Agent to the Stars [Hardcover]

This is a light-hearted and funny romp in the Heinlein mode that Mr. Scalzi does so well. If you missed "old Man's War", go ahead and order that one right away too; it's a classic and compulsive revisit to the golden age of Sci-fi from the fifties that you'll absolutely enjoy.

In this novel, Biz Agent to the Stars, humor and laughs abound (heck, even the title is a punny double entendre) as Thomas Stein, a Hollywood agent fresh off a huge success and feeling good about his bourgeoning career, suddenly is given the job of PR director for a race of stinky and singularly unattractive aliens. I won't give away the story elements but you can imagine the challenge of trying to make aliens that essentially communicate by farting, and that look gross to boot, into lovable characters. Thomas's challenges and adventures in his quest to put a positive spin on his new clients are hilariously fun to follow and the laughs abound.

This is an excellent, light, and funny read, devourable in one sitting, and something great to pick up and have a go at when you're in the mood for feel-good fare that will make you smile. Scalzi is an author to watch and I am struck by how much he reminds me of Heinlein, but I am almost afraid to make the comparison lest some people dismiss him as a knock-off. Scalzi is a master in his own right. His books convey his own voice, ideas and vision very clearly all while clearly paying homage to the masters who started it all.

This is the first novel written by John Scalzi but it is not his first published work. It was written as a "training aid" in an effort to become a novelist. He offered it basically for free on the internet. Now, with the publication of subsequent novels, his first has been offered for sale as a real book you can pick up and read. It was a worthwhile venture.

In short, it is hilarious.

The premise is of first contact with aliens. They are hideous to look at, by human standards, and smell bad also. The aliens are worried about how they will be received by humanity. Somehow, landing on the White House lawn and saying "Take me to your leader," does not strike them as the wisest course of action. They figure they need some good PR and to make a good entrance. Since most of their knowledge of earth comes from the TV signals we've been beaming into space for decades, they decide to hire a Hollywood agent.

The book take a tongue in cheek, irreverent approach to the matter. It is filled with laughs from front to back and has an occasional poignant moment as well. Hollywood is pilloried but the politicos don't come off to well either (politicians are so minor in the book as to be almost non-existent; one of the best lines is found on the last page.) I'm sorry it sat for so long in my "to be read later" pile.

I want more.

Tom Stein is your average up and coming Hollywood agent. He has one client, a dim witted actress who is just hitting big, and a back list of other clients who are barely worth the effort to remember their names and he would be just as happy to be rid of them for various reasons specific to each client. Tom gets his wish when his boss invites Tom into his office for a rare opportunity: The boss of the agency would like Tom to dump the bulk of his clients in order to take on a new one. While that sounds wonderful, an agent really is only as good as his client list and dumping the list is a risky move for an agent who just had his big break. But then Carl, the boss, drops the bomb. The new client is not a person. The new client is an entire alien race just making first contact with humanity. The aliens know that the best way to be accepted by humanity is to be shown in the movies in a sympathetic way and it is an agent that can make this happen.

One more thing. The aliens do not look like lassie or ET or even like the bugs from Starship Troopers. The aliens more closely resemble a pile of jello which smells like a dog's fart. But they are very friendly and wish to, well, come in peace. These aliens learned about humanity through the signals of Hollywood movies and television shows which beamed up into space. While this has caused a problem in separating fact from fiction, it has permitted several from the gelatinous mass of alien goo to learn to speak English and communicate on a level humans can understand and appreciate. Tom Stein simply needs to figure out how to best introduce the aliens, with a spokesalien named Joshua, to the world.

This may have been John Scalzi's first attempt at writing a novel, but it was clear even from this fun exercise that Scalzi is a skilled writer and put together a more than competent novel with his first effort. This explains why he was able to sell his first effort (though he sold it second. His second written novel, Old Man's War, sold first). Agent to the Stars is a funny romp through Hollywood, the world of agents, and even to an alien spacecraft. Agent to the Stars is filled with humor, sharp dialogue, fart jokes, and even some sadness. Mostly: Joy. Joy for the reader because Agent to the Stars is pure pleasure to read, but probably also Joy for the author. Scalzi had to have a blast writing this book and coming up with an alien race which communicates by rank odors.

Agent to the Stars is the third Scalzi novel I have read, after Old Man's War and The Ghost Brigades, and while it is as different from those novels as is possible in science fiction, Agent to the Stars is a delightful novel and I mean that. I felt full of delight while reading it. You should, too.

-Joe Sherry

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