What do you think?
Rate this book
Epic Failure #2
Communication Failure
In this sequel to Mechanical Failure, a threat of a neighboring human-inhabited system forces Captain Rogers to declare war, and the math-happy Thelicosan fleet offers an ultimatum: surrender Rogers, or everyone dies.
Captain Rogers has suddenly become the Admiral of the 331st Meridan fleet, but spies aboard his ship are giving information to the rival Thelicosan command. They believe that they have finally found someone to fulfill the Thelicosan’s destiny—and are willing to break a two hundred year peace agreement for it.
Now, the 331st must stop the invasion of a strong and determined enemy, while re-learning how to use half the equipment they have, since almost no one has fired a weapon in those two hundred years. War can be hell, especially when no one knows what is going on.
Captain Rogers has suddenly become the Admiral of the 331st Meridan fleet, but spies aboard his ship are giving information to the rival Thelicosan command. They believe that they have finally found someone to fulfill the Thelicosan’s destiny—and are willing to break a two hundred year peace agreement for it.
Now, the 331st must stop the invasion of a strong and determined enemy, while re-learning how to use half the equipment they have, since almost no one has fired a weapon in those two hundred years. War can be hell, especially when no one knows what is going on.
374 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 27, 2017
91 people are currently reading
375 people want to read
About the author
Joe Zieja
6 books162 followersJoe Zieja is an author with a long history of doing things that have almost nothing to do with writing at all. A graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, Joe dedicated over a decade of his life to wearing The Uniform, marching around in circles and shouting commands at people while in turn having commands shouted at him. It was both a great deal of fun and a great nuisance, and he wouldn’t have had it any other way.
Joe’s also a commercial voiceover artist and a composer of music for video games and commercials. He’s probably interrupted your Spotify playlist at least once to encourage you to click on the banner below and isn’t the least bit upset that you ignored him.
Joe’s also a commercial voiceover artist and a composer of music for video games and commercials. He’s probably interrupted your Spotify playlist at least once to encourage you to click on the banner below and isn’t the least bit upset that you ignored him.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
November 27, 2017
4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2017/11/27/...
As much as I love reading military sci-fi and space opera, sometimes I just need a break from the routineness of weighty political dramas and grim space battles. Enter Joe Zieja’s Epic Failure series. Communication Failure is the second book, following the adventures of former smuggler Captain Rogers who despite his best efforts to get kicked out of the military has found himself promoted to acting admiral of the 331st Meridan fleet. Unfortunately for him, the timing couldn’t have been worse. After two hundred years of peace with their rivals the Thelicosans, the Meridans suddenly receive a transmission from their leader Alandra Keffoule containing the simple yet alarming message: “We’re invading.” Utter chaos and off-the-charts panic thus ensues, as expected from a crew that has forgotten entirely how to fight.
Now Rogers is in a bind, unsure of how to get his fleet out of this mess. Finding out that the Thelicosan message had been a miscommunication should have been a relief, but then Keffoule declares her undying love with a proposal for marriage, and to be honest, Rogers would have probably preferred the invasion. Completely out of his depth, our protagonist tries his best to smooth things over with the enemy but somehow only manages to make things worse, underestimating the abilities of his clueless advisors as well as Keffoule’s penchant for kicking those who displease her in the face.
Continuing in the same humorous vein as the first book Mechanical Failure, this sequel is once again a scintillatingly funny book, though I was also pleasantly surprised to find that the “goofball” quality of the jokes and situations has been toned down. Considering how the absurd humor and general over-the-top silliness were my main complaints from book one, I found this change to be a welcome improvement in book two. Compared to its predecessor, Communication Failure also strikes a better balance when it comes to showcasing other aspects of the series, exploring multiple POVs and expanding upon the world-building while still injecting a fair amount of quirkiness so that the story still remains very funny.
Another improvement was the plot which felt a lot more complex this time around. Much attention to detail was paid in the development of the characters as well as in the highlighting of the cultural differences between the Meridans and the Thelicosans (the latter worships mathematical theory to the point of obsession), helping make the most out of the novel’s theme of “communication failure”. Zieja also took his time to develop conflicts and build tensions, a nice change of pace from the almost episodic format of Mechanical Failure which simply zipped readers from one insane situation to another with no time to even catch a breath.
Rogers also becomes a more compelling character when he’s not spending the entire book trying to come up with creative ways to shirk responsibility. That shtick was hilarious was in the first book, but I can’t deny a part of me is glad we’ve moved past that to explore new comic routines. A slightly more serious Rogers of course means an opportunity to develop a fresh repertoire of running jokes, including those related to his complicated love affair with Marine Captain Alsinbury, AKA the Viking. Interactions between the two of them have thus far spawned some truly epic banter with clever double entendres and wordplay.
Not to worry, however, if you loved the first book and are concerned that the sequel might have changed too much, because Communication Failure definitely remains true to its roots. Exaggerated slapstick remains a strong component of the humor, and you’ll still get the occasional cringe-worthy pun thrown in with the snappy one-liners. That said, there’s an overall sense that the comedic elements have matured, so personally speaking, Communication Failure worked much better for me than Mechanical Failure as a result.
Regardless, it’s always nice when a sequel surpasses the original, and overall I’m quite happy with the way this series is evolving. I love how it doesn’t take itself too seriously while offering up an engaging, satirical tongue-in-cheek riff on the genre. These books are the perfect popcorn entertainment, and I recommend them if you’re looking for some lightness and comedy in your sci-fi.
As much as I love reading military sci-fi and space opera, sometimes I just need a break from the routineness of weighty political dramas and grim space battles. Enter Joe Zieja’s Epic Failure series. Communication Failure is the second book, following the adventures of former smuggler Captain Rogers who despite his best efforts to get kicked out of the military has found himself promoted to acting admiral of the 331st Meridan fleet. Unfortunately for him, the timing couldn’t have been worse. After two hundred years of peace with their rivals the Thelicosans, the Meridans suddenly receive a transmission from their leader Alandra Keffoule containing the simple yet alarming message: “We’re invading.” Utter chaos and off-the-charts panic thus ensues, as expected from a crew that has forgotten entirely how to fight.
Now Rogers is in a bind, unsure of how to get his fleet out of this mess. Finding out that the Thelicosan message had been a miscommunication should have been a relief, but then Keffoule declares her undying love with a proposal for marriage, and to be honest, Rogers would have probably preferred the invasion. Completely out of his depth, our protagonist tries his best to smooth things over with the enemy but somehow only manages to make things worse, underestimating the abilities of his clueless advisors as well as Keffoule’s penchant for kicking those who displease her in the face.
Continuing in the same humorous vein as the first book Mechanical Failure, this sequel is once again a scintillatingly funny book, though I was also pleasantly surprised to find that the “goofball” quality of the jokes and situations has been toned down. Considering how the absurd humor and general over-the-top silliness were my main complaints from book one, I found this change to be a welcome improvement in book two. Compared to its predecessor, Communication Failure also strikes a better balance when it comes to showcasing other aspects of the series, exploring multiple POVs and expanding upon the world-building while still injecting a fair amount of quirkiness so that the story still remains very funny.
Another improvement was the plot which felt a lot more complex this time around. Much attention to detail was paid in the development of the characters as well as in the highlighting of the cultural differences between the Meridans and the Thelicosans (the latter worships mathematical theory to the point of obsession), helping make the most out of the novel’s theme of “communication failure”. Zieja also took his time to develop conflicts and build tensions, a nice change of pace from the almost episodic format of Mechanical Failure which simply zipped readers from one insane situation to another with no time to even catch a breath.
Rogers also becomes a more compelling character when he’s not spending the entire book trying to come up with creative ways to shirk responsibility. That shtick was hilarious was in the first book, but I can’t deny a part of me is glad we’ve moved past that to explore new comic routines. A slightly more serious Rogers of course means an opportunity to develop a fresh repertoire of running jokes, including those related to his complicated love affair with Marine Captain Alsinbury, AKA the Viking. Interactions between the two of them have thus far spawned some truly epic banter with clever double entendres and wordplay.
Not to worry, however, if you loved the first book and are concerned that the sequel might have changed too much, because Communication Failure definitely remains true to its roots. Exaggerated slapstick remains a strong component of the humor, and you’ll still get the occasional cringe-worthy pun thrown in with the snappy one-liners. That said, there’s an overall sense that the comedic elements have matured, so personally speaking, Communication Failure worked much better for me than Mechanical Failure as a result.
Regardless, it’s always nice when a sequel surpasses the original, and overall I’m quite happy with the way this series is evolving. I love how it doesn’t take itself too seriously while offering up an engaging, satirical tongue-in-cheek riff on the genre. These books are the perfect popcorn entertainment, and I recommend them if you’re looking for some lightness and comedy in your sci-fi.
October 20, 2017
Audible screwed up and let me download this book a month early, and I am so glad it did! Communication Failure was just as laugh out loud funny as Mechanical Failure, but with a slightly more mature Rogers this time (especially by the end). There are still some groan-worthy jokes, and I wasn't a huge fan of Quinn's POV, but Deet gets his own POV in this one, and Rogers not only gets punched in the face a lot (yay Viking!), he also gets kicked in the face. And let's be honest, if anyone deserves a kick to the face, it's probably Rogers, although perhaps not at that particular moment.
Plus Tunger rides a lion and saves the day. Tunger and Deet are definitely my favorites <3
If you're having a bad day, this will be just the book to cheer you up :)
Plus Tunger rides a lion and saves the day. Tunger and Deet are definitely my favorites <3
If you're having a bad day, this will be just the book to cheer you up :)
December 27, 2019
I give this, the second book in the series 🌞🌞🌞1/2. It is a little slower off the starting block than the first book in the series, and some of the jokes are a bit over used. Why do women keep punching and kicking Rogers in the face? It was bad enough when a character in the first book did it, but now there is another one.
Still, there are some hilarious math jokes and references, the science is absurd and the ridiculous cultural assumptions the enemy races make about each other ought to make us stop and think about how we make the same silly mistakes in our dealings with other people.
Good enough that I will read the third book.
Joe Zieja is a voice actor whom you may have heard in many games and animations. Check him on IMDB.
Still, there are some hilarious math jokes and references, the science is absurd and the ridiculous cultural assumptions the enemy races make about each other ought to make us stop and think about how we make the same silly mistakes in our dealings with other people.
Good enough that I will read the third book.
Joe Zieja is a voice actor whom you may have heard in many games and animations. Check him on IMDB.
October 4, 2019
Kudos for not being afraid to introduce math into the plot. If you're math phobic don't worry you don't have to get it. But it's so rare for authors to acknowledge the fact that math is required for space travel and people might actually base their whole society on appreciation of math. Bet you didn't know it could be this funny.
It's a great addition to the plot and this book is probably the best of the series.
In Space!
It's a great addition to the plot and this book is probably the best of the series.
In Space!
November 8, 2017
This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader.
---
So, Captain Rogers has escaped with his life after saving the 331st Meridian Fleet from a takeover from almost all the droids on board, now he's been made acting admiral and is faced with a potentially bigger threat: the Thelicosan fleet -- the very fleet that Rogers' ships are to keep on their side of the border -- has informed him that they are about to invade. Given the size of the fleets facing off, this is an invasion that will not go well for the 331st.
So how is this would-be con-man, former engineer, and current CO going to survive this? He hasn't the foggiest idea.
Clearly, for those who read Mechanical Failure (and those who haven't have made a mistake that they need to rectify soon), whatever solution he comes up with is going to rely heavily on Deet and the Space Marines (the Viking/Captain Alsinbury and Sergeant Malin in particular) will be heavily involved. Malin has taken it upon herself to help Rogers learn some self-defense (even if that's primarily various ways to duck), the Viking is questioning every decision her new CO is making, and Deet is continuing his exploration into human behavior/consciousness (he's exploring philosophy and spirituality at the moment -- which is pretty distracting). Basically, if Rogers is looking for a lot of support from them, he's going to be disappointed.
It turns out that the Thelicosans didn't intend to send that message at all, what they were supposed to communicate was very different, actually. But before Rogers and his counterpart can find a way to de-escalate the situation, shots are fired, milk is spilled, and events start to spiral out of control. Which isn't to say that everyone is doomed and that war is inevitable, it's just going to take some work to keep it from happening. There are forces, groups, entities -- whatever you want to call them -- hawkish individuals who are working behind the scenes to keep these cultures at odds with each other, hopefully spilling over into something catastrophic. Which is something too many of us are familiar with, I fear -- and something that someone with Zieja's military background is likely more familiar with. The Thelicosans and Meridians discover who these people are -- and how they are attempting to manipulate the fleets -- and the big question is how successful they'll be.
We focus on three Thelicosans, but spend almost as much time on their flagship (The Limiter) as we do the Meridian flagship (Flagship). Grand Marshall Alandra Keffoule is the commander of the border fleet -- at one time, she was a star in the special forces, and now she's been assigned to the border fleet as a last chance. She fully intends on taking full advantage of this opportunity to make history and restore herself to her position of prominence in the military. Her deputy, Commodore Zergan, has fought alongside her since the special forces days and is now trying to help her rebuild her reputation. Secretary Vilia Quinn is the liaison between the Thelicosan government and the fleet. Quinn's development through the book is a lot of fun to watch -- and is probably a bigger surprise to her than it is to the reader, which just makes it better. Thelicosan culture is saturated in science and math, and is full of rituals that are incredibly binding and incredibly difficult for outsiders to understand. In many ways, the culture is hard to swallow -- how a society develops along those lines seems impossible. But if you just accept that this is the way their society functions, it ends up working and stays consistent (and entertaining).
Lieutenant Lieutenant Nolan "Flash" "Chillster" "Snake" "Blade" Fisk, the best pilot the 331st has is a great addition to the cast -- yeah, he's probably the most cartoonish, least grounded, character in Rogers' fleet -- but man, he's a lot of fun (and I think it's pretty clear that Zieja enjoys writing him). think Ace Rimmer (what a guy!), but dumber. Mechanical Failure's most cartoonish character, Tunger, is back -- the would-be spy/should-be zookeeper finds himself in the thick of things and is well-used (as a character) and is well-suited to his activities. Basically, I put up with him in the last book, and enjoyed him here. I'd like to talk more about Deet and the other characters here -- I've barely said anything about Rogers (he develops in some ways no one would've expected) -- but I can't without ruining anything, so let's just say that everyone you enjoyed in the previous installment you'll continue to enjoy for the same reasons.
Mechanical Failure didn't feature a lot of world-building outside life on the ship. Zieja takes care of that this time -- we get a look at the political situation between the various governments, and the history behind the four powers. Which isn't to say that we're drowning in details like George R. R. Martin would give us, it's still breezy and fast-paced. Still, there's a handle you can grab on to, some context for the kind of madness that Rogers finds himself in the middle of.
One of my personal criteria for judging books that are heavy on the humor in the midst of the SF or mystery or fantasy story is judging what the book would be like without the jokes. The Hitchhiker's Trilogy, for example, would fall apart in seconds (and few rival me for their devotion to that series). Magic 2.0 would hold up pretty well, on the other hand. The Epic Failure series would be another one that would hold up without the jokes. I'm not saying it'd be a masterpiece of SF, but the story would flow, there'd be enough intrigue and action to keep readers turning pages. However, you leave the humor, the jokes and the general whackiness in the books and they're elevated to must-reads.
There are too many puns (technically, more than 1 qualifies for that), there's a series of jokes about the space version of The Art of War that you'd think would get old very quickly, but doesn't -- at all; and Rogers has a couple of bridge officers that make the pilot Flash seem subtle. Somehow, Zieja makes all this excess work -- I thought the humor worked wonderfully here, and I think it'll hold up under repeated readings.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can't wait to see where Zieja takes us next.
Disclaimer: I received this book ARC from the author, and I can't thank him enough for it, but my opinion is my own and wasn't really influenced by that act (other than giving me something to have an opinion about).
---
So, Captain Rogers has escaped with his life after saving the 331st Meridian Fleet from a takeover from almost all the droids on board, now he's been made acting admiral and is faced with a potentially bigger threat: the Thelicosan fleet -- the very fleet that Rogers' ships are to keep on their side of the border -- has informed him that they are about to invade. Given the size of the fleets facing off, this is an invasion that will not go well for the 331st.
So how is this would-be con-man, former engineer, and current CO going to survive this? He hasn't the foggiest idea.
Clearly, for those who read Mechanical Failure (and those who haven't have made a mistake that they need to rectify soon), whatever solution he comes up with is going to rely heavily on Deet and the Space Marines (the Viking/Captain Alsinbury and Sergeant Malin in particular) will be heavily involved. Malin has taken it upon herself to help Rogers learn some self-defense (even if that's primarily various ways to duck), the Viking is questioning every decision her new CO is making, and Deet is continuing his exploration into human behavior/consciousness (he's exploring philosophy and spirituality at the moment -- which is pretty distracting). Basically, if Rogers is looking for a lot of support from them, he's going to be disappointed.
It turns out that the Thelicosans didn't intend to send that message at all, what they were supposed to communicate was very different, actually. But before Rogers and his counterpart can find a way to de-escalate the situation, shots are fired, milk is spilled, and events start to spiral out of control. Which isn't to say that everyone is doomed and that war is inevitable, it's just going to take some work to keep it from happening. There are forces, groups, entities -- whatever you want to call them -- hawkish individuals who are working behind the scenes to keep these cultures at odds with each other, hopefully spilling over into something catastrophic. Which is something too many of us are familiar with, I fear -- and something that someone with Zieja's military background is likely more familiar with. The Thelicosans and Meridians discover who these people are -- and how they are attempting to manipulate the fleets -- and the big question is how successful they'll be.
We focus on three Thelicosans, but spend almost as much time on their flagship (The Limiter) as we do the Meridian flagship (Flagship). Grand Marshall Alandra Keffoule is the commander of the border fleet -- at one time, she was a star in the special forces, and now she's been assigned to the border fleet as a last chance. She fully intends on taking full advantage of this opportunity to make history and restore herself to her position of prominence in the military. Her deputy, Commodore Zergan, has fought alongside her since the special forces days and is now trying to help her rebuild her reputation. Secretary Vilia Quinn is the liaison between the Thelicosan government and the fleet. Quinn's development through the book is a lot of fun to watch -- and is probably a bigger surprise to her than it is to the reader, which just makes it better. Thelicosan culture is saturated in science and math, and is full of rituals that are incredibly binding and incredibly difficult for outsiders to understand. In many ways, the culture is hard to swallow -- how a society develops along those lines seems impossible. But if you just accept that this is the way their society functions, it ends up working and stays consistent (and entertaining).
Lieutenant Lieutenant Nolan "Flash" "Chillster" "Snake" "Blade" Fisk, the best pilot the 331st has is a great addition to the cast -- yeah, he's probably the most cartoonish, least grounded, character in Rogers' fleet -- but man, he's a lot of fun (and I think it's pretty clear that Zieja enjoys writing him). think Ace Rimmer (what a guy!), but dumber. Mechanical Failure's most cartoonish character, Tunger, is back -- the would-be spy/should-be zookeeper finds himself in the thick of things and is well-used (as a character) and is well-suited to his activities. Basically, I put up with him in the last book, and enjoyed him here. I'd like to talk more about Deet and the other characters here -- I've barely said anything about Rogers (he develops in some ways no one would've expected) -- but I can't without ruining anything, so let's just say that everyone you enjoyed in the previous installment you'll continue to enjoy for the same reasons.
Mechanical Failure didn't feature a lot of world-building outside life on the ship. Zieja takes care of that this time -- we get a look at the political situation between the various governments, and the history behind the four powers. Which isn't to say that we're drowning in details like George R. R. Martin would give us, it's still breezy and fast-paced. Still, there's a handle you can grab on to, some context for the kind of madness that Rogers finds himself in the middle of.
One of my personal criteria for judging books that are heavy on the humor in the midst of the SF or mystery or fantasy story is judging what the book would be like without the jokes. The Hitchhiker's Trilogy, for example, would fall apart in seconds (and few rival me for their devotion to that series). Magic 2.0 would hold up pretty well, on the other hand. The Epic Failure series would be another one that would hold up without the jokes. I'm not saying it'd be a masterpiece of SF, but the story would flow, there'd be enough intrigue and action to keep readers turning pages. However, you leave the humor, the jokes and the general whackiness in the books and they're elevated to must-reads.
There are too many puns (technically, more than 1 qualifies for that), there's a series of jokes about the space version of The Art of War that you'd think would get old very quickly, but doesn't -- at all; and Rogers has a couple of bridge officers that make the pilot Flash seem subtle. Somehow, Zieja makes all this excess work -- I thought the humor worked wonderfully here, and I think it'll hold up under repeated readings.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can't wait to see where Zieja takes us next.
Disclaimer: I received this book ARC from the author, and I can't thank him enough for it, but my opinion is my own and wasn't really influenced by that act (other than giving me something to have an opinion about).
January 5, 2025
One thing I had not realized when I read "Mechanical Failure" is that Joe Zieja had been a contributor to the "Duffel Blog," which attempted (and apparently still does) to be to military affairs what "The Onion" is to general news. This time out, our much put-upon Capt. Rogers is still trying to get a clue about how the hell he is supposed to execute his position, while his opposite number, Alandra Keffoule, is also trying to get to the bottom of why interstellar war has broken out for the first time in over two hundred years; could it have something to do with the losers from the last war? Anyway, the jokes from the first book are almost as funny the second time around, and this is made up for by the way Zieja has widened his net.
Actual rating: 3.5.
Actual rating: 3.5.
January 18, 2018
A little slow to get going, but picks up nicely as the climax approaches. Not “Pratchett in space,” as a blurb has it, but properly riotous in spots.
And, lots of choice lines, as before. Here be some:
Admiral Klein certainly hadn’t been honest. He’d spent his entire career hiding the fact that he was a moron.
Thelicosans were known for picking up stranded enemy pilots and using them as thought experiments for advanced mathematical concepts, which drove most of them insane and turned the rest of them into accountants.
Like many members of the government world, Quinn had always dreamed of a situation where she could punch members of the IT department in the face.
And, lots of choice lines, as before. Here be some:
Admiral Klein certainly hadn’t been honest. He’d spent his entire career hiding the fact that he was a moron.
Thelicosans were known for picking up stranded enemy pilots and using them as thought experiments for advanced mathematical concepts, which drove most of them insane and turned the rest of them into accountants.
Like many members of the government world, Quinn had always dreamed of a situation where she could punch members of the IT department in the face.
April 2, 2018
Suspend. All. Belief. If you can do that, and keep from excessive eye-rolling at the excessively excessive humor, you'll like this. I enjoyed the read, even though I felt the author tried too hard (as in the first book) to set up jokes rather than stick to a coherent story. The hero is screw-up, his side-kick is a (maybe) self-aware android, and his lady-love punches him the face. Frequently. McHale's Navy...in space.
What's not to love?
What's not to love?
August 2, 2024
2024 reread: This was still hilarious and I found myself even more entranced by it this time around, a great little breather between a lot of the heavier stuff I've been reading lately, and one I would highly recommend if you enjoy comedic scifi.
January 6, 2021
A decent funny book, that managed to add something to the universe established in the previous volume, but the humor is kind of a repetition of the same jokes.
Not a bad read, but far from a "must"
Not a bad read, but far from a "must"
October 23, 2021
Asinine juvenile fun in space.
August 14, 2021
Toppen
February 4, 2018
It's been a bit since the first book, so I was a little lost at first. One of the things I was lost about for awhile was why I gave the first book a 4 star rating. Well, after Communication Failure really got going, I realized why. This book and series are just full of genuine, laugh out loud moments.
Communication Failure starts out where Mechanical Failure left off. Our less than intrepid protagonist is stuck dealing with a military stand-off that could respark the greatest war ever fought. To make matters worse, most everyone, including the enemy think Rogers is a tactical genius. On top of this, the enemy commander may be a tad bit of a stalker. With these and many more issues cropping up, you have a set up for numerous hilarious situations and surprises.
The humor isn't exactly the most complex, but it will tickle your funny bone if you have one. Plus the book keeps up the theme of hitting a little too close to home with workplace bureaucracies.
So once more, I recommend this book to fans of humorous scifi and those that enjoyed the first book in the series.
Communication Failure starts out where Mechanical Failure left off. Our less than intrepid protagonist is stuck dealing with a military stand-off that could respark the greatest war ever fought. To make matters worse, most everyone, including the enemy think Rogers is a tactical genius. On top of this, the enemy commander may be a tad bit of a stalker. With these and many more issues cropping up, you have a set up for numerous hilarious situations and surprises.
The humor isn't exactly the most complex, but it will tickle your funny bone if you have one. Plus the book keeps up the theme of hitting a little too close to home with workplace bureaucracies.
So once more, I recommend this book to fans of humorous scifi and those that enjoyed the first book in the series.
February 1, 2018
I love humor. Book 2 of Epic Failure holds up to the first, which is hard for sequels to do. It mixes mathematics, philosophy, psychology, and military strategy, with clever humor, stand-up comedy, and slapstick.
There is no lack of problems for Captain Rogers and the Meridan Fleet. Recovering from the Viking's displays of murderous rage/affection is only one of them. Meet new characters, and discover a plot to take over the galaxy. Also, get ready to laugh.
There is no lack of problems for Captain Rogers and the Meridan Fleet. Recovering from the Viking's displays of murderous rage/affection is only one of them. Meet new characters, and discover a plot to take over the galaxy. Also, get ready to laugh.
April 2, 2018
This book is just fun and wacky. If you enjoy Terry Pratchett or Spaceballs or Red Dwarf or Hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy, then this book is for you. The story was interesting and it made me laugh. This book is the second in a trilogy and I can’t wait for the third book to be released. It’s so nice to read quirky, light, sci if books once and awhile. Especially, liked the philosophical droid Deet, who wants to be human.
November 15, 2017
This is even better than the last, and just as funny! If you haven’t read this book or the last one let me tell you, YOU ARE MISSING OUT! Absolutely hilarious and a great story where almost anything could happen.
February 14, 2019
More satirical military SF! No, it still isn't going to pass the Bechdel Test any better than the first one, but that's not the point. The point is the madness. Think Monty Python doing a military skit, but not British.
April 23, 2018
Mix parts Futurama, Hitchhikers Guide, and all the deliciously humorous space stories and you have what Joe Zieja has done (for the second time) tremendously well.
This is a great, funny read for that sci-fi fanboy to giggle over.
This is a great, funny read for that sci-fi fanboy to giggle over.
May 20, 2018
Outstanding. Even better than the first book in the series. It takes a person that has loved the absurdity of the military life to write this. My only complaint is that the next one isn’t out yet!!!!!!
August 12, 2018
Just as good as the first book in the series. I cannot wait for the third.
August 25, 2018
Really enjoyed the bureaucratic non-sense and mixups. Great sense of humor. Hoping for more in the series.
January 12, 2018
I picked this one up because Mechanical Failure was a) a good start with a nicely balanced cliffhanger b) because I like the authors audiobook performance and c) because I fancied something a little light for the new year.
It delivers in a lot of the same ways the first book did, funny, well written, interesting if not always 100% original, and fast paced enough so that it never really stagnates or gets too boring/repetitive with the humour.
Having read (well, listened) to these first two books in relatively quick succession I'm confident in saying they are different enough to be distinct from one another and exciting in different ways while keeping the characters recognisable and their motivations relatable. I still think Rogers is a great lead character, I still really like a huge section of the supporting cast and a couple of new characters are introduced in this one (most notably an 'ace' pilot stereotype and office bureaucrat who I loved) and I think the slow build up of these well written, fun characters is really what holds a lot of it up.
Again like the first book it gets really silly in parts so if that's the kind of thing that could maybe put you off you have fair warning, I didn't mind at all though as for me the humour almost always landed and for me the absurd bits help the story feel more original.
I want to again mention how good the audiobook performance is on this, I think if I were reading a hard copy of this book I would definitely be a little less positive of it but the characters, jokes and situations really seem to come alive and Zieja has really impressed me as a performer in this context.
[Edit] I actually read Zieja's GoodReads bio after writing this review which specifies he actually is a pro voiceover artist, in no way does this surprise me. Doesn't matter though it's still a great performance.
A couple of negative points I would bring up is that again I feel the story is clearly still male orientated and that some of the humour (or at least situations) are very specific in their targeting, again like the first book it's a very minor criticism and it's not heavy handed or 'wrong' it's just noticeable. If i really wanted to dig into it (which I don't really since it's doing the book a disservice) I would argue in defence it's because of the type of character Rogers is, not because the author/story/whatever are on an agenda.
The other is that there's one particular scene (the Semaphore one) that I just think goes on way too long, it's the only time really in both of the books that I actually thought to myself "yeah this shit isn't funny anymore" and it kind of broke me out of the story for a bit.
Ultimately if you enjoy both comedy and sci fi I would recommend you just go and pick up the audiobook edition of the first book (Mechanical Failure) and give it a go, I saw few other reviews throwing things around like it's "like Discworld in space" or HHGTTG/Red Dwarf. I'm more sure any of these things are true, personally I would say Red Dwarf is definitely the closest but yeah it's not quite that either.
Give the series a chance and do it on audiobook.
It delivers in a lot of the same ways the first book did, funny, well written, interesting if not always 100% original, and fast paced enough so that it never really stagnates or gets too boring/repetitive with the humour.
Having read (well, listened) to these first two books in relatively quick succession I'm confident in saying they are different enough to be distinct from one another and exciting in different ways while keeping the characters recognisable and their motivations relatable. I still think Rogers is a great lead character, I still really like a huge section of the supporting cast and a couple of new characters are introduced in this one (most notably an 'ace' pilot stereotype and office bureaucrat who I loved) and I think the slow build up of these well written, fun characters is really what holds a lot of it up.
Again like the first book it gets really silly in parts so if that's the kind of thing that could maybe put you off you have fair warning, I didn't mind at all though as for me the humour almost always landed and for me the absurd bits help the story feel more original.
I want to again mention how good the audiobook performance is on this, I think if I were reading a hard copy of this book I would definitely be a little less positive of it but the characters, jokes and situations really seem to come alive and Zieja has really impressed me as a performer in this context.
[Edit] I actually read Zieja's GoodReads bio after writing this review which specifies he actually is a pro voiceover artist, in no way does this surprise me. Doesn't matter though it's still a great performance.
A couple of negative points I would bring up is that again I feel the story is clearly still male orientated and that some of the humour (or at least situations) are very specific in their targeting, again like the first book it's a very minor criticism and it's not heavy handed or 'wrong' it's just noticeable. If i really wanted to dig into it (which I don't really since it's doing the book a disservice) I would argue in defence it's because of the type of character Rogers is, not because the author/story/whatever are on an agenda.
The other is that there's one particular scene (the Semaphore one) that I just think goes on way too long, it's the only time really in both of the books that I actually thought to myself "yeah this shit isn't funny anymore" and it kind of broke me out of the story for a bit.
Ultimately if you enjoy both comedy and sci fi I would recommend you just go and pick up the audiobook edition of the first book (Mechanical Failure) and give it a go, I saw few other reviews throwing things around like it's "like Discworld in space" or HHGTTG/Red Dwarf. I'm more sure any of these things are true, personally I would say Red Dwarf is definitely the closest but yeah it's not quite that either.
Give the series a chance and do it on audiobook.
February 15, 2018
This didn't feel as good as the previous book (I wasn't that into the relationships going on) but it was still fun to read.
We left Rogers staring at a notice from the Thelicosan saying "we're invading". It then transpires that this was a clerical error - Grand Marshal Alandra Keffoule had said "we're inviting you to a discussion aboard a neutral trade-ship", but her communications crew had misheard her.
So now we're launched into a lot of hijinks, as both commanders attempt to de-escalate without looking like they are. We then learn that
This was one of the sections which I felt can be summed up as "either you go with it, or you don't. You either just buy in that Rogers is that lucky and events fall that smoothly in place, or you don't and drop the book.
In any case, .
This felt like a good use of a trilogy: we see the escalation in the enemies. The humour keeps it together. I liked that Deet heads down a philosophical track about personhood. I also liked Belgrave, who has basically automated his work. The characters don't have great depth, but it's ok. It's a fun read.
We left Rogers staring at a notice from the Thelicosan saying "we're invading". It then transpires that this was a clerical error - Grand Marshal Alandra Keffoule had said "we're inviting you to a discussion aboard a neutral trade-ship", but her communications crew had misheard her.
So now we're launched into a lot of hijinks, as both commanders attempt to de-escalate without looking like they are. We then learn that
This was one of the sections which I felt can be summed up as "either you go with it, or you don't. You either just buy in that Rogers is that lucky and events fall that smoothly in place, or you don't and drop the book.
In any case, .
This felt like a good use of a trilogy: we see the escalation in the enemies. The humour keeps it together. I liked that Deet heads down a philosophical track about personhood. I also liked Belgrave, who has basically automated his work. The characters don't have great depth, but it's ok. It's a fun read.
December 9, 2019
4.25/5 stars
Humor is a hard thing to write and write well, in part because you lose tone of voice and body language as means for conveying hilarity. Despite those limitations, Joe Zieja will make you laugh time and again in Communication Failure.
At the end of Mechanical Failure, the Meridan fleet received a disturbing message from its rival Thelicosan fleet: "we're invading." Turns out, it was a mistake - but Rogers and his fleet don't know that. The two fleets enter a tense stand-off, complete with hilarious hijinks, as Rogers tries to keep his people from dying and the Thelicosan leader tries to convince Rogers to marry her (yes, you read that correctly).
Communication Failure is aptly named - one of the book's central obstacles is the Thelicosans jamming communications throughout to prevent the Meridan fleet from reporting their mistaken invasion, resulting in some rather inventive means of communication. I'll say no more, but it's definitely one of the book's funnier moments.
Speaking of which, the humor is very on point yet again. I laughed a little less than I did at Mechanical Failure, but many of the jokes, like the introduction of a cartoonish hotshot pilot character to harangue Rogers or anything around Deet's philosophical musings, still had me snorting out loud in entirely inappropriate places.
Like its predecessor, Communication Failure isn't very long, and the plot zips along quickly. It never has time to drag as it bounces between the two sides of the "conflict," and you'll burn through it quickly to find out what happens.
Read the rest of the review on my website
Humor is a hard thing to write and write well, in part because you lose tone of voice and body language as means for conveying hilarity. Despite those limitations, Joe Zieja will make you laugh time and again in Communication Failure.
At the end of Mechanical Failure, the Meridan fleet received a disturbing message from its rival Thelicosan fleet: "we're invading." Turns out, it was a mistake - but Rogers and his fleet don't know that. The two fleets enter a tense stand-off, complete with hilarious hijinks, as Rogers tries to keep his people from dying and the Thelicosan leader tries to convince Rogers to marry her (yes, you read that correctly).
Communication Failure is aptly named - one of the book's central obstacles is the Thelicosans jamming communications throughout to prevent the Meridan fleet from reporting their mistaken invasion, resulting in some rather inventive means of communication. I'll say no more, but it's definitely one of the book's funnier moments.
Speaking of which, the humor is very on point yet again. I laughed a little less than I did at Mechanical Failure, but many of the jokes, like the introduction of a cartoonish hotshot pilot character to harangue Rogers or anything around Deet's philosophical musings, still had me snorting out loud in entirely inappropriate places.
Like its predecessor, Communication Failure isn't very long, and the plot zips along quickly. It never has time to drag as it bounces between the two sides of the "conflict," and you'll burn through it quickly to find out what happens.
Read the rest of the review on my website
September 7, 2019
So I wasn't a big fan of the first book, merely found it okay. That it was a satire on a lot of sci-fi stuff but at times it really tried too hard to be funny. This book does also try too hard to be funny and basically every big ripple in the plot is an exact reference to the title, but happily this book never once calls that problem a "communication failure" in a sort of raising eyebrows and having a wide-open mouth way.
Essentially, following the first book, our sergeant-turned-captain really has no idea what he is doing when he runs into an enemy fleet who just sends the oh so simple message of "We're invading" while jamming all their communications and then simply doing nothing. What follows is very much a series of unfortunate events and lots of silly times which are sometimes funny and sometimes fall flat. Funny enough, I didn't have a bad time in reading this, it is a quick read which is great as it never outstays its welcome and it did have a few lovely surprises within it. So I will turn up for the last novel as this is like "star trek, but everyone is really hopeless at their jobs".
Essentially, following the first book, our sergeant-turned-captain really has no idea what he is doing when he runs into an enemy fleet who just sends the oh so simple message of "We're invading" while jamming all their communications and then simply doing nothing. What follows is very much a series of unfortunate events and lots of silly times which are sometimes funny and sometimes fall flat. Funny enough, I didn't have a bad time in reading this, it is a quick read which is great as it never outstays its welcome and it did have a few lovely surprises within it. So I will turn up for the last novel as this is like "star trek, but everyone is really hopeless at their jobs".
March 21, 2018
Continuing in the vein of book 1, Communication Failure ups the ante a fair bit and the entertainment factor as well. For a book on the absurdity of the military, this isnt grimly cynical or has black humor. Its noticeably fast paced and put our lead character Rogers in quite the pickle given the possibility of an impending invasion, which may or may not take place due to, well, communication failure (and general deafness)
While the previous book dealt a fair bit with murderous droids, this one deals with human emotion esp as the opposing captain has the hots for Rogers, and while Rogers slacker act gets a little less time compared to the last one, its still hilarious when he goes on displaying a lack of those skills needed to lead and does that in public too
Allied to a self-questioning droid that believes that there is no escaping his programming and genocidal tendencies, A Viking marine who however hasnt seen war to be ready for it and a maverick fly-boy, Communication Failure makes the most of the characters and the situations and is an absolute blast to read
While the previous book dealt a fair bit with murderous droids, this one deals with human emotion esp as the opposing captain has the hots for Rogers, and while Rogers slacker act gets a little less time compared to the last one, its still hilarious when he goes on displaying a lack of those skills needed to lead and does that in public too
Allied to a self-questioning droid that believes that there is no escaping his programming and genocidal tendencies, A Viking marine who however hasnt seen war to be ready for it and a maverick fly-boy, Communication Failure makes the most of the characters and the situations and is an absolute blast to read
January 21, 2020
I'm not sure if it's just that I'm a different place in my life or if the humour didn't bring anything beyond the first book, but the sequel didn't work as well for me. It was still a fun, easy read. It was still a goofy, somewhat sarcastic, not really military science fiction humour novel. But I had moments where things that were meant to be funny just struck me as eye-rolling and while it's entirely possible, given the rest of the book and its premise, that was intentional, it made me work harder to stay focused in those moments.
While I didn't enjoy it as much as the first book, I still mostly liked it and I'll be looking for a copy of the third book to finish the set sometime soon. It doesn't exactly end on a cliffhanger, well, not completely, but there's still lots to resolve and I'd like to see how things work out.
While I didn't enjoy it as much as the first book, I still mostly liked it and I'll be looking for a copy of the third book to finish the set sometime soon. It doesn't exactly end on a cliffhanger, well, not completely, but there's still lots to resolve and I'd like to see how things work out.
November 27, 2023
A little more "comic book" than the first one, it wasn't quite as good but I still enjoyed it. I (again) lost sleep because I was reading half the night. The "voices" of the two main characters were quite different, which is something a lot of writers seem to struggle with. The problem is, I assume we were supposed to ROOT for both of them? One is quite unlikable.
My major complaint - which loses it a star - is that both books are supposedly the shadowy works of a dastardly hidden third party encouraging conflict. Except the conflict occurred due to a completely random accident caused by one of the MCs that the third party could not have predicted or arranged. One can patch it up, if you make lots of assumptions, but it wasn't very smooth. Also, secondary character who saves the day out of nowhere appears to have been shoved in the plot for JUST that reason and then... vanishes.
My major complaint - which loses it a star - is that both books are supposedly the shadowy works of a dastardly hidden third party encouraging conflict. Except the conflict occurred due to a completely random accident caused by one of the MCs that the third party could not have predicted or arranged. One can patch it up, if you make lots of assumptions, but it wasn't very smooth. Also, secondary character who saves the day out of nowhere appears to have been shoved in the plot for JUST that reason and then... vanishes.
April 14, 2024
Captain "Not so Jolly but a bit panicky and an awful lot scaredy" Rogers is now in charge of the entire border fleet, oopsy!
Not what he wanted and neither is a battered old droid with a defective obscenity chip and an awful lot of bad attitude and even badderer jokes.
There is a plot and we do get to see some cool bits of action and some heroic deeding done so it's not all fun and games though people do get face kicked and proposed marriage and kidnapped by said face kickeree.
He finally gets a good drink of Jasker 120 though.
Plans and plots are uncovered in this rather likeable trip into light comedy.
"Use the Farce" springs to mind as a tag line the author or publisher could have used, maybe!
Enjoyable but it's still no HHGTTG by any stretch of the imagination.
Not what he wanted and neither is a battered old droid with a defective obscenity chip and an awful lot of bad attitude and even badderer jokes.
There is a plot and we do get to see some cool bits of action and some heroic deeding done so it's not all fun and games though people do get face kicked and proposed marriage and kidnapped by said face kickeree.
He finally gets a good drink of Jasker 120 though.
Plans and plots are uncovered in this rather likeable trip into light comedy.
"Use the Farce" springs to mind as a tag line the author or publisher could have used, maybe!
Enjoyable but it's still no HHGTTG by any stretch of the imagination.
January 14, 2018
With the threat of killer robots averted, Captain Rogers is now the reluctant and nowhere near qualified acting admiral of a Meridan space fleet. When a Thelicosan fleet arrives and announces they are invading, he's caught unprepared. Fortunately, so are the math-loving Thelicosans. But someone is eager for war, and someone is eager for love, and Rogers is eager for a drink and a way to avoid all this responsibility. It gets almost too silly at times, but there is an enjoyable story here with engaging characters that are a bit Hitchhiker's Guide, a bit Orville, and just a touch Discworld. I liked it and am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews