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The Kaiju Preservation Society
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Science Fiction (2022)When COVID-19 sweeps through New York City, Jamie Gray is stuck as a dead-end driver for food delivery apps. That is, until Jamie makes a delivery to an old acquaintance, Tom, who works at what he calls "an animal rights organization." Tom's team needs a last-minute grunt to handle things on their next field visit. Jamie, eager to do anything, immediately signs on.
What Tom doesn't tell Jamie is that the animals his team cares for are not here on Earth. Not our Earth, at least. In an alternate dimension, massive dinosaur-like creatures named Kaiju roam a warm and human-free world. They're the universe's largest and most dangerous panda and they're in trouble.
It's not just the Kaiju Preservation Society that's found its way to the alternate world. Others have, too--and their carelessness could cause millions back on our Earth to die.
What Tom doesn't tell Jamie is that the animals his team cares for are not here on Earth. Not our Earth, at least. In an alternate dimension, massive dinosaur-like creatures named Kaiju roam a warm and human-free world. They're the universe's largest and most dangerous panda and they're in trouble.
It's not just the Kaiju Preservation Society that's found its way to the alternate world. Others have, too--and their carelessness could cause millions back on our Earth to die.
264 pages, Hardcover
First published March 15, 2022
About the author
John Scalzi
162 books24.5k followersJohn 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.)
(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.)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 8,597 reviews
April 9, 2022
Maybe John Scalzi’s books won’t change your life but they can make living it just a bit less unpleasant.
Kaiju Preservation Society (for those like me who are insufficiently cool, for “kaiju” basically think “Godzilla”, but nuclear reactor-powered. Yes, just roll with that) is light-hearted and very funny, full of present-day references and neverending quips and snark, almost a meme in book form. It’s meant to entertain above anything, with a bit of self-aware “reverse lampshading”. And banter — or dear, the banter comes in kaiju-sized chunks and is perfect. But let’s have Scalzi himself explain things just a bit in his Author’s Note:
Jamie Gray gets fired at the start of the pandemic and ends up spending a bit of time delivering food for füdmüd, a delivery app aimed at enriching the legacy billionaire owner — until his lucky break comes in the form of job invitation to work for an “animal rights” organization that takes care of large animals. He’s supposed to “lift things”, basically — the only grunt around without a PhD. (“My master’s thesis had been on bioengineering in science fiction from Frankenstein through the Murderbot novellas.”) Only later Jamie finds out that we are talking Godzilla scale creatures, on a parallel Earth where everything is ready to kill you. Oh, and they are powered by nuclear reactors, just to add to improbable fun. Indeed it’s “the Foreign Legion for nerds”.
Yes, it’s hilarious and fun and at times almost ridiculous in a way a combo of a blockbuster and a sitcom can be. It certainly doesn’t take itself very seriously, and in that lies its charm. It’s very much an escapist piece, and there’s not a single thing wrong with that. Kaiju as nuclear-powered ecological systems full of bloodthirsty parasites? Sounds fun. An evil villain who really needs a moustache for requisite moustache-twirling? No problem. Heartless billionaire getting his comeuppance? Yes, please. It’s just delightful this way, even for those of us who before this book thought “Kaiju” was just a funny word.
4 stars, with the potential of adding the fifth once I get my hands on Wil Wheaton’s narration.
(Also, John Scalzi would be an awesome person to have drinks with.)
————
————
And if this passage doesn’t make you chuckle let alone laugh out loud, we are probably not meant to be friends.
“Also, really quickly, let’s talk side effects. For the next couple of days you might feel achy or sore, and you might run a slight fever. If that happens, don’t panic, that’s perfectly normal. It just means your body is learning about the diseases we want it to fight.”
“All right.”
“Also, at least a couple of these are going to make you feel ravenously hungry. Go ahead and eat all you want, but avoid excessively fatty foods, since one of these is going to tell your body to purge fats in a way that absolutely challenges normal sphincter control.”
“That’s … not great.”
“It’s a mess. Seriously, don’t even think about trying to fart for the next eighteen hours. It’s not a fart. You will regret it.”
“I don’t like you.”
“I get that a lot. Also, you may find the color blue giving you a migraine for the next couple of days.”
“Blue.”
“Yeah. We don’t know why it happens, we just know it does. When it does, just look at something not blue for a while.”
“You know the sky is blue, right?”
“Yes. Stay indoors. Don’t look up.”
“Unbelievable.”
“Look, I don’t make it happen, I just give you the shots that make it happen. Finally, with this one”—Dr. Lee pointed to one of the last syringes in the longest tray—“in one in about two hundred fifty injections, the recipient feels the urge for, let’s just say, intense and homicidal violence. Like, ‘murder everyone in the building and build a pyre with their skulls’ level of violence.”
“I can understand that,” I assured her.
“No, you can’t,” she assured me back. “Fortunately, there’s a direct and accompanying side effect of extreme lassitude, which keeps most people from acting on the urge.”
“So, like, ‘I want to kill you but that would mean leaving the couch.’”
“Exactly,” Dr. Lee said. “We call it murder stoner syndrome.”
“That can’t be real.”
“It’s very real, my friend. We’ve learned that certain foods help counteract the murderous urge. If it happens to you and you actually have enough energy to stand up and move around, fry up some bacon or eat a pint of ice cream, or have a couple of slices of bread with butter.”
“So, fatty foods.”
“Basically.”
“You remember the part where you told me to avoid fatty foods, right?”
“I do.”
“So, just to be clear, the choices here are ‘homicidal maniac’ or ‘shit tornado.’”
“I wouldn’t put it that way, and yes. But the chances are pretty good you won’t experience either side effect, much less both at the same time.”
“And if I do?”
“Angrily consume your bacon on the toilet, is my advice.” Dr. Lee lifted the first syringe. “Ready?”
————
————
Also posted on my blog.
Kaiju Preservation Society (for those like me who are insufficiently cool, for “kaiju” basically think “Godzilla”, but nuclear reactor-powered. Yes, just roll with that) is light-hearted and very funny, full of present-day references and neverending quips and snark, almost a meme in book form. It’s meant to entertain above anything, with a bit of self-aware “reverse lampshading”. And banter — or dear, the banter comes in kaiju-sized chunks and is perfect. But let’s have Scalzi himself explain things just a bit in his Author’s Note:
“KPS is not, and I say this with absolutely no slight intended, a brooding symphony of a novel. It’s a pop song. It’s meant to be light and catchy, with three minutes of hooks and choruses for you to sing along with, and then you’re done and you go on with your day, hopefully with a smile on your face. I had fun writing this, and I needed to have fun writing this. We all need a pop song from time to time, particularly after a stretch of darkness.”
Jamie Gray gets fired at the start of the pandemic and ends up spending a bit of time delivering food for füdmüd, a delivery app aimed at enriching the legacy billionaire owner — until his lucky break comes in the form of job invitation to work for an “animal rights” organization that takes care of large animals. He’s supposed to “lift things”, basically — the only grunt around without a PhD. (“My master’s thesis had been on bioengineering in science fiction from Frankenstein through the Murderbot novellas.”) Only later Jamie finds out that we are talking Godzilla scale creatures, on a parallel Earth where everything is ready to kill you. Oh, and they are powered by nuclear reactors, just to add to improbable fun. Indeed it’s “the Foreign Legion for nerds”.
“So we’re the monster police, too,” I said to Tom.
“Correct,” he replied. “The only real question is, who are the monsters?”
“They ask that question in every monster movie, you know. It’s an actual trope.”
“I know,” Tom said. “What does it say about us that it’s relevant every single time they ask it?”
Yes, it’s hilarious and fun and at times almost ridiculous in a way a combo of a blockbuster and a sitcom can be. It certainly doesn’t take itself very seriously, and in that lies its charm. It’s very much an escapist piece, and there’s not a single thing wrong with that. Kaiju as nuclear-powered ecological systems full of bloodthirsty parasites? Sounds fun. An evil villain who really needs a moustache for requisite moustache-twirling? No problem. Heartless billionaire getting his comeuppance? Yes, please. It’s just delightful this way, even for those of us who before this book thought “Kaiju” was just a funny word.
“I was just thinking that Edward’s Tumescent Cloaca would have been an excellent band name.”
“Emo, obviously,” Kahurangi said.
“Their first album glistened with promise, but their follow-up was a little flaccid.”
“Their third album was really shitty.”
“To be fair, the competition was stiff that year.”
“I just thought that they should have showed more spunk.”
4 stars, with the potential of adding the fifth once I get my hands on Wil Wheaton’s narration.
(Also, John Scalzi would be an awesome person to have drinks with.)
————
————
And if this passage doesn’t make you chuckle let alone laugh out loud, we are probably not meant to be friends.
“Also, really quickly, let’s talk side effects. For the next couple of days you might feel achy or sore, and you might run a slight fever. If that happens, don’t panic, that’s perfectly normal. It just means your body is learning about the diseases we want it to fight.”
“All right.”
“Also, at least a couple of these are going to make you feel ravenously hungry. Go ahead and eat all you want, but avoid excessively fatty foods, since one of these is going to tell your body to purge fats in a way that absolutely challenges normal sphincter control.”
“That’s … not great.”
“It’s a mess. Seriously, don’t even think about trying to fart for the next eighteen hours. It’s not a fart. You will regret it.”
“I don’t like you.”
“I get that a lot. Also, you may find the color blue giving you a migraine for the next couple of days.”
“Blue.”
“Yeah. We don’t know why it happens, we just know it does. When it does, just look at something not blue for a while.”
“You know the sky is blue, right?”
“Yes. Stay indoors. Don’t look up.”
“Unbelievable.”
“Look, I don’t make it happen, I just give you the shots that make it happen. Finally, with this one”—Dr. Lee pointed to one of the last syringes in the longest tray—“in one in about two hundred fifty injections, the recipient feels the urge for, let’s just say, intense and homicidal violence. Like, ‘murder everyone in the building and build a pyre with their skulls’ level of violence.”
“I can understand that,” I assured her.
“No, you can’t,” she assured me back. “Fortunately, there’s a direct and accompanying side effect of extreme lassitude, which keeps most people from acting on the urge.”
“So, like, ‘I want to kill you but that would mean leaving the couch.’”
“Exactly,” Dr. Lee said. “We call it murder stoner syndrome.”
“That can’t be real.”
“It’s very real, my friend. We’ve learned that certain foods help counteract the murderous urge. If it happens to you and you actually have enough energy to stand up and move around, fry up some bacon or eat a pint of ice cream, or have a couple of slices of bread with butter.”
“So, fatty foods.”
“Basically.”
“You remember the part where you told me to avoid fatty foods, right?”
“I do.”
“So, just to be clear, the choices here are ‘homicidal maniac’ or ‘shit tornado.’”
“I wouldn’t put it that way, and yes. But the chances are pretty good you won’t experience either side effect, much less both at the same time.”
“And if I do?”
“Angrily consume your bacon on the toilet, is my advice.” Dr. Lee lifted the first syringe. “Ready?”
————
————
Also posted on my blog.
January 15, 2023
This read like a fun movie... that I wouldn't watch.
(3.5) This book sucked me in right away and I laughed a couple times but I lost interest when shit hit the fan and didn't care at all about the plot. I would have prefered more cozy vibes and just getting to know the characters.
(3.5) This book sucked me in right away and I laughed a couple times but I lost interest when shit hit the fan and didn't care at all about the plot. I would have prefered more cozy vibes and just getting to know the characters.
March 20, 2022
“KPS is not, and I say this with absolutely no slight intended, a brooding symphony of a novel. It’s a pop song. It’s meant to be light and catchy, with three minutes of hooks and choruses for you to sing along with, and then you’re done and you go on with your day, hopefully with a smile on your face.” — Scalzi’s Author’s Note.
Truer words! John Scalzi's latest (to be published March 2022) is a really fun SF novel. Huge Godzilla-like monsters roam an alternative Earth, surrounded by various vicious parasites and predators. What's not to like?
Jamie Gray gets demoted from an executive position right as the 2020 pandemic hits New York, by the Boss From Hell. While barely making ends meet as a food delivery person, Jamie runs into an old friend who offers them a new job in "large animal care" ("I lift boxes," Jamie tells everyone.) But the benefits are fantastic, as long as you don't mind being completely out of touch with society for six months. Tom is a little cagey about the job details, though ... it turns out, for good reason.
A lot of this novel felt mostly like setup; the real plot conflict didn't show up until the last third. It's not the deepest read, but it's a very fun escape-type read. Scalzi gleefully imagines insane biological systems, and I just went along for the ride without worrying about whether it made any sense or not.
Bonus points if you dislike rich people who are total tools. It works as a stand-alone novel, and apparently that's what it is right now, but it's the kind of story that could easily turn into a series if successful.
I whipped through it in one evening, and it's the kind of book I might read again sometime, just for the sheer enjoyment of it.
Full review to come!
Truer words! John Scalzi's latest (to be published March 2022) is a really fun SF novel. Huge Godzilla-like monsters roam an alternative Earth, surrounded by various vicious parasites and predators. What's not to like?
Jamie Gray gets demoted from an executive position right as the 2020 pandemic hits New York, by the Boss From Hell. While barely making ends meet as a food delivery person, Jamie runs into an old friend who offers them a new job in "large animal care" ("I lift boxes," Jamie tells everyone.) But the benefits are fantastic, as long as you don't mind being completely out of touch with society for six months. Tom is a little cagey about the job details, though ... it turns out, for good reason.
A lot of this novel felt mostly like setup; the real plot conflict didn't show up until the last third. It's not the deepest read, but it's a very fun escape-type read. Scalzi gleefully imagines insane biological systems, and I just went along for the ride without worrying about whether it made any sense or not.
Bonus points if you dislike rich people who are total tools. It works as a stand-alone novel, and apparently that's what it is right now, but it's the kind of story that could easily turn into a series if successful.
I whipped through it in one evening, and it's the kind of book I might read again sometime, just for the sheer enjoyment of it.
Full review to come!
March 14, 2022
This was a BLAST. I needed this book. In Scalzi’s notes and acknowledgements at the end, he says that KPS is a pop song, and that pop songs are needed sometimes. I couldn’t agree more.
The Kaiju Preservation Society is fun, propulsive, hilarious, and oh so clever. It’s incredibly current and unique in its approach to how it is current. Since all the insanity of 2020 hit (and 2021, and please god let 2022 be different), I've been wondering how it would affect artists and the art they make, and this is it right here.
Scalzi is running on all cylinders, churning away through current modes of thinking and current events, and giving his characters escape routes, fantastic stories, and alternate ways of living through them. And giving the bad guys what they deserve for once, instead of what they always end up getting in the real world.
Thank you Scalzi, I appreciate this. Like I said, I needed this book, and I have a sneaking suspicion that you probably do too.
The Kaiju Preservation Society is fun, propulsive, hilarious, and oh so clever. It’s incredibly current and unique in its approach to how it is current. Since all the insanity of 2020 hit (and 2021, and please god let 2022 be different), I've been wondering how it would affect artists and the art they make, and this is it right here.
Scalzi is running on all cylinders, churning away through current modes of thinking and current events, and giving his characters escape routes, fantastic stories, and alternate ways of living through them. And giving the bad guys what they deserve for once, instead of what they always end up getting in the real world.
Thank you Scalzi, I appreciate this. Like I said, I needed this book, and I have a sneaking suspicion that you probably do too.
January 23, 2022
I was originally going to give this book a 2/5 (I came back after a few months to change it from a 3/5 to a 2/5, why? Because Fuck You, that's why) star rating and complain about lack of character voice, pacing issues (especially in the beginning), emotional dissonance in the text, predictable twists, etc.
Then I looked at the other reviews and saw everyone throwing the word "fun" around, talking about how they had a good time reading it, how it would make for a great flight/beach read and stuff. When the fuck did I become such a curmudgeon? Maybe it's the cynical attitude, or the depression, or both, but at no point did I think about relaxing and having fun.
I had some fun reading this book, but I think it could've stood to be more fun. I think it should've taken more of focus on the characters and given each of them a distinct voice, because they all read similarly on the page. They're all snarky "likable" assholes to varying degrees. That doesn't work, it's like if every character in The Office was Stanley or Dwight. No "likable" asshole is as likeable as you think they are, doubly so if they're surrounded by more likeable assholes.
Second, this book has a B-Movie action plot attached to it, along with some melodrama and deaths that were pushed to the side with "Everyone was suuuper sad about it for a week :(((". I don't think it was appropriate for this book. If fun was what we were gunning for, I would've liked seeing this as more of a Parks and Rec kind of thing.
Lastly, the humor felt kind of lazy to me. It was either "Haha that's so random" humor or humor through repetition of a phrase, i.e. "I lift things". Also every character always had something snarky to say/reply with about everything, even in the more dramatic scenes.
I think this book is an easy read, I had fun at some point, and I'll probably read more Scalzi in the future, especially his serious stuff.
2/5. I can't believe I fucking wrote over 300 words to convey how/why I could've had more fun reading this book. I literally could've just wrote "Ehhh, it's okay!" and been done with it.
Then I looked at the other reviews and saw everyone throwing the word "fun" around, talking about how they had a good time reading it, how it would make for a great flight/beach read and stuff. When the fuck did I become such a curmudgeon? Maybe it's the cynical attitude, or the depression, or both, but at no point did I think about relaxing and having fun.
I had some fun reading this book, but I think it could've stood to be more fun. I think it should've taken more of focus on the characters and given each of them a distinct voice, because they all read similarly on the page. They're all snarky "likable" assholes to varying degrees. That doesn't work, it's like if every character in The Office was Stanley or Dwight. No "likable" asshole is as likeable as you think they are, doubly so if they're surrounded by more likeable assholes.
Second, this book has a B-Movie action plot attached to it, along with some melodrama and deaths that were pushed to the side with "Everyone was suuuper sad about it for a week :(((". I don't think it was appropriate for this book. If fun was what we were gunning for, I would've liked seeing this as more of a Parks and Rec kind of thing.
Lastly, the humor felt kind of lazy to me. It was either "Haha that's so random" humor or humor through repetition of a phrase, i.e. "I lift things". Also every character always had something snarky to say/reply with about everything, even in the more dramatic scenes.
I think this book is an easy read, I had fun at some point, and I'll probably read more Scalzi in the future, especially his serious stuff.
2/5. I can't believe I fucking wrote over 300 words to convey how/why I could've had more fun reading this book. I literally could've just wrote "Ehhh, it's okay!" and been done with it.
Read
March 23, 2022Absurdly, gloriously entertaining. A story that hits all the beats and tropes you might think, and that's not a criticism: you read this book with the feelings you read a tropey romance, ie a knowing expectation of what will happen, plus gleeful anticipation for how you're going to get there.
A huge part of the pleasure here is the worldbuilding--the plot doesn't start until about 2/3 of the way through and that is absolutely fine because the worldbuilding is hugely entertaining. The bad guy pretty much has 'bad guy' tattooed on his face, which is also absolutely fine because wow is his depiction and fate satisfying. There's a diverse cast, entertaining banter, lots of good swearing, pop culture references at a level I found entertaining rather than intrusive, and I have a low tolerance for that. It's also grounded in the utter shitness that was 2020, and actually that was pretty cathartic to read too.
Basically this was just massive enormous monster-based fun. If you need a break from reality, here's your ticket out.
A huge part of the pleasure here is the worldbuilding--the plot doesn't start until about 2/3 of the way through and that is absolutely fine because the worldbuilding is hugely entertaining. The bad guy pretty much has 'bad guy' tattooed on his face, which is also absolutely fine because wow is his depiction and fate satisfying. There's a diverse cast, entertaining banter, lots of good swearing, pop culture references at a level I found entertaining rather than intrusive, and I have a low tolerance for that. It's also grounded in the utter shitness that was 2020, and actually that was pretty cathartic to read too.
Basically this was just massive enormous monster-based fun. If you need a break from reality, here's your ticket out.
August 5, 2021
Because of what I do, I get early access to books. It's pretty cool and I'm not going to pretend it isn't. You wouldn't believe me. I just finished reading John Scalzi's next novel, The Kaiju Preservation Society, which comes out next March. It's a while away.
Setting aside that I could not get the chorus of The Kinks Village Green Society out of my head while I was reading it, this one is, maybe more than any other book I've read recently, exactly what it says on the label. It's a John Scalzi novel about kaiju and about a society that preserves them. There's a threat to the kaiju, because otherwise why would you need a preservation society, and stuff happens, because it's a Scalzi novel.
Not all Scalzi novels are light and fun, but this one is. It's, in the nicest way, fluff and popcorn. It's Katrina and the Waves singing "Walking on Sunshine" on a sunny day, but with kaiju. See? Now you know nothing about the plot or the characters, but maybe everything you need to know about the book. If you think your day could do with some hours of enjoyable distraction, then this might be just what you need. It's not at all serious, but sometimes that's okay.
Setting aside that I could not get the chorus of The Kinks Village Green Society out of my head while I was reading it, this one is, maybe more than any other book I've read recently, exactly what it says on the label. It's a John Scalzi novel about kaiju and about a society that preserves them. There's a threat to the kaiju, because otherwise why would you need a preservation society, and stuff happens, because it's a Scalzi novel.
Not all Scalzi novels are light and fun, but this one is. It's, in the nicest way, fluff and popcorn. It's Katrina and the Waves singing "Walking on Sunshine" on a sunny day, but with kaiju. See? Now you know nothing about the plot or the characters, but maybe everything you need to know about the book. If you think your day could do with some hours of enjoyable distraction, then this might be just what you need. It's not at all serious, but sometimes that's okay.
March 15, 2022
This book was all kinds of wonderful and just plain fun. And I mean Fun in the way that a Gojira named Bella is fun while a bunch of lilliputians tries to get Edward, another Gojira, to mate with the previously mentioned Bella.
Yes. It's THAT kind of novel.
Plus it's full of snark, great quips, sweet SF references, and fun, better-than-Jurassic Park adventures. With parasites. And nuclear slime. And dollar-bro douchebags.
This was a snappy, delightful book that ought to get a Hugo for this year but probably won't even get a nomination because -- whatever. Either way, it's awesome.
And as a final note, I really want to give out a quick shout-out to all you guys who lift things for a living.
You rock. I hope you get a job like this.
Yes. It's THAT kind of novel.
Plus it's full of snark, great quips, sweet SF references, and fun, better-than-Jurassic Park adventures. With parasites. And nuclear slime. And dollar-bro douchebags.
This was a snappy, delightful book that ought to get a Hugo for this year but probably won't even get a nomination because -- whatever. Either way, it's awesome.
And as a final note, I really want to give out a quick shout-out to all you guys who lift things for a living.
You rock. I hope you get a job like this.
April 25, 2024
***SPOILERS HIDDEN***
John Scalzi's newest book is brought down by an under-developed, rushed plot that’s focused more on the “society” of the title than on the “kaiju.” Any comparison to Jurassic Park applies only insofar as this is a story about humans living alongside huge, dangerous creatures. Scalzi didn’t flesh out his characters (human and monster alike) or include any high-adrenaline thrills.
Kaiju are Godzilla-like monsters first dreamed up in Japan. For this book Scalzi adapted the mythology to have them living on an alternate Earth to which certain people, mainly scientists, can travel via a portal. The need to keep the kaiju from traveling into human Earth is a concern that hangs over the story.
The most impressive thing about this book is how Scalzi managed to leach every ounce of excitement out of the mythology and his own plot. He barely did anything with his alternate Earth. A few scenes show the characters encountering some dangerous creatures, but . The kaiju of the title are mostly limited to one especially gigantic kaiju named Bella. Aside from sometimes swatting at and chasing away aircrafts that venture too close, she keeps to herself, roars now and then, and spends most of the story .
The society of scientists—and main character Jamie Gray, who’s there only to “lift things,” as he points out to an annoyingly frequent degree—are an overly sarcastic bunch who spend more time talking about the kaiju in meetings than interacting with them in the wild. Characterization is just enough to tell which character is which and no more: There’s the nerd who’s always explaining things; the kind scientist you want to befriend; the smart aleck who’d be flattered to be called a “bitch”; the stereotypical tough-talking leader; and Jamie, who’s taking it all in with wide eyes.
Excessive dialogue is at the expense of delving into these characters’ inner lives, of showing moments of reflection as they try to come to terms with their fears, hesitations, disorientation, even homesickness—feelings all people would experience in a hazardous alien environment. Instead the story’s tone is light with occasional seriousness tossed in but never weighing anything down for long. Discussion of technical problems and biological processes weighs down the story instead, with Jamie asking questions for the reader’s benefit. In one of the best examples of glaringly obvious info-dumping, one chapter is a tedious question-and-answer session with some new people throwing out questions in a tidy sequence and listening as the nerd scientist explains in detail.
I expected to plow through this book’s 258 pages, so I was shocked to find it a chore. I normally enjoy a wry and witty tone, but cardboard characters constantly speaking sarcastically to each other in work meetings isn’t as entertaining as Scalzi thought it would be. A boring kaiju and unrealized alternate Earth are disappointing, to say the least. Scalzi did write a few imaginative scenes that have the ingredients for something exciting, but there’s no emotion in the excitement.
I actually most liked the acknowledgements, where Scalzi explained the process of writing this book. It goes a long way toward shedding light on why it is the way it is—light, airy, insubstantial popcorn. In 2020 he began writing a novel that sounds like it had promise. He’d agreed to write something that “was meant to be dark, heavy, complex, and broodingly ambitious,” but the pandemic threw him off in more ways than one, so he decided to scrap what he’d started and write popcorn.
Although this backstory is interesting, I sensed an underlying defensiveness in Scalzi’s words, a need to justify this book that he knows is a whole lot of wasted potential. I wish he’d stayed the course with the heavy and complex novel he’d begun writing. He churned out The Kaiju Preservation Society fast, and it shows. There’s no adventure to be had here, for the characters or for the reader.
John Scalzi's newest book is brought down by an under-developed, rushed plot that’s focused more on the “society” of the title than on the “kaiju.” Any comparison to Jurassic Park applies only insofar as this is a story about humans living alongside huge, dangerous creatures. Scalzi didn’t flesh out his characters (human and monster alike) or include any high-adrenaline thrills.
Kaiju are Godzilla-like monsters first dreamed up in Japan. For this book Scalzi adapted the mythology to have them living on an alternate Earth to which certain people, mainly scientists, can travel via a portal. The need to keep the kaiju from traveling into human Earth is a concern that hangs over the story.
The most impressive thing about this book is how Scalzi managed to leach every ounce of excitement out of the mythology and his own plot. He barely did anything with his alternate Earth. A few scenes show the characters encountering some dangerous creatures, but . The kaiju of the title are mostly limited to one especially gigantic kaiju named Bella. Aside from sometimes swatting at and chasing away aircrafts that venture too close, she keeps to herself, roars now and then, and spends most of the story .
The society of scientists—and main character Jamie Gray, who’s there only to “lift things,” as he points out to an annoyingly frequent degree—are an overly sarcastic bunch who spend more time talking about the kaiju in meetings than interacting with them in the wild. Characterization is just enough to tell which character is which and no more: There’s the nerd who’s always explaining things; the kind scientist you want to befriend; the smart aleck who’d be flattered to be called a “bitch”; the stereotypical tough-talking leader; and Jamie, who’s taking it all in with wide eyes.
Excessive dialogue is at the expense of delving into these characters’ inner lives, of showing moments of reflection as they try to come to terms with their fears, hesitations, disorientation, even homesickness—feelings all people would experience in a hazardous alien environment. Instead the story’s tone is light with occasional seriousness tossed in but never weighing anything down for long. Discussion of technical problems and biological processes weighs down the story instead, with Jamie asking questions for the reader’s benefit. In one of the best examples of glaringly obvious info-dumping, one chapter is a tedious question-and-answer session with some new people throwing out questions in a tidy sequence and listening as the nerd scientist explains in detail.
I expected to plow through this book’s 258 pages, so I was shocked to find it a chore. I normally enjoy a wry and witty tone, but cardboard characters constantly speaking sarcastically to each other in work meetings isn’t as entertaining as Scalzi thought it would be. A boring kaiju and unrealized alternate Earth are disappointing, to say the least. Scalzi did write a few imaginative scenes that have the ingredients for something exciting, but there’s no emotion in the excitement.
I actually most liked the acknowledgements, where Scalzi explained the process of writing this book. It goes a long way toward shedding light on why it is the way it is—light, airy, insubstantial popcorn. In 2020 he began writing a novel that sounds like it had promise. He’d agreed to write something that “was meant to be dark, heavy, complex, and broodingly ambitious,” but the pandemic threw him off in more ways than one, so he decided to scrap what he’d started and write popcorn.
Although this backstory is interesting, I sensed an underlying defensiveness in Scalzi’s words, a need to justify this book that he knows is a whole lot of wasted potential. I wish he’d stayed the course with the heavy and complex novel he’d begun writing. He churned out The Kaiju Preservation Society fast, and it shows. There’s no adventure to be had here, for the characters or for the reader.
May 14, 2022
Awesome! Need a second book!
The Kaiju Preservation Society
By John Scalzi
What an amazing ride! Our guy of the story gets canned by his boss because of a bet. He just happens to meet a friend from college who needs a warm body for a job just as a grunt. Someone to work around large animals. Its an animal preserve. He takes the job. He isn't told exactly what the job really is about until he gets on site. He is with three other newbies. Come to find out, they are trying to preserve Kaiju! Yes! Monsters!
It's non-stop excitement, action, stimulating tension, wit, and pure craziness that I crave! I would give this 10 stars!
So much happens in here and I don't want to spoil a thing for anyone else so do yourself a big favor and read this book! I thought I would go crazy waiting for my turn from the library!
This is definitely going in my favorite folder and best book for 2022 folder!
Pick this up!
The Kaiju Preservation Society
By John Scalzi
What an amazing ride! Our guy of the story gets canned by his boss because of a bet. He just happens to meet a friend from college who needs a warm body for a job just as a grunt. Someone to work around large animals. Its an animal preserve. He takes the job. He isn't told exactly what the job really is about until he gets on site. He is with three other newbies. Come to find out, they are trying to preserve Kaiju! Yes! Monsters!
It's non-stop excitement, action, stimulating tension, wit, and pure craziness that I crave! I would give this 10 stars!
So much happens in here and I don't want to spoil a thing for anyone else so do yourself a big favor and read this book! I thought I would go crazy waiting for my turn from the library!
This is definitely going in my favorite folder and best book for 2022 folder!
Pick this up!
March 10, 2022
Check out my Booktube channel at: The Obsessive Bookseller
This book was such a delight. When it first came across my radar, it seemed exactly the breath of fresh air I needed to recharge my reading routine. And it was.
I even loved reading the author’s comments at the back of the book detailing his writing journey through 2020. His story struck me as especially poignant, and these words describing the Kaiju Preservation Society endorsed his book perfectly:
The tone of the novel was definitely my favorite part. I love the dry humor and constant banter between characters. I also appreciated their sense of camaraderie. And the Kaiju!! Holy crap, the Kaiju. They were so cool to read about – it made me feel, for a small moment, like I was a Kaiju naturalist on this grand adventure myself, which was awesome.
The plot and the characters didn’t have a ton of depth, but that didn’t bother me – it wasn’t really needed for the type of story presented. It was, perhaps, too heavy on the back and forth dialogue explanations on occasion, but it more than made up for it with a plethora of heart-pounding action scenes. Overall, it was a perfect light read that came to me at precisely the right time. I love that I read it.
Recommendations: this is an absolute must for fans of Scalzi’s Old Man’s War series. If you’re in the mood for a fun, light-hearted reads with cheeky humor, plenty of action, and fun characters, this is an awesome pick.
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com
Other books you might like:
This book was such a delight. When it first came across my radar, it seemed exactly the breath of fresh air I needed to recharge my reading routine. And it was.
I even loved reading the author’s comments at the back of the book detailing his writing journey through 2020. His story struck me as especially poignant, and these words describing the Kaiju Preservation Society endorsed his book perfectly:
KPS is not… a brooding symphony of a novel. It’s a pop song. It’s meant to be light and catchy, with three minutes of hooks and choruses for you to sing along with, and then you’re done and you go on with your day, hopefully with a smile on your face.And a smile on my face is absolutely where it left me. Which is the same for all the books I’ve read by him so far, actually. To that end, if you’ve ever read a Scalzi book then you are familiar with his cheeky writing style, fun plots, and quick-witted characters. Take all that you know about him and imagine what he would do within a Kaiju Preserve… Yeah, it was awesome and epic and an absolute riot!
The tone of the novel was definitely my favorite part. I love the dry humor and constant banter between characters. I also appreciated their sense of camaraderie. And the Kaiju!! Holy crap, the Kaiju. They were so cool to read about – it made me feel, for a small moment, like I was a Kaiju naturalist on this grand adventure myself, which was awesome.
The plot and the characters didn’t have a ton of depth, but that didn’t bother me – it wasn’t really needed for the type of story presented. It was, perhaps, too heavy on the back and forth dialogue explanations on occasion, but it more than made up for it with a plethora of heart-pounding action scenes. Overall, it was a perfect light read that came to me at precisely the right time. I love that I read it.
Recommendations: this is an absolute must for fans of Scalzi’s Old Man’s War series. If you’re in the mood for a fun, light-hearted reads with cheeky humor, plenty of action, and fun characters, this is an awesome pick.
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com
Other books you might like:
April 16, 2022
“I lift things.” “I lift things.” “I lift things.”
Are you laughing at that line?
You’re not?
It fun. It’s funny. It’s humorous. You are meant to laugh at that folks!
————
I must be a grump.
I read snippets about “humor” and “fun” and “funny” and I was mostly rolling my eyes and swearing if I read “I lift things” one more damn time I’d scream.
Know what I did?
Screamed.
Not really. It was more “oh fucking let it go already!” It—the line—and much of the banter-y sitcom “humor” became tedious. Ergo…I must be a grump.
I didn’t find it funny. Not once. I found it smirky. I didn’t find it all that fun either…
I mean, I’ve seen this movie. You have too. There’s nothing all that unique about this novel except for the setting and I won’t spoil that—it’s its redeeming quality. The characters were paper dolls that said annoying shit, the main baddie was incomprehensible, the final twist was resolved too quickly. Character arcs? Yeah…not so much.
My funny bone must be broken. I broke it lifting things as insufferable as this story.
I’m officially in a book slump y’all. 😫
Positive note: this purchase is getting re-homed and won’t take space on my shelves.
Are you laughing at that line?
You’re not?
It fun. It’s funny. It’s humorous. You are meant to laugh at that folks!
————
I must be a grump.
I read snippets about “humor” and “fun” and “funny” and I was mostly rolling my eyes and swearing if I read “I lift things” one more damn time I’d scream.
Know what I did?
Screamed.
Not really. It was more “oh fucking let it go already!” It—the line—and much of the banter-y sitcom “humor” became tedious. Ergo…I must be a grump.
I didn’t find it funny. Not once. I found it smirky. I didn’t find it all that fun either…
I mean, I’ve seen this movie. You have too. There’s nothing all that unique about this novel except for the setting and I won’t spoil that—it’s its redeeming quality. The characters were paper dolls that said annoying shit, the main baddie was incomprehensible, the final twist was resolved too quickly. Character arcs? Yeah…not so much.
My funny bone must be broken. I broke it lifting things as insufferable as this story.
I’m officially in a book slump y’all. 😫
Positive note: this purchase is getting re-homed and won’t take space on my shelves.
March 16, 2022
This book is dedicated to all the guys (and girls) out there who literally do the heavy lifting.
Do you like monster movies with dinosaur-like creatures and parasites? Then this is definitely for you.
Right at the beginning of the pandemic, Jamie felt pretty good about himself: he was a diligent worker with vision and enthusiasm. Until his appraisal turned out to be a sacking and his "boss" stole his ideas and sold them as his own.
As luck would have it, he soon crosses paths with a former acquaintance who offers him a job. Why Jamie doesn't realize it all sounds too good to be true, no idea. In any case, he ends up in an alternate Earth where kaijus rule.
For those who don't know: shame on you! Godzilla will eat you!
Turns out, these "pandas" are in mating trouble and not all humans want to preserve them and their world. Tourists are a menace in any world, I guess. So Jamie and his team need to get creative, evade huge-ass tree-crabs, and get some Twilight monsters to get a groove on, all while fending off more sinister threats.
The snark was big in this one. Muhahahahahahaha! Lots of pop-culture / scifi references, nods to greats of the genre such as Jurassic Park, as well as LOTS of hilarious convos and situations, not least thanks to some delicious revenge and definitely not least thanks to certain parasites. And have I mentioned the snark? *snickers*
I want this to be made into a movie. I want it to win lots of awards. This was such fun!
Also, Wil Wheaton knocked it out of the park with his narration of the audiobook. I stayed up waaay past my bedtime during the working week to finish this which should tell you all you need to know about just how addictive this is. Read it, I know you'll love it!
Do you like monster movies with dinosaur-like creatures and parasites? Then this is definitely for you.
Right at the beginning of the pandemic, Jamie felt pretty good about himself: he was a diligent worker with vision and enthusiasm. Until his appraisal turned out to be a sacking and his "boss" stole his ideas and sold them as his own.
As luck would have it, he soon crosses paths with a former acquaintance who offers him a job. Why Jamie doesn't realize it all sounds too good to be true, no idea. In any case, he ends up in an alternate Earth where kaijus rule.
For those who don't know: shame on you! Godzilla will eat you!
Turns out, these "pandas" are in mating trouble and not all humans want to preserve them and their world. Tourists are a menace in any world, I guess. So Jamie and his team need to get creative, evade huge-ass tree-crabs, and get some Twilight monsters to get a groove on, all while fending off more sinister threats.
The snark was big in this one. Muhahahahahahaha! Lots of pop-culture / scifi references, nods to greats of the genre such as Jurassic Park, as well as LOTS of hilarious convos and situations, not least thanks to some delicious revenge and definitely not least thanks to certain parasites. And have I mentioned the snark? *snickers*
I want this to be made into a movie. I want it to win lots of awards. This was such fun!
Also, Wil Wheaton knocked it out of the park with his narration of the audiobook. I stayed up waaay past my bedtime during the working week to finish this which should tell you all you need to know about just how addictive this is. Read it, I know you'll love it!
April 12, 2022
John Scalzi has hit a home run with ‘The Kaiju Preservation Society’, an SF monster novel for people who’d rather be stuck naked in traffic than admit to watching a Japanese horror movie. Yes, the in-jokes and genre references bristle with all the alacrity of an amorous hedgehog, but there is enough fun here to go around. Smart and thrillingly written, with enough banter to fill a studio’s worth of gag reels, all teetering just on the sharp edge of absurdity, and with a cast of misfit characters that the reader can’t help but fall in love with from page one, what is not to adore in this shaggy Godzilla story? Of course, it is no spoiler to reveal that what the KPS protects the Kaiju from are the true monsters: Us humans and our insufferable complacency that we are the towering achievement of evolutionary biology in the known universe. Bella and Edward beg to differ.
March 25, 2022
I went into this not having a clue what a Kaiju was, as the novel progressed I found out and it started to have a Jurassic Park type feel to it.
This one certainly had it's moments and I loved the idea of these huge interdimensional beasts but this is more like a short story with a lot of padding.
The author knows how to write dialogue pretty well, but so much of the dialog content is just so trite and uninteresting.
I'd love to see an adaptation of this short book that feels underdeveloped.
This one certainly had it's moments and I loved the idea of these huge interdimensional beasts but this is more like a short story with a lot of padding.
The author knows how to write dialogue pretty well, but so much of the dialog content is just so trite and uninteresting.
I'd love to see an adaptation of this short book that feels underdeveloped.
October 6, 2022
Time for another unpopular opinion.
This book's first 20% read like a checklist for political correcteness: ethnic diversity (check), pro-Covid (and other) vaccines (check), pro diverse gender-identity (check). At a closer look you quickly recognise:
- the names for the people of ethnicieties other than American are inconsistent with the RL naming conventions of said ethnicity.
- the information on the Covid-vaccine is downright false: it does not immunise people against the virus: you cannot conveniently take off your masks in close quarters, just because you're vaccinated and be absolutely sure, you're safe.
- vaccines in general, as described in the book: I, personally, know of no vaccine that is 100% sure to work within 2(!) days.
- Gender diversity: if only it were consistent. Take Niamh for example. We get this passage:
"Niamh snapped their fingers. "That's it exactly. And my point to you" - coming back to me- " is that you've drunk up decades of cultural angst about nuclear explosions and nuclear power. It's a big bad back home." She pointed at Kahurangi, ..."
See, this reads as if the author had written the book with perfectly assigned hetero genders and in the first or second edit-pass aimed for the (more crowd pleasing) diversity, only: he couldn't really be bothered, hence the sloppiness.
From here on out, Scalzi gets to do what he really came here for: write a story about nuclear powered Godzillas and lots of (rather infantile) snarky dialogue with a lot of WHAT?? going on. He spends so much energy on those two aspects that there's nothing left for either character development, workbuilding or even a single thought that has more depth than a dried-out puddle.
Throughout the whole affair you are forced to become more and more aware, that this is not a book written for an audience; it's written to stroke the author's own ego: see, here I am, famous - I am doing this, because I can; give me your money.
I'm so glad, I didn't have to pay for this book.
This book's first 20% read like a checklist for political correcteness: ethnic diversity (check), pro-Covid (and other) vaccines (check), pro diverse gender-identity (check). At a closer look you quickly recognise:
- the names for the people of ethnicieties other than American are inconsistent with the RL naming conventions of said ethnicity.
- the information on the Covid-vaccine is downright false: it does not immunise people against the virus: you cannot conveniently take off your masks in close quarters, just because you're vaccinated and be absolutely sure, you're safe.
- vaccines in general, as described in the book: I, personally, know of no vaccine that is 100% sure to work within 2(!) days.
- Gender diversity: if only it were consistent. Take Niamh for example. We get this passage:
"Niamh snapped their fingers. "That's it exactly. And my point to you" - coming back to me- " is that you've drunk up decades of cultural angst about nuclear explosions and nuclear power. It's a big bad back home." She pointed at Kahurangi, ..."
See, this reads as if the author had written the book with perfectly assigned hetero genders and in the first or second edit-pass aimed for the (more crowd pleasing) diversity, only: he couldn't really be bothered, hence the sloppiness.
From here on out, Scalzi gets to do what he really came here for: write a story about nuclear powered Godzillas and lots of (rather infantile) snarky dialogue with a lot of WHAT?? going on. He spends so much energy on those two aspects that there's nothing left for either character development, workbuilding or even a single thought that has more depth than a dried-out puddle.
Throughout the whole affair you are forced to become more and more aware, that this is not a book written for an audience; it's written to stroke the author's own ego: see, here I am, famous - I am doing this, because I can; give me your money.
I'm so glad, I didn't have to pay for this book.
May 27, 2022
"“You have no idea how difficult it was for me to not say, ‘Welcome to Jurassic Park!’ to all of you just now.”"
This was fun! I needed that:)
"“So we’re the monster police, too?” I said to Tom.
“Correct,” he replied. “The only real question is, who are the monsters?”
“They ask that question in every monster movie, you know. It’s an actual trope.”
“I know,” Tom said. “What does it say about us that it’s relevant every single time they ask it?”"
This is the first book I read, which was not only written during the Pandemic, but was also relevant, in a round about or direct way, to it:) The author was a good deliverator to some laughs, if you take the book for what it was meant to be and suspend disbelief as far as the science is concerned. Or maybe, that is just me unable to process concepts that do not support our human-centric thinking of the Universe and everything we do not understand, we tend to render impossible. Maybe:)
"“I tried being a vegan for a while, but I couldn’t live without cheese.” “They have vegan cheese.” “No, they don’t. They have shredded orange and white sadness that mocks cheese and everything it stands for.”"
Loved many of the funny and touching moments, as well as hated the characters the author wanted me to. Overall, a light, funny and endearing novel by an author who never disappoints. Recommended to all:)
This was fun! I needed that:)
"“So we’re the monster police, too?” I said to Tom.
“Correct,” he replied. “The only real question is, who are the monsters?”
“They ask that question in every monster movie, you know. It’s an actual trope.”
“I know,” Tom said. “What does it say about us that it’s relevant every single time they ask it?”"
This is the first book I read, which was not only written during the Pandemic, but was also relevant, in a round about or direct way, to it:) The author was a good deliverator to some laughs, if you take the book for what it was meant to be and suspend disbelief as far as the science is concerned. Or maybe, that is just me unable to process concepts that do not support our human-centric thinking of the Universe and everything we do not understand, we tend to render impossible. Maybe:)
"“I tried being a vegan for a while, but I couldn’t live without cheese.” “They have vegan cheese.” “No, they don’t. They have shredded orange and white sadness that mocks cheese and everything it stands for.”"
Loved many of the funny and touching moments, as well as hated the characters the author wanted me to. Overall, a light, funny and endearing novel by an author who never disappoints. Recommended to all:)
January 22, 2023
I was expecting Jurassic Park (but with dragons) and that’s totally on me, because this is more of a scientific jargon-filled character driven story, which is tough when you don’t actually CARE about the characters (except the dragons/kaiju). I’d rather just re-read Michael Crichton for the hundredth time.
February 6, 2023
This was such a blast! A terrific mix of science fiction, laugh out loud humor and some really touching character development, not to mention it has Godzilla sized entities on another Earth that is brushing dangerously close to ours.
This truly felt like going on an adventure. Being in a real jungle of another dimension, trekking dangerously on the lush ground crawling with danger. A legit Jurassic Park in outer space but one that hits so close to home with integrity, curiosity, treachery and greed but most of all, heart. You will grow to care about what’s going on and that makes this book all the better.
Who are the real monsters here, the giant ecosystems called Kaiju with parasites that live on them that could be a horror book all on their own or certain powers that have special interests in exploiting them while the decent guys are trying to do all they can to preserve their existence in a safe space?
This is a tight, short tale that’s masterfully written to give you the scares, the chills and the laughs and all the feels. Oh and big azz creatures! Bella <3
- Kasia S.
This truly felt like going on an adventure. Being in a real jungle of another dimension, trekking dangerously on the lush ground crawling with danger. A legit Jurassic Park in outer space but one that hits so close to home with integrity, curiosity, treachery and greed but most of all, heart. You will grow to care about what’s going on and that makes this book all the better.
Who are the real monsters here, the giant ecosystems called Kaiju with parasites that live on them that could be a horror book all on their own or certain powers that have special interests in exploiting them while the decent guys are trying to do all they can to preserve their existence in a safe space?
This is a tight, short tale that’s masterfully written to give you the scares, the chills and the laughs and all the feels. Oh and big azz creatures! Bella <3
- Kasia S.
June 22, 2023
”When you made your first offer, I was willing to let you pass if off as a joke,” Satie said. “You're not the first billionaire I've ferried around. I know how you all like to wave around your money dick to see who might be willing to suck on it. If you had let it go when I gave you the opportunity, I was willing to ignore it. But you had to push it. You wanted to see how much it would cost for me to compromise the safety of everyone on this aircraft, me included, to assert your dominance. So, now here is my answer, Mr. Sanders. I will let you out for free. And there is no amount of money, on this planet or the other, that you or anyone else could pay me to let you back in.” pg. 154
I actually really enjoyed this.
I think it helps that I have read a lot of Scalzi and pretty much know what to expect now. This is one of Scalzi's lighter works, akin to Redshirts. As per usual, Scalzi is shit at writing characters. That is to say, all his characters are basically the same person: smart, witty, sharp, and hilarious. It's kind of like Joss Whedon. All the characters are Scalzi himself, basically. Don't read Scalzi for character development or character arcs.
That being said, the book is so funny. I was laughing once or twice and definitely smiling a lot. It's also action-packed and fun. If you want a light, action-packed, fun book about Godzilla and Godzilla-type monsters, this is it.
Laertes's parents were the sort of outwardly very nice conservative people who wouldn't miss an opportunity to call Laertes by his deadname, and that shit will wear you down over time. pg. 7
Our hero, Jamie*,
*Scalzi does not mention in the entirety of the book if Jamie is male or female. This may SOUND revolutionary to you, but honestly I found it forced and annoying. It was fun and mind-challenging the first time he did it, in Lock In. There, I felt like he was making a statement and honestly having two versions of the audiobook – one narrated by Wil Wheaton and one narrated by Amber Benson – was smart, challenging, and fun. However, I don't have any desire for him to do it for every book and he seemingly does.
The problem with this is that (forgive me) Scalzi is not talented enough to write a non-binary or genderfluid character. Or, that is to say, a character that make you question if he/she is a male or female. Or both or neither or whatever. He doesn't have the skillz. So what he DOES is he just strips the character of anything resembling gender, sex, romance or personality. LOL Leaning into his strengths, LOL, writing personality-less characters is his strength. ANYWAY. It comes off stilted. It is created by building a main character who never mentions, thinks, talks about sex, romance, gender, dating, sexual attraction etc. etc. etc. Nor do any of the side characters mention this. So, it's very artificial.
”So, you worked there, you can tell me this,” Tom said, when I delivered his Chicago-style deep-dish pizza, which honestly I was surprised was allowed within the borders of New York City at all, much less this close to Little Italy. pg. 12
“Wait!” I can hear you say. “Some people are aromantic! And asexual! And gender-neutral!” OK, sure, fine, but somebody is going to say something and even in your own head you are going to think about things sometimes. Life isn't sterile. Not only does Jamie not have any sexual, romantic, or gender-based thoughts, but no one uses gendered pronouns around him, for him, asks him about his pronouns, looks at him with lust, makes any kind of question/comment about him, his romantic sexual life, his romantic sexual tastes, his appearance NOTHING. It's honestly ridiculous and so far-fetched.
Thirdly, Scalzi can't write a female MC. I'm sorry, he's not skilled enough at writing a female POV so his “genderless” characters sound like men. Rather neutered and repressed men, but men nonetheless. This MC didn't sound female at all to me, nor was I tempted to think or even wonder if he was female at any time.
So, where was I -
Our hero, Jamie, finds himself out of work after a HILARIOUS meeting with his asshole boss that I really have to give Scalzi credit for. It's an amazing first chapter. Quite funny and (like the book) full of science-fiction references. Down on his luck, he takes a job driving for a food-delivery service. This is during COVID.
”Our delivery people - “
“Deliverators.”
I shifted in the beanbag. “What?”
“Deliverators. That's what we're calling them now. Clever, right? I thought up the term.”
“I thought Neal Stephenson did.”
“Who?”
“He's a writer. He wrote SNOW CRASH.”
“And that's, what, a FROZEN sequel?”
“It's a book, actually.”
Rob waved his hand dismissively. “If it's not Disney, we won't get sued for it. You were saying?” pg. 3
By the way, Scalzi does a great job of placing his novel during Covid. He addresses Covid, talks about Covid, has his characters dealing with Covid and a Covid-world, but doesn't make it heavy or oppressive. I'd compare it to how it's dealt with in GLASS ONION: KNIVES OUT.
”Finally, with this one” - Dr. Lee pointed to one of the last syringes in the longest tray - “in one in about two hundred fifty injections, the recipient feels the urge for, let's just say, intense and homicidal violence. Like, 'murder everyone in the building and build a pyre with their skulls' level of violence.”
“I can understand that,” I assured her.
“No, you can't,” she assured me back. “Fortunately, there's a direct and accompanying side effect of extreme lassitude, which keeps most people from acting on the urge.”
“So, like, 'I want to kill you but that would mean leaving the couch.'”
“Exactly,” Dr. Lee said. “We call it MURDER STONER SYNDROME.”
“That can't be real.” pg. 23
During his delivery job he runs into an old acquaintance who ends up scoring him an interview at the KPS and the rest is history.
”You have a nemesis now,” Kahurangi said. “I'm officially jealous. I've always wanted to have a nemesis.”
“I'll be your nemesis,” I volunteered.
“Thanks, Jamie, I appreciate the offer. But you have to win your nemesis on the field of battle.”
“I could punch you if that helps.”
“Tempting, but no.”
“The offer stands.” pg. 102
The science here is kind of hand-wavy, please don't expect hard science fiction from this. But it's a lot of fun.
I liked the funny, smart, slightly badass and stalwart main character.
TL;DR I will definitely be recommending this book to a lot of people. It's smart, funny, a good time, and kind of resembles an action film. I think it will appeal to a lot of people. Scalzi also has a great number of female MCs who are super-smart and kick butt, he has transgender characters, non-binary characters, characters of every single skin color, ethnic background and religion. He writes all this with zero drama, creating this kind of LGBTQIA+ non-racist, non-religious-conflict society where everyone respects each other and works scientifically for the greater good. Reminiscent of Star Trek.
The downside is this kind of neutral society also strips his characters of anything interesting. Everyone is John Scalzi. Everyone speaks with Scalzi's voice. Everyone is smart, funny, whip-smart, quick on their feet and slightly badass. Do not expect real characters. Do not expect character arcs. Do not expect a character-driven story. Do not expect nuance, subtlety, deep-thinking nor a complex plot. DO buckle in for a riotous good time full of fun adventures, action, and cool monsters.
”She's probably going to hate your guts for the rest of the tour. Well, the rest of her tour, anyway.”
“It'll be fine,” Aparna said. “I'll bake her some cookies. All will be forgiven.”
“Those will have to be some damn fine cookies,” I said. “I was there. That was some heavy-duty stuffage.”
“They've worked before.”
“You've done this before?”
“Enough times that I've gotten very good at making cookies.”
“Damn, Aparna,” Niamh said, impressed. “You are now officially my new role model.”
“Shut up, I know it,” Aparna said, mildly.
“Now I want cookies,” Kahurangi said.
“You know the price,” I said.
“It'll be worth it.” pg. 103
Scalzi is great with the science-fiction references, I was enjoying them a lot. And he doesn't overdo it, like, say, Ernest Cline who just is TOO MUCH. Scalzi is just the right amount.
”They didn't consider that it was a cross-dimensional barrier. They came through to our world because it never occurred to them that they COULDN'T.” pg. 165
RELATED MATERIALS:
My Science Project https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089652/
Any Godzilla movie (obviously)
Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson
All Systems Red and the Murderbot series by Martha Wells
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
The Cat Who Walks Through Walls by Robert A. Heinlein
So much more! If you love sci-fi, you will be jiving on all the references here.
NAMES IN THIS BOOK:
I actually really enjoyed this.
I think it helps that I have read a lot of Scalzi and pretty much know what to expect now. This is one of Scalzi's lighter works, akin to Redshirts. As per usual, Scalzi is shit at writing characters. That is to say, all his characters are basically the same person: smart, witty, sharp, and hilarious. It's kind of like Joss Whedon. All the characters are Scalzi himself, basically. Don't read Scalzi for character development or character arcs.
That being said, the book is so funny. I was laughing once or twice and definitely smiling a lot. It's also action-packed and fun. If you want a light, action-packed, fun book about Godzilla and Godzilla-type monsters, this is it.
Laertes's parents were the sort of outwardly very nice conservative people who wouldn't miss an opportunity to call Laertes by his deadname, and that shit will wear you down over time. pg. 7
Our hero, Jamie*,
*Scalzi does not mention in the entirety of the book if Jamie is male or female. This may SOUND revolutionary to you, but honestly I found it forced and annoying. It was fun and mind-challenging the first time he did it, in Lock In. There, I felt like he was making a statement and honestly having two versions of the audiobook – one narrated by Wil Wheaton and one narrated by Amber Benson – was smart, challenging, and fun. However, I don't have any desire for him to do it for every book and he seemingly does.
The problem with this is that (forgive me) Scalzi is not talented enough to write a non-binary or genderfluid character. Or, that is to say, a character that make you question if he/she is a male or female. Or both or neither or whatever. He doesn't have the skillz. So what he DOES is he just strips the character of anything resembling gender, sex, romance or personality. LOL Leaning into his strengths, LOL, writing personality-less characters is his strength. ANYWAY. It comes off stilted. It is created by building a main character who never mentions, thinks, talks about sex, romance, gender, dating, sexual attraction etc. etc. etc. Nor do any of the side characters mention this. So, it's very artificial.
”So, you worked there, you can tell me this,” Tom said, when I delivered his Chicago-style deep-dish pizza, which honestly I was surprised was allowed within the borders of New York City at all, much less this close to Little Italy. pg. 12
“Wait!” I can hear you say. “Some people are aromantic! And asexual! And gender-neutral!” OK, sure, fine, but somebody is going to say something and even in your own head you are going to think about things sometimes. Life isn't sterile. Not only does Jamie not have any sexual, romantic, or gender-based thoughts, but no one uses gendered pronouns around him, for him, asks him about his pronouns, looks at him with lust, makes any kind of question/comment about him, his romantic sexual life, his romantic sexual tastes, his appearance NOTHING. It's honestly ridiculous and so far-fetched.
Thirdly, Scalzi can't write a female MC. I'm sorry, he's not skilled enough at writing a female POV so his “genderless” characters sound like men. Rather neutered and repressed men, but men nonetheless. This MC didn't sound female at all to me, nor was I tempted to think or even wonder if he was female at any time.
So, where was I -
Our hero, Jamie, finds himself out of work after a HILARIOUS meeting with his asshole boss that I really have to give Scalzi credit for. It's an amazing first chapter. Quite funny and (like the book) full of science-fiction references. Down on his luck, he takes a job driving for a food-delivery service. This is during COVID.
”Our delivery people - “
“Deliverators.”
I shifted in the beanbag. “What?”
“Deliverators. That's what we're calling them now. Clever, right? I thought up the term.”
“I thought Neal Stephenson did.”
“Who?”
“He's a writer. He wrote SNOW CRASH.”
“And that's, what, a FROZEN sequel?”
“It's a book, actually.”
Rob waved his hand dismissively. “If it's not Disney, we won't get sued for it. You were saying?” pg. 3
By the way, Scalzi does a great job of placing his novel during Covid. He addresses Covid, talks about Covid, has his characters dealing with Covid and a Covid-world, but doesn't make it heavy or oppressive. I'd compare it to how it's dealt with in GLASS ONION: KNIVES OUT.
”Finally, with this one” - Dr. Lee pointed to one of the last syringes in the longest tray - “in one in about two hundred fifty injections, the recipient feels the urge for, let's just say, intense and homicidal violence. Like, 'murder everyone in the building and build a pyre with their skulls' level of violence.”
“I can understand that,” I assured her.
“No, you can't,” she assured me back. “Fortunately, there's a direct and accompanying side effect of extreme lassitude, which keeps most people from acting on the urge.”
“So, like, 'I want to kill you but that would mean leaving the couch.'”
“Exactly,” Dr. Lee said. “We call it MURDER STONER SYNDROME.”
“That can't be real.” pg. 23
During his delivery job he runs into an old acquaintance who ends up scoring him an interview at the KPS and the rest is history.
”You have a nemesis now,” Kahurangi said. “I'm officially jealous. I've always wanted to have a nemesis.”
“I'll be your nemesis,” I volunteered.
“Thanks, Jamie, I appreciate the offer. But you have to win your nemesis on the field of battle.”
“I could punch you if that helps.”
“Tempting, but no.”
“The offer stands.” pg. 102
The science here is kind of hand-wavy, please don't expect hard science fiction from this. But it's a lot of fun.
I liked the funny, smart, slightly badass and stalwart main character.
TL;DR I will definitely be recommending this book to a lot of people. It's smart, funny, a good time, and kind of resembles an action film. I think it will appeal to a lot of people. Scalzi also has a great number of female MCs who are super-smart and kick butt, he has transgender characters, non-binary characters, characters of every single skin color, ethnic background and religion. He writes all this with zero drama, creating this kind of LGBTQIA+ non-racist, non-religious-conflict society where everyone respects each other and works scientifically for the greater good. Reminiscent of Star Trek.
The downside is this kind of neutral society also strips his characters of anything interesting. Everyone is John Scalzi. Everyone speaks with Scalzi's voice. Everyone is smart, funny, whip-smart, quick on their feet and slightly badass. Do not expect real characters. Do not expect character arcs. Do not expect a character-driven story. Do not expect nuance, subtlety, deep-thinking nor a complex plot. DO buckle in for a riotous good time full of fun adventures, action, and cool monsters.
”She's probably going to hate your guts for the rest of the tour. Well, the rest of her tour, anyway.”
“It'll be fine,” Aparna said. “I'll bake her some cookies. All will be forgiven.”
“Those will have to be some damn fine cookies,” I said. “I was there. That was some heavy-duty stuffage.”
“They've worked before.”
“You've done this before?”
“Enough times that I've gotten very good at making cookies.”
“Damn, Aparna,” Niamh said, impressed. “You are now officially my new role model.”
“Shut up, I know it,” Aparna said, mildly.
“Now I want cookies,” Kahurangi said.
“You know the price,” I said.
“It'll be worth it.” pg. 103
Scalzi is great with the science-fiction references, I was enjoying them a lot. And he doesn't overdo it, like, say, Ernest Cline who just is TOO MUCH. Scalzi is just the right amount.
”They didn't consider that it was a cross-dimensional barrier. They came through to our world because it never occurred to them that they COULDN'T.” pg. 165
RELATED MATERIALS:
My Science Project https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089652/
Any Godzilla movie (obviously)
Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson
All Systems Red and the Murderbot series by Martha Wells
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
The Cat Who Walks Through Walls by Robert A. Heinlein
So much more! If you love sci-fi, you will be jiving on all the references here.
NAMES IN THIS BOOK:
March 31, 2022
“We spotted the smoke before we spotted the kaiju itself, the smoke curled into the sky and hung in thick and listless air. There was more than one area offering up smoke. Dark smudges traced a path
toward the creature, and we followed it.
"Do they usually set things on fire?" I asked.
Satie shook his head.
"Then why is this one doing it?"”
The Kaiju Preservation Society is the upcoming standalone novel by John Scalzi. Although Scalzi is a prolific writer, I’ve always been intimidated by his work assuming that his sci-fi elements would be too technical, and as I’m not exactly scientifically nor technologically minded, I feared I wouldn’t understand key parts of his stories. Yet when I heard about this book, a Jurassic Park esque tale, full of banter and mayhem, I was certain this would be right up my street. I was right. It was!
The novel begins with a job performance review, an unruly beanbag, a job frustratingly lost and then an unexpected offer quite like no other. The year is 2020, the year of the plague I shall not utter hear of, and we meet Jamie Gray, our narrator who finds himself forced into being a delivery driver for füdmüd just to make ends meet. That is until one day he delivers food to an old acquaintance, Tom Stevens, who offers him a job that will solve all his money problems and then some. Tom describes the organisation he works for as an ‘animal rights organisation’, the animals are big and in need of preservation, and the team are down a labourer, a grunt to do the heavy lifting. Sounds like a dream come true, right? Simple job, fantastic pay, and you get to help animals, who we all know are better than humans anyway. Jamie obviously immediately signs up, but what he goes on to discover is far from a simple job, in fact, it’s mind-blowing.
Over time nuclear blasts have weakened the barrier between our Earth and another Earth where huge dinosaur sized creatures, Kaiju, roam freely. It is essentially Kaiju Earth, and the humans are there only to observe, protect and stop the Kaiju from entering our Earth as they previously had done. As Jamie and a team of scientists enter Kaiju Earth, their whole sense of reality is shattered. What follows from then is one hell of a lot of mayhem!
“We think we're smart," Niamh repeated. "And because we think
we're smart, we only looked at what we wanted to look at and didn't
think to look past it. We were looking at creating nuclear bombs and didn't think about how nuclear energy might mess with a multiverse. We didn't consider there was a multiverse. It's not built into our model."
I was first drawn into the novel by Scalzi’s quick-witted prose. His tone was immediately breezy, with an air of cynicism and he executed banter with razor-sharp precision. I laughed immensely not only at all the pop-culture references, particularly the chosen names of the Kaiju, but also at the way the characters interacted with each other. As Jamie is introduced to the team he’ll be spending the length of his tour on Kaiju Earth with, we meet Kahurangi, Aparna, and my two favourites Niamh, who it’s fair to say has some anger issues, and Satie, their batshit crazy pilot. Scalzi truly brought these characters to life in such a humorous way, his fast-flowing dialogue making for an easily immersive read. Throughout the course of the narrative, although they all jibe and tease each other they also become the best of friends and their bond was exactly the heartwarming kind of read I needed.
It also needs to be said how wonderfully diverse the characters are and how that is treated as a given. For example, Niamh is non-binary and their pronouns are respected by all. They are who they are, no prejudice, no judgement. The villains in this tale are not people with any form of bigotry, Scalzi doesn’t use that as a point of conflict which I very much appreciated. Instead the villains are corporate, they are in the field of business, of getting disgustingly rich and not giving one damn about the cost.
"What were you thinking when you started beating the shit out of that thing?" Kahurangi asked Niamh. We were at the point in the video where Niamh had gone ham on the creature, but not yet where they had zapped it.
”What does it look like I was thinking? I was pissed."
"You have very deep wells of rage, my friend," Kahurangi observed.
"You have no idea."
To my complete surprise, I never found myself overwhelmed by Scalzi’s sci-fi elements. I believe what makes The Kaiju Presevation Society so accessible is that although the majority of the characters are scientific experts in their given field, Niamh with astrology, Kahurangi with chemistry, and Aparna with biology, having Jamie, a labourer whose main job title is to “lift things'', made those characters have to explain certain theories to him in simple ways. I particularly loved how the Kaiju were realised to be integral to the ecosystem of the planet. The Kaiju may be nuclear reactors, prone to explosion, but on this earth nuclear blasts breed life. For the Kaiju, a nuclear explosion makes for the perfect nesting site, where large creatures can feed on Kaiju eggs, and the Kaiju parasites in turn feed on the creatures eventually giving nutrients back to the Kaiju, giving them the means to produce more eggs. As Jamie quite aptly puts it “the circle of life, as Mufasa said.”
The Kaiju Preservation Society pays homage to monster-movies such as Godzilla and Jurassic Park, but with a twist. Scalzi expertly delivers a tale where the humans don’t need saving from the gigantic creatures, this is where the gigantic creatures need saving from humans. I urge everyone to read this, it’s fun, it’s clever and best of all it has so much heart.
ARC provided by Jamie at Blackcrow_PR & UK Tor. Thank you for the copy. All quotes used are taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.
The Kaiju Preservation Society is out 17th March
November 15, 2022
“You have no idea how difficult it was for me to not say, ‘Welcome to Jurassic Park!’ to all of you just now.”
…
“So we’re the monster police, too?” I said to Tom.
“Correct,” he replied. “The only real question is, who are the monsters?”
“They ask that question in every monster movie, you know. It’s an actual trope.”
“I know,” Tom said. “What does it say about us that it’s relevant every single time they ask it?”
The Goodreads description of The Kaiju Preservation Society does a perfectly good job of setting up this novel. For reasons, Jamey is one of several new employees transported to a “slightly different” Earth to help protect our Earth from that Earth’s Kaiju—and to protect them from us.
Now, does that sound realistic? No, and nor should it, though there is a lot of interesting world building. The important question, though, is does The Kaiju Preservation Society sound fun? And the answer to that is hell yes. The story is sort of combination of Jurassic Park and Redshirts (not the latter’s meta parts, but the vibe of four new people being dropped together into a strange new environment and learning about it at the same time as the reader). Most of the plot is simply living in and learning about this strange world, but there’s a development late in the book that sets up a surprisingly dramatic conclusion. The book tells a complete story, but creates a world and set of characters that could easily be used in a sequel.
The Kaiju Preservation Society is an imaginative, really fun ride. It’s the Godzilla book you didn’t know you needed. Recommended.
February 19, 2023
Thoroughly fun and enjoyable. Like an action movie, with lots of humour and monsters
Its like the foreign legion for nerds
Full of banter and rollicking as an action movie. Really enjoyed it and gives one vibes to immediately rewatch some Godzilla films.
Our main character is a likeable everyman, who at the start of the pandemic is being fired from his delivery company start up. He makes an ungracious fall from a corporate job to a driver, and despite some conflicts (I don’t like you. I get that a lot) this serves as a catalyst to a mysterious job.
Here the Godzilla connection becomes more clear (So we’re the monster police, too). What follows is a fun, fast ride, with Kaiju's called Bella and Edward, cinematic villains and an overall happy ending.
Quotes
I’m ready to come and get you if you need an emergency extract. Please don’t need an emergency extract.
The one advantage of walking around in a nuclear explosion debris field, if one wanted to call it an advantage, was that there was very little verticality
You don’t think of Bella as intelligent because she is not playing the stock market or some other utterly irrelevant standard
Its like the foreign legion for nerds
Full of banter and rollicking as an action movie. Really enjoyed it and gives one vibes to immediately rewatch some Godzilla films.
Our main character is a likeable everyman, who at the start of the pandemic is being fired from his delivery company start up. He makes an ungracious fall from a corporate job to a driver, and despite some conflicts (I don’t like you. I get that a lot) this serves as a catalyst to a mysterious job.
Here the Godzilla connection becomes more clear (So we’re the monster police, too). What follows is a fun, fast ride, with Kaiju's called Bella and Edward, cinematic villains and an overall happy ending.
Quotes
I’m ready to come and get you if you need an emergency extract. Please don’t need an emergency extract.
The one advantage of walking around in a nuclear explosion debris field, if one wanted to call it an advantage, was that there was very little verticality
You don’t think of Bella as intelligent because she is not playing the stock market or some other utterly irrelevant standard
December 4, 2022
I have mixed history with Scalzi: I loved The Dispatcher but hated Lock In. In fact I’m a bit picky with sci-fi generally, having a penchant for time travel (I know, some consider this a different genre) and stories I can get my limited imagination around. Generally, monsters and too clever gizmos turn me cold. So perhaps I made a mistake in choosing this one – it’s big on monsters.
I’m not going to delve too deeply into the plot, suffice to say that an unemployed sci-fi ‘expert’ finds himself transported to a parallel Earth in which humongous flying creatures are considered a species heading for extinction and therefore worthy of treatment that in this Earth are afforded to Giant Pandas. There’s a lot of science here, a good deal of humour and a posse of characters with PhDs.
I only made it a third of the way through: the humour didn’t work for me - I prefer my sci-if to be on the serious side - but mainly it was the monsters, I just couldn’t buy into them or, in fact, the overall premise of this tale. I’ve seen some reviews from readers who absolutely love this book and I’m tempted to say that I made an error on picking a book that included elements I was never going to appreciate. My bad, so I’m awarding this one an extra star (I normally award only one star to any book I fail to finish).
My thanks to Pan MacMillan for providing a copy of this book via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
I’m not going to delve too deeply into the plot, suffice to say that an unemployed sci-fi ‘expert’ finds himself transported to a parallel Earth in which humongous flying creatures are considered a species heading for extinction and therefore worthy of treatment that in this Earth are afforded to Giant Pandas. There’s a lot of science here, a good deal of humour and a posse of characters with PhDs.
I only made it a third of the way through: the humour didn’t work for me - I prefer my sci-if to be on the serious side - but mainly it was the monsters, I just couldn’t buy into them or, in fact, the overall premise of this tale. I’ve seen some reviews from readers who absolutely love this book and I’m tempted to say that I made an error on picking a book that included elements I was never going to appreciate. My bad, so I’m awarding this one an extra star (I normally award only one star to any book I fail to finish).
My thanks to Pan MacMillan for providing a copy of this book via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
December 25, 2021
If you’ve been looking for the perfectly escapist science fiction thriller novel, one that’ll keep you laughing, give you characters to care about, and let you lose yourself in a better world – look no further, because John Scalzi is here to help.
It’s early 2020, and Jamie Gray has just had an involuntary career change from füdmüd executive to delivery agent. It’s not what dreams are made of, even before the Covid 19 lockdown arrives in New York, rendering Jamie’s flatmates unemployed and dependent on a salary that was already struggling to accommodate one person, let alone three. But then Jamie encounters an old classmate, one with an offer that sounds almost too good to be true; his employer, “animal rights organization” KPS, needs another person willing to travel, work with large animals – oh, and receive a salary that’s almost suspiciously generous.
It’s not until a trans-dimensional gateway in Iceland takes them to a surprisingly tropic jungle world that Jamie learns the truth – KPS stands for Kaiju Preservation Society, the animal rights they preserve are those of the kaiju that inspired any number of Japanese monster horrors, and they’ve effectively joined what’s quickly dubbed “the Foreign Legion for nerds”. Is this the escape of a lifetime, or has Jamie leapt without looking one time too many?
John Scalzi has a track record that almost speaks for itself, and The Kaiju Preservation Society is a great new addition. Told with his trademark blend of humor and imagination, this is science fiction that provides exactly what it promised – giant monsters, banter, and a plot that packs some surprisingly thoughtful moments into all that. But for the most part, Mr Scalzi has held back any heavy messages or allegories in favor of providing his readers with just as much of a temporary escape as he’s created for his latest protagonist. Entertaining, funny, and just so easy to disappear into for hours, The Kaiju Preservation Society was a sheer delight.
This review originally appeared on mysteryandsuspense.com. Merry Christmas, goodreads friends!
It’s early 2020, and Jamie Gray has just had an involuntary career change from füdmüd executive to delivery agent. It’s not what dreams are made of, even before the Covid 19 lockdown arrives in New York, rendering Jamie’s flatmates unemployed and dependent on a salary that was already struggling to accommodate one person, let alone three. But then Jamie encounters an old classmate, one with an offer that sounds almost too good to be true; his employer, “animal rights organization” KPS, needs another person willing to travel, work with large animals – oh, and receive a salary that’s almost suspiciously generous.
It’s not until a trans-dimensional gateway in Iceland takes them to a surprisingly tropic jungle world that Jamie learns the truth – KPS stands for Kaiju Preservation Society, the animal rights they preserve are those of the kaiju that inspired any number of Japanese monster horrors, and they’ve effectively joined what’s quickly dubbed “the Foreign Legion for nerds”. Is this the escape of a lifetime, or has Jamie leapt without looking one time too many?
John Scalzi has a track record that almost speaks for itself, and The Kaiju Preservation Society is a great new addition. Told with his trademark blend of humor and imagination, this is science fiction that provides exactly what it promised – giant monsters, banter, and a plot that packs some surprisingly thoughtful moments into all that. But for the most part, Mr Scalzi has held back any heavy messages or allegories in favor of providing his readers with just as much of a temporary escape as he’s created for his latest protagonist. Entertaining, funny, and just so easy to disappear into for hours, The Kaiju Preservation Society was a sheer delight.
This review originally appeared on mysteryandsuspense.com. Merry Christmas, goodreads friends!
April 25, 2023
3.5 stars
This was a delightful little romp and achieved what it set out to do. I don’t tend to like a lot of pop culture references, which this has. And I don’t think I’ll find the characters very memorable. But as a Godzilla meets Jurassic Park fun mashup, this delivered.
This was a delightful little romp and achieved what it set out to do. I don’t tend to like a lot of pop culture references, which this has. And I don’t think I’ll find the characters very memorable. But as a Godzilla meets Jurassic Park fun mashup, this delivered.
March 31, 2022
Pocket review, Scalzi is a One-note instrument, and that note grows increasingly flat.
Slightly longer: We can cut and paste 90% or more of the review for the last two books of his I read and it's all still applicable:
To wit-
Like all recent Scalzi fiction, the good underlying story is smothered by the larding on of his political causes. All Scalzi's faults are once again on display. The book is readable, but a pathological refusal to physically describe his characters, a neurotic need to give characters ethnically clashing first and last names, intentionally disguising characters gender, and the general sameness of dialogue in both tone and high levels of snark (now with even more cussing!) coming out of the mouth of every character result in an amusing, but ultimately dissatisfying read.
Add on to that Scalzi inappropriately jamming his personal politics and frankly juvenile name calling into the mouths of his characters and I'm quite glad I spent no money on this.
Slightly longer: We can cut and paste 90% or more of the review for the last two books of his I read and it's all still applicable:
To wit-
Like all recent Scalzi fiction, the good underlying story is smothered by the larding on of his political causes. All Scalzi's faults are once again on display. The book is readable, but a pathological refusal to physically describe his characters, a neurotic need to give characters ethnically clashing first and last names, intentionally disguising characters gender, and the general sameness of dialogue in both tone and high levels of snark (now with even more cussing!) coming out of the mouth of every character result in an amusing, but ultimately dissatisfying read.
Add on to that Scalzi inappropriately jamming his personal politics and frankly juvenile name calling into the mouths of his characters and I'm quite glad I spent no money on this.
February 2, 2023
2023 Re-Read
I'm not sure why I felt the need to revisit this Scalzi novel, but it was calling out to me! I answered the call and enjoyed the heck out of it once again. I recently returned to the author's blog and found this book matched the blog's subtitle “Furiously Reasonable.” It is idealistic—I can't imagine any group of employees being as unified and mutually appreciative as the KPS staff are. Having worked in a number of offices over my career, I can virtually guarantee that there will be people who rub each other the wrong way, who squabble, and who aren't the sharpest knives in the drawer. No matter how carefully they are selected, that's the result of human nature. Nevertheless, it is a pleasant dream, to have a group of congenial coworkers.
I hadn't realized when I read the book the first time that Scalzi manages to tell the entire tale without revealing Jamie Gray's gender. Other readers may have assumed, like I did, that Jamie was a man because of the job they were recruited for. As Jamie frequently says, “I lift things.” Which proves how even someone with strong feminist leanings can let childhood programming sway her.
I think it was actually the idealistic nature of the KPS that I needed right now, when the world around me seems to be going to the dogs. I have days when I just have to turn off the news and turn up the music. I have the privilege of being able to retreat from reality for a few days when the world seems too heavy. Fantasy literature has been my haven during the whole pandemic, not to mention my whole life. Thank you, Mr. Scalzi for an inspiring, funny fantasy novel that cheers me up when I'm feeling blue.
Original Review
2022 Free Range Reading
A book chosen for fun, not part of any project, plan, or list. And it was lots of fun! Scalzi, in his acknowledgements, likens it to a catchy pop song. My thoughts went to cotton candy. Sweet, light, no nutritional value, but still highly enjoyable.
It is classic Scalzi. His emphasis on the place of kindness in life reminded me a lot of Kurt Vonnegut’s fiction. His use of the devoted circle of friends seemed to recall Spider Robinson's group of allied weirdos in Callahan's Bar. That and the tendency among KPS staff to celebrate with alcohol and feasting (plus ukeleles and staff change-over rituals). His sense of humour is both ironic and pervasive. (And I “get" it, which I appreciate. That's not a given for me.) It's very much what I would call “internet influenced.” I haven't read his blog lately, but it was very much like I remember his blog being—interested in basic human rights, human justice, and being righteously angry about all the ways he sees society getting things wrong.
But really, this is just a great creature feature. Kaiju are awesomely wonderful monsters. Just like in Jurassic Park, the KPS thinks they have everything under control, but we all know that control is overrated. Not to mention prone to failure. Scalzi lets the tough stuff happen, but finds ways to bend events toward the good. A feel good monster book.
I'm not sure why I felt the need to revisit this Scalzi novel, but it was calling out to me! I answered the call and enjoyed the heck out of it once again. I recently returned to the author's blog and found this book matched the blog's subtitle “Furiously Reasonable.” It is idealistic—I can't imagine any group of employees being as unified and mutually appreciative as the KPS staff are. Having worked in a number of offices over my career, I can virtually guarantee that there will be people who rub each other the wrong way, who squabble, and who aren't the sharpest knives in the drawer. No matter how carefully they are selected, that's the result of human nature. Nevertheless, it is a pleasant dream, to have a group of congenial coworkers.
I hadn't realized when I read the book the first time that Scalzi manages to tell the entire tale without revealing Jamie Gray's gender. Other readers may have assumed, like I did, that Jamie was a man because of the job they were recruited for. As Jamie frequently says, “I lift things.” Which proves how even someone with strong feminist leanings can let childhood programming sway her.
I think it was actually the idealistic nature of the KPS that I needed right now, when the world around me seems to be going to the dogs. I have days when I just have to turn off the news and turn up the music. I have the privilege of being able to retreat from reality for a few days when the world seems too heavy. Fantasy literature has been my haven during the whole pandemic, not to mention my whole life. Thank you, Mr. Scalzi for an inspiring, funny fantasy novel that cheers me up when I'm feeling blue.
Original Review
2022 Free Range Reading
A book chosen for fun, not part of any project, plan, or list. And it was lots of fun! Scalzi, in his acknowledgements, likens it to a catchy pop song. My thoughts went to cotton candy. Sweet, light, no nutritional value, but still highly enjoyable.
It is classic Scalzi. His emphasis on the place of kindness in life reminded me a lot of Kurt Vonnegut’s fiction. His use of the devoted circle of friends seemed to recall Spider Robinson's group of allied weirdos in Callahan's Bar. That and the tendency among KPS staff to celebrate with alcohol and feasting (plus ukeleles and staff change-over rituals). His sense of humour is both ironic and pervasive. (And I “get" it, which I appreciate. That's not a given for me.) It's very much what I would call “internet influenced.” I haven't read his blog lately, but it was very much like I remember his blog being—interested in basic human rights, human justice, and being righteously angry about all the ways he sees society getting things wrong.
But really, this is just a great creature feature. Kaiju are awesomely wonderful monsters. Just like in Jurassic Park, the KPS thinks they have everything under control, but we all know that control is overrated. Not to mention prone to failure. Scalzi lets the tough stuff happen, but finds ways to bend events toward the good. A feel good monster book.
March 22, 2022
4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2022/03/22/...
John Scalzi is at his best when he’s not taking himself too seriously, and books like The Kaiju Preservation Society are the proof. He stated as much in his author’s afterword that he wrote this novel as an escape, a way to let loose and take a break from the crappiness of what’s happening in the world, and the results are something we can all be thankful for.
The story follows Jamie Gray, an ambitious go-getter who has all kinds of great ideas for the online food ordering and delivery service company he works for, and he just can’t wait to share them all during his six-month performance review. Too bad Jamie’s boss has no interest in hearing them, however, and our hapless protagonist ends up losing his job right as the world enters the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As luck would have it though, he soon reconnects with his old friend Tom Stevens who presents him with a new opportunity: a chance to work with an “animal rights organization” called KPS as a laborer in the field, with duties to include some heavy lifting and large wildlife care. Nothing too complicated, even if the job description is suspiciously vague. Still, desperate for anything that will help pay the bills, Jamie signs on, and the next thing he knows, he’s jetting off with his new team to Greenland where they’re told they’ll be doing fieldwork for the next little while.
But soon after they arrive, Jamie realizes why Tom had been so tight-lipped. As it turns out, KPS actually stands for a top-secret organization called the Kaiju Preservation Society, and though their location might be Greenland, in fact they have traveled to an alternate Earth. Here, giant creatures similar to those featured in Japanese fantasy and sci-fi monster movies called kaiju get to roam freely, and it is KPS’s mission to not only study them but also to keep them breaking through the barrier between worlds into our Earth. Because obviously, that would be very, very bad.
In describing the process of writing The Kaiju Preservation Society, Scalzi likened the book to a pop song, and that pop songs are sometimes what we all need. Amen to that! Everyone has that favorite catchy song they like to put on, a guilty pleasure to turn to when life is getting you down and you need something to cheer you up and lighten the mood. Well, what we have here is pretty much the literary equivalent.
Putting myself in that frame of mind, it was super easy to just kick back and enjoy myself. The story was also popcorny and fun, and as long as you’re aware of that going in, chances are high you’ll have a pretty damn good time as well. The prose is pure Scalzi when he’s not trying too hard to be all deep and meaningful; unlike some of his more recent projects, there is no whiff of pretention here, just his quirky sense of humor coming through in all its snarky glory. Hey, nothing wrong with some easy, breezy entertainment once in a while! Sure, this might feel liked fluff, but it’s also refreshingly earnest and completely satisfying.
That said, I don’t want to give anyone the impression that the story was all superficial, because we have some superb characterization and great world-building ideas here too. In fact, if I have one criticism, it might be that the book was frontloaded was too much setup, with the explanations and descriptions bordering on info-dumping. There’s a lot to take in, and not much attempt on the author’s part to spread all those details out or present it with any kind of panache. Also, ironically enough, for a book that’s all about kaiju, time spent with actual kaiju was in rather short supply, and I would have really liked to see more action involving these giant monsters.
At the end of the day though, John Scalzi clearly wanted to write a particular kind of story, and he definitely achieved that goal, ultimately delivering his most entertaining novel in years. It certainly put me in mind of the atmosphere and mood of another one of my favorite books of his, Old Man’s War, whose humor and accessibility I’ve always credited for igniting my interest in the science fiction and fantasy genres way back when I read it. With The Kaiju Preservation Society, I felt all those vibes as well, making this one a must-read for any fan of the author.
John Scalzi is at his best when he’s not taking himself too seriously, and books like The Kaiju Preservation Society are the proof. He stated as much in his author’s afterword that he wrote this novel as an escape, a way to let loose and take a break from the crappiness of what’s happening in the world, and the results are something we can all be thankful for.
The story follows Jamie Gray, an ambitious go-getter who has all kinds of great ideas for the online food ordering and delivery service company he works for, and he just can’t wait to share them all during his six-month performance review. Too bad Jamie’s boss has no interest in hearing them, however, and our hapless protagonist ends up losing his job right as the world enters the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As luck would have it though, he soon reconnects with his old friend Tom Stevens who presents him with a new opportunity: a chance to work with an “animal rights organization” called KPS as a laborer in the field, with duties to include some heavy lifting and large wildlife care. Nothing too complicated, even if the job description is suspiciously vague. Still, desperate for anything that will help pay the bills, Jamie signs on, and the next thing he knows, he’s jetting off with his new team to Greenland where they’re told they’ll be doing fieldwork for the next little while.
But soon after they arrive, Jamie realizes why Tom had been so tight-lipped. As it turns out, KPS actually stands for a top-secret organization called the Kaiju Preservation Society, and though their location might be Greenland, in fact they have traveled to an alternate Earth. Here, giant creatures similar to those featured in Japanese fantasy and sci-fi monster movies called kaiju get to roam freely, and it is KPS’s mission to not only study them but also to keep them breaking through the barrier between worlds into our Earth. Because obviously, that would be very, very bad.
In describing the process of writing The Kaiju Preservation Society, Scalzi likened the book to a pop song, and that pop songs are sometimes what we all need. Amen to that! Everyone has that favorite catchy song they like to put on, a guilty pleasure to turn to when life is getting you down and you need something to cheer you up and lighten the mood. Well, what we have here is pretty much the literary equivalent.
Putting myself in that frame of mind, it was super easy to just kick back and enjoy myself. The story was also popcorny and fun, and as long as you’re aware of that going in, chances are high you’ll have a pretty damn good time as well. The prose is pure Scalzi when he’s not trying too hard to be all deep and meaningful; unlike some of his more recent projects, there is no whiff of pretention here, just his quirky sense of humor coming through in all its snarky glory. Hey, nothing wrong with some easy, breezy entertainment once in a while! Sure, this might feel liked fluff, but it’s also refreshingly earnest and completely satisfying.
That said, I don’t want to give anyone the impression that the story was all superficial, because we have some superb characterization and great world-building ideas here too. In fact, if I have one criticism, it might be that the book was frontloaded was too much setup, with the explanations and descriptions bordering on info-dumping. There’s a lot to take in, and not much attempt on the author’s part to spread all those details out or present it with any kind of panache. Also, ironically enough, for a book that’s all about kaiju, time spent with actual kaiju was in rather short supply, and I would have really liked to see more action involving these giant monsters.
At the end of the day though, John Scalzi clearly wanted to write a particular kind of story, and he definitely achieved that goal, ultimately delivering his most entertaining novel in years. It certainly put me in mind of the atmosphere and mood of another one of my favorite books of his, Old Man’s War, whose humor and accessibility I’ve always credited for igniting my interest in the science fiction and fantasy genres way back when I read it. With The Kaiju Preservation Society, I felt all those vibes as well, making this one a must-read for any fan of the author.
June 26, 2023
Well on his way to a doctorate in econ from the prestigious University of Chicago, Jamie Gray believes he has life figured out. So, he jumps to a New York City job with a “start-up” and starts to make things happen for himself and this company.
What happens is Covid-19 and a CEO who wants Gray’s ideas but not Jamie. Half a year of bicycling around NYC delivering other people’s food orders. His income isn’t enough to pay his rent and life is looking like something found behind a dumpster in a Manhattan alley.
Then he connects with someone he knew in his previous life and that person offers him a job “in a remote location working with big animals.” Jamie jumps at the opportunity and we are on our way.
(It was only as Jamie encountered Dr. Lee, the physician seeing to his vaccinations, that we are assured that this is a book written by John Scalzi.)
From that point we get into spoiler alert territory; something I intend to avoid.
Jamie learns that he is part of KPS Tanaka Base Gold Team. He meets other members of the team and concludes: “It’s like the foreign legion for nerds.”
Scalzi is far better than other SF authors in consistently making me laugh. He has an ear for the absurd in everyday conversation. Some of his tales are just a riff on a current cultural phrase or obsession (see Red Shirts as an example https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... ). In others, like this one he probes a bit deeper into mankind and our dilemmas.
This preservation society is on Earth, but not our Earth and it has kaiju as a dominant species. We learn why there needs to be a “preservation society” only as the story ramps up. But here is a snippet which won’t spoil it for you:
“They’re at the top of the evolutionary ladder here, but evolution definitely didn’t select for brains on this planet…” Okay, but why do we care?” I asked.
Because they’re cute…Literally, that’s why.”
“You’re not wrong, but the answer I was thinking about is that they’re endangered. Well, so are Edward and Bella.”
“Edward and Bella?” I said. “You named these kaiju after friggin’ Twilight?”
“I didn’t,” Satie said. “If it were up to me, I would have named them Sid and Nancy. Fits their personalities better. But no one asked me. One of you millennials did it.”
“Millennials ruining kaiju naming,” I said to Kahurangi.
“We’re just the worst.” He confirmed.”
This collision of academic hubris and human foibles is replete with pop culture jokes…………..and it worked well for me.
4*
What happens is Covid-19 and a CEO who wants Gray’s ideas but not Jamie. Half a year of bicycling around NYC delivering other people’s food orders. His income isn’t enough to pay his rent and life is looking like something found behind a dumpster in a Manhattan alley.
Then he connects with someone he knew in his previous life and that person offers him a job “in a remote location working with big animals.” Jamie jumps at the opportunity and we are on our way.
(It was only as Jamie encountered Dr. Lee, the physician seeing to his vaccinations, that we are assured that this is a book written by John Scalzi.)
From that point we get into spoiler alert territory; something I intend to avoid.
Jamie learns that he is part of KPS Tanaka Base Gold Team. He meets other members of the team and concludes: “It’s like the foreign legion for nerds.”
Scalzi is far better than other SF authors in consistently making me laugh. He has an ear for the absurd in everyday conversation. Some of his tales are just a riff on a current cultural phrase or obsession (see Red Shirts as an example https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... ). In others, like this one he probes a bit deeper into mankind and our dilemmas.
This preservation society is on Earth, but not our Earth and it has kaiju as a dominant species. We learn why there needs to be a “preservation society” only as the story ramps up. But here is a snippet which won’t spoil it for you:
“They’re at the top of the evolutionary ladder here, but evolution definitely didn’t select for brains on this planet…” Okay, but why do we care?” I asked.
Because they’re cute…Literally, that’s why.”
“You’re not wrong, but the answer I was thinking about is that they’re endangered. Well, so are Edward and Bella.”
“Edward and Bella?” I said. “You named these kaiju after friggin’ Twilight?”
“I didn’t,” Satie said. “If it were up to me, I would have named them Sid and Nancy. Fits their personalities better. But no one asked me. One of you millennials did it.”
“Millennials ruining kaiju naming,” I said to Kahurangi.
“We’re just the worst.” He confirmed.”
This collision of academic hubris and human foibles is replete with pop culture jokes…………..and it worked well for me.
4*
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