The Kaiju Preservation Society

When Kaiju ruled the world!

That???s the premise in John Scalzi???s Kaiju Preservation Society. Jamie Gray has given up their college course to work for a startup company called M??df??d.

At an appraisal with their boss, Jaimie???s life is irrevocably changed when they are ???let go??? from their job. They are offered a job as a delivery person. However things are about to change when the pandemic strikes.

Whilst out delivering, he happens to deliver to an old friend who seems to have done
quite well for themselves. Over a period of time they reacquaint themselves and Jamie is offered a job.

What Jamie does not realise is that the job is on an alternative earth, studying massive Kaiju, who have developed on an alternative evolutionary trajectory.

This is the first book by John Scalzi that I have read and found that it was a good introduction to his writing as it is a light read that is just entertainingly fun. The prose is light and breezy, and by his own admission, this is a bit of a pop novel that is simply there to entertain, which it does with ease.

One of the strengths of the book is the relationship between the new comrades as they become orientated to this new earth. There is plenty of snarky dialogue between the new recruits as they become familiar with both their new roles in the job, and this other earth that is vastly different, where in all honesty it is not the massive Kaiju that is the main danger, but everything else.

As the story progresses we are treated to the scientific reasons why the Kaiju exist and how they differ from our perceived ideas of just being behemoths that terrorise the world they live in and are in fact massive ecosystems that are a part of the ecology of the world. You are never overwhelmed by the ???science??? of the world that Jamie now inhabits and it adds to the fun of the book.

There is a solid cast of characters that are well realised. The characters are all diverse, and John Scalzi doesn???t make any issue of this, for example, we have non binary characters, and this is treated as part of the culture. No judgement, no source of conflict etc, which makes it refreshingly inclusive.

The book is peppered with pop culture references, and there are references to things like Godzilla and other things that make you smile as the references become more apparent.

However, underneath the fluff and bubblegum, there is a satirical swipe at our current world and the corporate dictation that has emerged and shines a light on the fact that this culture regularly puts profit at the forefront of its ethos and the disastrous results this can have.

The book itself is lighthearted and playful, and will be a delight for those of us who have grown up on monster flicks, and wondered about the science behind the creature.