The God Engines

De: John Scalzi

Narrado por: Christopher Lane

Captain Ean Tephe is a man of faith, whose allegiance to his lord and to his ship is uncontested. The Bishopry Militant knows this — and so, when it needs a ship and crew to undertake a secret, sacred mission to a hidden land, Tephe is the captain to whom the task is given.

Tephe knows from the start that his mission will be a test of his skill as a leader of men and as a devout follower of his god. It’s what he doesn’t know that matters: to what ends his faith and his ship will ultimately be put — and that the tests he will face will come not only from his god and the Bishopry Militant, but from another, more malevolent source entirely....

Author John Scalzi has ascended to the top ranks of modern science fiction with the best-selling, Hugo-nominated novels Old Man’s War and Zoe’s Tale. Now he tries his hand at fantasy, with a dark and different novella that takes your expectations of what fantasy is and does, and sends them tumbling.

Say your prayers... and behold The God Engines.

©2010 John Scalzi (P)2010 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Original Concept, Somber Tone

If John Scalzi can be credited with anything, it is coming up with original concepts in modern science fiction writing. This book is almost as good as his thoroughly entertaining and hilarious Redshirts. Instead of the mild dark humor of Redshirts, The God Engines removes all of the humor and cranks the darkness all the way up to 11. The tone is really gloomy, which I found to be a nice change of pace in genre that tends to lean towards the optimistic end of the spectrum.

The book takes place on an interstellar ship that is literally powered by a "god". There is a physical humanoid god inside the ship which powers the engines. The catch is, this god is an unwilling participant and only powers the ship under the threat of torture and death. It's unclear if it's an actual god, or merely a being of extraordinary power. However, there are other gods, and the people on this ship worship a different god who is at war with all other gods.

The society on the ship is a fascinating draconian mix of military and religious hierarchy. The highest ranking official on the ship is the Captain, the second highest is the Priest ... they don't get along. (The reader narrates them perfectly, he reads their lines in a matter of fact, almost curt tone, just the way I think people like that would talk.)

I won't give anything away about the ending. Many other reviewers have lots to say about the ending (too much in my opinion, I think many are inadvertently giving away what happens). All I have to say is that I think the ending is reasonably well written, but perhaps a bit abrupt.

Absolutely original premise, excellent writing

this was not what I expected from Scalzi, but I was certainly not disappointed. Fantastic new world introduced, and many layers to unpack if you wanted to. if not, it's still an excellent read (listen). performance was excellent as well, thoroughly enjoyed it!

Surprisingly entertaining

These short works are usually quick throwaways, but I enjoyed this better than I expected. Definitely an unusual idea and approach to science fiction - spaceships powered by enslaved gods and faith of the crew in the enslaving god.

Very Weird (in a Good Way™)

Let's be real—this story is dark and a little macabre. Christopher Lane's haunted performance really brings to life this somewhat bizarre tale of enslaved Gods that power spaceships. If that sounds like your style, maybe you'll enjoy this book as much as I did.

Odd Scalzi tale that doesn't quite work . . . . 😱

5 stars is great.
4 stars is good.
3 stars is OK.
_________________________________________________
This is the first Scalzi book that I would say to all but the fan club, "Skip it. . . . " _______😱

Worship your god, pray you never meet them

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

Yes! A well written short story. It has its own uniqueness in it's subject matter and the way it's composed that should be a welcomed addition to the library of anyone that enjoys this genre.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The God Engines?

The most memorable moment of the book for me was undoubtedly the ceremony toward the end when the elders son underwent the 'process' to call their new lord and that moment when the village elder was..absorbed..by Tephe's 'Lord'.. I imagine the looks between the men at that last moment and sense of terror and fundamental betrayal and instance of realization of truth that lasts but a moment. The final moments of the book also offer introspection to those of us that are persons of faith..after all, in the end, what was there left to do but 'pray'!

That exit music is a bit of well-timed icing on the cake too isnt it? With the numerous times that I've listened to this book, I wonder if it's for that ending with the music just as much as the whole story telling.

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

I have listened to Christopher Lane's performances before. I continue to be impressed by the talent that he and other narrators have in the lending of their skill to the telling of the story. I have quickly discovered that what determines if an audiobook is successful in it's storytelling and captures the imagination and attention of the listener all hinges on the quality of the narration.
I own older "books on tape" that have subsequently been reissued as digitally downloaded audiobooks, and the newer narrators in my opinion have performed so poorly that my interest in the book was negatively affected.

'Wizards First Rule' anyone? 'Children of Hurin' anyone?

A quality narrator is critically important. In my years listening to audiobooks that fact is undeniable and Christopher Lane's performance in this was superb.

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

Yes. I listen to a fair number of audiobooks. I especially enjoy a long story with details fleshed and flushed out, tho, every now and then, and in recent times, with greater frequency, I do like a short story that I can sit down and enjoy from start to finish in a relatively brief timeframe. For me the length of this book reading was perfect. Another worthy candidate is 'StoneFather' by Orson Scott Card.. That too is a story well fleshed, presented and performed in a satisfyingly tidy package.

Any additional comments?

I don't think I am predisposed to write reviews, but I saw criticisms of this book that I thought were not deserving. I agree that the story is admittedly dark with an ending that left one thinking of one's self almost supplanted in the person of the main character. I agree that this is unlike many of the other John Scalzi writings, it's quite different that it wouldn't surprise me if it were the creation of someone else.

I even believe some of the criticisms might come from those of us that might see the veiled critiquing of religion, devout belief and religious faith.. I see it.. clearly. I don't think these elements took away from the quality of the product. The story, the quality of the narration, the total delivery.. I think it was in it's way supposed to leave many of it's readers "hollow", almost with the sense of near hopeless dispair in the face of the obliteration of our reality as we saw in the captain (did I give too much away? Hope not..). It's amazing and a testament to the quality of the writing that it's at the very end where one goes from being immersed in the story to confronted by it.. The very last word takes you aback..

As for me, I continue to have unshakable faith in my Lord, I read his commentaries daily, am devoted and trust in his mercies... and faithfully await his promised return amongst us.. heh-heh-heh..;) (roll in that music)... Yea.. I can see why many of us are upset.. lol..

A Different Kind of Scalzi

John Scalzi rose to the pinnacle of contemporary science fiction because of his tone -- that snarky, sarcastic tone that many (though not all) of us find humorous (especially when narrated by the equally snarky Wil Wheaton). This novella, however, is completely devoid of Scalzi's familiar voice. This novella is something else entirely.

Far in the future, humanity has found an endless source of energy to power their ships across the vast reaches of outer space: gods. Their own omnipotent lord has taught them how to subjugate these other gods and channel their power for their own purposes, as well their lord's purposes. Things get complicated when one such ship is sent on a mission to proselytize a new planet.

While many love Scalzi for his snark, as do I, there is something else he does consistently in all of his work that appeals to me. Though most often set far in the future and far from Earth, almost all of his themes echo contemporary issues of our time. The God Engines is no exception. It may even be a little too thinly veiled for some readers. But it's spot on, and over a decade later is perhaps even more relevant than ever.

heading

I admittedly have mixed feelings about this one. By rights it should be a 3.5 star .

Story line

I really enjoy this story. I would love to see this story line continued. Tephe is a strong character and I can see him continuing. Great job with this on John!!

Interesting concept

I found the concept behind the story interesting, but I found it hard to care about these characters. That said, the horror was well done. The science fiction aspect was lack luster. The narrator was acceptable. It just left me rather cold and detached.