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Agent to the Stars
- Narrated by: Wil Wheaton
- Length: 8 hrs and 49 mins
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Agent to the Stars
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Publisher's Summary
The space-faring Yherajk have come to Earth to meet us and to begin humanity's first interstellar friendship. There's just one problem: They're hideously ugly and they smell like rotting fish. So getting humanity's trust is a challenge. The Yherajk need someone who can help them close the deal. Enter Thomas Stein, who knows something about closing deals. He's one of Hollywood's hottest young agents. But although Stein may have just concluded the biggest deal of his career, it's quite another thing to negotiate for an entire alien race. To earn his percentage this time, he's going to need all the smarts, skills, and wits he can muster.
Editorial reviews
Wil Wheaton, a Star Trek: The Next Generation alum, is a canny choice for narrator of this intersection of science fiction and Elmore Leonard-esque Hollywood farce. In addition to being a rather prominent footnote in sci-fi history, Wheaton’s also got a great voice — sonorous, with an inflection similar to a late-night radio DJ who’s bemusedly sharing an anecdote on air between tracks. His voice also carries a hint of that lilt peculiar to many native Angelenos, which comes in handy when he exaggerates it to Valley Girl-proportions to portray starlet Michelle Beck, former cheerleader and current box office draw.
Hollywood agent Tom Stein is the book’s hero, and when the story begins, Michelle is his most important client. That is, until Tom meets Joshua, an extraterrestrial whose alien race hires Tom and his boss, superagent Carl Lupo, to represent them. The Yherajk have decided their best hope for a peaceful first contact between their race and all of humanity is to out themselves via the movies, and they know if they want to make it in Hollywood, they need good representation.
Wheaton’s voicing of Joshua, who has traveled to Earth as the Yherajk’s representative, is another highlight. Joshua, like his kinsmen, looks like a gelatinous blob, gives off a noxious odor, and slithers around amorphously. He’s also incredibly educated when it comes to human pop culture, having logged countless hours watching sitcoms. Wheaton delivers Joshua’s line, “We look like snot. And we smell like dead fish,” in a nasally deadpan that suits a one-liner-delivering alien to a T.
Even when Scalzi veers into semi-philosophical territory — as when he explores why an alien race would choose a Hollywood debut over staging their premiere in Washington — Wheaton keeps the narration moving with his just-right character voices. Look out for the both silly and spot-on sounding Quebecois accent he uses to portray Roland Lanois, an art-house film director with a critical role in the novel, and for his Buddha-like turn as Gwedif, a Yherajk storyteller. —Maggie Frank
Critic Reviews
What listeners say about Agent to the Stars
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Bernadette Johnstone
- 07-08-2017
Adored this book and one of the best narrations!
What made the experience of listening to Agent to the Stars the most enjoyable?
Wil Wheaton sets a great pace and really embodies the characters with distinct personalities - even Ralph gets a look in which is sweet.
What did you like best about this story?
The humour, had me laugh out loud on occasion and giggle quite a bit.
Which character – as performed by Wil Wheaton – was your favourite?
Hard to say, the main character is very believable but I loved Joshua and Gwedeth's humour stole the show on occasion.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
Mmmm there were a few but the scenes with Tom's Grandmother and when Michelle funds the Chair position were moving.
Any additional comments?
Was sad it finished! I'm wondering if a follow up could be as good - Wil Wheaton is my favourite Narrator after Rob Dirks (Where The Hell Is Tesla? - fab book)
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jeanette
- 13-03-2021
what a surprise!
Thoroughly enjoyed this story, I searched by narrator Wil Wheaton he's one of my favs. Agent to the stars is a little gem brought to life by Wil.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Steve Marshall
- 16-08-2024
Of course this is how first contact would work!
Another fantastic stand-alone, funny and thought provoking story from the master John Scalzi. Supported by a fantastic narration performance by Will Wheaton (as always), this story rockets along with sass and surprises. The contemplation about how we humans would react to first contact with a race from another planet who are so fundamentally different to us is focussed through the spry lens of Scalzi's eye for the absurd. Of course Hollywood is the best vehicle for contact to occur, where else could it be?
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 09-09-2018
good story, nice and original, great narration:)
A really original story, whitty and with great narration from will. I recommend it for sure
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 28-02-2017
A great combo
On J S can combine aliens, animal love and the holocaust to make a great book.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Christopher
- 26-08-2024
Fun but also packing an emotional punch
Hooked me from page 1 and kept me intrigued the whole way. A great balance of comedy and emotional punch. Well written and excellently narrated.
TW: This book contains content about suicide
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mark Daniel
- 12-12-2022
An interesting take on us and them as always.
Well read and a surprising slant on the alien meets human genre. Will brings out the best in Johns characters for me and I can’t imagine any other voice bringing them to life.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- David McG
- 29-09-2024
Fun listening
We had a long interstate road trip made enjoyable by listening to this book. Fun and thought provoking.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 17-11-2024
Entertaining AF
This is the 5th John Scalzi that I have listened to. As with The Starter Villain, I wasn't excited by Wil Wheaton narrating prior to download. He was actually perfect for Agent to the Stars too.
I love Scalzi's imagination. The guy's a freakin genius. I haven't found a author that I enjoy more. Agent to the Stars is equally funny, touching and insane. I wish I hadn't listened to it so I could listen to it again.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Paul Christiansen
- 08-04-2024
Amusing story
This is a decent story but not one of Scalzi’s best. The basic premise is fine but people coming into contact with the aliens take it rather well very quickly. I think I’d like to hear this with a different narrator. The characters Will Wheaton voices across Scalzi’s books sound like the same person - names & words differ but the tones & the attitudes that come across in the voices are the same.
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