Customer Reviews

Agent to the Stars

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This is a light-hearted and funny romp in the Heinlein mode that Mr. Scalzi does so well. If you missed "old Man's War", go ahead and order that one right away too; it's a classic and compulsive revisit to the golden age of Sci-fi from the fifties that you'll absolutely enjoy.

In this novel, Biz Agent to the Stars, humor and laughs abound (heck, even the title is a punny double entendre) as Thomas Stein, a Hollywood agent fresh off a huge success and feeling good about his bourgeoning career, suddenly is given the job of PR director for a race of stinky and singularly unattractive aliens. I won't give away the story elements but you can imagine the challenge of trying to make aliens that essentially communicate by farting, and that look gross to boot, into lovable characters. Thomas's challenges and adventures in his quest to put a positive spin on his new clients are hilariously fun to follow and the laughs abound.

This is an excellent, light, and funny read, devourable in one sitting, and something great to pick up and have a go at when you're in the mood for feel-good fare that will make you smile. Scalzi is an author to watch and I am struck by how much he reminds me of Heinlein, but I am almost afraid to make the comparison lest some people dismiss him as a knock-off. Scalzi is a master in his own right. His books convey his own voice, ideas and vision very clearly all while clearly paying homage to the masters who started it all.

This is the first novel written by John Scalzi but it is not his first published work. It was written as a "training aid" in an effort to become a novelist. He offered it basically for free on the internet. Now, with the publication of subsequent novels, his first has been offered for sale as a real book you can pick up and read. It was a worthwhile venture.

In short, it is hilarious.

The premise is of first contact with aliens. They are hideous to look at, by human standards, and smell bad also. The aliens are worried about how they will be received by humanity. Somehow, landing on the White House lawn and saying "Take me to your leader," does not strike them as the wisest course of action. They figure they need some good PR and to make a good entrance. Since most of their knowledge of earth comes from the TV signals we've been beaming into space for decades, they decide to hire a Hollywood agent.

The book take a tongue in cheek, irreverent approach to the matter. It is filled with laughs from front to back and has an occasional poignant moment as well. Hollywood is pilloried but the politicos don't come off to well either (politicians are so minor in the book as to be almost non-existent; one of the best lines is found on the last page.) I'm sorry it sat for so long in my "to be read later" pile.

I want more.

Tom Stein is your average up and coming Hollywood agent. He has one client, a dim witted actress who is just hitting big, and a back list of other clients who are barely worth the effort to remember their names and he would be just as happy to be rid of them for various reasons specific to each client. Tom gets his wish when his boss invites Tom into his office for a rare opportunity: The boss of the agency would like Tom to dump the bulk of his clients in order to take on a new one. While that sounds wonderful, an agent really is only as good as his client list and dumping the list is a risky move for an agent who just had his big break. But then Carl, the boss, drops the bomb. The new client is not a person. The new client is an entire alien race just making first contact with humanity. The aliens know that the best way to be accepted by humanity is to be shown in the movies in a sympathetic way and it is an agent that can make this happen.

One more thing. The aliens do not look like lassie or ET or even like the bugs from Starship Troopers. The aliens more closely resemble a pile of jello which smells like a dog's fart. But they are very friendly and wish to, well, come in peace. These aliens learned about humanity through the signals of Hollywood movies and television shows which beamed up into space. While this has caused a problem in separating fact from fiction, it has permitted several from the gelatinous mass of alien goo to learn to speak English and communicate on a level humans can understand and appreciate. Tom Stein simply needs to figure out how to best introduce the aliens, with a spokesalien named Joshua, to the world.

This may have been John Scalzi's first attempt at writing a novel, but it was clear even from this fun exercise that Scalzi is a skilled writer and put together a more than competent novel with his first effort. This explains why he was able to sell his first effort (though he sold it second. His second written novel, Old Man's War, sold first). Agent to the Stars is a funny romp through Hollywood, the world of agents, and even to an alien spacecraft. Agent to the Stars is filled with humor, sharp dialogue, fart jokes, and even some sadness. Mostly: Joy. Joy for the reader because Agent to the Stars is pure pleasure to read, but probably also Joy for the author. Scalzi had to have a blast writing this book and coming up with an alien race which communicates by rank odors.

Agent to the Stars is the third Scalzi novel I have read, after Old Man's War and The Ghost Brigades, and while it is as different from those novels as is possible in science fiction, Agent to the Stars is a delightful novel and I mean that. I felt full of delight while reading it. You should, too.

-Joe Sherry

Tom Stein is a junior agent for Lupo Associates, a big firm in Hollywood. Tom has one major actress on his list of clients: Michelle Beck. A pretty, dimwitted actress who became famous because of her looks, not her acting. Everything is going normal until Carl Lupo, Tom's boss, calls Tom into the meeting room. Privately, he reveals an alien life form, named Joshua, to Tom. Joshua is a member of the Yherajk race of aliens. The Yherajk look like a glob of clear jello, they smell terrible, and they communicate with each other by releasing horrendous farts, with each smell meaning something different. Carl tells Tom that it's his job to be the Yherajk's agent, and make them seem harmless enough to introduce to the people of Earth.

The basic plotline of the book is not the strongest point of Agent to the Stars. My favorite part of the book was just when Tom was doing his job as an agent for Michelle, or Tea Reader, the no-talent, egomaniacal singer who thinks she is God's gift to men. The plot almost seemed secondary, and for the last 80 pages or so, when the plot takes over the book, I thought it went downhill. I'm fascinated by life in Hollywood, and anything that can give me a glimpse into life out there, I find addictively interesting. The book maintains a serious, yet funny and satirical perspective on the people that Tom deals with everyday, and the people he represents.

Joshua, the Yherajk who comes down to Earth, is a funny, perceptive character who can be condescendingly funny about humans, and also deeply perceptive. Joshua spends a third of the book in his own, gelatinous body, the next third in a dog's body, and the final third in a human's body. Being a representative of an entire race Joshua is surprisingly relaxed with his conduct on Earth, but then again, he is part Yherajk and part human.

Agent to the Stars is a quick, funny, maybe informative read that science fiction fans will enjoy, but it can also be enjoyed by people, like me, who enjoy reading about Hollywood. Let me put it this way: If Get Shorty were a science fiction movie, it would be Agent to the Stars.

Tom Stein is a rising young Hollywood agent, with a few-okay, one somewhat promising client, Michelle Beck. But since he's just landed Michelle a deal for $12 million and 15% of the gross for her next movie, at the moment they're both really hot.

And then Tom's boss, Carl Lupo, offers him a somewhat more unusual client. A client with a serious image problem. A truly out-of-this-world client.

Literally, as it turns out.

We're not alone in the universe, and friendly aliens are now in orbit around Earth. Unfortunately, they're shapeless, ugly blobs, and they stink. Anticipating some difficulties if they announce themselves without any preparation or expert advice, they've contact one of the most powerful agents in Hollywood-and he has now dumped the problem on Tom.

But Tom's life isn't complicated enough yet, and his hot deal for Michelle Beck, followed by the off-loading of many of his lesser clients onto a junior agent (to clear his schedule to handle our alien visitors, the Yherajk), has attracted the predatory interest of a reporter for the sleaziest scandal sheet in Hollywood, The Biz. Michelle is determined to land a role that's way beyond her abilities right now (maybe ever). The Yherajk on-planet representative has taken over the body of Tom's neighbor's dog Ralph.

And then things start to spiral completely out of control.

This is whacky, fast-paced fun, an entertaining send-up of both Hollywood and sf.

Recommended.

Scalzi's book is an entertaining look at how Hollywood helps shape our views on life. The main character is an agent given an unusual job by his boss: represent some aliens who want to be welcomed to our planet. The book zips along like a well-edited novel should, going from scene-to-scene without lingering too long, and nicely balanced between humor, romance, and action.

This book was fun to read, and I recommend it to anyone who has a sense of humor and hasn't forgotten how to use it.

My husband is a huge sci-fi fan, I am most definitely not. He loved this book and urged me to try it, which I reluctantly did. I didn't expect to last 5 pages. However, I could not put it down. It is a fantastic book on so many levels. I just loved it and highly recommend it to anyone. We had a library copy but this book is worth owning. I can't believe it's not in print!!! I sure hope it is reprinted soon. It is one terrific read.

It has been a very long time since I have been compelled to stay up until 3 am to finish a book but I just couldn't put it down. Had I known I would have started the book much earlier in the day! Wonderfully insightful, fantastically funny with some moving moments and written in an easy flowing style that just leads you from page to page. While I do not own the book I am very tempted to not return the book to the library =o)

The basic premise of "Agent to the Stars" is that aliens exist ... and after watching how we show them in Hollywood and elsewhere, decide they have an image problem and get an agent to introduce them to humanity. Told from the perspective of said agent, it's as light and fluffy as you would expect from that premise. The bits of the resolution that need to be handled seriously have enough grounding to work, though, and Scalzi keeps the humor flowing otherwise. It's a fun read that doesn't lag and sometimes that's enough.

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I'm so glad that I have a nasty cold and had to miss work - I was able to finish this wonderful book in a day. But it was so good, I wish it hadn't ended! Please, John, write more!