Recently Read: The Android's Dream by John Scalzi

The Android's Dream by John Scalzi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

SRP (Summer Reading Program) Why Bite: This novel turned out to be an exciting, funny, and occasionally gross adventure that is as believable as it is unlikely.

I was looking for a different title by this author, but this one caught my eye. The Android’s Dream takes its name from Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Phillip K. Dick. Scalzi references this inspiration on his Acknowledgements page. Aside from the fact that a genetically modified breed of sheep with electric blue wool is named after the book, there are no further similarities between Scalzi’s novel and Dick’s. There are no actual androids in the story. That’s okay though, as there are plenty of other interesting elements to make up for that.

Scalzi seems to borrow from a number of different stories in the science fiction genre, both on film and in print. The at times sophomoric humor and unlikely predicaments the characters find themselves in are reminiscent of Douglas Adams’ and Phillip K. Dick novels. Indeed, Harry Creek could give Rick Deckard a run for his money. Intertwining the horrors of war could be a nod to Vonnegut. The “Common Confederation,” or CC, is clearly modeled after the “United Federation of Planets” in the Star Trek universe. Genetically modifying and cross breeding humans and animals is a plot element straight out of The Island of Doctor Moreau by H.G. Wells. The various appearances of various species co-existing on and off world are nothing new to anyone who has seen “Star Wars” and/or “Men in Black.”

Highly improbably occurrences lead to fantastic circumstances that are outrageous yet somehow believable. The entire fight scene at the Arlington mall, particular the use of the special shoes, is a brilliant example of how easily Scalzi gets the reader to suspend disbelief. Interestingly, it seems the plot is driven on by fate. Seemingly random coincidences, not all of which are planned, seem to happen in just the right way to align everything and everyone to an inevitable outcome. The reader is left wondering how coincidental these coincidences truly are; however, as it is mentioned more than once that the Church of the Evolved Lamb had been actively working to make their prophecies come true for quite some time. Is purposefully self-fulfilled prophecy really fate? This church dynamic is certainly an interesting commentary on religion and religious quests. Scalzi also throws in a number of commentaries via illustration of his portrayal of government officials as well as various parts of society. For example, Robin Baker’s birth and adoption story is a frank appraisal of fundamentalist Christians and their “pro-life” position. “Half sheep or not, life began at conception and aborting the near-term fetus was wrong. The county, which wanted the whole thing to go away, took the in-laws up on their offer to pay for the medical needs of the pregnant sheep woman until she gave birth. … They declared her human and offered her to Porter’s in-laws and widow. They refused her, saying she was no kin of theirs. Their interest in her did not extend past the fact, and the moment, of her birth.” Much like the Christian Right and their anti-abortion position, they do not care about the child once she is born and oppose all legislative efforts to provide for such children after they are born.

I found the opening line off-putting. “Dirk Moeller didn’t know if he could fart his way into a major diplomatic incident. But he was ready to find out.” My immediate thought was of the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest. This could have been a contender. I kept reading hoping this wasn’t a sign. I’m glad I did.

The story turned out to be engrossing and captivating. It was fast paced with clever plot twists, including sabotage, betrayal, double agents and spies, friends becoming enemies and enemies becoming allies, the declaration of a new sentient species, and not one but two sentient AI interfaces, one with the personality of a horny, old woman and the other of an eighteen year old hot head genius. Definitely worth the read.


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