The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi

Released March 15th, 2022

The Kaiju Preservation Society is everything and more that I’ve come to expect from John Scalzi. The book opens with Jamie losing their job at the beginning of the pandemic. I know this is relatable to most people, but I felt very connected to the main character’s plight because Jamie was working on a dissertation for a Ph.D. in literature, and never finishes that degree and I know what that is like! This book has great pacing—slow, but in the kind of way that feels like a long inhale until you meet the kaiju. At this point in the story, you really get the feel of Jurrasic Park—science talk without needing a degree to feel like you can follow along. The story didn’t suffer from an overabundance of “science” jargon as can sometimes happen, in fact, I think this is mainly because the characterization was done so well. Each character is so real, even the ones you don’t see much of, that falling into the reality of this book is easy. The world-building was on point as well, as we start in the weirdness of the pandemic (which all of us are all too familiar with) the fantastical elements of the book become easy to swallow. I never found myself questioning the world, even the alternate reality world. These two elements, characterization and world-building really fill out the story for me. Without either one or both, the story likely would have been lacking as Jamie is primarily learning how to live in the world they find themselves in and this can be burdensome without good side characters and world building.
I recommend this book to anyone who likes Scalzi books, is looking to fill a Michael Chrichton shaped hole, or just loves monster media. It is a quick read and you will love every second of it!