Review: The Human Division by John Scalzi

In case you misread the title the same way I did, this book is about humanity splitting into factions, not a division of human soldiers. Ahem.

The Human Division was written for serialization. Instead of turning it into a fix up, Scalzi chose to publish it in the original form, split into episodes. This puts it somewhere between a novel and a themed short story collection.

It works well as either, but I recommend reading the stories in order, including the two filler stories at the end.

Because of its nature, this book does jump around, taking place in multiple locations throughout a simmering galaxy.

(I assume from the ship names that Scalzi has a good deal of respect for Arthur C. Clarke. It’s a fun way to tuckerize other writers, but I would feel uncreative to steal it).

Humans aren’t to be trusted. Except when we are. Scalzi does have an understanding of that. He also spends a bit more time on the aliens, although he doesn’t have the deft touch with them of a Verne or a Cherryh.

The last filler story, by the way, is particularly amusing.

This is a series you should read in order, but you also probably shouldn’t stop…

Review: The End of All Things by John Scalzi

Once more, not a novel. It’s technically a novella collection, although they are more or less chronologically congruent (is that a phrase?) and definitely should be read in order.

Scalzi basically stopped pulling punches about colonialism a book or so ago. We are, yes, the bad guys. Humanity can’t be trusted.

And then he ties that together with incredibly sympathetic characters, both human and not. He doesn’t have the deft hand with aliens of a Cherryh or a Vinge, but he has a deft enough hand with character in general that that’s not a huge deal. And a deft hand with explosions.

There are lots of explosions in this book, just saying. But also a lot of diplomacy, and a brain in a box that decides…oops, spoiler.

I definitely enjoyed it…I’ve come to the realization I like Scalzi when he is being more serious, but our senses of humor don’t really cross reference at all. So this works for me in a way much of his work simply doesn’t.

Onwards!

I received a copy of this book for award consideration purposes.