Now, I might be biased because I like John Scalzi's stuff, but this book was really good. It starts slower than a normal Scalzi book, and takes a couple of chapters to really get going, but I am glad I was patient with it. Apart from that its a quick easy read. Its a typical Scalzi book, light hearted and fun. I think this one requires you suspend disbelief a little harder than others (except perhaps for Redshirts) but that doesn't make it less enjoyable.
This is a classic Scalzi book -- novel, fun, a little bit funny, and in sync with the time it was created in. A story set around a product manager laid off during the pandemic, and then presented with an... unusal employment option, the book moves quickly and in a way which keeps you engaged. Yet another Scalzi book I really enjoyed.
Another fast run read from Mr Scalzi, this book is the sequel to The Collapsing Empire. I think this book is actually better than the first, which I guess is fair given the first had to set the universe up. I particularly like the twist about two thirds of the way through this one, and I think the universe has a lot of potential to be really interesting in future books. Mr Scalzi remains on my I-buy-everything-he-does list. I wish he'd write another book in the Old Man's War universe.
A sequel to Lock In, this book is a quick and fun read of a murder mystery. It has Scalzi's distinctive style which has generally meshed quite well for me, so it's not surprise that I enjoyed this book.
Lifehacker kindly pointed out that the Hugo nominees are out for 2018. They are: The Collapsing Empire, by John Scalzi. I've read this one and liked it. New York 2140, by Kim Stanley Robinson. I've had a difficult time with Kim's work in the past, but perhaps I'll one day read this. Provenance, by Ann Leckie. I liked Ancillary Justice, but failed to fully read the sequel, so I guess we'll wait and see on this one. Raven Stratagem, by Yoon Ha Lee. I know nothing! Six Wakes, by Mur Lafferty. Again, I know nothing about this book or this author. So a few there to consider in the future.
This is a fun fast read, as is everything by Mr Scalzi. The basic premise here is that of a set of interdependent colonies that are about to lose their ability to trade with each other, and are therefore doomed. Oh, except they don't know that and are busy having petty trade wars instead. It isn't a super intellectual read, but it is fun and does leave me wanting to know what happens to the empire...
I don't read as much as I should these days, but one author I always make time for is John Scalzi. This is the next book in the Old Man's War universe, and it continues from where The Human Division ended on a cliff hanger. So, let's get that out of the way -- ending a book on a cliff hanger is a dick move and John is a bad bad man. Then again I really enjoyed The Human Division, so I will probably forgive him. I don't think this book is as good as The Human Division, but its a solid book. I enjoyed reading it and it wasn't a chore like some books this far into a universe can be (I'm looking at you, Asimov share cropped books). The conclusion to the story arc is sensible, and not something I would have predicted, so overall I'm going to put this book on my mental list of the very many non-terrible Scalzi books.
I originally read this as a series of short stories released on the kindle, but the paperback collation of those has been out for a while and deserved a read. These stories are classic Scalzi, and read well. If you like the Old Man's War universe you will like this book. The chapters of the book are free standing because of how they were originally written, and that makes the book a bit disjointed. The cliff hanger at the end is also pretty annoying given the next book hasn't been released. So, an interesting experiment that perhaps isn't perfect, but is well worth the read.
I know I like Scalzi stuff, but each series is so different that I like them all in different ways. I don't think he's written a murder mystery before, and this book was just as good as Old Man's War, which is a pretty high bar. This book revolves around a murder being investigated by someone who can only interact with the real world via personal androids. Its different from anything else I've seen, and a unique idea is pretty rare these days. Highly recommended.
I was super excited to get my hands on the latest John Scalzi book because I've really liked his previous stuff. Unfortunately while this book is fun I feel that the underlying concept is pretty weak... Its more of a toy boy than something which makes you think, which is a disappointment to me. Don't get me wrong, the overall execution is good, but the book feels lazily plotted, much like a badly done Harry Harrison does. So, if that sort of thing annoys you, give this one a miss.