Not at all my type of book, and I enjoyed reading it a great deal. After reading [book:Echoes of an Alien Sky], it was nice to read a deeply silly book that that didn't insult my intelligence.

I started out reading this book thinking it was one of those male novels driven by plot and widgets, but with no particular characterization to speak of. However, on meeting Robin, I became convinced it's rather that the male characters all seem curiously flat to me. I wonder if it's because the range of characterization for 'cool' male characters is narrower?

"Well, two things," Robin said. "First, that game's called 'suicide,' not 'wall ball', and anyone who thinks otherwise is freakish and wrong. Second, you notice the banner over there has "Wall-Ball" with that little 'tm' thingy, so I'm sure any little kids playing suicide-but-calling-it-wall-ball will soon be served with cease-and-desist orders."

"Seems a little harsh," Creek said.

"You know kids," Robin said. "If you don't keep 'em down early, they get all uppity."

You see? She is a delight!

In any case, deeply silly, viciously smart, fails the Bechdel test, but does at least manage some queer characters.

One thing: Scalzi pulls the old joke where a white guy gets a fake id with an obviously ethnic last name and has to claim to be adopted. It occurs me that you never get the story of the adopted person who is constantly having their identity challenged. Not really a criticism of Scalzi, just a thought.