As part of my recent reading kick, I’ve absolutely blasted through a few John Scalzi books. Most of them are things I’ve read before, some to their completion and some only partially because I got distracted by life in 2020 and never picked them back up, but I’ve read some of his newer stuff as well. One of the things I’ve always enjoyed about Scalzi’s books is that they’re dependably enjoyable. If you like anyone one of them, you’ll probably like all the rest. He isn’t exactly the most progressive writer out there, but he is definitely on the right side of history, so there’s little to worry about beyond a few rather obvious lacks (in terms of representation, mostly) in his earlier books. His more modern stuff is better, in my opinion, but I feel like that’s true of just about any writer since we tend to age like fine wine rather than dairy products. Anyway, I’ve gotten away from the point I was planning to make. I recently read his Spring of 2022 book, The Kaiju Preservation Society, and it was an absolute delight.

It might seem odd to say that the thing I enjoyed the most about the book was that the stakes were incredibly low, but that’s a compliment in this case. The story is incredibly clear about what it intends, where it is going, and what is at stake. There is just enough tension to carry you forward through the text, but not enough to push you to the edge of your seat. This is a book best enjoyed in a reclined position, because the setup, drama, and payoff all arrive exactly when you expect them to. This isn’t to say that there is no drama and that nothing is at stake, just that everything feels like a foregone conclusion. The twist is exactly what you’re expect. It arrived exactly when you’re expect it. All of the foreshadowing pays off and it’s more like shadow puppets than something you need to interpret.

I know that probably makes it sound dull, but this isn’t a book pretending to be a literary feast. This book sets itself up as an ice cream sundae and delivers an exemplar of the form. If you go in wanting a salad, steak, and sides, you’re going to leave disappointed. If you want a tasty treat, this is going to give you exactly that. I read it on my tablet, breaking my usual insistence on getting my books in physical editions unless I’m traveling, but it was a fairly short read. I think it took me about three, maybe four, hours to get entirely through and while I am a proficient and voracious reader, I’m not a particularly quick one. It was fun from start to finish, with absolutely no downtime, with no wasted words, and with no empty space. Every second of it was delivering important information about the world, plot development, or character development. I didn’t even close the book with a desire for more when I finished. I got exactly what I wanted from it and was satisfied with my experience. I mean, I’d read a sequel if Scalzi ever writes one, but it would be a second, largely unrelated story in this world since there was nothing left to build off.

I’d recommend giving it a read if you’re interested in something light and fluffy for these warmer, summery months approaching us. It’s a great read in e-book format if that’s your thing and I’ve seen enough physical copies of it to know that it’s not a difficult book to carry around with you. This is exactly the kind of book I’ll buy extra copies of so I can give it away to people to introduce them to Scalzi’s work and get them hooked on a writer with an excellent body of work out there. Again, none of this stuff is going to be particularly challenging, though it does maintain the critical lens required for good sci-fi, but it’s still just fun to read. Perhaps it is a reaction to a lot of the older Fantasy stuff I’ve read and the direction most prolific (and male) fantasy writers go as their careers wind onward, but there is rarely a wasted word in any of Scalzi’s books. Everything moves the story forward and even the fluff points to something important about the story or its characters.

I keep adding and deleting this final paragraph, trying to find something more to say about this book, but there really isn’t more. It’s just fun, pleasant, and easy to consume. It is a joy. Buy yourself an ice cream sundae when you’ve got a day off and enjoy it. That’s the sort of attitude you should take to reading this book and I genuinely recommend taking some time to indulge in this flavor of literary treat. You won’t regret it.