Dispatcher, The (The Dispatcher, 1) MP3 CD – Unabridged, May 2, 2017

Interesting idea regarding line of work for main character. Liked the story. Hopefully more to come in the same "universe"

I will start by confessing that I have a soft spot for who done it's.I enjoyed the bit of science fiction that was woven into the story line and the fact that at least I didn't know how this would wrap up. The characters were well developed and the repartee' between the 2 main characters was a lot of fun. I smiled more than a few times. The analyzing of the process involved and the questions that following through with bringing an individual back from death came into the story very nicely and it did give one thought but not deeply.I really enjoyed this treat and I cannot thank the author enough.Ron C. V. Smith; Pasadena, California

John Scalzi's The Dispatcher is undeniably a light, pulpy little story, and its weight is appropriate enough, given the novella's origins as a 2-hour audiobook before being released in print. Essentially a quick little detective story with an unusual sci-fi conceit, The Dispatcher is a fast read, and one that's pretty plot-heavy (again, appropriately so, given the genre). Nonetheless, the conceit here is so interesting, and Scalzi's spitballing of ideas and moral questions so engaging, that it'll give you more to chew on than you might expect - it just won't stick with you that long.That hook, though, is a great one. In Scalzi's near-future, people have almost entirely stopped being murdered. Oh, people still die - there are suicides, disasters, and natural causes - but for some reason, murdering someone causes them to vanish and reappear back in their home, just as if they never died. And thus arises the job of a "dispatcher" - a person whose job it is to work alongside medical professionals and kill patients who are about to die of a botched surgery, or a bad treatment, or of untreated wounds - and give everyone involved a second chance.That's a neat idea, and Scalzi plays with it in wonderful ways, giving you a story that, at its best, can remind you of the way that Philip K. Dick would take simple ideas and run with them in interesting, strange ways. Scalzi follows the idea through crime empires and into rich college students, from insurance companies to police investigations, and takes even more time to let his characters bat around the complex questions that might arise from such an idea - the nature of god, the shifting nature of morality, and so forth. Even better, the story's short length means that Scalzi never feels the need to dive into why it's all happening, which makes the whole thing work all the more - does it even matter why it happens, or just that it does?That all being said, at its core, The Dispatcher is intentionally light genre fare - it's a detective story, but one with a loose enough framework that Scalzi can play around in the margins of his world, all while still telling the tale of a missing dispatcher. And by the end of it all, you may definitely come away with the sense that this is just the author batting around ideas without much substance underneath - the equivalent of two a.m. college philosophy sessions while passing around a joint. And while that's not entirely unfair, it definitely sells short the pleasures of Scalzi's writing, or his ability to build this world in such a brief time. No, The Dispatcher doesn't do anything revolutionary; it just takes a single idea and looks at how it might change the world around it. But sometimes, that's what satisfying sci-fi is made of.

The best authors (think Asimov, Clarke, King, Straub, Shakespeare - you didn't think I'd leave HIM out?) share one overarching trait. They all have the ability to capture you with their characters, drawing you into their world (the characters' world - the author rapidly withdraws behind 'the curtain' as the characters and their dynamics apparently do the work). As you inhabit their world, you do not even realize you have suspended disbelief - well, you haven't really - you simply accept the World and its new properties because you live alongside the characters as they go about their business.Such is the art of John Scalzi, and The Dispatcher. I have grown to know and respect Mr. Scalzi's work. I tend to avoid 'shorts' and novellas because - for me - one of life's most depressing things is turning the final page and returning to the "real world". That happens quicker with a novella. My enjoyment of Scalzi's work is such that - even with the rapidly approaching end - I could not help picking up the book. I was not, however, prepared for what I would find.While John Scalzi is primarily known as a Science Fiction writer, although anyone who has spent time with his books and will probably tell you that Science Fiction is merely the stage or backdrop for his characters. With The Dispatcher, Scalzi has taken a HUGE step, not just by setting his story in the here and now, but in the quality, depth and richness of his writing. There is some science, and it is definitely fiction; but, by setting The Dispatcher in present-day Chicago, he has dropped Science Fiction from the bill entirely. His characters, his world, and his writing are right there, on their own, in all their glory, without the safety net of a Science Fiction Universe. To do this in novella, or short story format is even MORE impressive! He has taken his writing skills - already well known and formidable - and displayed a new level of mastery (not a term I bandy around lightly!)The Dispatcher is simply Brilliant! Tightly constructed, thoroughly engaging, and entirely captivating, I would not have been able to put it down had I even wanted to! I whole-heartedly recommend The Dispatcher. You will find, as I did, that it is a new level of 'Best' for Scalzi!

I'm a big Scalzi fan but this book/novella really doesn't tick any of his usual boxes. There's no humour, you don't immediately care about the characters and there is absolutely no science at all. Suspending disbelief is a given for any sufficiently entertaining book, but I'm afraid that the premise inherent to this tale is too big a turkey to swallow. The book reads like a TV series plug, and reading Scalzi's blog I see that this is more than likely. Come on, John, this one is beneath you.

Written with Scalzi's unique style of characterisation and quirky sense of humour. For some, unexplained, reason murder victims are reborn. The body vanishes and they usually pop up naked back at their home. The dispatchers are professional "murderers" who dispatch terminally ill or mortally wounded subjects so that they can be reborn. Then there's a mystery disappearance of a dispatcher..... There's an abiding memory of a detective eating hot dogs with a dispatcher as they brainstorm the disappearance mystery - very John Scalzi.

The usual brisk pace with only a little humour makes for an easily read long novella but not much more. An intriguing premise which is explored quickly though not fully and the mystery is rudimentary, consequently OK for fans of the author but not one to make converts.

Good story. A bit short

Death is different - sometimes, it's not permanent, and that's had a profound impact on our world. This short story is a fascinating look at one man and his place in this new world. I don't know how well a full-length novel would work but this short story is perfect.