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4.17 AVERAGE
4.17 AVERAGE
I was hoping for a great book, expecting a good one. What I got wasn't either. Not Scalzi's best work, in fact, it's the worst Scalzi I've read.
You probably know it's what the authour likes to call a 'reboot' of a classic novel - [b:Little Fuzzy|1440148|Little Fuzzy|H. Beam Piper|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51pCPvGVA3L._SL75_.jpg|1876891]. That book is a personal favourite, and much loved by a lot of sci-fi fans, so I'm sure there were many people concerned the outcome would be. I'm happy to report he didn't just try to 'update' or 'improve' it. Instead, he took some of the characters and background and a portion of the plot line and went his own way. That's cool, and exactly what I would have hoped for. It makes it easy to review this book without standing in the shadow of Piper. It really stands on it's own, except the only good parts are the parts lifted from Piper.
The backdrop was slopped together with a trowel and crayons - I mean how many times do you have to tell us just how terribly nasty a lizard creature with 'raptor' in it's name is? Or even explain that's why they've got raptor in their name? Then top it off with a scene lifted straight out of [book:Jurassic Park|6424171.
Did I mention everybody's carrying iPads this year?
The main character starts out as an immature twit, and progresses to slimy lawyer. Even in the epilogue Scalzi's trying to reclaim him as a good guy at heart, but it just doesn't work.
The Fuzzies are cardboard cut outs, except Papa who abruptly becomes a 1960 Walt Disney style Native American when the plot needs a kick.
The dog Carl must be a stand in for Scalzi's new real life dog, because he's the only one in the whole book that seems to have gotten any attention.
The action is predictable, the outcome pretty obvious. Just skip this one, and hope Scalzi returns to form with his next book.
You probably know it's what the authour likes to call a 'reboot' of a classic novel - [b:Little Fuzzy|1440148|Little Fuzzy|H. Beam Piper|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51pCPvGVA3L._SL75_.jpg|1876891]. That book is a personal favourite, and much loved by a lot of sci-fi fans, so I'm sure there were many people concerned the outcome would be. I'm happy to report he didn't just try to 'update' or 'improve' it. Instead, he took some of the characters and background and a portion of the plot line and went his own way. That's cool, and exactly what I would have hoped for. It makes it easy to review this book without standing in the shadow of Piper. It really stands on it's own, except the only good parts are the parts lifted from Piper.
The backdrop was slopped together with a trowel and crayons - I mean how many times do you have to tell us just how terribly nasty a lizard creature with 'raptor' in it's name is? Or even explain that's why they've got raptor in their name? Then top it off with a scene lifted straight out of [book:Jurassic Park|6424171.
Did I mention everybody's carrying iPads this year?
The main character starts out as an immature twit, and progresses to slimy lawyer. Even in the epilogue Scalzi's trying to reclaim him as a good guy at heart, but it just doesn't work.
The Fuzzies are cardboard cut outs, except Papa who abruptly becomes a 1960 Walt Disney style Native American when the plot needs a kick.
The dog Carl must be a stand in for Scalzi's new real life dog, because he's the only one in the whole book that seems to have gotten any attention.
The action is predictable, the outcome pretty obvious. Just skip this one, and hope Scalzi returns to form with his next book.
funny
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
If men intent on doing good choose to use the same methods as men intent on doing evil, are they still good men? Exploring questions like this is a major reason that I love science fiction. It takes us outside our ingrained everyday prejudices, and allows us to examine important issues from a fresh perspective. Sometimes it allows us to look at things we couldn't otherwise bear to see.
There was a scene in this book that almost made me stop reading. It was horrific, and heartbreaking, and I wanted to turn away. But the scene, like the rest of the book, was telling an important truth, and things like that scene happen every day here in our sad little present-day reality.
Jack Holloway isn't exactly a choir boy, but the universe could use more pains-in-the-ass like him.
A nice update to H. Beam Piper's original for those who hadn't read the original - LITTLE FUZZY.
Not really sure why we needed it though,
Still like the original more, but Scalzi adds in a few nice touches
Not really sure why we needed it though,
Still like the original more, but Scalzi adds in a few nice touches
Thanks, Wil Wheaton, for your reading of [b:Redshirts|13055592|Redshirts|John Scalzi|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1348617890s/13055592.jpg|18130445]. I mean that with all honesty and sincerity, because I can clearly hear your voice reading this one too.
Back to the story. I'll say upfront: I haven't read [b:Little Fuzzy|1440148|Little Fuzzy (Fuzzy Sapiens #1)|H. Beam Piper|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1348972417s/1440148.jpg|1876891] (yet, though I think it just got moved way up my to-read list) so this is all based on Fuzzy Nation and is in no way a comparison. (Having the finished product approved by the estate is usually a good sign though.)
The beginning was great, and really set the scene. Later I realized I wasn't ever certain of Holloway's motivation (or comparative sanity, for that matter). Normally that would annoy me, but in this case it just left me in the same boat as the other characters.
I picked it up expecting to read it over a few days, and finished it in one. And then immediately passed it on to someone else to read. What does that tell you?
Back to the story. I'll say upfront: I haven't read [b:Little Fuzzy|1440148|Little Fuzzy (Fuzzy Sapiens #1)|H. Beam Piper|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1348972417s/1440148.jpg|1876891] (yet, though I think it just got moved way up my to-read list) so this is all based on Fuzzy Nation and is in no way a comparison. (Having the finished product approved by the estate is usually a good sign though.)
The beginning was great, and really set the scene. Later I realized I wasn't ever certain of Holloway's motivation (or comparative sanity, for that matter). Normally that would annoy me, but in this case it just left me in the same boat as the other characters.
Spoiler
So we have a wannabe-xenobiologist, an ex-lawyer, and a bomb-exploding dog. Sounds like the beginning to a bad joke, but strangely it does all work.I picked it up expecting to read it over a few days, and finished it in one. And then immediately passed it on to someone else to read. What does that tell you?
adventurous
dark
funny
fast-paced
Jack is an asshole and I loved every minute of it. This book is 100x better than it's source material and infinitely more satisfying.
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I haven't read the original, but Scalzi's version, like all of his works, tackles some serious issues in a way that is still light an fun. Also like many of Scalzi's works, this book benefits from having sarcastic narration but Wil Wheaton :)