I finally returned the disappointing Fragile Things the other day to the Library. There were no books I was particularly looking forward to, so I browsed the "New Books" section to see if there was anything interesting. One book stood out, with a picture of a robot sleeping and sheep in the background. The title: The Android's Dream, by John Scalzi.
Cool, I thought. Wonder how it relates to Blade Runner.
I began reading it that night and was hooked. What's the premise? Well, it deals with the relationship with Earth with aliens that are far more advanced than we are Of course, there are people who aren't happy with this, and so one day one of them kills an alien trade ambassador--but not in the usual way. You'll have to read it to find out.
So, this means that Earth is pretty much screwed unless the humans do something for the aliens--find (you guessed it) The Android's Dream, a particular species of sheep. If not, the aliens pretty much take over.
Scalzi's prose reminds me a bit of Larry Niven (specifically Crashlander), complete with fantastic aliens and humans who have to use their wit to survive. His humor reminds me of Christopher Moore--funny enough, but not as gut-busting as Pratchett or Adams.
Oh, and the relation to Blade Runner? Nothing, really. Just a throwaway line, when asked about why the species was called "The Android's Dream".
A very good read. Recommended.
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