Book Review – Agent to the Stars

Author: John Scalzi
Cover Artist: Pascal Blanchet
Publisher: Tor
Binding: Trade Paperback
Publication Date: November 2008

Infamous blogger, science fiction author, and Hugo Award winner John Scalzi published his first book, Agent to the Stars, on his website back in 1997 as a ‘practice novel’. It was eventually picked up by the folks at Subterranean Press for a limited release – long sold out; those first editions apparently command a hefty price on eBay these days. So, Tor figured it was time for this novel to see a wider distribution with a new edition that has updated some of the out-of-date cultural references.

Agent to the Stars imagines a new version of the standard first-contact novel. Instead of global invasion, secret dealings with governments, or humans reaching out to the heavens, a friendly alien race attempting to make its first contact with humans start by hiring a Hollywood agent. These aliens have been watching TV for 70 years – they are well aware of the treatment of aliens in popular media and they know that if you really want to get in touch with humanity, go to Hollywood. Of course their perception is a bit warped. However, aliens that are basically stinky gelatinous goo know they have an image problem with people who prefer their friendly aliens to be humanoid.

I’m a fan of Scalzi’s writing – both on the blog and in book form. It is funny, clever, often containing a satiric punch, and makes for very fast reading. So, it’s no surprise that I very enjoyed Agent to the Stars. Like Scalzi’s other writing, Agent to the Stars is full of clever observations of popular culture and takes on satirical feel through much of the book – though as with his other writing, he often comes across as too clever and cavalier at times – but hey, that’s a good part of the fun. As you would expect with a first novel, it can be a bit inconsistent as well.

With the basic premise of the novel being that an alien race has hired a Hollywood agent for representation and to properly introduce them to humanity, a suspension of disbelief is immediately necessary. One could easily nit-pick this novel and its details to death, but when you become tempted to do this, see the first line of this paragraph. This will certainly turn off more than a few readers, so if it sounds dumb and not at all like a proper ‘sci-fi’ novel, then this book isn’t for you. However, if the audacity of the potential stupidity makes you smile, this is definitely a book for you.

Agent to the Stars does indeed at times read like a first novel published on the internet, but it also has all the fun, clever and biting style that John Scalzi has become known for. Scalzi’s writing has improved since this effort, but that core Scalzi-ness is there – so his fans will adore this book. Those that don’t care for his writing will probably like this one no more than his other efforts. For me it was fast, fun read that provided just the right level of entertainment.

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