One of the best things about books and reading is the vast variety available to readers. Whether it’s history, biography, sports, romance, mystery or countless other genres, there is a book available for any interest one might have. I will confess that while I often wander across the various genres, I have never been much of a fan of science fiction. But I make an exception for John Scalzi.

I discovered Scalzi when reading his debut novel, OLD MAN’S WAR, the story of a future world where elderly citizens become the armies of earth, battling aliens in the space colonies. The book first appeared online, was published in 2005 and then was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 2006. The Old Man’s War series continues and has now reached five published novels with a sixth scheduled. In addition, Scalzi has written several other science fiction titles as well as many nonfiction works.

"If you have never experienced John Scalzi before, this short volume is a wonderful introduction.... MINIATURES is not a long read, but you may come back to it for several encores."

MINIATURES: The Very Short Fiction of John Scalzi is precisely what its title promises. It is a collection of extremely short stories, 18 to be exact, covering 139 pages with very large font. Most are humorous, and a few are connected. They cover 25 years of Scalzi’s writing, a career that many aspiring writers might find inspirational, and share a common thread of science-fiction themes, humor and some interrelationship. Many rely upon human interaction with aliens, a subject in Scalzi’s world that has become as commonplace as the daily opening of your Facebook or Twitter account.

“Important Holidays on Gronghu” is the interoffice memo sent to the staff of the Diplomatic Mission of that planet by the Ambassador. It is an attempt to educate the staff on the holidays of their host to avoid further diplomatic breaches such as the recent incident in which a member of the diplomatic staff was fooled into eating off the plate of the Gronghu trade minister. Having participated in countless discussions with friends and acquaintances explaining holidays we do not share, the memo is both humorous and insightful.

“Denise Jones, Superbooker” and “The State of Super Villainy” are related stories focusing on the lives and difficulty of superheroes. The first story covers the duties of the agent who provides those heroes to communities in need of their services. The contracts can be very difficult to negotiate, even more so when a city is in the throes of a major disaster. The second covers the work of the risk management team that crunches the numbers, dealing with insurance costs and attorney’s fees. Scalzi’s tongue-in-cheek writing is somber on the page, but reading these stories is hilarious. Who would ever think that superheroes had so much red tape and paperwork in their jobs?

Finally, there are stories that focus on the human battle with science. “Your Smart Appliances are Talking About You Behind Your Back” is fairly well explained by its title. I will never be able to program my thermostat again without wondering if it thinks I am too extravagant. “The AI Are Absolutely Positively Without a Doubt Not Here to End Humanity, Honest” is Scalzi’s speculation on the future when computers have given way to those special artificial intelligence devices that think for themselves. While laced with humor, it will give you pause to think.

If you have never experienced John Scalzi before, this short volume is a wonderful introduction. If you are familiar with him, it certainly will be on your reading list. MINIATURES is not a long read, but you may come back to it for several encores.