• Agent to the Stars

  • By: John Scalzi
  • Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
  • Length: 8 hrs and 49 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (15,699 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Agent to the Stars  By  cover art

Agent to the Stars

By: John Scalzi
Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $24.95

Buy for $24.95

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Editorial reviews

Wil Wheaton, a Star Trek: The Next Generation alum, is a canny choice for narrator of this intersection of science fiction and Elmore Leonard-esque Hollywood farce. In addition to being a rather prominent footnote in sci-fi history, Wheaton’s also got a great voice — sonorous, with an inflection similar to a late-night radio DJ who’s bemusedly sharing an anecdote on air between tracks. His voice also carries a hint of that lilt peculiar to many native Angelenos, which comes in handy when he exaggerates it to Valley Girl-proportions to portray starlet Michelle Beck, former cheerleader and current box office draw.

Hollywood agent Tom Stein is the book’s hero, and when the story begins, Michelle is his most important client. That is, until Tom meets Joshua, an extraterrestrial whose alien race hires Tom and his boss, superagent Carl Lupo, to represent them. The Yherajk have decided their best hope for a peaceful first contact between their race and all of humanity is to out themselves via the movies, and they know if they want to make it in Hollywood, they need good representation.

Wheaton’s voicing of Joshua, who has traveled to Earth as the Yherajk’s representative, is another highlight. Joshua, like his kinsmen, looks like a gelatinous blob, gives off a noxious odor, and slithers around amorphously. He’s also incredibly educated when it comes to human pop culture, having logged countless hours watching sitcoms. Wheaton delivers Joshua’s line, “We look like snot. And we smell like dead fish,” in a nasally deadpan that suits a one-liner-delivering alien to a T.

Even when Scalzi veers into semi-philosophical territory — as when he explores why an alien race would choose a Hollywood debut over staging their premiere in Washington — Wheaton keeps the narration moving with his just-right character voices. Look out for the both silly and spot-on sounding Quebecois accent he uses to portray Roland Lanois, an art-house film director with a critical role in the novel, and for his Buddha-like turn as Gwedif, a Yherajk storyteller. —Maggie Frank

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)

What listeners say about Agent to the Stars

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    9,006
  • 4 Stars
    5,037
  • 3 Stars
    1,339
  • 2 Stars
    207
  • 1 Stars
    110
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    10,842
  • 4 Stars
    2,776
  • 3 Stars
    509
  • 2 Stars
    81
  • 1 Stars
    44
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    7,646
  • 4 Stars
    4,613
  • 3 Stars
    1,556
  • 2 Stars
    298
  • 1 Stars
    113

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Good story, mediocre narrator

I found this story to be a great light, listen. Will Wheaton did an acceptable job as narrator. His tone of voice was a little monotone. I would reccomend this book if you are looking for something to listen to on the way to work.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Performance was great, story was awful

Would you try another book from John Scalzi and/or Wil Wheaton?

I've already listened to or read most of John Scalzi's other books, and I love them. I know this was an early book that was rereleased, and the only thing I can say is that I'm glad he's moved on from this.

What could John Scalzi have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

A whole lot less misogyny would be great, to start.

Which character – as performed by Wil Wheaton – was your favorite?

Probably Joshua.

Could you see Agent to the Stars being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

I could but it shouldn't be.

Any additional comments?

Read anything else by John Scalzi, because he's really great, but this, while it had its moments, was not good and not representative of what I love about him otherwise.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Very enjoyable

What other book might you compare Agent to the Stars to and why?

This book sort of has a Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy feel to it. Good light humor with an alien feel.

What does Wil Wheaton bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Will did an excellent job with the voices and the inflection.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Don't want to ruin the story- the Dog was a great character!

Any additional comments?

Fun, light and thoughtful.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Hoping for a series

More charming than expected and was sad it ended so soon. This fan encourages the author to please give us more.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Fun and quirky

Another wonderful story from the strange mind of John Scalzi. Very entertaining, just enough action, some office politics, some spaceman intrigue, enough background on the characters to make you cheer for them without analyzing them to death. I liked the story. Wil Wheaton knocks it out of the park again.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

We Should Be So Lucky

We should be so lucky to receive such alien guests as Scalzi has created. What a fun romp. Will Wheaton is pitch perfect for Scalzi’s wit, sarcasm, and for voicing alien visitors. Thought provoking and entertaining.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Fun alien story

This one is everything you’ve come to expect from Scalzi! Entertaining, endearing, humorous, and deliciously sci-fi! Very original story with characters you will love!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Never gets old

I just really dig this story. I’ve listened to it so many times. I love it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Such a treat!

I’ve only recently discovered John Scalzi and already I’ve read my 3rd book. But he would be nothing without the spectacular performances of Will Wheaton who captures every character with intelligence, wit, and intensity. Now, I’m onto my 4th collaboration by the duo. I wish all of these could be made into movies, each starring Will himself!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Wild Ride

So original and narrated by one of the best. Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!