The Kaiju Preservation Society
by John ScalziGenres: Fiction / Science Fiction / Action & Adventure
Published on March 15, 2022
Pages: 272
Format: eBook Source: Library
The Kaiju Preservation Society is John Scalzi's first standalone adventure since the conclusion of his New York Times bestselling Interdependency trilogy.
When COVID-19 sweeps through New York City, Jamie Gray is stuck as a dead-end driver for food delivery apps. That is, until Jamie makes a delivery to an old acquaintance, Tom, who works at what he calls “an animal rights organization.” Tom’s team needs a last-minute grunt to handle things on their next field visit. Jamie, eager to do anything, immediately signs on.
What Tom doesn't tell Jamie is that the animals his team cares for are not here on Earth. Not our Earth, at least. In an alternate dimension, massive dinosaur-like creatures named Kaiju roam a warm, human-free world. They're the universe's largest and most dangerous panda and they're in trouble.
It's not just the Kaiju Preservation Society who have found their way to the alternate world. Others have, too. And their carelessness could cause millions back on our Earth to die.
Can you believe that I’ve never read a John Scalzi book before?
I loved the snarky, sassy dialogue in this book.
“The good news is we’re still on schedule and we don’t anticipate any more surprises between here and base.” He clicked off.
“No one anticipates surprises,” Kahurangi said. “That’s what makes them surprises.”
There is a lot of social commentary here. Jamie is fired from his job as a developer of a food delivery app because he is prioritizing customer service over profit. For Shame!
Unable to find a new job as everything shuts down in the beginning of COVID, he jumps at a high paying job offer from an acquaintance who tells him that he is going to off grid for 6 months and that his job will be “lifting things.”
He finds out that he is lifting things at a secret trans-dimensional research station. Large, godzilla-like animals are being studied in a world where everything wants to kill and eat you. He makes friends with the other newbies who came with his group and tries to figure out how to stay alive.
“You have a nemesis now,” Kahurangi said. “I’m officially jealous. I’ve always wanted to have a nemesis.”
“I’ll be your nemesis,” I volunteered.
“Thanks, Jamie, I appreciate the offer. But you have to win your nemesis on the field of battle.”
Of course, things don’t go smoothly so Jamie has to figure out how to prevent people from our world from trying to make money off the Kaiju in very self-destructive ways.
“Have you ever used a weapon before?” asked Riddu Tagaq.
“In video games,” I said. “Is that bad?”
“Did you ever have a reason to use a weapon, outside a video game?”
“No.”
“Do you feel your life would have been improved by using a weapon?”
“No.”
“Then it’s not bad,” Tagaq said. “There is a certain type of person who feels like they must be armed at every moment of the day or else the world will come for them in some way. Back home, this is very much not a good way to live.
I would be open to reading more by this author. Does anyone have any recommendations?
