Agent to the Stars

Scalzi, John. Agent to the Stars. New York: Tor. 2010. Print.

First Sentences: 

"Fourteen million and fifteen percent of the gross? For Michelle Beck? You're out of your fucking mind, Tom." 

Headsets are a godsend. They allow you to speak on the phone while leaving your hands free for the truly important things. My hands were currently occupied with a blue rubber racquetball, which I was lightly bouncing off the pane of glass in my office window. Each quiet thonk left a tiny imprint on the glass.  It looked like a litter of poodles had levitated six feet off the ground and schmooged their noses against the window.

Someone would eventually have to wipe them all off.

Description:

Here's the situation. You are part of a highly intelligent alien race currently circling the Earth in your spaceship that looks like a gigantic asteroid. You want to introduce yourself peacefully to Earth's people with whom you are familiar due to broadcasts of television show like CHiPs that have leaked into space since the invention of television.

The problem? Your appearance resembles a gelatinous block of Jell-O. Also, you communicate via smells, usually as unpleasant as rotting cheese, dog's breath, or much worse. Of course, you realize both traits would be off-putting to Earthlings. How can your species ever hope to be welcomed by the people of Earth?

Well, in John Scalzi's Agent to the Stars, the solution is obvious. The aliens simply need to make a telephone call (the least threatening form of communication available to them) to a famous Hollywood agent and request his help in marketing themselves. 

After the call, one of the Yherajk, Joshua (long story behind his name), secretly transports to Earth and meets with Tom, a marketing whiz, to learn more about Earth up close and determine a strategy for introducing the aliens to the world. When Joshua decides to integrate himself into a neighborhood dog to achieve mobility and animal senses, the fun really starts.

Add in a jealous fellow agent, some less-than-talented goofy clients, Tom's loyal secretary Miranda, and a nosy Hollywood newspaper reporter poking around, you get a story that gathers more and more momentum with each page. And what a zany, clever, and thought-provoking ride it is.

I love Scalzi's twisty plots and thoughtful characters who find themselves in wacky situations. In Agent to the Stars, Tom and Miranda are perfectly rational people facing challenging (to say the least) situations and beings (alien and human) who all expect them to perform miracles. The dialogue between Tom, Miranda, and Joshua is sharp and witty as they simultaneously scheme to try to come up with a marketing strategy as well as hide the alien presence from those around them, especially the scandal sheet reporter. Futile on all counts, of course.

It's a great, funny, intelligent read with unexpected turns on every page. Just as you begin to see one pattern and solution, Scalzi is right there to toss in another monkey wrench that throws everything into chaos and forcing all plans to be reconfigured. Fantastic in every way.

Happy reading.

Fred

www.firstsentencereader.blogspot.com

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If this book interests you, be sure to check out:

Scalzi, John. Redshirts: A Novel with Three Codas

A new recruit on a star ship rocket exploring the universe for new life notices the crew wearing redshirts seem to die on any planet landing party while the captain, first officer, and doctor always survive. Something peculiar is going on, almost like life in this wacky space adventure has been scripted. (previously reviewed here)

Barry, Max. Machine Man

Charles Neumann (ironically named) loses a leg in an industrial and designs a superior one for himself. Pleased with success, he purposely mangles and replaces his other leg, then other parts of his body until he is a superior man in every possibly way. But there are unforeseen repercussions for many people, including Neumann, in this fascinating novel. (previously reviewed here)