When it first came across my radar, it seemed exactly the breath of fresh air I needed to recharge my reading routine.

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied. I believe what makes The Kaiju Presevation Society so accessible is that although the majority of the characters are scientific experts in their given field, Niamh with astrology, Kahurangi with chemistry, and Aparna with biology, having Jamie, a labourer whose main job title is to “lift things'', made those characters have to explain certain theories to him in simple ways. I just finished reading John Scalzi's next novel, The Kaiju Preservation Society, which comes out next March. Huge Godzilla-like monsters roam an alternative Earth, surrounded by various vicious parasites and predators.I attempted to lean forward in the beanbag and succeeded only in driving my ass farther into its recesses. The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi is a thrilling, fast-paced adventure set on an alternate Earth – perfect for fans of Adrian Tchaikovsky and Michel Crichton's Jurassic Park. Maybe it's the cynical attitude, or the depression, or both, but at no point did I think about relaxing and having fun. A predatory corporation on the Human Earth side (coincidentally led by Jamie's old boss Rob Sanders), in on the Kaiju secret, takes the opportunity to breach the barrier and move the Kaiju mother and her eggs to the Human side.

This is a tight, short tale that’s masterfully written to give you the scares, the chills and the laughs and all the feels. A legit Jurassic Park in outer space but one that hits so close to home with integrity, curiosity, treachery and greed but most of all, heart. This was a snappy, delightful book that ought to get a Hugo for this year but probably won't even get a nomination because -- whatever.

A lot of this novel felt mostly like setup; the real plot conflict didn't show up until the last third. Other readers may have assumed, like I did, that Jamie was a man because of the job they were recruited for. I read snippets about “humor” and “fun” and “funny” and I was mostly rolling my eyes and swearing if I read “I lift things” one more damn time I’d scream.