It’s been a really long time since I’ve read a really good caper yarn. You know, a rollicking, funny, heartfelt adventure tale full of twists, turns and nary a pretentious turn or stilted romantic angle. In fact, “capers” have such a bad name that their very mention can cause eye-rolling among the general public. But hear this, eye-rolling simpletons: THE ANDROID’S DREAM is a caper for the 21st century, and John Scalzi has created a book that’s as thrilling as Robert Ludlum in his prime, with a gentle wit and biting sarcastic tinge that makes the entire book a joy to read.

DREAM is, in general, a satirical take on the oh-so-serious “diplomatic mission” genre: Our operative, who has yet to come to terms with his past, faces impossible odds as he tries to save his government from its enemies and itself. It’s the execution that turns this cliché of a plot into a gem of a book.

The protagonist, Harry Creek, is charged with finding a very specific animal – a sheep, to be exact – as a means of avoiding the conquest of Earth by an alien race. Of course, there’s a government conspiracy aligned against him, and Scalzi sets up and knocks down tremendous action scenes with ease. He simultaneously fleshes out his universe with a mythology that’s the definition of good satire – a send-up current events that’s also a clever, biting commentary.

Whether they be a sassy pet-store owner with extraordinary attributes or a teenage artificial intelligence, the characters as a whole are believable and superb. Plotting and pacing are equally great: Dramatic moments aren’t idiotically melodramatic, and the dialogue is only cheesy when it needs to be.

Recent science-fiction trends have made that genre’s shelf a somewhat dark and nihilistic place, and while that’s not necessarily a bad thing, Scalzi has injected a welcome gust of fresh air into the field with THE ANDROID’S DREAM. It’s a refreshing, fun and mature work that’s great for a quiet winter afternoon. –Ryun Patterson

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OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF THIS AUTHOR:
• OLD MAN’S WAR by John Scalzi