From Our May Newsletter

Speculative Fiction

John Scalzi is a cannibal. Not that he eats the flesh of other humans (so far as I know); but he “use[s] or draw[s] on material of (as another writer or an earlier work)” (Merriam-Webster, cannibalize). As he did with Fuzzy Nation, Red Shirts, and Zoe's Tale, Scalzi has drawn on existing work or ideas to create something wholly new and absorbing. Published online as a three-month digital serial from January to April, 2013, The Human Division is now available as a hardcover. It follows the exploits of Lieutenant Harry Wilson of the Colonial Union (CU) as he deals with other sentient beings in an often-violent, competitive universe (the same universe of Old Man’s War). What this series of thirteen loosely linked episodes (and two extras) brings to mind is the brilliant and funny Retief tales of Keith Laumer. Scalzi even incorporates the satirical humor that characterized most of Retief’s exploits (see especially, Episode 7: The Dog King). These stories are all told against a background that sees the CU in conflict with Earth, as well as with a confederation of alien civilizations that is trying to pull Earth into its alliance against the CU. Assigned as a representative of the Colonial Defense Forces under the authority of various ambassadors and other politicians, Lieutenant Wilson often has to outthink (and sometimes outfight) not only his alien foes but also his own, sometimes thick-headed, fellow humans. These are immensely enjoyable stories—serious yet often laugh-out-loud funny. Highly recommended.