Book info

• Title The Dispatcher
• Author John Scalzi
• Year 2016
• Genre Science Fiction

One day, not long from now, it becomes almost impossible to murder anyone—999 times out of a thousand, anyone who is intentionally killed comes back. How? We don’t know. But it changes everything: war, crime, daily life. Tony Valdez is a Dispatcher—a licensed, bonded professional whose job is to humanely dispatch those whose circumstances put them in death’s crosshairs, so they can have a second chance to avoid the reaper. But when a fellow Dispatcher and former friend is apparently kidnapped, Tony learns that there are some things that are worse than death, and that some people are ready to do almost anything to avenge what they see as a wrong. It’s a race against time for Valdez to find his friend before it’s too late…before not even a Dispatcher can save him.

Thoughts

This audiobook is read by Zachary Quinto, who did a fantastic job. But he had great source material to work with. The great thing about Scalzi is that these situations are incredibly fantastical, and yet they are so gritty and grounded, you’re immediately invested in them.

And it has to be that way, because the crux of a shorter work like this is getting straight to the heart of the ethical problems that arise. In this case, we’re talking about a world where if you are murdered, you get a second chance at living, so an entire industry is created around dispatching people. Plenty to discuss thereafter.

A great story, told well, with information revealed slowly to gradually unveil the entire picture, and there was plenty of time for a surprise or two along the way.

Rating: 5 / 5