Scan barcode
megadeathvsbooks's review against another edition
3.0
This was a lovely wrap-up to the series, though of course with no answers. I enjoyed the action and am looking forward to more.
liketheday's review against another edition
3.0
I'm chalking my disappointment up to the format of this publishing experiment, which was part serialized novel, part collection of standalone but interconnected short stories. If Scalzi and Tor wanted people to be able to find this story and read it without any knowledge of what had gone on before, it would have had to have been more than its double-length to really recap everything that had happened in the first twelve stories and also it would have bored me to tears.
read more...
read more...
mrkvm's review against another edition
5.0
A fantastic finish to a wonderful experiment. Definitely my favorite reading experience of the year so far. I'm thrilled there's going to be a "second season."
jkusters's review against another edition
4.0
I have read the entire series of chapters released in "The Human Division". I have to say that by the end, I was somewhat disappointed. The book ended before some crucial questions were resolved, and while the characters wound up resolving one situation (not necessarily for the best), it wound up having an incomplete feel to it. Very much looking forward to the newly promised follow-up book.
jaymeks's review against another edition
3.0
Ahh, conclusions. Kind of. Well, a little. Oh. Wait. There wasn't a real conclusion? Well, dang. I knew it couldn't be done.
I really had high hopes for the series as a whole, but I was just simply let down. Each story was written well, with typical Scalzi action and humor, but the more and more I think about it, the more pissed I get. Because the more I think about it, I realize, in 13 short stories, that NOTHING FUCKING HAPPENED.
Now, I'm no stickler for resolutions, but I like coming away with some sort of closure. There was none in this entire series. I feel like there still should be another episode next week - but there's not, and that makes me angry.
I know this was an experiment, and as a concert, I enjoyed it. And again, Scalzi was spot on with his writing. I just wish that something actually happened.
I really had high hopes for the series as a whole, but I was just simply let down. Each story was written well, with typical Scalzi action and humor, but the more and more I think about it, the more pissed I get. Because the more I think about it, I realize, in 13 short stories, that NOTHING FUCKING HAPPENED.
Now, I'm no stickler for resolutions, but I like coming away with some sort of closure. There was none in this entire series. I feel like there still should be another episode next week - but there's not, and that makes me angry.
I know this was an experiment, and as a concert, I enjoyed it. And again, Scalzi was spot on with his writing. I just wish that something actually happened.
markmtz's review against another edition
4.0
The last serialized novel I read was Stephen King's The Green Mile. I bought each of the slim paperbacks as they came out and enjoyed the very moving story. I wasn't sure what to expect from John Scalzi's The Human Division, but I've been entertained by his other novels so I pre-ordered the entire set of 13 episodes for Kindle. It turns out that my commute to work is about one Scalzi episode long. Very convenient.
Writing about his publishing experiment, Scalzi suggested that each chapter would be like a television episode in the first season of a show set in the Old Man's War universe. At first, I was a little disoriented. I guess I was expecting chapters in a book. After about three episodes, I understood that he really was approaching this like a TV show, and settled in for the long haul. He was as good as his word. Instead of 13 chapters in a contiguous storyline, he gave us 13 episodes featuring an ensemble cast, multiple locations, and introduced multiple story threads. Some episodes worked better than others, but overall, I had a good time reading his show. I experienced one brief moment of disorientation at the end of episode #13, which concluded without answering some of the questions raised in the plot. That was my book-reading self surfacing again. I got over it, hoping he would follow up those threads in the next season. Will there be another season? Apparently so. See http://whatever.scalzi.com/2013/04/09/the-human-division-episode-thirteen-earth-below-sky-above-is-now-live-an-announcement-about-the-future/
I'll be there to read the new episodes. I don't think I'll buy the print edition, even though it has some additional material. Scalzi was up front about that when The Human Division was first announced. I'll wait for new episodes. I had to click a bunch of times to pre-order all 13 episodes, but this is acceptable. Pre-orders can be cancelled if the screenwriter starts jumping the shark during the next season.
So, with a nod to the recently departed and missed Mr. Ebert:
* Thumbs up for the story and characters
* Thumbs up for keeping me engaged and interested in reading another season
* Thumbs up for the episodic structure and commuting convenience
* Thumbs up for pre-ordering individual episodes
* Thumbs up for the experiment
Writing about his publishing experiment, Scalzi suggested that each chapter would be like a television episode in the first season of a show set in the Old Man's War universe. At first, I was a little disoriented. I guess I was expecting chapters in a book. After about three episodes, I understood that he really was approaching this like a TV show, and settled in for the long haul. He was as good as his word. Instead of 13 chapters in a contiguous storyline, he gave us 13 episodes featuring an ensemble cast, multiple locations, and introduced multiple story threads. Some episodes worked better than others, but overall, I had a good time reading his show. I experienced one brief moment of disorientation at the end of episode #13, which concluded without answering some of the questions raised in the plot. That was my book-reading self surfacing again. I got over it, hoping he would follow up those threads in the next season. Will there be another season? Apparently so. See http://whatever.scalzi.com/2013/04/09/the-human-division-episode-thirteen-earth-below-sky-above-is-now-live-an-announcement-about-the-future/
I'll be there to read the new episodes. I don't think I'll buy the print edition, even though it has some additional material. Scalzi was up front about that when The Human Division was first announced. I'll wait for new episodes. I had to click a bunch of times to pre-order all 13 episodes, but this is acceptable. Pre-orders can be cancelled if the screenwriter starts jumping the shark during the next season.
So, with a nod to the recently departed and missed Mr. Ebert:
* Thumbs up for the story and characters
* Thumbs up for keeping me engaged and interested in reading another season
* Thumbs up for the episodic structure and commuting convenience
* Thumbs up for pre-ordering individual episodes
* Thumbs up for the experiment
ferrisscottr's review against another edition
4.0
I am so @#$$@#$@#$ torn about this one. I loved the writing. I loved that he packed more action into 100 pages than in a 2 hour Die Hard movie. I loved that I heard there will be a "Season 2" to this story/tale.
I did not like the ending. It was an ending but not at all what I hoped for and it really just left the door open for future stories. I was hoping for a conclusion.
Solid 4 stars.
Recommended (with the understanding that I am a Scalzi whore and will recommend everything he writes because he is that good)
I did not like the ending. It was an ending but not at all what I hoped for and it really just left the door open for future stories. I was hoping for a conclusion.
Solid 4 stars.
Recommended (with the understanding that I am a Scalzi whore and will recommend everything he writes because he is that good)
argent_'s review against another edition
5.0
A lot of things happened in this last story - the best way to sum them up is to say that if there is no sequel I and Scalzi will have words. Of displeasure.