Shadow War of the Night Dragons, Book One: The Dead City: Prologue

A Tor.com Original

By: John Scalzi

Narrated by: James MacKenzie

Old Man's War author John Scalzi's sendup of the heroic fantasy genre, a finalist for the Hugo Award for Best Short Story.

An over-the-top, humorous short story representing the prologue for a "future" book (written as an April Fool's Joke) published on Tor.com. The title of the series and book was created from an amalgamation of the most commonly used words in fantasy and science fiction novels over the previous decade.

Want the rest!

Considering the tongue twisting names in this, the narrator did an amazing job! More!

Sadly there is no actual series. :(

After some quick research, pparently this was done as an April fool's joke a few years ago. Which is a bit of a shame, as what small bit is there, is quite fun, and I would gladly read a Scalzi novel or trilogy based on it. I think his take on fantasy, particularly a quite silly take, would actually be quite fun. Alas. This is a fun little 20 minute listen, but feels almost like it's in bad taste, as it leaves you actually wanting more of something that sadly doesn't exist and has no plans to be written. Bit of a shame. One of those April fool's jokes that aren't quite funny because you actually hope they would be true.

Like they said, just a prologue

Everyone that actually paid for this should be entitled to a free book. Come on, this chapter is just atmosphere; the story doesn't even get started. This teaser appears to be written to interest a publisher. Really not fair to expect readers to pay for what turns out to be a brief writing exercise.

Excellent Prologue, not short story

I guess the book for this prologue has not been published yet. It was great and I really want to read the series now. It was very intelligent, lots of funny parts and fun.

I fail to see though how it is considered a short story. There really didn't seem to be much of a plot, yet it is up for a Hugo?

I got this for free, so I have no complaints, but I can not see why you would spend money on it, since it is really not a complete story.

It looks like Sclazi is going to Master the Fantasy market as well as he has mastered the Science Fiction Market.

Narrator and production are excellent.

As much as I love John Sclazi, I would say what till the book comes out, surely this will be part of the book.

Wait, what, that's it?

I really like John Scalzi's books, so I got this one. Is it worth $4 or a credit? For 21 minutes, no. I may as well have sought out the text and read it. The narration is good and the story, what little of it that was there, was a fun listen and I wanted more. There is a good wanting more and there is a bad wanting more, this is the bad wanting more, because there isn't.