SciFi and Fantasy eBook Club discussion

I'm a little over a third the way into the book now and I have to say that I thought I was going to hate it. For about the first 300 or so locations I wasn't sure I'd continue reading at all.

Then, I suddenly found myself highly entertained by the strangeness of it all. The different aliens described are amusing and I kinda like that Earth is part of a galactic empire but also a colonial power and still divided up into numerous individual countries.

I'm curious if it will still be as amusing as I continue through, but for now I'm having a good time.

I read this not too long ago and loved it. I gave it 5 stars. Scalzi's humor always seems to hit me in the right spot and I've enjoyed his other humorous books too.

I embraced the over-the-top flavor of it. Human/sheep hybrids, religions started by con artists, annoying aliens with diplomatic immunity, human consciousness in a computer program? I loved it all.

I enjoyed this a lot. At the beginning, perhaps for obvious reasons if you've read the first paragraph, I thought this was going to be a humorous book in the vein of Harry Harrison's Bill, the Galactic Hero or similar. But it got a bit more serious, and while keeping a satirical edge, it was not first and foremost a comedy, though it definitely kept that satire and humor coming though not at an overbearing rate.

All in all I liked the way the story unfolded, how the characters were varied and interesting (maybe not always 100% believable in all cases, but that's a very minor nit-pick). Ultimately I gave it 4/5 GoodReads stars, as it was missing some spark of artistry or such that would carry it beyond a very good read into the realm of something I'd want to read again, in spite of knowing how it ends.

I have to say that any story that begins with a death by fart has me intrigued. It settled down a little after that but I enjoyed the satire of religion and politics. For me it had a Douglas Adams/Terry Pratchett meets Star Trek Federation of Planets thing going on. Lots of political wrangling and intrigue throughout kept me interested, though a bit confusing at times.

I heard somewhere that there's a sequel in the works... I hope Harry Creek's character remains as protagonist & that the intrigue & humor are just as central.

I like fun he pokes at the political machine. There are the stupid who get position through graft, the subversive who angle and position to achieve tbier own ends, and in between good men who have to pick up the pieces. All served up on a silver satirical platter.

I tried, half-heartedly possibly, I managed about 10 pages. It's now been deleted.

A veggie world? No way! Every bloke in the world likes a bacon sarnie, wars have been fought over less.

If that's not enough to stretch credulity, speaking via an anal probe is the most ridiculous SF idea ever.

Comedy should be subtle or clever or even better, both. This is slapstick and bad slapstick as I see it. Not my cup of tea.

I like that Creek is vastly over qualified for the job he has. Instead of a slacker it makes him almost wiser than those around him. He has seen and done things and could have power but walks away from it. He is the reluctant hero, which is my favorite kind of hero. I like a hero that is more than he appears to be.

Chas wrote: "I tried, half-heartedly possibly, I managed about 10 pages. It's now been deleted.

A veggie world? No way! Every bloke in the world likes a bacon sarnie, wars have been fought over less.

If that'..."

FWIW, I found that the absurdist humor retreated a bit toward the background after the first 10% of the book -- in fact, I ended up not really thinking of it as comedy, but more as a somewhat satirical novel with occasional moments of outright humor.

I agree. It started out as very much in the Douglas Adams Hitchiker's vein but that settled down and it became almost a Jason Bourne with satirical moments kind of thing. It did occasionally remind me that it wasn't a straight thriller with things like the sheep woman and the girl with 10% sheep Dna. that's not something you see every day.

I got this to listen to on a road trip next week. From the above comments, I think it will be a good travel book.

I listened to his book Redshirts on a road trip and his books do travel well. They're engaging enough that you're paying attention but not so complex that your full attention is needed....

I read this a few months back and enjoyed all the quirky bits - especially the anti-grav shoe bouncy castle scene.
The twists leading up to the ending suggested the plot going one way, but it went in a way I really didn't expect - excellent.
I did find some of the middle sections a little confusing - where you have two sides, each with their hit men, each chasing around - I found I lost track a bit of who was working for whom and what their side wanted. But I just went along for the ride and kept going and it didn't matter that much in the end. (I'd have preferred it a little clearer though.)

And one tiny item of inconsistency - near the beginning (I think) sheep in the field are being infected on purpose with a disease. I seem to remember it was by injection - I do know at the time I thought "no way would a flock of sheep stand still for something like that, not even for the farmer, let alone a stranger". You try walking on a footpath through a sheep field and see what happens.... :)

All the --Getag lineage and political hierarchy really was very confusing. I was very much "into" the story, but I just let it go in one ear and out the other on some of it. I felt like to really appreciate that stuff I would have needed to make a flow chart. I loved the book but was unwilling to make that kind of effort. All in all though I did like this book.

Loved this book. Great spin on an old title. Really nothing I expected it to be.