Tale of the Wicked is a short, fun Scalzi tribute to Isaac Asimov. If you know your Asimov then anything more I say about the plot, or possibly even the setup, would be a spoiler. So let's skip how its a tribute and instead focus on what makes it Scalzi. Wicked is smart, but not intellectual. He's got a knack for making the reader feel smart without being obvious about it or drowning the pace with esoteric vocabulary. The characters are fun, the idea big, and the execution is precise in an energetic way. This is "classic" Scalzi in my opinion. The Tale of the Wicked is only $.99 on Amazon and makes for a fun evening read. Sentient ship-board AIs conspiring to prevent the death of their crew & their own destruction? LOVE IT. Like all of Scalzi's work, the plot moves along at a good clip, and even though this story was more serious, it doesn't get bogged down. He also avoids the common short story flaw (and my BIGGEST pet peeve) of telling only part of a story; this has a definite beginning, middle, and end, although there's certainly room for more. Fingers crossed that he expands this into a full-sized novel one day.
What do You think about The Tale Of The Wicked (2009)?
Brief but enjoyable story and definatly worth a read if your enjoy the other books of John Scalzi.
—galaamh
