Miniatures: The Very Short Fiction of John Scalzi

This lighthearted and amusing collection features mostly reprints of Scalzi’s (the Old Man’s War series) shortest fiction, along with four previously unpublished works. Several of the pieces (including “Denise Jones, Superbooker,” “The State of Super Villainy,” and “Life on Earth: Human-Alien Relations”) draw heavily from his newspaper days, taking on the conceit of an interview, internal memo, or advice column. Others (“The Other Large Thing,” “How I Keep Myself Amused on Long Flights—Parts 1 and 2”) are lifted directly from his Twitter feed. Several of these stories are good for a laugh, but some (such as “Cute Adorable Extortionists”) make it clear that the bottom of the writing trunk was carefully scraped. The high price of this slim collectible means only the most faithful Scalzi fans will feel they’re getting their money’s worth. Agent: Ethan Ellenberg, Ethan Ellenberg Literary Agency. (Jan.)