As I mentioned lo these many years ago, well, two years ago, or nearly, the novels of John Scalzi present an interesting take on internet marketing. For one thing, it’s unlikely I would have read them if I didn’t read and enjoy his Whatever, so score one for internet marketing. On the other hand, I haven’t actually purchased any of them, so score not-one for internet marketing. What has happened is that I’ve picked them up of the library shelf, and I suppose enough people doing that is likely to lead to libraries purchasing more copies, so score about half of one for internet marketing. On the other hand, I might well have picked up The Android’s Dream from the library shelf anyway, because it’s got an awfully good cover, and you know. Book. Cover. Judging. Right? Score one for old-fashioned marketing. And then there’s the secondary internet marketing: hands up all Gentle Readers who have spent money on Mr. Scalzi’s stuff, after first hearing about him on this Tohu Bohu. Anyone? Bueller?
As for this book, well, it’s a lighthearted space-opera, and it is a fair amount of fun, but sadly a lot of the humor didn’t quite work for me. This time through. I could see the jokes, and I could even appreciate the jokes, but I wasn’t amused by the jokes. Most of them, anyway. On the other hand, the plot, silly as it was, worked extremely well, and despite Mr. Scalzi’s claim that the book had no deep themes, there were actually a handful of things that I think could well be picked up and dealt with in post-novel conversations with substantial bullshit-depth. The idea of nationhood, statehood and species-hood, for instance. The place of prophecy in religion, and the place of religion in prophecy. The idea of a more-or-less approved irresponsible youth of really profound degeneracy. It’s all treated with a light hand, thank goodness, but if I were living in a dorm...
Tolerabimus quod tolerare debemus,
-Vardibidian.