Waiting on Wednesday [257] – HEAD ON by John Scalzi

Waiting on Wednesdays is the brainchild of Jill at Breaking the Spine, and because Jill isn’t hosting it any more, I’m now linking up with Can’t Wait Wednesday at Wishful Endings. Stop over there and link up your “Can’t Wait” book of the week!

I really had a blast with the first book of this series, Lock In, and I’m thrilled there’s going to be a sequel:

John Scalzi returns with Head On, the standalone follow-up to the New York Times bestselling and critically acclaimed Lock In. Chilling near-future SF with the thrills of a gritty cop procedural, Head On brings Scalzi’s trademark snappy dialogue and technological speculation to the future world of sports.

Hilketa is a frenetic and violent pastime where players attack each other with swords and hammers. The main goal of the game: obtain your opponent’s head and carry it through the goalposts. With flesh and bone bodies, a sport like this would be impossible. But all the players are “threeps,” robot-like bodies controlled by people with Haden’s Syndrome, so anything goes. No one gets hurt, but the brutality is real and the crowds love it.

Until a star athlete drops dead on the playing field.

Is it an accident or murder? FBI Agents and Haden-related crime investigators, Chris Shane and Leslie Vann, are called in to uncover the truth―and in doing so travel to the darker side of the fast-growing sport of Hilketa, where fortunes are made or lost, and where players and owners do whatever it takes to win, on and off the field.

Head On by John Scalzi. Releases in April 2018 from Tor Books. This is actually a companion novel to Lock In, and it sounds like a bunch of fun. I’m especially glad to see that Chris and Leslie are back! And although I didn’t really like the cover much when I first saw it, I have to say its graphic simplicity is growing on me.

What are you waiting on this week?

Posted July 19, 2017 by Tammy in Waiting on Wednesday / 28 Comments

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28 responses to “Waiting on Wednesday [257] – HEAD ON by John Scalzi

  1. todd

    A new Scalzi book is always worth a read, and this one sounds like it could be a good one.

    • Tammy

      I loved the world he created in the first book, and I’m anxious to read more about those characters:-)

    • Tammy

      I actually have a copy of Fuzzy Nation that I haven’t read. I want to read it too, but you know, with only 24 hours in a day I don’t think it’s going to happen any time soon:-/

    • Tammy

      I was surprised when I saw this, because I didn’t realize there was going to be a sequel. I hope it’s good too!

    • Tammy

      It was such an unusual concept, and I’m thrilled to be able to read another story set in that world:-)

    • Tammy

      It is far off, isn’t it? Although I know time will fly with so many other books to read in the meantime:-)

  2. I read my first Scalzi the other day (his new one Collapsing Empire) and loved it. I’m not as familiar with his older stuff, but this sounds good. I’ll be reading more of him for sure!
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    • Tammy

      I think I actually liked Lock In more than The Collapsing Empire, so you’ll most likely enjoy this series:-)

  3. I recently read or listened to one of his short stories — about a dispatcher? Very unique imagination he has –t his reminds me I need to look at more of his works.

    • Tammy

      Thanks Alyssa:-) I love “near future” books because it feels like they could actually happen.

    • Tammy

      It does sound intense! Lock In was also very funny, so I’m looking forward to more of that combination:-)

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