Before Old Man’s War: John Scalzi’s Forgotten First Novel

John Scalzi has become one of those authors I can count on to deliver a great time—but what happens when you go all the way back to the very beginning?

Today on Fantasy for the Ages, Jim dives into Agent to the Stars, the first novel Scalzi ever wrote—years before Old Man’s War launched his publishing career. Originally released online as a free “shareware novel,” this bizarre first-contact comedy asks one very important question: What happens when friendly aliens arrive on Earth... and realize they desperately need a Hollywood agent?

The answer is every bit as ridiculous—and entertaining—as you might expect.

In this spoiler-lite review, Jim explores: • The unusual story behind Agent to the Stars and its publication • Why this early novel already feels unmistakably like modern John Scalzi • One of the strangest and most creative first-contact premises around • Scalzi’s trademark humor and rapid-fire dialogue • Why the ridiculous plot somehow manages to hold together • The wonderfully fast pacing • Wil Wheaton’s audiobook narration • How it compares with Scalzi’s other works • Whether this forgotten early Scalzi novel is still worth reading today

For Jim, the biggest surprise wasn’t discovering an author still figuring out what kind of writer he wanted to become. It was discovering just how much of the Scalzi he enjoys today was apparently there from the very beginning.

If you’ve read Agent to the Stars, tell us what you thought! And where does it rank among the Scalzi novels you’ve read?

Like the video, subscribe to Fantasy for the Ages, and ring that notification bell for more fantasy, science fiction, and horror reviews, rankings, discussions, and assorted nerdy goodness.

And a huge THANK YOU to our Patreon supporters for helping us continue doing what we love!: https://patreon.com/FantasyForTheAges

#JohnScalzi #AgentToTheStars #ScienceFiction #SciFiBooks #BookReview #FantasyForTheAges

Want to purchase books/media mentioned in this episode? Agent to the Stars: https://t.ly/XqAc6 Blindsight: https://t.ly/YMEJx The Kaiju Preservation Society: https://t.ly/BGopw Old Man’s War Series: https://t.ly/XlYct Redshirts: https://t.ly/_ZPHk Starter Villain: https://t.ly/vqelU

Ways to connect with us: Follow Jim/Father on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/13848336-jim-scriven Join us on Discord: https://discord.gg/jMWyVJ6qKk Follow us on "X": @Fantasy4theAges Follow us on Blue Sky: @fantasy4theages.bsky.social Follow us on Instagram: fantasy_for_the_ages Follow us on Mastodon: @[email protected] Email us: [email protected]

Check out our merch: https://www.newcreationsbyjen.com/collections/fantasyfortheages

Jim’s Microphone: Blue Yeti https://tinyurl.com/3shpvhb4 Jim’s Camera: Razer Kito Pro https://tinyurl.com/c873tc2n

0:00 - Opening 2:39 - Book Details 5:28 - Why Jim Read This 6:52 - Spoiler-Lite Summary 9:09 - Five Reasons You May Enjoy This 14:19 - Three Reasons This May Not Work for You 17:07 - Jim’s Final Thoughts 19:16 - Closing & Wrap-Up

———————————————————————————— Music and video elements licensed under Envato Elements: https://elements.envato.com/