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The Android's Dream (The Android's Dream #1)

by John Scalzi (Goodreads Author)

3.96 · Rating Details · 12,295 Ratings · 1,176 Reviews

A human diplomat kills his alien counterpart. Earth is on the verge of war with a vastly superior alien race. A lone man races against time and a host of enemies to find the one object that can save our planet and our people from alien enslavement...

A sheep.

That's right, a sheep. And if you think that's the most surprising thing about this book, wait until you read Chapter

...more

Hardcover, 396 pages

Published November 2006 by Tor Books (first published October 31st 2006)

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Lists with This Book

Best Science Fiction of the 21st Century

96th out of 538 books — 5,797 voters

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The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams

Life, the Universe and Everything by Douglas Adams

So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish by Douglas Adams

Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams

Best Comedic Sci-Fi Books

20th out of 412 books — 899 voters

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Community Reviews

(showing 1-30)

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May 28, 2016 Lyn rated it really liked it

I got a fever, and the only prescription is more Scalzi.

description

Could have read The Ghost Brigades, could have read Fuzzy Nation, but if there is a book in the “to be read” stack whose title is an unmistakable Philip K. Dick reference, then this was clearly the right choice.

And it was a good choice

Like a book by PKD, John Scalzi’s The Android’s Dream packs a lot to think about into an economically written, tightly wound package. From the genetically designed electric blue sheep, to a variety of alien ra ...more

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Aug 14, 2007 Peggy rated it it was amazing

Although I've heard nothing but good things about John Scalzi's Old Man's War, I still haven't gotten around to reading it. Which, given how much sheer fun The Android's Dream is, makes me an idiot. Seriously. If you can put this book down after reading the first paragraph, you're a better person than me. It's got action. It's got adventure. It's got power politics and strange alien races. It's got the snappiest dialogue since Nick & Nora Charles set the banter highwater mark. Get it. Read i ...more

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May 12, 2015 Michael rated it really liked it

Shelves: humor, fiction, science-fiction, aliens, artificial-intelligence

A delightful romp of a space opera crossed with an espionage caper. For this entertainment we bid goodbye to the gloom of dystopias and dark post-apocalyptic struggles (with or without zombies) and return to a time when humans of merit have the agency to save the world from villains. The villains here include aliens with colonial exploitation of Earth in mind and bumbling, backstabbing bureaucrats vying for a piece of their action.

Instead of invading, the reptilian Nidu are buying up our suburbs A delightful romp of a space opera crossed with an espionage caper. For this entertainment we bid goodbye to the gloom of dystopias and dark post-apocalyptic struggles (with or without zombies) and return to a time when humans of merit have the agency to save the world from villains. The villains here include aliens with colonial exploitation of Earth in mind and bumbling, backstabbing bureaucrats vying for a piece of their action.

Instead of invading, the reptilian Nidu are buying up our suburbs and bribing our politicians for beneficial business deals. The Earth’s administration has recently joined the Common Confederation of intelligent galactic species as a junior member, on the lines of a third world country missing the military might required for power and respect. We know we are in for a bit of madcap Spy vs. Spy when some dirty tricks by agents of the think tank American Institute of Colonization to stall trade negotiations with the Ministry of Trade to make the Nidu fall out of favor ends up backfiring.

Dirk Moeller didn’t think he could fart his way into a major diplomatic incident. But he was willing to try.

Bravo for Scalzi not being afraid of employing low humor. Also, for leaving it alone most of the time. I won’t spoil the fun with details, but it’s fair to say that the Nidu are angry, and though far down in the power structure of the confederation of species, they have the capacity to crush Earth. It’s enough to make permanent enemies in the Departments of State and Defense start to work together. The Nidu are able to extract a favor, which is to locate a blue sheep of a special rare gene-mod breed needed as a critical part of coronation of the next ruler of their extreme top-down society. Our intrepid hero Harry, a lowly State Department staffer, is assigned this important but daffy task and soon uncovers why a certain pet store owner, Robin, is the key to resolving the sheep chase.

But a rival Nidu family line wants that secret to take the throne themselves. And Harry, due to his training as a soldier in a disastrous Nidu-on-Nidu colonial war they dragged humans into, has the skills and motivation to protect Robin against both rival factions and humans bought in as mercenaries. A pyrotechnic shootout and escape at the mall with Robin is enough to make him turn rogue on the order of Bruce Willis in “Die Hard.”. A lot of thrilling action is served up with aplomb and eventually we change venue to off-planet locations. Their secret weapon is an AI created as a simulation of Harry’s compatriot Brian, who lost his life in the Nidu war. The big showdown has a surprising and satisfying conclusion.

When it was all over, my first reaction was to grade it 3 stars as pleasant, mindless entertainment. But soon I came to recognize how this kind of clever fun is rare in sci fi literature these days and upped the stars a notch. After all, I consider comic thriller films like Men in Black and The Fifth Element worth high stars, and unlike some old Heinlein novels of yore that approached comparable madcap plots, I didn’t have to put up with libertarian preaching.
...more

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Oct 21, 2014 Jim rated it really liked it

Shelves: scifi, 2fiction, 1paper

3.5 stars or a bit more. It was a fun read, a conspiracy theory, SF adventure with lots of tongue in cheek humor, coincidences & odd aliens. Scalzi has a lot of fun poking sticks at legal systems, religions & diplomacy. There is a lot of computer work in it, including some very interesting points about data collection & privacy that is quite obviously pointed at our current system. An interesting read, although I doubt I'll ever read it again. Half the fun was not knowing what would ...more

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Aug 05, 2011 Jason rated it really liked it

Shelves: e-books, read-2011

4 Stars

My first John Scalzi book that I have read and I will now grab up his other books as I am now a fan. This is a tough review to write as by saying what I like about this book might make it seem like it less than it really is.

This is a funny book. It is filled with clever wit, funny parodies, and downright corny jokes. The jokes are all over this one and give it a great feel, without actually detracting from the science. This is a science fiction novel, a space opera, and a futuriistic cons 4 Stars

My first John Scalzi book that I have read and I will now grab up his other books as I am now a fan. This is a tough review to write as by saying what I like about this book might make it seem like it less than it really is.

This is a funny book. It is filled with clever wit, funny parodies, and downright corny jokes. The jokes are all over this one and give it a great feel, without actually detracting from the science. This is a science fiction novel, a space opera, and a futuriistic conspiracy novel where the stakes are nothing less than the fate of the Earth and all the people living on it. The jokes add color and flare to the action and chase scenes. They coincide with the plot points and move the story forward. At times they have you laughing out loud.

The first chapter had me hooked, an Earth trade representive developed an anal device and used it to enrage an alien diplomat by farting. "We're pretty sure that it's a device used to send chemical signals the Nidu could smell and interpret through a code of theirs. We think that your guy hid this until he got into the room, and the used it to enrage the Nidu negotiator into a stroke. He had a heart attack right after. He died laughing, Ted. It didn't look very good.". Too funny, an alien strokes out because of too much bad farting and the gassy man dies of a heart attack laughing his butt off.

"Dr Atkinson had warned James for years to eat a more balanced diet..." James was eating too much meat.

"Then in the afternoon we start on livestock quotas. We begin with sheep."
" Do ewe think that's a good idea?". Haha so baaaaaad it's funny.

The story is a straight forward sci-fi involving the Earth, Alien races, traitors, and impending war(doom). There are many cool creatures, gadgets, and technologies. Creek is a likeable lead and Robin is equally easy to identify with. There are a couple of typical bad guys for us to hate, and a pace that keeps us interested. The action is decent, and the prose is competent too. I really feel that it is the integration of so much humor and sattire that made this one a good read.

I highly recommend this book to science fiction readers that don't take themselves too seriously and fans of books by Terry Pratchett would probably appreciate the wit of John Scalzi. ...more

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Jan 16, 2009 Erika rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I wasn’t going to write a review of this book because I couldn’t really think of anything to say. It was great, funny, wrapped up with pretty much all eventualities covered. A typical John Scalzi book.

The recap: There’s been a diplomatic disaster. Two people are dead - human Dirk Moeller and Nidu trade negotiator Lars-win-Getag. The Nidu are an alien race inhabiting the worlds surrounding Earth. Known for their tempers and disregard for races and species other than their own, the Nidu make unwel I wasn’t going to write a review of this book because I couldn’t really think of anything to say. It was great, funny, wrapped up with pretty much all eventualities covered. A typical John Scalzi book.

The recap: There’s been a diplomatic disaster. Two people are dead - human Dirk Moeller and Nidu trade negotiator Lars-win-Getag. The Nidu are an alien race inhabiting the worlds surrounding Earth. Known for their tempers and disregard for races and species other than their own, the Nidu make unwelcome, wicked neighbors that, for the safety of Earth’s population, must be handled with great care and sensitivity.

So when a mysterious object is found lodged inside of the dead Dirk Moeller’s ass, Secretary of State Jim Heffer becomes suspicious. The Nidu use a mixture of subtle scents to communicate to each other on a physiological level available only to Nidu, and high caste Nidu at that. Could Moeller have provoked Lars-win-Getag on purpose and antagonized him flatulently into a rage potent enough to give him a heart attack?

Of course, the Nidu need little in the way of provocation to find an excuse to be angry with humanity. Incensed, they propose a deal: find the electric blue Android’s Dream sheep needed for the Nidu’s upcoming coronation ceremony and the entire matter will be forgiven.

Unfortunately for Earth, this particular breed is mysteriously and rapidly disappearing. Anti-Nidu sentiment is high and it seems someone has a head start on defeating the already tenuous peace negotiations.

Determined to salvage the situation, Heffer recruits army veteran Harry Creek, known for his technological prowess and intellectual capacity despite an easy State Department desk job. Now he’s on the hunt for both the sheep and the manufacturer of Moeller’s device in a journey that will include saving an Unmodified Pet store owner, destroying the inside of a shopping mall, a cult, and an interstellar space cruise.

Android’s Dream is a satirical blend of culture and technology. There are no dates to ground ourselves on the Scalzi timeline. On this Earth, psuedo-vegetarians (meat-lovers with a guilty conscience) rule the market with genetically vatted meats grown entirely independent of any animal intervention. There’s even hybrid meats, like the Bison Boar Burger coexisting on a world where Spam is still consumed with relish and delight.

Scalzi is a writer who knows how to pace his stride and deliver a punch line and snappy, witty dialogue. He’s not a world builder, he’s a character builder, constructing his novel from an utterly human perspective with a keen eye for alien psychology. Scalzi has a firm grasp on what motivates each of his characters and their reactions are some of the most realistic I’ve ever read. I love the dynamics of the unlikely friendships and relationships that develop. It’s too bad most of them happen at the end of things: life, the novel. But the depth of each connection is so strong and wholly believable, a few pages of touching openness, honesty, and complete vulnerability is enough to convince me two kindred souls finally found each other. Which is amazing considering the fast-paced action and “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End”-esque back-stabbing and one-up-manship that made for one hilariously entertaining read.

At times, the solutions seemed a bit too clever, if you know what I mean: Scalzi sitting at his computer cackling maliciously at his own genius. But, I supposed what bothered me the most was the lack of loose ends that make for effervescent speculation once I close a book. My imagination was being told what to and not to expect from this universe and none of that silly “what if” nonsense! There’s worse things I could find to complain about, though.

Android’s Dream is a must-read for everyone, including fans of his Old Man’s War trilogy. Some of the tropes are re-used: alien negotiations, alien politics, military adventure, and God-trigger military weaponry, but Android’s Dream is more than just a few Science Fiction conventions. I love this book and I hope you will, too! ...more

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Sep 27, 2016 Veronique rated it really liked it

Shelves: audiobooks, stars-4-0, 2016

Another completely mad plot, totally out there, meant to crash and burn, and yet… and yet… Scalzi pulls it off of course.

For want of a better word, this is a scifi comedy, full of action, fast-paced chases, colourful characters, aliens, jumping shoes, spacecrafts, politics, conspiracies, fart language, sharp dialogue, and sheep, well one particular genetically modified one that is. And if this wasn’t enough, an homage to Philip K Dick. Yes it IS silly but, like Agent to the Stars, this is not a ...more

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Aug 24, 2012 Eric rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: Fans of humorous sci-fi

Shelves: science-fiction, humor, audiobooks, john-scalzi

I'm glad I read this after reading John Scalzi's Redshirts. Had I read The Android's Dream first, I would have been slightly disappointed in Redshirts, as it wasn't as funny as The Android's Dream. And it wasn't just funny, either. It had memorable characters, great action sequences, and a plot filled with twists, turns and intergalactic political intrigue.

And to think I almost stopped reading this book in the first chapter when a character kills an alien dignitary with an anal device programme ...more

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Jan 11, 2009 Chris rated it it was ok

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jun 13, 2012 Ben Babcock rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: from-library, science-fiction, thriller, artificial-intelligence, 2012-read

Redshirts wasn't in stock Tuesday, and Kobo's DRM shenanigans made me loath to purchase the ebook despite my shiny new tablet. Fortunately, I had already borrowed The Android's Dream from the library. I try to pace myself between books by the same author, but in this case I suppose I'm making an exception. Not that I mind in John Scalzi's case.

The Android's Dream is what I would call clever but zany SF. It's about the race against time to find a breed of sheep to prevent a diplomatic investment ...more

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Nov 07, 2015 Wiebke (1book1review) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobooks

I went into this blind, as usual, and really didn't know what was going to happen and it was hilarious. The beginning had me laughing out loud wondering if Scalzi was serious and wondering where the story would go from there. And he managed to keep it going to the end.

The events were funny, captivating and action filled.
There were many characters pulling different strings. I really liked Creek and Robin and their interactions.
I Like how nothing ever seems too serious in Scalzi's novels, no matte ...more

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May 29, 2009 Sheila rated it did not like it

Shelves: recommended-to-me, didn-t-finish

I always hate it when I don't like a book someone recommends to me, but after a chapter and a half I realized that a) I hadn't found a single character I liked yet, and b) the author and I don't share the same sense of humor at all. So, back to the library with this.

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Aug 22, 2014 John Boettcher rated it really liked it

The story starts off strong, which many of Scalzi's nooks do. That's no a bad mark against it, just stating a fact. The book gets off to a great start and you wonder where it is going to go from there. For those of you who haven't read this one yet, make sure you pay pretty close attention in the first parts of the book, as they will com back later in the story and tie everything together.

Let's see,negatives. There were some points in the book where it doesn't seem like everything matches up. P ...more

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Sep 11, 2010 The Flooze rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: sci-fi, vanquished_2010, owned

**A little over three stars.**

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

My introduction to Scalzi was Agent to the Stars. The curious pairing of a slick Hollywood agent with a gelatinous alien life form made for fascinating, funny reading. It also made me hate the man. You see, Agent to the Stars was written as a "practice book." Scalzi decided to try his hand at writing a novel simply to discover if he could create something of that length and depth of plot. The resultant book had a great premise, enjoyable characters and fluid pacing.

The Android’s Dream bears certain similarities. Filled with quirky characters and loopy twists, it displays Scalzi’s aptitude for weird situations and strange modes of thought. Beginning with an interplanetary diplomatic disaster, the book incorporates government conspiracies, artificial intelligence, animal husbandry, prophetic poems, sex scandals…most anything you can think of has its place in the snafu that occurs between Earth and the representatives from Nidu.

Caught up in all this is Harry Creek. He’s the government’s go-to guy when it comes to issuing bad news. He also happens to be a brilliant, resourceful war veteran who knows how to fly under the radar. Tapped to find a lost sheep, Creek’s existence quickly devolves to life on the run as he attempts to stay one step ahead of assassins and fanatics.

The dialogue is snarky and utterly droll--which I love. The action sequences are exciting with an edge of the ludicrous. The overall plot focuses on both big political machinations and personal trials, with well-placed, well-crafted info dumps--just enough information to understand the world, but not so much that passages become bogged down with details.

With all of these positives, why on earth did it take me a month to finish?

I’m not quite sure. There was something indefinably off about the pacing, plus I couldn’t get fully invested in the maneuverings of the government officials. Also, this edition was riddled with typos: misplaced/repeated words and transposed letters irked me just enough to pull me out of the story for a moment.

Still, Scalzi impresses me with his off-beat humor and imaginative details. My mixed feelings on this book won’t prevent me from picking up his other titles.
...more

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Feb 04, 2012 Christopher Sears rated it liked it

Shelves: personal-library, science-fiction

I've been ~~trolling~~ reading John Scalzi's blog Whatever for a while, and I figured I should get around to reading some of his fiction. I found The Android's Dream at a bookstore, and decided to pick it up.

The tone of the first half of the novel is erratic. There are elements of humor, a political thriller, one section that almost made me sick, and some shoot-em-up violence that goes into great detail. There is very little use of science fiction that is critical to the plot. At one point I thought ...more

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Aug 14, 2009 Anita rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: fans of slightly twisted humor, Christopher Moore, Terry Pratchett, or Lee Martinez

Shelves: library, fantasy-funny, five-star-favorites, science-fiction, paranormal-mystery

This is a science fiction novel with a whole lot of political intrigue, comic book style action, and wry humor thrown in. It was so much fun to read! It's science fiction, not fantasy, but if you are a fan of slightly twisted humor, Christopher Moore, Terry Pratchett, or Lee Martinez, you might like this book.

The premise is that Earth is a newcomer to the intergalactic community and has touchy political relations with its biggest trading partner, the Nidu (they look like big lizards). Some secto ...more

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Jul 20, 2016 Cherie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: published-since-2000, read-audio

Warning: this story is not what you think it is!

IF you think it is about an android dreaming about sheep, you are wrong! Ignore the summary and just start reading. I especially recommend the audio book version narrated by Wil Wheaton.

After re-starting twice because of the gross opening, the humor finally kicked in and I was able to enjoy this book. Everything "works out" in the end.

I would really like to thank Wil Wheaton for his entertaining narration! A 10 star performance. I was amazed at how ...more

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Sep 22, 2016 Timothy Ward rated it really liked it

Shelves: science-fiction, audiobooks, alien-invasion, 2016

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 ...more

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Jun 22, 2014 Ric rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Scalzi has this knack for conjuring up crazy SF scenarios, and then back filling through info-dumps to make them seem possible, or at least suspend disbelief for the duration of a read. The Android's Dream is as crazy as it gets. It starts with an assasin's killer fart and just goes on from there.

It is entertaining, quite so, and the mix of comedy, action and soliloquizes are just enough to keep one engaged. Of course somewhere midway until the end, I am just dumbfounded at where all these ideas ...more

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Sep 13, 2013 Xan rated it liked it · review of another edition

Manual para crear un conflicto interestelar capaz de aniquilar tu propia especie.
1. Asesina a un alto funcionario de tus pretendidamente aliados alienígenas a base de insultos olorosos. La coliflor, en este caso, ayuda.
2. Contrata a un grupo de asesinos para acabar con lo único que puede evitar una guerra.
3. Sorpréndete cando aparece el heroe.

Más cerca de El agente de las estrellas que de Las Brigadas Fantasma, el libro tiene elementos de los otros dos trabajos. Es una novela entretenida, a rat ...more

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Feb 13, 2012 Ron rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, ebook

Not quite up to Scalzi's usual standards. Oh, it's a fun read, kind of The Moon is a Harsh Mistress meets Miles Vorkosigan, with all sorts of sly in-side jokes: Creek's initials, Sam's gender, the messaging by scent (expanded in Agent to the Stars), etc. Labyrinthine plot(s).

What's not to like? Scalzi let his send up of organized religion in general (and L. Ron Hubbard's Church of Scientology in particular) derail the story several times. It distracted from the flow.

The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress ...more

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Apr 18, 2015 AndrewP rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audio-books, science-fiction, humour, read-in-2015

I listened to the one as an audio book read by Wil Wheaton. For me, Scalzi's books, read Wheaton are a win win combination. Wheaton has just the right voice, and does just the right tones and inflections to match Scalzi's odd humor.

The title of this book comes from a genetically modified breed of sheep with bright blue wool. The name 'Androids Dream' is based on an obscure literary reference :)

This is a story of humorous interstellar politics, weird alien races, a human who is 20% sheep DNA, a b ...more

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Dec 09, 2008 Jack rated it liked it

Shelves: sf

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Aug 23, 2015 Mercedes rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: cita-a-ciegas

Una historia de ciencia ficción con ciertas dosis de humor y un final inesperado. Me encantan los finales sorprendentes :).
Mi primera "Cita a ciegas" ha sido todo un éxito.

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Oct 24, 2014 Tina rated it liked it

Shelves: disappointing

I definitely enjoyed reading this novel, but I have trouble giving a book 4 stars when I can’t ignore the problems I find while reading. But, let’s start with the good stuff. This novel is hilarious. The situations, the irony, the tongue-in-cheek humour, and the blatant satire are all bang-on. I laughed quite a bit! The alien creatures, especially the Nagcht, were fairly original, and Acuna was a hilariously insane character – probably my favourite.

Yet, despite it being a self-acknowledged farc I definitely enjoyed reading this novel, but I have trouble giving a book 4 stars when I can’t ignore the problems I find while reading. But, let’s start with the good stuff. This novel is hilarious. The situations, the irony, the tongue-in-cheek humour, and the blatant satire are all bang-on. I laughed quite a bit! The alien creatures, especially the Nagcht, were fairly original, and Acuna was a hilariously insane character – probably my favourite.

Yet, despite it being a self-acknowledged farce, I felt like it was missing something. The novel reads like a one off – while reading you know there isn’t going to be some emotional or literary value to it and you know you’ll forget it within in an hour of finishing it – I don’t know, to me, it was lacking a sense of poignancy and purpose. Not every novel has to have that, but given all the backstory, it seemed like there should have been more to it.

In this vein, it needed more description. Yes, I’m the one who often complains about too much exposition in novels, but when there are alien creatures involved, you need to explain what they look like. I had no idea the Nidu were Reptilian in appearance until six or seven chapters in. And, because we’re dealing with a one-off novel, all this insane background information about diplomatic relations between Earth and Nidu had to be jammed in, making it read almost like a newspaper article at times. I would have loved to have seen this book fleshed out as a trilogy – going deeper into the Nidu culture and more background about the other alien cultures as well. It just seemed like a LOT of information to throw at a reader for such a short novel. And you couldn’t cut anything out, because it all was relevant to the plot. As such, I found the novel rushed and a whirlwind. It all made sense and I LIKED the general plot idea, but it just felt like I was battered in the face with information and then it was done.

Too bad, because it really was funny and I did enjoy it.

One other issue that I didn’t reflect in my rating (because it’s probably not intentional) but I wanted to comment on: why are there no female characters for the first 100 pages? If this is in the future, there are bound to be female congressmen and senators and FBI agents and all that – granted Jarva and all them weren’t really fleshed out in-depth, but (and perhaps, given this) couldn’t one of them have been a woman? Jarva easily could have been female and that would have mollified me. The only female characters you have are the (albeit very funny) AI and Robin (who was kind of useless). I guess it would have been strange if Robin had all-of-a-sudden been a fighter or knew how to fire a gun, but it would have made her less of a damsel-in-distress with a rather bland personality. And she didn’t feel like a genuine woman to me – she felt like a man writing a woman the way he thinks women are. Stephen King’s Carrie felt like a woman, where Robin did not. Personally, if some guy noticed I had a tampon in my purse, I wouldn’t comment on it or even care, but Robin seems to be embarrassed about it. It was just little things like that which distanced me from the story, because I didn’t feel there was anyone I could relate to, regarding the women. But that’s just me, so, again, I didn’t include that in my rating of the novel. :)
...more

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May 06, 2009 Jeffrey rated it liked it

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

Perhaps not as good of a first line as "Call me Ishmael", or "It was a pleasure to burn", or "I am a sick man, I am a spiteful man", or even "As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a giant insect", but it was good enough to catch me.

I first read this book about a year ago, and I must say, the only things I remembered about i "Dirk Moeller didn't know if he could fart his way into a major diplomatic incident. But he was ready to find out."

Perhaps not as good of a first line as "Call me Ishmael", or "It was a pleasure to burn", or "I am a sick man, I am a spiteful man", or even "As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a giant insect", but it was good enough to catch me.

I first read this book about a year ago, and I must say, the only things I remembered about it was the first chapter and that the title was some reference to Philip K. Dick's masterpiece "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep". Having that poor of a memory for a plot, doesn't bode well. Having recently had the book returned to me, partially read (also not boding well); I decided to read it again.

As you can guess from its first sentence, there is some humor in the book. It isn't as good (because it is insightful) as Douglas Adams or Terry Pratchett. In fact, I would put it somewhere near Neil Stephenson. What? Not known for his humor, you say? Well, this book, like many of Neil's are packed with self-referential and insider humor from geek culture. Luckily, unlike Stephenson, John Scalzi can keep his stories short and sweet. For those of you that are Mormons, imagine Mormon cinema without the crappy actors, crappy writers, or crappy plot. Okay, maybe the right comparison.

Science fiction tends to explore the boundary cases of science, religion, society, and humanity to better understand the behavior on the inside. Put another way, Science fiction is to mainstream fiction as PDEs are to Taylor polynomials. Too geeky again, I can tell. Anyway, the book more pokes a stick at the dead body rather than performs CSI miracles. Hmm, let me put it this way.

The Android's Dream could very easily be made into a sequel for "The Fifth Element". Same tone, same irksome morality/theology thoughts, same level of action and explosions (you would want Bruce Willis back if you could get him at his Die Hard age). I like that. The Android's Dream is the Fifth Element of the book world.

Or, The Android's Dream is to Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep as The Fifth Element is to Blade Runner. ...more

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Mar 16, 2015 Elizabeth rated it liked it

Shelves: speculative-fiction, fiction

I am SO torn. On one hand, I greatly enjoyed most of this book, and was a bit sad when it was over. It's got an imaginative and unpredictable plot, and clever world-building. It's an interplanetary political thriller with a brilliant sense of humor. I laughed, and I kept turning pages, mostly eagerly.

On the other hand, two things are true about this book and I really, really wish one or the other wasn't. First, in a large cast, there are two female characters of any significance, and both are mo ...more

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Jan 23, 2016 Matt Pillsbury rated it really liked it

Shelves: funny-sf

The Android's Dream is a bizarre, hilarious take on formulaic espionage thrillers, taking the typical cast of politicians, cabinet officials, diplomats, mercenary thugs and sleazy lobbyists, and moving them into a future where humanity is a new member of an interstellar community of sentient species, and Earth is generally regarded as a minor backwater. While slightly unusual, it isn't the setting, nor the likable but familiar characters, that make this book as good as it is. Instead, it is the ...more

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Mar 19, 2015 Graeme Dunlop rated it really liked it

I'm reading my way through Scalzi's back catalogue to see whether I like his earlier work. Looks like I do!

To complete an alien coronation ceremony, a very special sheep is required -- the Android's Dream. No other sheep will do. Unfortunately, there's a problem: they're all dead!

Troubleshooter Harry Creek is hired by his friend at the State Department to find an Android's Dream. But neither he nor his friend Ben understand what they're really getting into. After a violent encounter at a mall, t ...more

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Aug 21, 2016 Zula rated it really liked it

Ambasadorul extraterestru este asasinat cu besini de ambasadorul terestru (razbunare personala). Relatiile devin foarte incordate. Extraterestrii sunt dispusi sa renunte la razboi, daca oamenii le fac rost de o oaie speciala ce trebuie sacrificata in timpul ceremoniei de incoronare a regelui lor. Cineva asasineaza toate oile existente, cu exceptia uneia. Se numeste Robin si e o gagica roscata.... wait... what?! :))
Extraterestrii incearca sa convinga sistemul juridic terestru ca Robin este propie ...more

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About John Scalzi

John Scalzi, having declared his absolute boredom with biographies, disappeared in a puff of glitter and lilac scent.

(If you want to contact John, using the mail function here is a really bad way to do it. Go to his site and use the contact information you find there.)

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“Even then, retailers learned early that shoppers prefer their shopping suggestions not be too truthful. One of the great unwritten chapters of retail intelligence programming featured a “personal shopper” program that all-too-accurately modeled the shoppers’ desires and outputted purchase ideas based on what shoppers really wanted as opposed to what they wanted known that they wanted. This resulted in one overcompensatingly masculine test user receiving suggestions for an anal plug and a tribute art book for classic homoerotic artist Tom of Finland, while a female test user in the throes of a nasty divorce received suggestions for a small handgun, a portable bandsaw, and several gallons of an industrial solvent used to reduce organic matter to an easily drainable slurry.” — 3 likes

“Dirk Moeller didn’t know if he could fart his way into a major diplomatic incident. But he was ready to find out.” — 3 likes

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