A review by zlibrarian
A Very Scalzi Christmas by John Scalzi

4.0

As John Scalzi states in the introduction, “Christmas (and the holidays on either side of it) gives me something to write about and have fun with on an annual basis”, and for some years he’s done so on his author website and other places. If you’re a fan of his fast-paced science fiction novels, this may -- or may not -- be for you. I don’t know. All I know is that sometimes the need for escapism manifests as a need to laugh, and this collection, which includes three previously unpublished pieces, answers. In this book, Santa’s lawyer discusses liability; there’s a lively argument between a human narrator and a sentient, fridge-raiding month of November; a Thanksgiving grace that includes alien invasion, a robot uprising, and dinosaurs; poetry; political satire; and short fiction, as well as giddily satirical articles claiming to tell the true origins and purposes of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s music, TV holiday specials, and social behavior. So is this satire, fantasy, or science fiction? All three! Enjoy. Maybe give someone A Very Scalzi Christmas as a gift.