brigade, perhaps you should wait for Scalzi's next book.

This joky book is an easy entertaining read. The title is a bit of a tease. Its a reference to one of Philip Dick's novels but this mildly book seems to be based more on Keith Laumer's Retief novels. Another example of Scalzi's creative recycling of old SF themes.

... unless you consider disembowlings, casual mutilation, and being slowly eaten by aliens light-hearted. And that's what happens to innocents in the book, much less to main characters.

Considering that the book opens with a chapter-long fart joke, and involves among other things a church that worships an evolved sheep, I was expecting a lot more Douglas Adams, and a lot less Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The humor's certainly there, but after one too many slow, juicy deaths, I skipped ahead to the ending, and found it decidedly flat.

You may still want to give it a try, as Scalzi can certainly write. I'm eagerly awaiting a paperback of his book "The Last Colony" myself. Just be aware that this book isn't 100% what the cover implies.

If you enjoy a good story, Scalzi delivers. That the book is SciFi is a bonus. Read this ... read the Old Man's War series. My fav author new to me in the last year. I hope he is at his desk writing right now so I can read another.

I'm not an avid book reader, nor had I really been successful in reading a novel from front to back. I would say this would be my 4th completed book that was read word to word and the first scifi genre. My good friend recommended this book and I'm glad she did. It was like watching a good ol' futuristic 80's movie, fantastic and left me wanting more.

To paraphrase Roger Ebert, its unfair to belittle a work for not living up to your own unreasonable expectations - someone going to see Hellboy is not interested in it vis a vis Casablanca. In that vein, I've read enough of Scalzi that I'm not expecting Iain M Banks' esque sci-fi, or Douglas Adams-esque humor. Unfortunately, the expectation of humor in itself proves too much. The book isn't funny, except for the odd chuckle - the promised fart joke is a case of trying too har. The plot is... thin gruel at best, and the contortions don't even attempt to follow their own internal logic. Somewhere in here there is an idea for a book, but this version isn't it.

John Scalzi, in my mind, has established himself as one of the premier writers of SF in the early 21st century. He did not get here by having agents purchase praise from reviewers, but by writing excellent quality stories. Thank you, John. Your work is a refreshing alternative from the juvenile garbage flooding the market.

Scalzi seems to be trying to keep at least a dozen plots moving along in this book, but really only succeeds with two or three of them. If you are looking for humor, there isn't nearly as much here as the title/cover/blurbs would suggest. It's more of an action novel with some funny bits thrown in. The plot is convoluted beyond reason and - like so many futuristic books/movies/tv shows comes down to the enemy stupidly allowing our heroes to take control of their entire armed forces by accessing a computer network.

I did enjoy one of the aliens, and the AI(s) quite a bit and our leading characters are pretty likable as well. Unfortunately, the piling up of fortunate escapes, cardboard villains, and unlikely plot complications lead me to the final 2* rating. If you like the idea of a comedy/action SF series centered around diplomacy, I highly recommend Keith Laumer's Retief novels and short stories from the 60s-80s. They are much more successful at achieving what The Android's Dream attempts than this novel is.

This book is a bit of a departure from OMW and the Ghost Brigades. If you've read his on-line novel 'Agent to the Stars' then you'll have a feel for this sci-fi comedy/farce.

Very entertaining and and easy read.

John Scalzi, in my mind, has established himself as one of the premier writers of SF in the early 21st century. He did not get here by having agents purchase praise from reviewers, but by writing excellent quality stories. Thank you, John. Your work is a refreshing alternative from the juvenile garbage flooding the market.

Scalzi seems to be trying to keep at least a dozen plots moving along in this book, but really only succeeds with two or three of them. If you are looking for humor, there isn't nearly as much here as the title/cover/blurbs would suggest. It's more of an action novel with some funny bits thrown in. The plot is convoluted beyond reason and - like so many futuristic books/movies/tv shows comes down to the enemy stupidly allowing our heroes to take control of their entire armed forces by accessing a computer network.

I did enjoy one of the aliens, and the AI(s) quite a bit and our leading characters are pretty likable as well. Unfortunately, the piling up of fortunate escapes, cardboard villains, and unlikely plot complications lead me to the final 2* rating. If you like the idea of a comedy/action SF series centered around diplomacy, I highly recommend Keith Laumer's Retief novels and short stories from the 60s-80s. They are much more successful at achieving what The Android's Dream attempts than this novel is.

This book is a bit of a departure from OMW and the Ghost Brigades. If you've read his on-line novel 'Agent to the Stars' then you'll have a feel for this sci-fi comedy/farce.

Very entertaining and and easy read.

I bought this book but was unable to read it because the font size was too small, while there is nothing wrong with my eyesight. Did anybody else have the same problem? Is it possible to tell then font size by the product information provided? Many thanks.