Spoiling Scalzi: A Real-Time Read of Kaiju Preservation Society (Part 2)

What follows is part 2 of our ongoing multi-part preview of John Scalzi's upcoming standalone novel, The Kaiju Preservation Society. For part one, which includes a brief plot summary and introduction, click here. As with the previous entry, BEYOND HERE BE SPOILERS.

Page 73: More shit talking against the Imperial Measurement system.

Page 75: By this point its official that every character speaks in Scalzi's voice, from medical staff to fresh-out-of-college new hires to administation, all with the same jokey, too laid-back, too-casual tone across the board. This, coupled with total lack of descriptions of anyone is leading to this NPC-type mental imagery, or just Scalzi with different wigs on. 

Page 78: Two kaiju are named after Twilight characters. A Millenials Ruin Everything joke is made.

Page 85: Helicopter chase that's supposed to be life-threatening is described almost verbatim as "pilot did a thing, and our helicopter did a thing and somehow we got past it".

Page 91-95: Three pages of quirky dialogue in the middle of an escape about how kaiju explode like 15-kiloton nuclear bombs when they die. For context, that is the size of the blast yield of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima. While the book makes a passing mention that they'd just barely be at a safe distance and protected by super miracle technology shielding, I have a hard time believing their helicopter wouldn't have been ripped apart by the pressure wave, incinerated instantly, and that whatever was left of their flash-blinded remains wasn't riddled with cancer. 

Also, the aftermath was totally NBD, you guys. the naturally damp jungle climate subdued the effect of the resulting firestorm and plus it rained, okay? And the prevailing wind blew the fallout away from the character's base. Everything was totally fine.

Well that was fortuitous. And if the wind had instead just dumped the fallout back ONTO the base? Also, it's officially stated that the kaiju are vaporized when they go nuclear, again bringing into question just HOW anyone was able to collect the kaiju hide for their dirigible's blimp. Ah well, maybe its explained later. 

Page 98-99: Two pages of angst about nuclear energy.

Page 100: More characters are introduced. We're up to about a dozen named characters now, still no descriptions.

Page 101: NPC new hire biologist mouths off to senior physicist like a smarmy, arrogant little shit. Now I don't like the MC or a lot of the supporting cast.

Page 106: Scene where Jamie is being swarmed on the jungle floor is excellent. Made my skin crawl. Was probably the first genuinely tense scene in the novel so far. 

Page 116: Phrase "thermos for jizz" is used.

Page 123: With the introduction of Tagaq, the weapons trainer, the most memorable of the book's female personalities comes in. All of Scalzi's women are "strong", of course, but ultimately it winds up being their only quality. Either physically (Jamie's counterpart on another team is described as 'being able to bench' him), or as confidently aloof and filled to the brim with dry snark. Tagaq, whose job it is to train untrained coworkers how to protect their own lives in dangerous situations, is the first person who treats their job with the seriousness it deserves. In so doing, she injects a desperately needed caring and vulnerability that the story has heretofore been starved for.

Page 130: More lol-so-random yukking it up in the middle of a potentially life-threatening mission. Dear God, this man is simply refuses to have stakes in this story. They're trying to set up cameras to keep tabs on a pregnant kaiju that's chosen the blast crater as a nesting spot, and the place is crawling with things that want to eat everything else.

Page 132: First on-the-ground action scene: creature attacks security officer. Described only as "the size of a panther" and having something "resembling a face". It bites, but teeth? Fangs? Needles? Claws? What color is it? Is it light or dark, even? Who knows. Scalzi doesn't seem to care, and I certainly can't muster a damn to give. Female scientists come to the aid of the muscle and save the day, despite MC being laden down with several guns. The gang calls for emergency evacuation and the helicopter pilot tells them more "things" are closing in, still don't know what they look like.

Page 134: Hero moment. Bad Religion's 21st Century Digital Boy came into my head reading this.

Page 136-143: Suitably quirky hero's welcome, back at the base, followed by karaoke.

Just past the halfway mark, folks! Hang in there with me, more to come tomorrow.