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The Android's Dream

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The Android's Dream

By: John Scalzi
Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
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About this listen

A human diplomat creates an interstellar incident when he kills an alien diplomat in a most unusual way. To avoid war, Earth's government must find an equally unusual object: A type of sheep ("The Android's Dream"), used in the alien race's coronation ceremony.

To find the sheep, the government turns to Harry Creek, ex-cop, war hero and hacker extraordinaire, who with the help of Brian Javna, a childhood friend turned artificial intelligence, scours the earth looking for the rare creature. And they find it, in the unknowing form of Robin Baker, pet store owner, whose genes contain traces of the sheep DNA. But there are others with plans for the sheep as well: Mercenaries employed by the military. Adherents of a secret religion based on the writings of a 21st century science-fiction author. And alien races, eager to start a revolution on their home world and a war on Earth.

To keep our planet from being enslaved, Harry will have to pull off the greatest diplomatic coup in history, a grand gambit that will take him from the halls of power to the lava-strewn battlefields of alien worlds. There's only one chance to get it right, to save the life of Robin Baker - and to protect the future of humanity.

©2006 John Scalzi (P)2010 Audible, Inc. Adventure Fantasy First Contact Humorous Science Fiction Fiction Funny Witty Feel-Good Comedy Dream War

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Critic reviews

"With plenty of alien gore to satisfy fans of military SF and inventive jabs at pretend patriotism and self-serving civil service, Scalzi delivers an effervescent but intelligent romp." ( Publishers Weekly)
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I must admit that I was pleasantly surprised by how interesting this story is. I decided to get it just because the title reminded me of 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?', without really bothering to check what it is about. At the beginning I got worried I made a mistake (it was really bizarre), but soon after I got into it, got invested in the characters and the story, wanting to hear how it is going to end. Plus the performance of the narrator was superb. So overall I am very happy with what I got.

unsuspected gem

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Really enjoyed the book. But... the beginning was a bit confusing and the descriptions are far too detailed.
Still worth listening.

Good story, but..

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An odd combination but works, there are some really great laugh out loud moments. Will Wheaton does a great job as narrator.
The is a lot of "said <name, said <name>" but its not enough to distract from the plot.

The west wing meets babalon 5

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Funny, clever and entertaining and not too drawn out. Well worth your time. Do enjoy.

John Scalzi at his best

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

I would recommend this to anyone with a good sense of humour who enjoys lighthearted, silly stories with lots of dialogue

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Android's Dream?

When Archie was eaten by his new found friend

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

Wil Wheaton is superb. He seems to read so effortlessly, taking the story forward at a fast pace perfectly timed for the story. Without inflicting a mocking tone, he is able to capture the full craziness of what he is reading. I enjoy John Scalzi on the written page but when he is read allowed by Mr.Wheaton, the full hilarity can bubble out - and I get to listen as I do my chores

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Lots of smiles along the way.

Any additional comments?

A fun book I would certainly recommend but not my first choice in the listings of this writer.

No sleeping time allowed

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Just a bit too many rambling explanation scenes of tech and politics. But the action was fast paced other than that. Very good fun story. Will Wheaton is a terrific narrator. Although the first night after listening to this audiobook my dreams were narrated by Will Wheaton, and that was actually nightmarish.

Great little adventure

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The Android's Dream in the story is an engineered breed of special blue sheep that is (weirdly) a crucial element in the Coronation protocol of the aliens that are allied to earth, in this novel set in a far future. Most of the plot hinges on a conspiracy set forth by one of the alien tribes to grab the power, with complicit humans, and it all leads to the astonishing revelation that the only Android's Dream sheep left is suddenly in real and imminent danger, along with the alliance between humans and the aliens. The novel is (as usual in Scalzi's books) a lot of fun, full of incredibly absurd and imaginific twists and characters, but also full of food for thought on sentient beings' rights to self-determination, on hybrid human-machine self-conscious A.I.s, and even on war and peace. Perfectly narrated by Wil Wheaton. 

A lot of fun as well as food for thought

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I enjoyed this book very much, a lot happens though out the book, with many different protagonists, so I will listen to it again to pick out all the bits I missed. ends in a great scene. good book.

Some great new ideas and funny callbacks.

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Story was slow at first whilst the author set the scene. Then the sheep gets introduced and it disgusts and makes you laugh at the same time. The rest is fun till finish.

Narration by Wil Wheaton is always excellent. Why should this be any different.

Slow but fun listen

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Loved this story once I got through the opening 20 minutes. Found the very beginning very odd and couldn't quite engage. 30 minutes in and I was hooked.

Excellent world building, great characters (good and bad). Some very clever ideas throughout.

Highly recommend.

Just wonderful but with a weird start

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