John Scalzi

To avoid an interstellar incident, ex-cop and hacker Harry Creek searches for a rare type of sheep to be used in an alien race's coronation ceremony, following a trail that leads to pet store owner Robin Baker, whose genes contain traces of the sheep DNA.

The Android's Dream

Sarah Sammis

John Scalzi is best known for his hard science fiction like Old Man's War and The Ghost Brigades but I've so far only read his satyrical science fiction: Agent to the Stars and The Android's Dream. While The Android's Dream isn't a sequel to Agent to the Stars it feels like it could be a far future follow up to the present day satire.

The book opens with a human diplomat insulting and then killing an alien dignitary with his flatulence. Now the world's governments have to come together to stop an all out interplanetary war. The only way to do that is to find a rare breed of sheep used in the alien's coronation ceremony.

If the book had stayed focus on the task at hand, namely the coordinated effort of different nations trying to find the sheep while other factions are doing their best to keep the sheep from being delivered, the book would have been as tight and as funny as Agent to the Stars.

Unfortunately with the plot set in the far future when there are many different extra terrestrial groups interacting with the Earth, there's just too much temptation to include commentary on all these different groups, their cultures, quirks and history with the planet. The asides interrupt the flow of the plot and ultimately got in the way of my enjoyment of the book.

Vicky  Nuñez 

I can't believe it took me this long to start reading Scalzi's books, and with each one I read I am happier that I started doing it. 
Android's Dreams its a space opera with lots of humor with very surprising twists.
I definitely recommend it.

Ryan LaFerney

The Android's Dream (title based off Philip K. Dick's novel Do Android's Dream of Electric Sheep) can be described as a satire of interstellar diplomacy. It stars Harry Creek, a low-level State Department deliverer of bad news to alien ambassadors to Earth who's also a war hero and a computer genius. When Earth faces destruction over a diplomatic faux pas (or a minor farting offence) with the Nidu alien race, Harry must find and deliver the Android's Dream, an electric-blue breed of sheep, to the Nidu for their coronation ceremony in order to avoid an all out war. Harry stumbles upon Robin Baker, a pet shop owner with sheep DNA in her genes that in fact align with the Android's Dream, and quickly finds himself dodging Defense Department assassins and Nidu space marines. In an effort to protect Robin, they flee Earth and find their own way to attend the Nidu crowning. Also on the quest for the sheep are disciples of the Church of the Evolved Lamb—founded by an early 21st-century SF writer of "modest talents" (no doubt a satirical stab at L. Ron Hubbard). This book was filled with plenty of alien gore that fans of Alien and Independence Day will enjoy as well as a great banter and plenty of humor. This is an intelligent romp that might be underrated and overlooked. Highly recommended if you can handle fart jokes.

Barry Hess

This was a good Scalzi. I didn't love it, but a quick read and great for a vacation. Humor abounds right from the get-go as a murder-by-fart is planned. Seriously. You know you're not in for a high-minded adventure, and you're fine with it.

Dani

Not the best from Scalzi so far, IMHO, would give it a 3.5 but Goodreads does not support 1/2 star ratings yet 💁

Cody Madden

Aaron J Mitchell

Stefan Ladstätter-Thaa

TL Wright

Jeff James

Tim Pennington-Russell

To avoid an interstellar incident, ex-cop and hacker Harry Creek, aided by Brian Javna, a childhood friend turned AI, searches for a rare type of sheep to be used in an alien race's coronation ceremony, following a trail that leads to pet store owner Robin Baker, whose genes contain traces of the sheep DNA. By the author of Old Man's War. Reprint.

The Android's Dream

Reviews