{"product_id":"9780765388933","title":"Head On : A Novel of the Near Future","description":"\u003cstrong\u003eHead On\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor(s): John Scalzi\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"As much as Scalzi has the scientific creativity of a Michael Crichton, he also has the procedural chops of a Stephen J. Cannell to craft a whodunit with buddy-cop charm and suspects aplenty—most of them in someone else's body.\" —\u003ci\u003eUSA Today\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJohn Scalzi returns with \u003ci\u003eHead On, \u003c\/i\u003ethe standalone follow-up to the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003ebestselling and critically acclaimed \u003ci\u003eLock In\u003c\/i\u003e.  Chilling near-future SF with the thrills of a gritty cop procedural, \u003ci\u003eHead On \u003c\/i\u003ebrings Scalzi's trademark snappy dialogue and technological speculation to the future world of sports.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHilketa is a frenetic and violent pastime where players attack each other with swords and hammers. The main goal of the game: obtain your opponent’s head and carry it through the goalposts. With flesh and bone bodies, a sport like this would be impossible. But all the players are “threeps,” robot-like bodies controlled by people with Haden’s Syndrome, so anything goes. No one gets hurt, but the brutality is real and the crowds love it.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eUntil a star athlete drops dead on the playing field.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIs it an accident or murder? FBI Agents and Haden-related crime investigators, Chris Shane and Leslie Vann, are called in to uncover the truth—and in doing so travel to the darker side of the fast-growing sport of Hilketa, where fortunes are made or lost, and where players and owners do whatever it takes to win, on and off the field.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eReview(s):\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePraise for \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eHead On\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\"New and fresh....Scalzi's smirking, impish voice is a nice touch.\" —NPR\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Particularly relevant....A fun, breezy thriller, one that showcases a world that carries with it some extremely astute commentary on some of the real problems that we face in our own. \" —\u003ci\u003eThe Verge\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"The Lock In universe is as fascinating as ever....Complex, expansive....Pretty damn cool.\" —\u003ci\u003eRT Book Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e, 4 stars\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"Head On\u003c\/i\u003e doesn’t care if you’ve read \u003ci\u003eLock In \u003c\/i\u003eor not, but it does care if you enjoy a mystery wrapped up inside a science fiction novel....This might even be one of the best introductions to Scalzi out there.\" —\u003ci\u003eCulturess\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"[Scalzi's] prose flows like a river, smoothly carrying us through the story; his characters are beautifully crafted; and his future world is impeccably designed, at the same time wildly imaginative and wholly plausible.\" —\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e, starred review\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"This taut mystery, filled with memorable characters in a well-constructed world, will keep readers on the edges of their seats.\" —\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e, starred review\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Readers will definitely show up for the witty banter and smartass takedowns….Very clever, wonderfully satisfying fun.\" —\u003ci\u003eKirkus\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"A snappy, cannily-driven police procedural in which Scalzi highlights and skewers contemporary issues and hypocrisies.\" —\u003ci\u003eThe Seattle Review of Books\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Scalzi is in good form again here with his usual rich blend of smart, rapid-fire dialogue and well-paced bursts of hard-hitting action.\" —\u003ci\u003eToronto Star\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePraise for \u003ci\u003eLock In\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"This is the kind of thriller that Michael Crichton, Lincoln Child, and James Rollins do so well. Add John Scalzi to that list.\" —Douglas Preston, #1 \u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003ebestselling author of \u003ci\u003eThe Kraken Project \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eImpact\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"As much as Scalzi has the scientific creativity of a Michael Crichton, he also has the procedural chops of a Stephen J. Canell to craft a whodunit with buddy-cop charm and suspects aplenty—most of them in someone else's body.\" —\u003ci\u003eUSA Today\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Satisfying.” —NPR\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Scalzi takes his work to an entirely new level.” —Cory Doctorow\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A smart, thoughtful near-future thriller…. This powerful novel will intrigue and entertain both fans and newcomers.” —\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly, \u003c\/i\u003estarred review\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“John Scalzi may be the most entertaining writer in SF today.” —\u003ci\u003eToronto Star\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN:  9780765388933\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e ","brand":"Tor Science Fiction","offers":[{"title":"Paperback \/ softback","offer_id":40686585053390,"sku":"9780765388933","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0600\/7029\/7806\/products\/getimage_ed16e1f5-062d-4786-9636-91bc3097dc06.jpg?v=1640232839","url":"https:\/\/pickwickbookshop.com\/products\/9780765388933","provider":"Pickwick Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}