The Android's Dream

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

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3.93 of 5 stars 3.93  ·  rating details  ·  4,514 ratings  ·  500 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
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Community Reviews

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Jim
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
Peggy
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
Chris
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
Sheila
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.
Jason
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...more
The Flooze
**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 somethi...more
Erika
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...more
Jack
Dec 09, 2008 Jack rated it 3 of 5 stars
Shelves: sf
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
Ron
This book is like a big-budget sci-fi action flick, but in a good way. Let's imagine a Paul Verhoeven spectrum; this novel's a lot closer to Robocop than Total Recall. Or, if you must have a literary parallel: Ross Thomas. Action, humor, biting social commentary... Scalzi's got it all. Can't wait for the sequel!
Andreas
Earth is very low on the pecking order of the galactic stage. Our closest associates are the Nidu, who are pretty much low-lives themselves. After a diplomatic incident caused by a disgruntled and vengeful State Department employee, the Nidu have Earth in their sights in a Machiavellian scheme involving a coup d’état and a sheep. The sheep, a very special breed, is to be used for the Nidu succession ceremony. Enter Harry Creek, war veteran and problem solver, who now has to find the sheep and ke...more
David
Oy, I like John Scalzi, but his writing doesn't always click with me. I give this book 3.5 stars, which I round up to 4 'cause I like the author. I suppose his books could best be described as "sci-fi comfort food"; entertaining, lightweight, nothing that makes you think too hard. The Android's Dream seem to be trying to mine Douglas Adams territory with a mix of space opera and humor; the humor worked okay, but at the expense of the space opera.

Basically, it's the future, and Earth is part of a...more
Matt Pillsbury
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 makes the book shine. Instead, it is the long info...more
Sarah Sammis
John Scalzi is best known for his hard science fiction like Old Man's War and The Ghost Brigades but I've so far only read his satyrical science fiction: Agent to the Stars and The Android's Dream. While The Android's Dream isn't a sequel to Agent to the Stars it feels like it could be a far future follow up to the present day satire.

The book opens with a human diplomat insulting and then killing an alien dignitary with his flatulence. Now the world's governments have to come together to stop an...more
Anita
Aug 14, 2009 Anita rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fans of slightly twisted humor, Christopher Moore, Terry Pratchett, or Lee Martinez
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
steven
At first glance along the inside cover, one might form the opinion that this is one of those supposedly humorous books that pointedly fail to deliver on the laughs. Au contraire! The humour is, thankfully, secondary; this is an action-packed novel with an actual plot, along with political intrigue, shoot-outs, and escapes from impossible situations. The jokes are there as icing on the cake, and to make the highly improbable seem like the setup for a well-timed joke.

There are a couple problems wi...more
Jamie
Oct 08, 2009 Jamie rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: diplomats, vets, and people who like a bizarre sci-fi story
Shelves: fiction, sci-fi, political
This is the first non-"Old Man's War" book of John Scalzi that I've read, and although I didn't enjoy it as much as the other books, I still found it quite enjoyable. Scalzi, once again, demonstrates that he can do character development as well as he can write action sequences - he doesn't get so wordy that it kills the pace, but he also writes in a way that you can relate to almost every character (even the bad guys).

Scalzi must have a soft spot in his heart for war vets, and this book seems t...more
Sweetie
Satirical parody, Funny, very irreverent. I chose the audio version which is well narrated by Wil Wheaton. As much as I enjoyed Wil's performance and I am a Scalzi fan, I think I could have saved my $ and picked it up from library. This story just didn't enhance my life. Well, it is funny, if you know Scalzi's work and are in the right mood, you'll like it.

"The Barnes & Noble Review
What do alien-killing flatulence, humans bio-engineered with the DNA of farm animals, the apostle Ted Nugent, a...more
Red
Apr 01, 2009 Red rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Scalzi fans,
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
Patrick J.
Apr 18, 2009 Patrick J. rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Comedy lovers and/or Sci-Fi lovers
Shelves: science-fiction
This was a very good book. Very much like like the Gun Seller, this comedic book features a main character that is ex-military and has moved on with that part of his life. This book takes place in the future. One of the best parts is the religion that started as a con, but developed into a real religion where half of the congregation believes that the founder had somehow tapped into the divine when writing the scriptures and the other half is attempting to make those fake prophesies a reality.
An...more
Holly Kench
Reading this novel was like watching a fender bender in action: You really want to look away, mostly because you feel embarrassed on behalf of the driver, but also because there isn't much to look at, and yet, you can't help staring. [return][return]I was drawn to it, intrigued by the Philip K Dick reference, but found it completely boring and ridiculous. Still, I was unable to stop reading, even though I really REALLY wanted to. Quite seriously, every single male character was the same, with th...more
Eileen W
I read Scalzi's first book because I love his blog, and liked it enough to try a second one. For me, The Android's Dream was head-and-shoulders better--a rollicking good read, worth staying up way too late to finish.

First, you've got to enjoy straight sf to get into this. If you like a little romance with your sf, this one won't do it. But if you like a twisty, turny plot with enough absurdity to make you grin even as you turn pages to see what in the world happens next, try The Android's Dream.
Francis Gahren
The Android's Dream reads something like a Sci-Fi James Bond spoof by way of South Park. Scalzi isn't exploring anything particularly deep thematically here; the name of the game is satire, and he does some of the most spot-on political wit this side of the old British sitcom Yes, Minister. Scalzi also makes fine use of the seemingly inexhaustible comic potential of biology, particularly the subcategory "Orifices, Substances Emitted from". It's just the right mix of highbrow and lowbrow that mak...more
Sean Randall
"Would you like to reset the default mode to not tell you when you are breaking the law?"

A brilliant way to end 2012. I was reading whilst other members of the household watched a very sad end to a long-running soap opera and my chuckles and giggles did not go down very well at all. I couldn't help myself though, things were just very funny for a reason hard to define and even harder to pin down in writing - but it was done here.

"Today, people have tried to kill me, the police are looking for me...more
Ana
Aug 14, 2012 Ana rated it 5 of 5 stars
Shelves: 2012
Very fun read. I love the themes and ideas in this book, though it has absolutely nothing to do with Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick. Since his other books were a response to Heinlein's Starship Troopers, I assumed this one would be a spin-off or response to the first one. I suppose it could be a kind of spin-off, or at least a thought the author had while reading Do Androids Dream..., but I was pleasantly surprised by what was there. Enjoyable diplomatic maneuvering and a...more
Tommy Carlson
I feel a bit ripped off. See, here's the thing, when you get to the end of a book that depends on resolving an unresolvable situation, the reader needs to be able to go Oh, I didn't see that coming, but I could have. The resolution needs to be a surprise, but one that you could have foreseen. And there's a couple ways to do this.

One is for the author to be just really fucking smart and be able to think of things that you, the reader, just won't, even though all the clues are there. Larry Niven o...more
Lynne Cantwell
This is the first book by Scalzi that I have read -- which is shameful, as I know several people who think highly of his writing.

Harry Creek is a futuristic Beltway bandit. He's a government contractor working for the State Department, in a world where State must deal not only with other nations (actually, there's only one world government on Earth), but with other sentient species. One of these alien species is in the midst of a government coup on its home world, and requires the blood of a spe...more
Tim
Even at his most serious (e.g. Old Man's War), John Scalzi is the kind of writer who never really loses his sense of humor. If you read his blog, you'll know that wry tone of voice of which I speak. Han Solo-like, he can contemplate bombing the surface of a planet with a smirk and some witty banter, so it stands to reason that a deliberate attempt at "funny sci-fi" is going to be pretty successful.

TAD is an amusingly convoluted, shaggy-dog story that starts with an epic fart joke and then moves...more
Sandi
I really enjoyed Scalzi's "The Android's Dream." It's witty and filled with action. It has some of the strangest plot twists I've ever seen in any kind of novel, but Scalzi makes them oddly plausible, in a warped way. It's relatively clean, so you can recommend it to a teen without too much blushing.

I'd love to see it turned into a movie. A movie version would have to be tongue in cheek without being over the top. I'm thinking it should be something along the lines of "The Fifth Element."
Deb
Let me start off by saying that Scalzi is no Douglas Adams. He tries really, really hard, and mostly but not quite succeeds.
It was enjoyable, fast-paced and surprising, but also annoying. A few things just kept jumping out at me and breaking that cocoon of suspended disbelief.
One thing was the overwhelming number of characters who have a "voice." The reader gets to read the inner thoughts of dozens of minor characters, without any real purpose for most if them. It seemed like a waste of wor...more
Matt Ball
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
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SciFi and Fantasy...: The Android's Dream - May 2013 14 40 May 27, 2013 01:17pm  
The Android's Dream (Paperback)
The Android's Dream (Audiobook)
The Androids Dream (Paperback)
The Android's Dream (Kindle Edition)
The Android's Dream (ebook)

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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.)
More about John Scalzi...
Old Man's War The Ghost Brigades Redshirts The Last Colony Fuzzy Nation

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