What do you think?
Rate this book
The Dispatcher #3
Travel by Bullet
The Audible and New York Times best-selling "Dispatcher" series returns with a brand-new mystery, performed by Zachary Quinto.
The world has changed. Now, when someone is murdered, they almost always come back to life—and there are professionals, called "dispatchers," who kill in order to save lives, to give those near the end a second chance. Tony Valdez is a dispatcher, and he has never been busier.
But for as much as the world has changed, some things have stayed the same. Greed, corruption and avarice are still in full swing. When Tony is called to a Chicago emergency room by an old friend and fellow dispatcher, he is suddenly and unwillingly thrown into a whirlpool of schemes and plots involving billions of dollars, with vast caches of wealth ranging from real estate to cryptocurrency up for grabs.
All Tony wants to do is keep his friend safe. But it’s hard to do when friends keep secrets, enemies offer seductive deals, and nothing is ever what it seems. The world has changed... but the stakes are still life and death.
©2022 John Scalzi (P)2022 Audible Originals, LLC.
The world has changed. Now, when someone is murdered, they almost always come back to life—and there are professionals, called "dispatchers," who kill in order to save lives, to give those near the end a second chance. Tony Valdez is a dispatcher, and he has never been busier.
But for as much as the world has changed, some things have stayed the same. Greed, corruption and avarice are still in full swing. When Tony is called to a Chicago emergency room by an old friend and fellow dispatcher, he is suddenly and unwillingly thrown into a whirlpool of schemes and plots involving billions of dollars, with vast caches of wealth ranging from real estate to cryptocurrency up for grabs.
All Tony wants to do is keep his friend safe. But it’s hard to do when friends keep secrets, enemies offer seductive deals, and nothing is ever what it seems. The world has changed... but the stakes are still life and death.
©2022 John Scalzi (P)2022 Audible Originals, LLC.
4 pages, Audible Audio
First published September 1, 2022
169 people are currently reading
1321 people want to read
About the author
John Scalzi
185 books28.4k followersJohn Scalzi, having declared his absolute boredom with biographies, disappeared in a puff of glitter and lilac scent.
(If you want to contact John, using the mail function here is a really bad way to do it. Go to his site and use the contact information you find there.)
(If you want to contact John, using the mail function here is a really bad way to do it. Go to his site and use the contact information you find there.)
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 836 reviews
March 5, 2023
John Scalzi tends to make me quite happy. His books might not be life-changing or anything of that sort, but in my experience they are pretty much guaranteed to give me a few hours of engaging fun entertainment. And this short novella was not an exception to “Scalzi is awesome” rule.
Scalzi’s Dispatcher SF noir-lite mystery series is set in the alternative present world that differs from ours in one thing: for unknown reasons starting a few years prior 99.9% of murder victims come back to life, respawned to a few hours earlier, materializing somewhere (usually their home) where they feel safe. And that led to the emergence of a new profession — those who are legally allowed to “dispatch” those dying to a state few hour prior when they are still alive, if they are among 99.9% lucky ones. Miraculous quickly becomes routine, even to the point when some may start viewing murder with only 0.1% chance of staying dead as entertainment or even a fast way of intercontinental travel.
Tony Valdez, whom we met in two previous Dispatcher novellas, is a dispatcher closely working with the police and has a knack of landing himself smack in the middle of high-profile crime. This time it revolves around shady cryptocurrency and a few ethically questinalble billionaires, with post-pandemic world thrown into the mix.
It helps having read the first couple of novellas, but Scalzi easily integrates enough backstory to make it accessible even if you use this one as a starting point. And just like the other two, it relies on fast pace, snappy dialogue and well-used humor. There is a bit of handwaving, certainly, and a bit of crime boss-ex-machina, and some decisions that made me facepalm — and yet I still enjoyed it a lot, enough to round those 3.5 stars up to 4. After all, I had a great time reading it.
Here are my reviews for the first and the second Dispatcher novellas.
——————
Thanks to NetGalley and Subterranean Press for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
——————
Also posted on my blog.
Scalzi’s Dispatcher SF noir-lite mystery series is set in the alternative present world that differs from ours in one thing: for unknown reasons starting a few years prior 99.9% of murder victims come back to life, respawned to a few hours earlier, materializing somewhere (usually their home) where they feel safe. And that led to the emergence of a new profession — those who are legally allowed to “dispatch” those dying to a state few hour prior when they are still alive, if they are among 99.9% lucky ones. Miraculous quickly becomes routine, even to the point when some may start viewing murder with only 0.1% chance of staying dead as entertainment or even a fast way of intercontinental travel.
Tony Valdez, whom we met in two previous Dispatcher novellas, is a dispatcher closely working with the police and has a knack of landing himself smack in the middle of high-profile crime. This time it revolves around shady cryptocurrency and a few ethically questinalble billionaires, with post-pandemic world thrown into the mix.
It helps having read the first couple of novellas, but Scalzi easily integrates enough backstory to make it accessible even if you use this one as a starting point. And just like the other two, it relies on fast pace, snappy dialogue and well-used humor. There is a bit of handwaving, certainly, and a bit of crime boss-ex-machina, and some decisions that made me facepalm — and yet I still enjoyed it a lot, enough to round those 3.5 stars up to 4. After all, I had a great time reading it.
Here are my reviews for the first and the second Dispatcher novellas.
——————
Thanks to NetGalley and Subterranean Press for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
——————
Also posted on my blog.
September 28, 2022
This was a great addition to the series. It felt more realistic than the previous books, because of But it was still fun, clever and fast-paced. I love Tony’s character and I could definitely read more about him.
Another great narration by Zachary Quinto. I wish he narrated more audiobooks.
Another great narration by Zachary Quinto. I wish he narrated more audiobooks.
October 20, 2022
Short, decent Dispatcher #3, that would have graded higher with a stronger end. 6 of 10 stars
August 23, 2024
3.5 wholesome stars.
This series is getting better and better.
Whole review to come.
This series is getting better and better.
Whole review to come.
September 7, 2022
This world's underlying premise whereby 99.9% of murder victims are miraculously restored to life feels no less ridiculous this third time around, but Scalzi really leverages it well in a cleverly noirish and twisty tale of greed and murder among Chicago's mega rich. The fast pace and Scalzi's snappy dialogue always makes for an amusing read and/or listen, and Zachary Quinto delivers the goods as narrator.
June 28, 2024
Yet another exciting nail biter in the life of Tony Valdez, the "dispatcher extraordinaire."
In Travel by the Bullet Tony finds himself entangled in a job unlike any other. He has been summoned to a Chicago hospital ER by an old dispatch colleague who is desperately seeking Tony's help. In the blink of an eye he finds himself involuntarily ensconced in a whirlwind of conspiracies revolving around dangerous people who all vying for the billions of dollars in real estate, cryptocurrency, etcetera which is there for the taking.
With everyone out for themselves, and nothing as it seems, Tony wonders if he or his friend will make it out this one alive.
Narrator Zachary Quinto delivers a flawless performance. His voice grabbed by attention right out of the gate and made it frustratingly difficult to pause.
Highly recommend the whole series.
In Travel by the Bullet Tony finds himself entangled in a job unlike any other. He has been summoned to a Chicago hospital ER by an old dispatch colleague who is desperately seeking Tony's help. In the blink of an eye he finds himself involuntarily ensconced in a whirlwind of conspiracies revolving around dangerous people who all vying for the billions of dollars in real estate, cryptocurrency, etcetera which is there for the taking.
With everyone out for themselves, and nothing as it seems, Tony wonders if he or his friend will make it out this one alive.
Narrator Zachary Quinto delivers a flawless performance. His voice grabbed by attention right out of the gate and made it frustratingly difficult to pause.
Highly recommend the whole series.
September 13, 2022
I really enjoyed these short books! I wish it was longer than just a trilogy! I love Tony's character and I would love to continue following his dispatcher adventures!
April 30, 2023
I am reviewing these three novellas all together.
The Dispatcher and its sequels were both available on Audible, so I grabbed them but then listened to the second one first by accident. Still, it worked out all right. The novellas work as standalones. It’s the present day and a mysterious phenomenon has made it nearly impossible to kill people—they can die of natural causes and suicide, but not murder.
Our hero, Tony, is a dispatcher: He kills people about to die so that they don’t stay dead. Each story is a mystery involving Tony and the police. The plots are so detailed I went and listened to all the novellas a second time (in the right order this time). How would criminals behave if murder was almost impossible? The novellas explore this scenario.
It’s clever and well-paced and great entertaining fiction. It’s clever and well-paced and great entertaining fiction. Narrated by Zachary Quinto—at first I was worried because it wasn’t Wil Wheaton, but Quinto does a superb job here.
Language: Occasional strong language
Sexual Content: Occasional lewd comments
Violence/Gore: A number of deaths, suicide/murder, sometimes disturbing but not very graphic. Many come back to life.
Harm to Animals:
Harm to Children:
Other (Triggers):
The Dispatcher and its sequels were both available on Audible, so I grabbed them but then listened to the second one first by accident. Still, it worked out all right. The novellas work as standalones. It’s the present day and a mysterious phenomenon has made it nearly impossible to kill people—they can die of natural causes and suicide, but not murder.
Our hero, Tony, is a dispatcher: He kills people about to die so that they don’t stay dead. Each story is a mystery involving Tony and the police. The plots are so detailed I went and listened to all the novellas a second time (in the right order this time). How would criminals behave if murder was almost impossible? The novellas explore this scenario.
It’s clever and well-paced and great entertaining fiction. It’s clever and well-paced and great entertaining fiction. Narrated by Zachary Quinto—at first I was worried because it wasn’t Wil Wheaton, but Quinto does a superb job here.
Language: Occasional strong language
Sexual Content: Occasional lewd comments
Violence/Gore: A number of deaths, suicide/murder, sometimes disturbing but not very graphic. Many come back to life.
Harm to Animals:
Harm to Children:
Other (Triggers):
December 26, 2022
My Thoughts
I love the idea behind these stories. A world where things can be put back to rights with a single bullet. I thought that the pandemic challenges were very fitting with this story. I like Tony and love that this story was able to keep me guessing at every turn. I listened to the audiobook and thought that Zachary Quinto did a fantastic job with the narration.
Book Source: Audible Plus
I love the idea behind these stories. A world where things can be put back to rights with a single bullet. I thought that the pandemic challenges were very fitting with this story. I like Tony and love that this story was able to keep me guessing at every turn. I listened to the audiobook and thought that Zachary Quinto did a fantastic job with the narration.
Book Source: Audible Plus
December 9, 2022
This is the third in ‘The Dispatcher’ series set in a time where almost everyone murdered comes back to life in a place they feel safest. Dispatchers kill in order to save lives. I guess it’s a fun read, but having read and thoroughly enjoyed the first and second in the Dispatcher trilogy, the whole idea seemed already a little old. Inventive and funny, yes, but time to move on!
December 16, 2023
Travel By Bullet
By John Scalzi
This is book #3 in the Dispatch series. In this book, Tony is accused of helping his friend who is accused of murder and mutilating a corpse. Tony has to find out who really did it and save his friend. Pretty good story!
By John Scalzi
This is book #3 in the Dispatch series. In this book, Tony is accused of helping his friend who is accused of murder and mutilating a corpse. Tony has to find out who really did it and save his friend. Pretty good story!
December 4, 2024
Scalzi’s novels never disappoint, but this Sci-Fi noir series is so damn cool.
When someone is murdered there is a 99.99% chance they will not stay dead. They reappear somewhere they feel safe. Reminds me of dying on a video game only much more traumatic. Because of this oddity, there are those that kill to save lives known as “dispatchers”. Imagine someone barely hanging on following an accident, a dispatcher could kill that person on purpose instead of waiting for death to occur naturally and they would have a 99.99% chance at returning in their home having survived with no lasting damage.
Tony Valdez is a dispatcher who’s called into the ER at the behest of a fellow dispatcher and friend. When his friend disappears Tony is the only clue to his whereabouts. Effectively putting Tony in the middle of chaos. Tony finds himself sussing out the deadly truth of the uber wealthy’s questionable ethics, cryptocurrency, and what secrets are worth.
Zachary Quinto narrates once again and is amazing!
These novellas move fast and have enough mystery and wit to keep things engaging.
When someone is murdered there is a 99.99% chance they will not stay dead. They reappear somewhere they feel safe. Reminds me of dying on a video game only much more traumatic. Because of this oddity, there are those that kill to save lives known as “dispatchers”. Imagine someone barely hanging on following an accident, a dispatcher could kill that person on purpose instead of waiting for death to occur naturally and they would have a 99.99% chance at returning in their home having survived with no lasting damage.
Tony Valdez is a dispatcher who’s called into the ER at the behest of a fellow dispatcher and friend. When his friend disappears Tony is the only clue to his whereabouts. Effectively putting Tony in the middle of chaos. Tony finds himself sussing out the deadly truth of the uber wealthy’s questionable ethics, cryptocurrency, and what secrets are worth.
Zachary Quinto narrates once again and is amazing!
These novellas move fast and have enough mystery and wit to keep things engaging.
February 16, 2023
THE DISPATCHER: TRAVEL BY BULLET
By John Scalzi
Published; 3/31/2023 by Subterranean Press
Hardcover: 224 pages
What a hoot ! This is the third installment of Scalzi’s hard-boiled noir sci-fi mystery series. Although it’s best to start from the beginning, the reader can enjoy and devour this as a standalone, Scalzi provides enough backstory that the reader can jump aboard immediately.
The timeline is the near future. Inexplicably, murder is now a “dying” art …. When you kill people these days, nine hundred and ninety-nine times out of a thousand, they come back, reappearing at a safe place (usually home in their bed), naked and confused, no matter where in the world they were killed. But, that one time I a thousand is a real bummer. This small percentage death rate gives rise to a new profession called dispatchers, who are licensed, bonded, and insured. The dispatchers give people who where about to die of natural causes - or die accidentally - a chance to come back and live. How? They save people by killing them. (Usually a bullet to the brain.). Once in a while, they stretch the rules …. like pushing “thrill-seekers” off a water tower. And, if they landed on the ground and didn’t disappear? A bullet to the head .. will solve that problem. The most acceptable job is “dispatching” someone near the edge of a natural death, since a dispatcher can lose his license through nefarious acts.
Reluctantly, Tony Valdez, a professional dispatcher, finds himself confined to the Critical Care Unit of the hospital, dispatching terminal patients for pleading families. He tries to convince them it’s a futile act … because they disappear from the hospital, only to find themselves back in their homes, without medical aid, and still with the terminal process turned back for only several hours. Suddenly Tony in summoned to the ER, where his friend, and fellow dispatcher, Mason is near death and requesting only his presence .. and refusing the regular ER dispatcher. He had thrown himself out of a speeding vehicle on the Dan Ryan Expressway. Mason is known to specialize in the nefarious usage of dispatching. Tony realizes right away that something morally reprehensible has happened. At his bedside he reluctantly accepts a secret handoff of a cryptocurrency wallet before he dispatches Mason. Mason tells him he can’t go home, because there certainly will be unforgiving people waiting for him. Somehow Tony has a suggestion and a method to obviate this disastrous situation. A noted cryptocurrency entrepreneur has just committed suicide at a party, attended by only the one-percenters … totally unexpected and without apparent reason. Soon, Tony and Mason are chased and pursued by the law as well as multiple criminal elements.
Scalzi proves to be a marvelous storyteller as he weaves multiple byzantine plot lines, with unexpected twists and turns into an explosive denouement. His pacing and dialogue is propulsive, leading to a page-turner. He infuses humor effortlessly into his multi-layered characters. This tale, like the other two are endearing and demand further tales … hopefully we haven’t seen the last of Tony Valdez.
Thanks to NetGalley and Subterranean Press for providing an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review.
Addendum: A person can be shot in the head in Chicago, IL and awake almost instantaneously in his bed, in Lyon, France …. Hence: “Travel by Bullet”
By John Scalzi
Published; 3/31/2023 by Subterranean Press
Hardcover: 224 pages
What a hoot ! This is the third installment of Scalzi’s hard-boiled noir sci-fi mystery series. Although it’s best to start from the beginning, the reader can enjoy and devour this as a standalone, Scalzi provides enough backstory that the reader can jump aboard immediately.
The timeline is the near future. Inexplicably, murder is now a “dying” art …. When you kill people these days, nine hundred and ninety-nine times out of a thousand, they come back, reappearing at a safe place (usually home in their bed), naked and confused, no matter where in the world they were killed. But, that one time I a thousand is a real bummer. This small percentage death rate gives rise to a new profession called dispatchers, who are licensed, bonded, and insured. The dispatchers give people who where about to die of natural causes - or die accidentally - a chance to come back and live. How? They save people by killing them. (Usually a bullet to the brain.). Once in a while, they stretch the rules …. like pushing “thrill-seekers” off a water tower. And, if they landed on the ground and didn’t disappear? A bullet to the head .. will solve that problem. The most acceptable job is “dispatching” someone near the edge of a natural death, since a dispatcher can lose his license through nefarious acts.
Reluctantly, Tony Valdez, a professional dispatcher, finds himself confined to the Critical Care Unit of the hospital, dispatching terminal patients for pleading families. He tries to convince them it’s a futile act … because they disappear from the hospital, only to find themselves back in their homes, without medical aid, and still with the terminal process turned back for only several hours. Suddenly Tony in summoned to the ER, where his friend, and fellow dispatcher, Mason is near death and requesting only his presence .. and refusing the regular ER dispatcher. He had thrown himself out of a speeding vehicle on the Dan Ryan Expressway. Mason is known to specialize in the nefarious usage of dispatching. Tony realizes right away that something morally reprehensible has happened. At his bedside he reluctantly accepts a secret handoff of a cryptocurrency wallet before he dispatches Mason. Mason tells him he can’t go home, because there certainly will be unforgiving people waiting for him. Somehow Tony has a suggestion and a method to obviate this disastrous situation. A noted cryptocurrency entrepreneur has just committed suicide at a party, attended by only the one-percenters … totally unexpected and without apparent reason. Soon, Tony and Mason are chased and pursued by the law as well as multiple criminal elements.
Scalzi proves to be a marvelous storyteller as he weaves multiple byzantine plot lines, with unexpected twists and turns into an explosive denouement. His pacing and dialogue is propulsive, leading to a page-turner. He infuses humor effortlessly into his multi-layered characters. This tale, like the other two are endearing and demand further tales … hopefully we haven’t seen the last of Tony Valdez.
Thanks to NetGalley and Subterranean Press for providing an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review.
Addendum: A person can be shot in the head in Chicago, IL and awake almost instantaneously in his bed, in Lyon, France …. Hence: “Travel by Bullet”
December 10, 2024
This third installment of John Scalzi’s Dispatcher series is solid. Tony Valdez is back yet again, still getting pulled into complex, criminal situations, and still miraculously untangling and solving them like it’s what he does for a living.
What Tony actually does for a living is dispatch people. The gimmick behind the Dispatcher series is that, out of nowhere, and for no reasons anyone can figure out, 999 out of every 1000 murdered people magically reappear alive (usually in their own beds) with their bodies restored to the condition they were in a few hours before the murder. This created a new profession — Dispatcher — someone who is licensed to murder (dispatch) critically injured, dying people to save their lives. Yeah, Tony has a bizarre job, but every time we see him, he’s pulled into cases with the Chicago PD and solving them like he’s a regular Sherlock. Begins to make me wonder why he doesn’t just hang out his own shingle, instead of sticking with the dispatcher job which seems to depress him.
Three and a half stars rounded up because I enjoy the series.
What Tony actually does for a living is dispatch people. The gimmick behind the Dispatcher series is that, out of nowhere, and for no reasons anyone can figure out, 999 out of every 1000 murdered people magically reappear alive (usually in their own beds) with their bodies restored to the condition they were in a few hours before the murder. This created a new profession — Dispatcher — someone who is licensed to murder (dispatch) critically injured, dying people to save their lives. Yeah, Tony has a bizarre job, but every time we see him, he’s pulled into cases with the Chicago PD and solving them like he’s a regular Sherlock. Begins to make me wonder why he doesn’t just hang out his own shingle, instead of sticking with the dispatcher job which seems to depress him.
Three and a half stars rounded up because I enjoy the series.
April 18, 2023
3 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2023/04/17/...
I just want to start off by saying I love the idea behind The Dispatcher series: Imagine a world where it is virtually impossible to kill anyone. There are certain stipulations to this, of course, but essentially, you couldn’t be murdered. If someone were to intentionally take your life, 999 times out of a 1000, your body would simply disappear on the spot and reappear again in the place you feel most safe. Keep in mind this wouldn’t happen if you committed suicide, died in an accident, or passed away due to illness—in all these cases, you’d stay dead.
Naturally, people found a way to game this system. If you were having risky surgery, for example, you might want someone to end your life in case the operation goes horribly wrong, giving you a second chance. The government knew they had to step in or everything would be chaos, so they created an official role known as a Dispatcher. That’s where our protagonist Tony Valdez comes in. He is a fully authorized and licensed killer, ensuring that citizens using his services are doing so safely, lawfully, and mercifully.
We catch up with Tony in The Dispatcher: Travel by Bullet, which is the third novella in the series, during the midst of the pandemic. Our protagonist is in the middle of an assignment in a Chicago hospital when he is suddenly called to the emergency department on behest of an old friend and fellow Dispatcher. Without warning, Tony soon finds himself entangled in a web of shady dealings involving unscrupulous parties and a vast fortune in cryptocurrency hanging in the balance. In order to help his friend, Tony will have no choice but to get his hands dirty.
I wanted to like this book a lot more than I did, since I enjoyed the previous installments quite a bit (the first one more than the second one). But something about this one felt off. Something about it felt a little too real. After all, you have a series that is built upon a premise that is completely bizarre and outlandish, because no one can explain why in this world people can’t be murdered, or why one in a thousand people who are dispatched won’t come back to life, or how you can be “reborn” naked and whole thousands of miles from where you are killed as long as it’s your safe place. Clearly, the natural laws of life and death don’t apply in this series, so then why set it in our world restricted by the realities of the pandemic and the fickleness of the cryptocurrency market?
I would have preferred a story that was more relevant to the societal, cultural, and institutional changes that would have no doubt occurred in this world where people can’t be murdered, and I think this is where John Scalzi falters because he just isn’t the best at worldbuilding. Despite establishing a fascinating concept with the potential to spawn countless unique plots, he fell back on a rather uninspired mystery involving scheming billionaires and crypto. As I recall, I also had a similar reaction to the plot of the second book, so I will reiterate here what I wrote in my review for The Dispatcher: Murder by Other Means: I don’t mind a good mystery or noir story, but at the risk of losing a lot of the novelty after the first book, Scalzi needed to build upon the foundation of the concept for this series in order to keep things fresh. And well, I don’t think he achieved that with Travel by Bullet.
At the end of the day, all the cool concepts just seemed a bit wasted on a more contemporary and traditional style mystery. That said though, if you’re a fan of the author’s laidback writing style and humor, you’ll still probably have a great time with this novella, and I won’t deny it was quick and fun read, but I personally would have liked to see the plot push harder on the envelope to explore the limits of what is possible in The Dispatcher world while moving farther away from our own.
I just want to start off by saying I love the idea behind The Dispatcher series: Imagine a world where it is virtually impossible to kill anyone. There are certain stipulations to this, of course, but essentially, you couldn’t be murdered. If someone were to intentionally take your life, 999 times out of a 1000, your body would simply disappear on the spot and reappear again in the place you feel most safe. Keep in mind this wouldn’t happen if you committed suicide, died in an accident, or passed away due to illness—in all these cases, you’d stay dead.
Naturally, people found a way to game this system. If you were having risky surgery, for example, you might want someone to end your life in case the operation goes horribly wrong, giving you a second chance. The government knew they had to step in or everything would be chaos, so they created an official role known as a Dispatcher. That’s where our protagonist Tony Valdez comes in. He is a fully authorized and licensed killer, ensuring that citizens using his services are doing so safely, lawfully, and mercifully.
We catch up with Tony in The Dispatcher: Travel by Bullet, which is the third novella in the series, during the midst of the pandemic. Our protagonist is in the middle of an assignment in a Chicago hospital when he is suddenly called to the emergency department on behest of an old friend and fellow Dispatcher. Without warning, Tony soon finds himself entangled in a web of shady dealings involving unscrupulous parties and a vast fortune in cryptocurrency hanging in the balance. In order to help his friend, Tony will have no choice but to get his hands dirty.
I wanted to like this book a lot more than I did, since I enjoyed the previous installments quite a bit (the first one more than the second one). But something about this one felt off. Something about it felt a little too real. After all, you have a series that is built upon a premise that is completely bizarre and outlandish, because no one can explain why in this world people can’t be murdered, or why one in a thousand people who are dispatched won’t come back to life, or how you can be “reborn” naked and whole thousands of miles from where you are killed as long as it’s your safe place. Clearly, the natural laws of life and death don’t apply in this series, so then why set it in our world restricted by the realities of the pandemic and the fickleness of the cryptocurrency market?
I would have preferred a story that was more relevant to the societal, cultural, and institutional changes that would have no doubt occurred in this world where people can’t be murdered, and I think this is where John Scalzi falters because he just isn’t the best at worldbuilding. Despite establishing a fascinating concept with the potential to spawn countless unique plots, he fell back on a rather uninspired mystery involving scheming billionaires and crypto. As I recall, I also had a similar reaction to the plot of the second book, so I will reiterate here what I wrote in my review for The Dispatcher: Murder by Other Means: I don’t mind a good mystery or noir story, but at the risk of losing a lot of the novelty after the first book, Scalzi needed to build upon the foundation of the concept for this series in order to keep things fresh. And well, I don’t think he achieved that with Travel by Bullet.
At the end of the day, all the cool concepts just seemed a bit wasted on a more contemporary and traditional style mystery. That said though, if you’re a fan of the author’s laidback writing style and humor, you’ll still probably have a great time with this novella, and I won’t deny it was quick and fun read, but I personally would have liked to see the plot push harder on the envelope to explore the limits of what is possible in The Dispatcher world while moving farther away from our own.
February 16, 2023
THE DISPATCHER: TRAVEL BY BULLET
By John Scalzi
Published; 3/31/2023 by Subterranean Press
Hardcover: 224 pages
What a hoot ! This is the third installment of Scalzi’s hard-boiled noir sci-fi mystery series. Although it’s best to start from the beginning, the reader can enjoy and devour this as a standalone, Scalzi provides enough backstory that the reader can jump aboard immediately.
The timeline is the near future. Inexplicably, murder is now a “dying” art …. When you kill people these days, nine hundred and ninety-nine times out of a thousand, they come back, reappearing at a safe place (usually home in their bed), naked and confused, no matter where in the world they were killed. But, that one time I a thousand is a real bummer. This small percentage death rate gives rise to a new profession called dispatchers, who are licensed, bonded, and insured. The dispatchers give people who where about to die of natural causes - or die accidentally - a chance to come back and live. How? They save people by killing them. (Usually a bullet to the brain.). Once in a while, they stretch the rules …. like pushing “thrill-seekers” off a water tower. And, if they landed on the ground and didn’t disappear? A bullet to the head .. will solve that problem. The most acceptable job is “dispatching” someone near the edge of a natural death, since a dispatcher can lose his license through nefarious acts.
Reluctantly, Tony Valdez, a professional dispatcher, finds himself confined to the Critical Care Unit of the hospital, dispatching terminal patients for pleading families. He tries to convince them it’s a futile act … because they disappear from the hospital, only to find themselves back in their homes, without medical aid, and still with the terminal process turned back for only several hours. Suddenly Tony in summoned to the ER, where his friend, and fellow dispatcher, Mason is near death and requesting only his presence .. and refusing the regular ER dispatcher. He had thrown himself out of a speeding vehicle on the Dan Ryan Expressway. Mason is known to specialize in the nefarious usage of dispatching. Tony realizes right away that something morally reprehensible has happened. At his bedside he reluctantly accepts a secret handoff of a cryptocurrency wallet before he dispatches Mason. Mason tells him he can’t go home, because there certainly will be unforgiving people waiting for him. Somehow Tony has a suggestion and a method to obviate this disastrous situation. A noted cryptocurrency entrepreneur has just committed suicide at a party, attended by only the one-percenters … totally unexpected and without apparent reason. Soon, Tony and Mason are chased and pursued by the law as well as multiple criminal elements.
Scalzi proves to be a marvelous storyteller as he weaves multiple byzantine plot lines, with unexpected twists and turns into an explosive denouement. His pacing and dialogue is propulsive, leading to a page-turner. He infuses humor effortlessly into his multi-layered characters. This tale, like the other two are endearing and demand further tales … hopefully we haven’t seen the last of Tony Valdez.
Thanks to NetGalley and Subterranean Press for providing an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review.
Addendum: A person can be shot in the head in Chicago, IL and awake almost instantaneously in his bed, in Lyon, France …. Hence: “Travel by Bullet”
By John Scalzi
Published; 3/31/2023 by Subterranean Press
Hardcover: 224 pages
What a hoot ! This is the third installment of Scalzi’s hard-boiled noir sci-fi mystery series. Although it’s best to start from the beginning, the reader can enjoy and devour this as a standalone, Scalzi provides enough backstory that the reader can jump aboard immediately.
The timeline is the near future. Inexplicably, murder is now a “dying” art …. When you kill people these days, nine hundred and ninety-nine times out of a thousand, they come back, reappearing at a safe place (usually home in their bed), naked and confused, no matter where in the world they were killed. But, that one time I a thousand is a real bummer. This small percentage death rate gives rise to a new profession called dispatchers, who are licensed, bonded, and insured. The dispatchers give people who where about to die of natural causes - or die accidentally - a chance to come back and live. How? They save people by killing them. (Usually a bullet to the brain.). Once in a while, they stretch the rules …. like pushing “thrill-seekers” off a water tower. And, if they landed on the ground and didn’t disappear? A bullet to the head .. will solve that problem. The most acceptable job is “dispatching” someone near the edge of a natural death, since a dispatcher can lose his license through nefarious acts.
Reluctantly, Tony Valdez, a professional dispatcher, finds himself confined to the Critical Care Unit of the hospital, dispatching terminal patients for pleading families. He tries to convince them it’s a futile act … because they disappear from the hospital, only to find themselves back in their homes, without medical aid, and still with the terminal process turned back for only several hours. Suddenly Tony in summoned to the ER, where his friend, and fellow dispatcher, Mason is near death and requesting only his presence .. and refusing the regular ER dispatcher. He had thrown himself out of a speeding vehicle on the Dan Ryan Expressway. Mason is known to specialize in the nefarious usage of dispatching. Tony realizes right away that something morally reprehensible has happened. At his bedside he reluctantly accepts a secret handoff of a cryptocurrency wallet before he dispatches Mason. Mason tells him he can’t go home, because there certainly will be unforgiving people waiting for him. Somehow Tony has a suggestion and a method to obviate this disastrous situation. A noted cryptocurrency entrepreneur has just committed suicide at a party, attended by only the one-percenters … totally unexpected and without apparent reason. Soon, Tony and Mason are chased and pursued by the law as well as multiple criminal elements.
Scalzi proves to be a marvelous storyteller as he weaves multiple byzantine plot lines, with unexpected twists and turns into an explosive denouement. His pacing and dialogue is propulsive, leading to a page-turner. He infuses humor effortlessly into his multi-layered characters. This tale, like the other two are endearing and demand further tales … hopefully we haven’t seen the last of Tony Valdez.
Thanks to NetGalley and Subterranean Press for providing an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review.
Addendum: A person can be shot in the head in Chicago, IL and awake almost instantaneously in his bed, in Lyon, France …. Hence: “Travel by Bullet”
February 3, 2023
Notes:
4 Stars for Narration by Zachary Quinto
4.5 Stars for Story World & Plot Progression
Writing a good short is a different skill set from writing a book and extended series. In some ways, I think it's harder because there's less time and pages to setup the world, characters and action. Gotta love it when an author does it well & continues to add to the series. Each of the Dispatcher novellas have been fun to read & build upon the world + characters.
4 Stars for Narration by Zachary Quinto
4.5 Stars for Story World & Plot Progression
Writing a good short is a different skill set from writing a book and extended series. In some ways, I think it's harder because there's less time and pages to setup the world, characters and action. Gotta love it when an author does it well & continues to add to the series. Each of the Dispatcher novellas have been fun to read & build upon the world + characters.
October 13, 2023
Stars: 4 out of 5.
I liked this novella - it's perfect for a lazy afternoon when you don't particularly want to commit to a longer book. It's fast-paced and engaging, and still manages to deliver a decent portion of worldbuilding.
And what a fascinating world it is. Imagine a world where murder doesn't exist anymore. And by that I mean that a murder victim will reappear in a place they consider safe and will be unharmed, though will retain the memory of the murder. Oh, that doesn't eliminate death in its entirety. Accidents still happen, and illness, but murder? in 99.99% of the cases, the victim will be alive again.
It's interesting to see the changes that this brings to society. And to see the good and bad that this brings in humanity.
On one hand we have government sanctioned dispatchers whose sole job is to murder people who would otherwise die a permanent death so that they have a second chance. For example, someone is in a bad car accident and is moments from dying. The doctors can't save them fast enough. If the dispatcher murders that person, they have a 99.99% chance to reappear at their home safe and healthy, like the accident never happened. Sure, there is that little 0.01% chance that they will fail to reappear, but that's better than certain death, don't you think?
On the other hand, we have people who use their power and influence to make others compete to the death to gain their favors, be it a lucrative construction contract, a job position or a refence that the other person needs. It is immoral and frankly horrifying. So what if the murder victim will technically survive? Both the murderer and the victim will still keep the memories and the trauma of the event.
This is my second foray into this series, since I read the first book, and I must admit that I'm loving it. The concept is original and I enjoy watching where the author will take it. I will definitely also check out the second book that I somehow missed.
My only complaint about this particular book is that the main characters is a bit bland. We really don't get to see what makes him tick. I still don't know what his motivation is in doing what he is doing. But since I love the concept so much, I am willing to forgive a blah protagonist.
PS: I received an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I liked this novella - it's perfect for a lazy afternoon when you don't particularly want to commit to a longer book. It's fast-paced and engaging, and still manages to deliver a decent portion of worldbuilding.
And what a fascinating world it is. Imagine a world where murder doesn't exist anymore. And by that I mean that a murder victim will reappear in a place they consider safe and will be unharmed, though will retain the memory of the murder. Oh, that doesn't eliminate death in its entirety. Accidents still happen, and illness, but murder? in 99.99% of the cases, the victim will be alive again.
It's interesting to see the changes that this brings to society. And to see the good and bad that this brings in humanity.
On one hand we have government sanctioned dispatchers whose sole job is to murder people who would otherwise die a permanent death so that they have a second chance. For example, someone is in a bad car accident and is moments from dying. The doctors can't save them fast enough. If the dispatcher murders that person, they have a 99.99% chance to reappear at their home safe and healthy, like the accident never happened. Sure, there is that little 0.01% chance that they will fail to reappear, but that's better than certain death, don't you think?
On the other hand, we have people who use their power and influence to make others compete to the death to gain their favors, be it a lucrative construction contract, a job position or a refence that the other person needs. It is immoral and frankly horrifying. So what if the murder victim will technically survive? Both the murderer and the victim will still keep the memories and the trauma of the event.
This is my second foray into this series, since I read the first book, and I must admit that I'm loving it. The concept is original and I enjoy watching where the author will take it. I will definitely also check out the second book that I somehow missed.
My only complaint about this particular book is that the main characters is a bit bland. We really don't get to see what makes him tick. I still don't know what his motivation is in doing what he is doing. But since I love the concept so much, I am willing to forgive a blah protagonist.
PS: I received an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 10, 2022
Nice enjoyable novella. Different take on the standard detective story. Recommended
May 1, 2024
Although the writing is well done, the storyline feels contrived, and the premise is difficult to accept. As the series progresses, the idea of people respawning, after being murdered, feels increasingly implausible. I was left with the impression that this is a skilled writer producing an inauthentic story. I plan to try other books by him, but I will not reread this series. I was tempted to draft the book, but the Narrator and short length kept me reading.
December 30, 2022
A more traditional whodunit than the earlier books in the series. A less convoluted one anyway. The story starts off by establishing the Despatcher premise for those that haven't read any of the series before, which is great cause this is the only one I'm likely to recommend to anyone. Travel by Bullet executes a simple idea well whilst offering up Scalzi's typical social commentary. I enjoyed it.
There's no character who uses curse words like punctuation if that's a concern.
As far as the audio performance goes... Zachary Quinto has a voice for noir. I don't (particularly) like noir. I'd prefer if this was available as an eye read.
There's no character who uses curse words like punctuation if that's a concern.
As far as the audio performance goes... Zachary Quinto has a voice for noir. I don't (particularly) like noir. I'd prefer if this was available as an eye read.
October 3, 2022
The third novella in the series, currently only available as an Audible exclusive. At some point I'm sure that Scalzi will release these as a collected edition.
In this story the concept of being instantly transported somewhere when you are dispatched is explored. Very convenient for people who jet all over the world to go back to the place they were the day before at a moments notice.
Pretty good story and builds on the ideas in the first two. Who knew that 'The Bean' in Chicago is actually called 'The Cloud Gate' :)
In this story the concept of being instantly transported somewhere when you are dispatched is explored. Very convenient for people who jet all over the world to go back to the place they were the day before at a moments notice.
Pretty good story and builds on the ideas in the first two. Who knew that 'The Bean' in Chicago is actually called 'The Cloud Gate' :)
January 27, 2023
Bullet Review:
In short: Scalzi manages to one-up himself in each one of these Audible Originals, and he has inherited the torch from the likes of Isaac Asimov (“I, Robot”) with his concept: "What would a world look like if murder didn't always result in death?"
This time around, when I listened, I really paid attention to what I was listening to, which was super helpful because Scalzi would do slight of hands if you will. If you weren’t paying attention, it might be unclear what happened. (Some of it was still unclear but I attribute that to me.)
All in all, this is a great series; I hope all these Dispatcher stories come out in a paperback or hardcover version because this will look lovely on my shelves.
In short: Scalzi manages to one-up himself in each one of these Audible Originals, and he has inherited the torch from the likes of Isaac Asimov (“I, Robot”) with his concept: "What would a world look like if murder didn't always result in death?"
This time around, when I listened, I really paid attention to what I was listening to, which was super helpful because Scalzi would do slight of hands if you will. If you weren’t paying attention, it might be unclear what happened. (Some of it was still unclear but I attribute that to me.)
All in all, this is a great series; I hope all these Dispatcher stories come out in a paperback or hardcover version because this will look lovely on my shelves.
April 4, 2023
3.75
Honestly while this book was super corny at times and dare I even say cheesy it was honestly still a good story that had an amazing amount of plot twists and thrilling themes to keep you listening and reading. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in a futuristic murder mystery dystopian world
Honestly while this book was super corny at times and dare I even say cheesy it was honestly still a good story that had an amazing amount of plot twists and thrilling themes to keep you listening and reading. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in a futuristic murder mystery dystopian world
July 4, 2025
I hope he writes more of these.
September 22, 2022
Another great installment in a terrific series! Fast, complicated, and completely entertaining.
September 24, 2022
A great story! The twists, the snake like main character, his secrets, the favors owed...I enjoyed it all. I'm starting to think Tony is one of the good guys...or is he?
February 1, 2023
I'm impressed by how far John Scalzi has been able to develop his 'Dispatcher' idea. With each novella 'The Dispatcher', 'Murder By Other Means' and 'Travel By Bullet' he has made the problem space generated by the idea more complex and the mysteries that his Dispatcher, Tony Valdez, has to solve, more and more interesting.
What makes 'Travel By Bullet' more than just another shake of the puzzle box is that as well as the plot of each book squeezing more juice from the Dispatcher idea, it develops the character of Tony Valdez and deepens his relationships with the ensemble cast around him. In the first book, Tony was almost an anti-hero, uncomfortable with what he was doing and maintaining a self-protective emotional distance between himself and the people around him. By the end of the second book, Tony has gained some self-respect and some moral certainty and is moving towards working in law enforcement. In 'Travel By Bullet', Tony is caught up in conflicting loyalties and has to work hard to get people to trust him. By the end of it, he's a more interesting person.
Despite the character development, 'Travel By Bullet' is still essentially a puzzle book, with the same sort of structure that Asimov's 'Robot' books have: create a new set of rules, generate a new set of crimes that become possible because of the new set of rules, and figure out who the bad guys are and how to stop them.
This time, John Scalzi throws in a competition between ruthless, violent people to find a McGuffin (Valdez even calls it that), in the form of a crypto-box with something valuable on it.
For me, the book was enlivened by the way John Scalzi; took swipes at the compulsive, insatiable greed of billionaires; rolled in the impact of the pandemic on the Dispatcher business and put the risks of. cryptocurrency through its paces. It also helped that he wrapped the whole thing in sarcastic humour and kept the pace of the plot brisk.
I liked that the shape of the puzzle kept shifting in satisfying ways. The two billionaires were both grotesques but with different kinks. Bizarrely, it was the man who is trying to transition the organised crime syndicate that inherited into a legitimate operation with lower risks and higher returns, who came off as having the strongest ethics among these too-rich-to-be-able-to-spend-it-all people,
I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Zachary Quinto who does a great job of giving distinctive and appropriate voices to the main characters in the book.
What makes 'Travel By Bullet' more than just another shake of the puzzle box is that as well as the plot of each book squeezing more juice from the Dispatcher idea, it develops the character of Tony Valdez and deepens his relationships with the ensemble cast around him. In the first book, Tony was almost an anti-hero, uncomfortable with what he was doing and maintaining a self-protective emotional distance between himself and the people around him. By the end of the second book, Tony has gained some self-respect and some moral certainty and is moving towards working in law enforcement. In 'Travel By Bullet', Tony is caught up in conflicting loyalties and has to work hard to get people to trust him. By the end of it, he's a more interesting person.
Despite the character development, 'Travel By Bullet' is still essentially a puzzle book, with the same sort of structure that Asimov's 'Robot' books have: create a new set of rules, generate a new set of crimes that become possible because of the new set of rules, and figure out who the bad guys are and how to stop them.
This time, John Scalzi throws in a competition between ruthless, violent people to find a McGuffin (Valdez even calls it that), in the form of a crypto-box with something valuable on it.
For me, the book was enlivened by the way John Scalzi; took swipes at the compulsive, insatiable greed of billionaires; rolled in the impact of the pandemic on the Dispatcher business and put the risks of. cryptocurrency through its paces. It also helped that he wrapped the whole thing in sarcastic humour and kept the pace of the plot brisk.
I liked that the shape of the puzzle kept shifting in satisfying ways. The two billionaires were both grotesques but with different kinks. Bizarrely, it was the man who is trying to transition the organised crime syndicate that inherited into a legitimate operation with lower risks and higher returns, who came off as having the strongest ethics among these too-rich-to-be-able-to-spend-it-all people,
I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Zachary Quinto who does a great job of giving distinctive and appropriate voices to the main characters in the book.
September 11, 2023
A surprisingly enjoyable diamond-in-the-rough trilogy. I'm intrigued to read more by John Scalzi, as well. I'm discovering I enjoy unapologetically hard-boiled thrillers when I'm listening to them on Audible.
While the premise is odd, Scalzi does such a great job sticking to the rules and science he created that it comes across as plausible. I also enjoy the dynamic between Langdon and the main character.
I'd rate this a PG-13 for some swearing, adult themes, and mild graphic violence.
Original review posted 9/11/23.
While the premise is odd, Scalzi does such a great job sticking to the rules and science he created that it comes across as plausible. I also enjoy the dynamic between Langdon and the main character.
I'd rate this a PG-13 for some swearing, adult themes, and mild graphic violence.
Original review posted 9/11/23.
March 20, 2024
I really love this series of novellas. I listened to the first one on a whim as it was short and included in the Audible plus catalogue. Not really being a huge sci-fi fan, I wasn’t expecting much or even sure what to expect but it was truly and surprisingly good. Despite being really fast-paced and a quick listen, it’s easy to follow and full of unpredictable twists and turns.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 836 reviews