Agent to the Stars

By: John Scalzi

Narrated by: Wil Wheaton

Length: 8 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's summary

The space-faring Yherajk have come to Earth to meet us and to begin humanity's first interstellar friendship. There's just one problem: They're hideously ugly and they smell like rotting fish. So getting humanity's trust is a challenge. The Yherajk need someone who can help them close the deal. Enter Thomas Stein, who knows something about closing deals. He's one of Hollywood's hottest young agents. But although Stein may have just concluded the biggest deal of his career, it's quite another thing to negotiate for an entire alien race. To earn his percentage this time, he's going to need all the smarts, skills, and wits he can muster.

©2005 John Scalzi (P)2010 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Narrator Wil Wheaton animates the slapstick text with a tone that is appropriate for the story of a young Tinsel Town agent whose other clients are either equally deranged or aren't making him much money.” ( AudioFile)

Fun!

This is what I'm talking about! One of my main criteria now for fiction/pleasure reading is FUN! I don't want to be traumatized. I don't need it to be terribly thought-provoking (though I don't want to be bored, either). I just need to be entertained. This was silly fun.

I have two other Scalzi books (one short) in my personal library. Now I'm really looking forward to reading them!

I love Wil Wheaton as a narrator!

loved it

corky and funny, I loved it! will wheaten did a good job reading though he really doesn't do character voices, although for this story I didn't think it made a difference

So I did make it to the end

So I did make it to the end of the book. Mostly thanks to Wil Wheaton's reading efforts. The story was pretty weak, the character's were dull. I would say this is a better then average book, but only because so many books are not very good.

Great Short Scalzi Novel

This novel is hilarious. It is a short novel, and it is entertaining the entire way.

You will enjoy every page of this novel.

OMG THE FUNNIEST BOOK EVER. I LOVE WIL WHEATON

I loved this book from the beginning to the end. the story was a pure joy to listen to. this is one of those books I will definitely listen to over and over. it had me laughing from the beginning to the end. I love Wil Wheaton voice.

very fun to listen to

A very good story along with an excellent performance. My only issue was that towards the end it seemed to get in a hurry to wrap up the story. I would not have minded it being l ok nger.

Very entertaining

My interests run toward sci-fi/fantasy. I also require some levity. This fit the bill. Add Will Wheaton to the mix and I have perfection.

Scalzi turns bad smell into a breath of fresh air

Have you listened to any of Wil Wheaton’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Not yet, but definitely will again.

He is the perfect foil to convey the borderline hysteria that fuels the Hollywood machine. Apparently Wil has narrated other Scalzi books and I would recommend this combination.

Any additional comments?

John Scalzi's debut was also his first foray into novel writing, originally posted free on his website as an e-book. With this conservative approach he has proven to be that rare combination of being a master at his craft, without the hubris that invariably accompanies it. His ability to write across genres, from sci-fi to personal finance to astronomy, while keeping the tone at once humorous, perceptive and scathing (in the nicest way), made Agent to the Stars an extremely enjoyable light read. It is not literature - it's too silly for that - but then it's not trying to be.

Science fiction rarely features in my catholic reading choices, but glowing reviews motivated me to try it out. If you are like-minded, I encourage you to sample this gem, which entertained me on a long flight. This is sci-fi lite, focusing more on the entertainment industry.There are enough other commentaries outlining plot and personalities. I echo their opinions of John Scalzi's breezy, effortless style. He doesn't preach - his injection of social commentary and opinion is decidedly palatable. The super-intelligent Yherajk, stuck in their time warp mannerisms, acquired via old sit-coms, epitomize the cheesy 50s and 60s first contact movies. Malodorous they may be, but refreshing nonetheless.

There are only two areas of criticism that I would level, if I am to be picky. The first is that everyone, including the aliens, has a similar turn of phrase and wry humor, despite a generation dividing their vernacular. The characters are rendered monochromatic and superficial.

The other is the unnecessarily repetitive "he said/she said" appended at the end of almost every sentence. With a competent narrator (such as Wil), one has the advantage of different accents or cadence to identify the characters. However, regardless of the format, if one is even halfway paying attention to the thread of dialog, it is easy to work out who is having a conversation. Trimming the excessively irritating "he said/she said" and creating discrete personalities would have elevated this to a 5* review.

most fun I've had listening this year

fun and imaginative. even when I knew where the story was going it was a fun ride. well performed. I'll have to look in to others from the author.

Really fun story!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, I would recommend this book to a friend. It was a fun, very different kind of story.

Any additional comments?

Wil Wheaton's reading of this book was superb!