Before embarking on John Scalzi’s thoroughly enjoyable new adventure, readers should turn to the back of the book to learn about its creation. Scalzi tells a story that embodies the frustrations that many would-be authors face. Under contract for a novel, he was in the process of finishing it in 2020 when COVID-19 struck the world. It altered his plans, shifted his focus and a new book was completed in the early months of 2021.

THE KAIJU PRESERVATION SOCIETY is that novel, and it is wonderful escapist fiction featuring interesting characters and an easy-to-follow plot. Science fiction is not a genre that I actively pursue. In fact, my sci-fi library is limited to John Scalzi. His books are insightful, entertaining and humorous, with thoughtful moments as well as a sprinkling of danger that captivate me from the opening pages to the conclusion.

"[Scalzi] bills THE KAIJU PRESERVATION SOCIETY as the literary equivalent of a pop song written as a way of staying sane during COVID. It is a wonderfully entertaining and outstanding read for the times in which we live."

Scalzi’s latest work opens in early 2020, just as COVID and its repercussions are infecting the world. Jamie Gray is a young driver for a food delivery company in New York City whose future is headed nowhere. As the virus spreads across the land, the prospect of losing his job looms larger by the moment. But while making a delivery, Jamie meets a friend, Tom, who works at a mysterious “animal rights organization” and has an opening for someone with Jamie’s skills that must be filled immediately. The job will require work in the field, and Jamie eagerly agrees to join the Kaiju Preservation Society (KPS). While there are many unanswered questions for Jamie, the very generous salary and the prospect of travel away from New York are all he needs to know.

KPS is a hands-on group whose team members are actively engaged with very large, very wild and very dangerous animals. Jamie already knows about the ample financial rewards he will receive for his work, but now he is informed of the accompanying risks and dangers. He also learns that his new employment demands total secrecy, and any violations of this policy will result in criminal prosecution. To his credit, he asks if the job requires violating the law and is assured it does not.

Jamie begins his work by travelling to the Thule Air Base in Greenland. After a lengthy trip, he arrives at his final destination, a parallel Earth inhabited by Godzillian creatures known as Kaiju. The KPS team is tasked with preserving and protecting these animals, who are the product of the nuclear era and somehow have become a potential nuclear power source on their own. The Kaiju Preservation Society exists to ensure that no individuals harness their power in ways to bring catastrophe to our actual Earth.

As a science fiction author, Scalzi carries on the tradition often presented in novels that question who the true evildoers are. It’s a thoughtful debate. He bills THE KAIJU PRESERVATION SOCIETY as the literary equivalent of a pop song written as a way of staying sane during COVID. It is a wonderfully entertaining and outstanding read for the times in which we live.