The Android's Dream by John Scalzi (audiobook narrated by Wil Wheaton) - Paul's Review

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Title: The Android's Dream
Author: John Scalzi
Year Published: 2006

Narrator: Wil Wheaton
Audiobook Length: 10 hours 34 minutes


Synopsis: 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 One. Welcome to The Android's Dream.

For Harry Creek, it's quickly becoming a nightmare. All he wants is to do his uncomplicated mid-level diplomatic job with Earth's State Department. But his past training and skills get him tapped to save the planet--and to protect pet store owner Robin Baker, whose own past holds the key to the whereabouts of that lost sheep. Doing both will take him from lava-strewn battlefields to alien halls of power. All in a day's work. Maybe it's time for a raise.

Throw in two-timing freelance mercenaries, political lobbyists with megalomaniac tendencies, aliens on a religious quest, and an artificial intelligence with unusual backstory, and you've got more than just your usual science fiction adventure story. You've got The Android's Dream.

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Review: I really enjoy John Scalzi's audiobooks read by Wil Wheaton. I can listen to them for hours at a time without getting bored, falling asleep, or getting completely confused. These are the perfect type of books to listen to. I have tried listening to massive sci-fi books, but I feel a good sci-fi audiobook needs humor. 

Scalzi's futures always feel more realistic. The humor is found in the mundane and procedural. The Android's Dream is D.C. politics, but in the future with aliens. It is a fun sci-fi adventure with law and procedure added in. 

The technology in this novel is all very cool. The artificial intelligence too. Scalzi does an excellent job of placing guns on the mantle that always get fired in the third act. The way everything falls into place feels very natural. It always comes down to the specifics. 

I like the way religion was portrayed. A self fulfilling prophetic group is such an interesting concept. 

Wil Wheaton does an excellent job capturing the light humor as well as the interesting sci-fi details.I give this audiobook a 4/5 and will definitely continue to listen to more Scalzi/Wheaton combos. 


--PAUL