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Head on
Head on | John Scalzi
62 posts | 54 read | 38 to read
"As much as Scalzi has the scientific creativity of a Michael Crichton, he also has the procedural chops of a Stephen J. Canell to craft a whodunit with buddy-cop charm and suspects aplenty--most of them in someone else's body." --USA TodayJohn Scalzi returns with Head On, the standalone follow-up to the New York Times bestselling and critically acclaimed Lock In. Chilling near-future SF with the thrills of a gritty cop procedural, Head On brings Scalzi's trademark snappy dialogue and technological speculation to the future world of sports.Hilketa is a frenetic and violent pastime where players attack each other with swords and hammers. The main goal of the game: obtain your opponent's head and carry it through the goalposts. With flesh and bone bodies, a sport like this would be impossible. But all the players are "threeps," robot-like bodies controlled by people with Haden's Syndrome, so anything goes. No one gets hurt, but the brutality is real and the crowds love it.Until a star athlete drops dead on the playing field.Is it an accident or murder? FBI agents and Haden-related crime investigators, Chris Shane and Leslie Vann, are called in to uncover the truth--and in doing so travel to the darker side of the fast-growing sport of Hilketa, where fortunes are made or lost, and where players and owners do whatever it takes to win, on and off the field.
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Liatrek
Head on | John Scalzi
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Pickpick

Listened to these back to back and as always love Scalzi and Wheaton as narrator ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ really hope we get another book in the series.

Traci1 I loved these. 4w
61 likes1 comment
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Walaka
Head on | John Scalzi
Pickpick

I usually try to avoid dropping into a series after the first installment, but Scalzi delineates his world of “threeps“ so well that it was easily to be swept away in a murder mystery involving investigators, suspects, and victims whose consciousnesses reside in artificial bodies. So far, Scalzi has ever disappointed.

BookmarkTavern I love this series! 💖 3mo
Walaka I need to get the first one! 2mo
4 likes2 comments
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Traci1
Head on | John Scalzi
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June was a decent month for me. 21 books total (4 were audio rereads). My favorite for the month was Head On by Scalzi. I do hope he writes more in that series.

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Traci1
Head on | John Scalzi
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I liked Lock In quite a lot, but I loved this one. I wish Scalzi would write more of these.

55 likes1 stack add
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Lucy_Anywhere
Head on | John Scalzi
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#TBRPile 📚 “By the time Duane Chapman died on the Hilketa field, his head had already been torn off twice.”

imyril Such a brilliant opening line. 2y
21 likes1 comment
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Pedrocamacho
Head on | John Scalzi
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Pickpick

I enjoyed this follow up to “Lock In”. Chris and Vann are simply fun characters to follow through an investigation. Also, the world created by Scalzi is still interesting to me. I‘m already on the list at the library for “Unlocked” 😊

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ReadingVampire
Head on | John Scalzi
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Pickpick

So good! These books really had a lot of twists and were really interesting. I loved all the robots and such! Would recommend! Hope there is another in the future! 🤩

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BBooks
Head on | John Scalzi
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Only available on Audible which only downside. Will Wheaton does excellent job with narration too.

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Lucy_Anywhere
Head on | John Scalzi
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#TBRPile 📚 A daring new sport is taking the US by storm. It‘s frenetic, violent, and the aim is to obtain your opponent‘s head and carry it through the goalposts. The players use robot bodies which are operated mentally, so no one gets hurt - and the crowds love it. Until a star athlete drops dead on the playing field ... ☠️

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BoldCityBooks
Head on | John Scalzi
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Friday evening back porch reading. This is a great book so far!

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BookmarkTavern
Head on | John Scalzi
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📕 Head On by John Scalzi
✒️ Drew Hayes
🎥 Holes
🎶 Higher by The Score

#manicmonday #letterH @JoScho

RamsFan1963 I picked Head On too. I sure hope Scalzi plans a third book to round out the series 4y
JoScho Thanks for playing 💚😊 4y
BookmarkTavern @RamsFan1963 Me too! I really love both books! 😃 4y
54 likes3 comments
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RamsFan1963
Head on | John Scalzi
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📖 Tagged
📖 Robert Heinlein
📺 Heroes
📽 Howard The Duck (so sue me, it makes me laugh 🤣)
🎤 Don Henley
🎶 Hard Act To Follow - Split Enz

#manicmonday #LetterH @JoScho

JoScho Howard the Duck!! 💚💚💚 4y
UwannaPublishme Howard! 😂🙌🏻 4y
43 likes2 comments
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katjapants
Head on | John Scalzi
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imyril
Head on | John Scalzi
Pickpick

Just the diverting entertainment I was looking for. Another fast and furious case exploring the criminal abuses of the post Haden‘s Syndrome world. Chris is an easy narrator (I love keeping score of threep collateral damage) and Agent Vann is peak awesome. Plus they get a cat. What‘s not to like?

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annkuch13
Head on | John Scalzi
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Pickpick

I really enjoyed the mix of mystery and scifi in this sequel. Getting a deeper look into the worldbuilding and seeing more of all the characters was great. I like how the advanced technology makes it both easier and harder to investigate and solve the case. Plus there's a cat named Donut, so how can anything not be amazing about this book?

28 likes2 stack adds
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balletbookworm
Head on | John Scalzi
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Pickpick

4.5 of 5 stars. Not quite as immersive as Lock In but still compulsively readable - I really liked the introduction of franchise sports as a way to drive the crime procedural plot forward. And the humor. It scratches a few of those Thursday Next itches I have. If Scalzi wanted to make this an ongoing series I would totally read it.

Took me two books to figure out that Chris, being a first-person narrator, is never referred to in any gendered way.

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BookMaven9
Head on | John Scalzi
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Mehso-so

This one is book 2 yet it can totally stand alone. If you like elements of sci fi, detective stories and mysteries, with a touch of humor, definitely read these books.

I gave it 3 stars due to not enough character development surrounding the mystery. The mains are all good and solid, but lacking something in the story overall. It was readable and light but honestly, nothing thrilling.

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tessavi
Head on | John Scalzi
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Pickpick

The great world building of the previous book continues in Head On. I liked the characters interaction and if there are going to be more books in this world, I'll definitely give them a shot.

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LuckyLuna113
Head on | John Scalzi

Good but not as good as the first one.

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Errrka24
Head on | John Scalzi
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Library books FTW.

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TheSpineView
Head on | John Scalzi
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Pickpick

First book finished in this readathon. I loved this series. The second was just as good as the first. The blending of murder mystery and Sci-Fi worked so well. Usually one or the other suffers but not so here. A world in which people have to use avatars due to an illness is plausible and how humans interacted was spot on. I could eadily see more books in this series.
#24B4Monday #24IN48 @TheReadingMermaid @Andrew65

BeansPage Sounds great!👍🏻 5y
Andrew65 Well done. 👍😊 5y
AutumnRLS I really liked this novel. I think I almost preferred this one to the first one. Scalzi is so accessible and funny as a scifi writer. Great stuff. 5y
TheSpineView @AutumnRLS Totally agree! 5y
87 likes1 stack add4 comments
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TheSpineView
Head on | John Scalzi
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#weekendreads @rachelsbrittain

📖 Tagged. BTW, I am loving it!❤
📖 Gryffindor
📖 Young Sheldon

rachelsbrittain I really enjoyed Head On! Thanks for joining in ❤💛❤ 5y
54 likes1 stack add1 comment
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TheSpineView
Head on | John Scalzi
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Here is my planned reading for this #24B4Monday readathon. I have started Ensnare and Head On and should finish those. Then I will move on to The Blameless Dead and The Wolf and The Watchman after that if I can. 🤞

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BookmarkTavern
Head on | John Scalzi
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Pickpick

A sport played by human brains piloting replaceable android bodies is legit terrifying. I appreciate the world building, but good lord.

Our FBI duo is back, investigating the suspicious death of a Haden athlete, uncovering vast conspiracies and dealing with the repercussions from last book.

One of the things I love the most about this series is the gender neutral language, not only about the narrator, but from all other characters. 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗

BookmarkTavern I also really want to read all the academic literature about gender identity, sexual orientation, and gender expression that was undoubtedly written post-Haden. 5y
10 likes1 comment
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TheSpineView
Head on | John Scalzi
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Today's book haul from Book Outlet. I managed to snag a signed first edition of Head On. 🧡📚

RadicalReader @TheSpineView gorgeous book spines 5y
Shaneyney If you haven‘t ready Ursula LeGuin, your in for a pleasant surprise! Are those part of the Earth Sea set? 5y
TheSpineView @Shaneyney I have not read anything by her. I am looking forward to it! Not sure if part of the Earth Sea set. 5y
78 likes3 comments
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RamsFan1963
Head on | John Scalzi
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Pickpick

At times the plot became a bit too convoluted for my tastes, but overall it was an entertaining mystery with a satisfying conclusion that tied everything up with a nice bow. 4 💥💥💥💥 out of 5

Cathythoughts Great review ! I feel the same about the convoluted plot ! I‘d have to take notes all the way .. 5y
33 likes1 comment
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RamsFan1963
Head on | John Scalzi
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I hadn't planned to read this next, but it came from the library hold today so I want to start asap....

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TheSpineView
Head on | John Scalzi
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Today's book mail! I loved the first book Lock In. Found this used hardcover at Thrift Books. Can't wait to read!

AutumnRLS Great book. I may have liked this one better than the first and I don't even like sports! Scalzi is the best. 6y
TheSpineView @AutumnRLS Agree! Scalzi tells great stories. I am excited to read the book. 6y
64 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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Lauredhel
Head on | John Scalzi
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Turns out disability problems don't go away even with magical future neural net tech.

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wtimblin
Head on | John Scalzi
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I enjoyed Lock In, so hopefully will enjoy this one too

Geeklet I really like Scalzi. All of his characters have the same snarky tone but whatever, they‘re funny. 6y
wtimblin @Geeklet Haha, I agree, I do like his characters. 6y
2BR02B I made the mistake of listening to Lock In on audio, and the female narrator lowered her vocal register to voice male characters. As a result, all the men sounded like twelve year old boys with Boston accents. It was unfortunate. 6y
wtimblin @2BR02B haha! The audio version I listened to was Will Wheaton. It was very good. I sometimes like it when narrators try to so voices of the other sex, can go really bad or really funny! 6y
38 likes4 comments
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Eggbeater
Head on | John Scalzi
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Pickpick

A detective story combined with a well fleshed out sci fi world in which disabled people pilot robots for accessibility. One fascinating feature is that the protagonist's gender is never revealed. It doesn't turn out to be relevant to the story. I think that says a lot about the creative open-mindedness of the author.
The book is snarky, intriguing, unique, and the audio I had was narrated by Wil Wheaton. What could be better?

RaimeyGallant Sounds super intriguing. 6y
39 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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leahrosereads
Head on | John Scalzi
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I absolutely loved Lock In when I read it earlier this year, so I can't wait to dive back into this world!

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ness
Head on | John Scalzi
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Pickpick

Done! A good SF murder mystery. Like the first, it had some inconsistencies with names (book 1: Janis or Janice? book 2: Elise or Elsie?), but I notice these things because, hi, hello, I used to be a copy editor. This book was a blast, though—and this from someone who doesn‘t usually enjoy mysteries. Recommend! #24in48

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ness
Head on | John Scalzi
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Sequel time! #24in48

JoRead That cover 😍 6y
ness @JoRead Right? It‘s so great! 👌👌👌 6y
JoRead I haven't read a good sci-fi in a long while so I may just have to pick this one soon 6y
ness @JoRead It‘s really good so far! My partner read it first and laughed aloud a lot. The first one is fantastic, too. 6y
12 likes2 stack adds4 comments
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sherrynuts
Head on | John Scalzi
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Pickpick

This was a random pick-up in the library, so I didn't have high expectations since I'd never heard anyone mention the title or author. It was amazing though! I love the world Scalzi has built and the characters he's created. I didn't realize this was a follow-up book, but now I get to go back and read the first one and couldn't be happier! 😍

wanderinglynn I love Scalzi! My first Scalzi was Redshirts, which played on the old Star Trek redshirt joke. I‘ve now read several of his books & this one is on my TBR! 👍🏻❤️ 6y
sherrynuts @wanderinglynn I hope you enjoy it! I'm going to put all of his books on hold at the library now, starting with Lock In. 😁 6y
wanderinglynn @sherrynuts I just finished Scalzi‘s Fuzzy Nation and loved it. 6y
10 likes1 stack add3 comments
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SGJ
Head on | John Scalzi
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Is this a regional construction, maybe? I‘ve never heard it. I like it, though. Anyway, a third through this one already, and I think I started about ten minutes ago. Scalzi always reads fast: good exposition handling, dialogue-driven story, and all the surprises and reversals we need to keep us turning the page. Funny, too.

wanderinglynn I would say it‘s more a legal phrase. It‘s a phrase I use in drafting agreements and contracts. 6y
LibrarianRyan I see it in state documents. 6y
45 likes2 comments
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Lalaxiii
Head on | John Scalzi
Pickpick

Great sequel! I look forward to more books set in this world he has created.

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Giabow
Head on | John Scalzi
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Pickpick

Scalzi and cold brew. Two great things on a Sunday morning.

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kgriffith
Head on | John Scalzi
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“It‘s a cat,” I said. “If Donut wants to spend time with you, he‘ll show up in your room and sit on your important things.” #CatsofLitsy

rubyslippersreads 😹😹😹 6y
AlaMich And if you‘ve ever read his blog, whatever.scalzi.com, you‘ll know that he knows whereof he speaks. He has a Twitter account for his cats @thescamperbeasts 😊😻 (edited) 6y
kgriffith @AlaMich I see one tweet where someone used that as a hashtag but no account — will check the blog?? 6y
AlaMich @kgriffith oh I wasn‘t thinking, that‘s the twitter hashtag 🤦🏻‍♀️ 6y
64 likes4 comments
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kgriffith
Head on | John Scalzi
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Okay so idk what it‘s about but I love my hair so much that I‘m taking a lot of selfies? While listening to my audiobook, of course.
I‘m reminded that Scalzi uses a lot of dialog tags, which annoys me: can we not adjust audio, especially to accommodate those details?

JHSiess Your hair is fabulous. 👍💇‍♀️ I'd be taking selfies, too! Mine is driving me nuts. Hair stylist/friend talked me into growing out my spikes . . . it has reached the awkward stage . . . & I have weird waves I've never had before. Likely post-menopausal hormone rearrangement-induced. Probably TMI. 😳 Back to reading now . . . 📖 6y
TiredLibrarian Not just good hair; love the lips 💄💋😊 6y
Buddys_Momma You look great and I‘m loving the lipstick 💄👍🏽 6y
kylienoele Looking GREAT! 👏🏻💃🏻 6y
54 likes4 comments
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kgriffith
Head on | John Scalzi
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#audiowalk to the Dykes on Bikes fundraiser. Happy #Pride Month! #glitter #femmeAF

erinreads 🔥🔥🔥 6y
JSW 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼 glitter forever 6y
Clwojick That lipstick! 😱😍❤️ 6y
JoScho Glitter is my fave!! 6y
kylienoele That lipstick is perfect!!!!!! 6y
57 likes5 comments
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encinarus
Head on | John Scalzi
Pickpick

As usual with Scalzi the book was fun, smoothly paced, and entertaining. I always look forward to Scalzi's banter and this doesn't disappoint. It works well as a sequel to Lock In as it expands the world and gives hadens more agency. Our viewpoint character continues to illustrate that wealth is a super power of its own, particularly when combined with a disability that grants him disposable bodies.

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kgriffith
Head on | John Scalzi
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Eyelit Love it! 6y
51 likes1 comment
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kgriffith
Head on | John Scalzi
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“Basically, Hilketa is both representation, and alienation, for Hadens. So, it‘s complicated. Well, for a Haden. For non-Hadens, it‘s just cool to see threeps pull off each other‘s heads.”

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kgriffith
Head on | John Scalzi
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In one of only two deliberate exceptions to the “no cishet white dudes” reading rule, I‘m ready for this one. #audiobooks

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vivastory
Head on | John Scalzi
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Thanks a bunch @readinginthedark ! It's a fine addition to my signed books!

readinginthedark You‘re welcome! 6y
65 likes1 comment
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Scott_BookInvasion
Head on | John Scalzi
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Elevengeddon! I was specially invited to hang out in the ‘Green Room‘ prior to the event and got to hang out (more like observe in awe) the authors just chatting and chillin. So awesome!

Top photo (left to right)
John Scalzi
Scott Sigler
Peter Clines
Myke Cole(sitting on table)
(Don‘t recognize the lady with the sunglasses and white collar)
Cory Doctorow
Sylvain Neuvel
Aaron Mahnke
Tom Leveen

Bottom left
Me
+K Arsenault Rivera
V. E. SCHWAB!!!

BookaholicNatty This is awesome @MisfitNerdBooks I bet this was an amazing event!!!! I really want to meet Sylvain Neuvel at some point!!! 6y
6 likes1 comment
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DogMomIrene
Head on | John Scalzi
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Panpan

This latest Scalzi novel did nothing for me. Even Wil Wheaton‘s entertaining narration could not save this reading experience. While the opening chapters pulled me back into Chris‘ world, I just could not get into this murder mystery. Maybe it was the sports angle or the corporate greed. Maybe it was the mix of characters. I did like the cat. For the last few chapters, I found myself not truly paying attention. Total meh.

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Sue
Head on | John Scalzi
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Pickpick

I can‘t believe I only read Scalzi for the first time last year, I just love his work so much. Lock in was my first Scalzi book. Head on is the next book in that world, following agents Shane and Vann into a new and troubling mystery.

Also, here‘s an article which talks a little about the genderlessness of Chris Shane.

http://www.denofgeek.com/us/books/john-scalzi/272694/john-scalzi-on-gender-sport...
#boutofbooks

rachelm I love him. Just started his books last year too. I adored 6y
8leagueboot I just finished Lock In and it was so fun! 6y
parasolofdoom I just read my first Scalzi earlier this month! 6y
See All 7 Comments
Sue @rachelm The Collapsing Empire is sooo good! I‘m waiting impatiently for the next instalment, 6y
Sue @8leagueboot Lock In was my first as well, and I picked up the Wil Wheaton audiobook, so I had no clue that it was also voiced by a female narrator or about the gender thing until I saw the article. @parasolofdoom That series is sitting on my shelf awaiting my attention. Did you enjoy it? 6y
parasolofdoom I did! It went by quickly, k 6y
parasolofdoom I definitely will be reading more soon 6y
61 likes4 stack adds7 comments
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DavidDiamond
Head on | John Scalzi
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Mehso-so

I loved the snappy, fun dialogue between Chris and Vann...the kind of dialogue Scalzi is known for.
I also loved the world he created.
However, I felt the storyline itself was a bit confusing and the secondary characters sounded similar and weren't all that memorable.