The Back Channel

The Human Division, Episode 6

By: John Scalzi

Narrated by: William Dufris

Length: 47 mins

Publisher's summary

The Conclave is a confederation of 400 alien races - many of whom would like to see the Colonial Union - and the humans inside of it - blasted to extinction. To avoid a conflict that neither side can afford, Conclave leader General Tarsem Gau appoints Hafte Sorvalh to resolve an emerging diplomatic crisis with the humans, before the only acceptable solution is war.

"The Back Channel" is a tale from John Scalzi's The Human Division, a series of self-contained but interrelated short stories set in the Old Man's War universe.

Listen to the complete edition of The Human Division, the fifth full-length book by John Scalzi in the Old Man's War universe.

©2012 John Scalzi (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

There's Hope!

Good read with steady building intrigue! Interesting how the author broke up the story, but hey, I brought it! You?

A pity about the Goat

Back Channel is one of the few fun episodes so far. Hafte Sorvalh an alien member of the conclave, is sent to set up a back channel to stave off an unwanted Conflict. Hafte Sorvalh is an interesting character as (she)? meets has to deal with humans and the peculiar behaviors. Hafte's solutions to the problems are logical as they are humorous. Back channel is a fun listen and Hafte is fun character I want to see more off. (Just don't get on her bad side!)

Listen to them all!

I enjoyed the series more as I went through each episode. At first I struggled because it seemed like random stories set in this universe. But as it continued and I realized it was interwoven story lines I enjoyed them more. The main characters were enjoyable. It's pretty traditional sci fi fare but still worth the read.

See Review for "The B-Team"

See Review for "The B-Team" this is Episode 6 (minimum 15 words in a Review)

I'm enjoying this whole series.

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

John Scalzi has a talent for smoothly blending dire situations with flip and sarcastic (but also brave, loyal, competent, and involved) characters. He's also able to design a classic, epic space opera plot and deliver it with a clarity that makes it easy reading. There are plenty of innovative, hard-science ideas, and their effect on society, and on individuals that you care about, will wring your heart. This is episode six of as series called The Human Division, and it's less than an hour long. There have been shorter episodes, and longer episodes, but this one is just a little less than the average, which is about an hour. I don't recommend starting the series with this episode. Start at the beginning - Episode One: The B Team. Scalzi makes sure that each episode is self-contained, but in a series, some episodes will set out mysteries and raise dramatic tension while others give you a break and let you see at least some of the background politics, and the people working them out. Each episode is written from the perspective of a different set of characters, although there is at least one main set of characters whose recurring episodes are forming a backbone for the plot. The Back Channel is the first episode written from the perspective of characters from alien races who are dealing with the continuing human problem. And while it's interesting in it's own right, it's more interesting if you've experienced the preceding episodes and know the pain and bloodshed that the political ploys are intended to avoid, and that will rain from the sky on many planets if they fail. Although since the politics is all done via back channel, if things go south, they never happened at all.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Back Channel?

Although not a pivotal moment, I enjoyed watching Emissary Hafte Sorvalh being guided on a tour of the Lincoln Monument and discovering the joy of churros. The moment with the goat WAS pivotal, but that would be a spoiler.

What about William Dufris’s performance did you like?

William Dufris has a wonderful range of voice attitudes, which gets a good workout in this series. There are more than 400 alien races in The Conclave alone, and many more who are unaligned. Not to mention the strong differences playing out within the human race. He gives each character its own voice, and there are many characters. His flip sarcasm can slide from smooth to pointed and suits main character Harry Wilson (not in this episode) wonderfully. A few of Dufris' words can make you sure that you're hearing a violent asshole (this episode) or a flaky ambassador (not this episode). Hafte Sorvalh, this episode's main character, is believably competent, dangerous, civilized, and charming. That she is also an alien comes through subtly, as her English diction is confident and relaxed. It makes her feel more of a threat, somehow.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I wait for each episode to be released each Tuesday and download it as soon as I'm home from work. If I can't listen to it immediately, I get grumpy.

Any additional comments?

After listening to a few episodes, I had to download and listen to the three novels set in the Old Man's War universe that had preceded The Human Division. You don't need to hear them to understand the action in the series, but they're available, they add richness by providing additional background, and they can be downloaded on any weekday. That helps me wait for the next Tuesday. Or, it did. Next week is going to seem long.

Tight entertainment

Good story. Well told and performed. Makes me want more!!! Very interesting a story this goid could be told this fast.

Perfect Entertainment

Where does The Back Channel rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is one of the most consistently entertaining audio books I've ever listened to.

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

The narrator captures the wry wit of the text better than I would have thought possible.

Any additional comments?

Scalzi is on top of his game.

War or Peace?

So far, this series has primarily been about the divisions in human society, but it turns out that the aliens have their divisions as well—some of whom want war with the humans and some of whom want peace. The Back Channel is about a diplomatic maneuver to decide which faction—war or peace—will win control of alien policy.

Enter The Conclave! _______________________ 😱

5 is great.
4 is good.
3 is OK.
________________________________________________
The back story of the Conclave is more complex than easily appreciated here. I think that will make appreciation for the beauty of this John Scalzi vinyette more difficult -- but still very worth the listen. __________________ 😱

Not a good standalone story

This is Episode 6 of the Human Division series. Scalzi has apparently divided what could have been one book into multiple separate episodes. I don't understand that logic, as the episodes don't stand alone unless you're a fan of a very short plot with a flimsy leave-you-wondering type of ending. Hopefully the weak connection between the episodes will build with each coming episode and culminate in an interesting finale.