The Android’s Dream by John Scalzi (website, Twitter, FB, email)

Her Grace’s rating:  3.5 out of 5 stars

Genre: sci-fi

I read it as an: audiobook

Narrator: Wil Wheaton

Source: my own collection/Audible

Length: 10:34:00 time

Published by: Audible Frontiers (7 Dec 2010)

When one human diplomat kills his alien (Nidu) diplomatic counterpart – by farting him to death – Earth and its more advanced neighboring alien civilizations find themselves on the brink of war. The Nidu government tells Earth that all will be made well again if Earth will supply them with a special variety of sheep the Nidu use exclusively in their inauguration ceremonies. The sheep is called Android’s Dream and it has electric blue wool. The problem is that all such sheep were systematically destroyed by a Nidu rival. Only one woman in the galaxy, Robin Baker, has some of the Android’s Dream DNA in her genetic complex, thanks to her sheep/human hybrid biological mother she never knew about. Now, former soldier Harry Creek is tasked with the job of keeping Robin safe and alive, out of enemy Nidu hands as well as those of human agents working to prevent the Nidu coronation at all costs. Helping Creek is an AI he built based on a friend from his days as a soldier, Brian. Also, there’s a bit about the Church of the Evolved Lamb, which its founders cheerfully admit was based on a scam but adherents to the faith are determined to make their prophecies come true anyway. 

This was a fun, funny romp through sci-fi, though I admit it is not my favorite Scalzi novel I’ve read. But still, there were a lot of parts that made me laugh out loud and tons of action to keep things interesting. The first chapter is pure adolescent hilarity. 

Every time anything about the Church of the Evolved Lamb came up, I cracked up. I could unpack a whole lot of thoughts about what commentary Scalzi might have been making about the religions of the world, but I think I’ll let the name of the church speak for itself. I loved this so much.

I thought maybe the early-middle parts dragged on a little bit, but the action picked up again with the kidnapping attempt and gun fight at the Arlington Mall, and again later during the battle on board the cruise liner. That’s just straight up good fun, that is.