A Very Scalzi Christmas

Dust jacket and interior illustrations by Natalie Metzger.

Deck the halls with boughs of holly! ‘Tis the season...for Santa’s lawyer to talk about the legal status of the workshop elves, for Christmas to arrive in an unexpected month, and for the innkeeper at the nativity to spill the beans about what really went down on that one night in Bethlehem. 

It’s not just Christmas. It’s A Very Scalzi Christmas.

New York Times bestselling and Hugo Award-winning author John Scalzi gift-wraps fifteen short takes on the holiday season—interviews with holiday notables, “informational” articles about TV specials and Christmas carols, short stories and poems, and even a couple of nods to Thanksgiving and New Year’s—and puts them all into a stocking stuffer-sized package that makes the perfect gift for friends, family, or yourself.

With stories both funny and touching, A Very Scalzi Christmas also features three new stories exclusive to this collection: “Christmas in July,” “Jangle the Elf Grants Wishes” and “Resolutions For the New Year.” 

A wonderful collection for the most wonderful time of the year.

John Scalzi is the New York Timesbestselling author of Head On, The Consuming Fire and Redshirts, which won the 2013 Hugo Award for Best Novel. Two stories in Miniatures, Scalzi’s previous short story collection from Subterranean Press, were adapted for the Netflix anthology series Love, Death & Robots. Scalzi lives in Ohio with his family. He always stays up late on Christmas Eve, waiting to see Santa. 

Limited: 1500 signed numbered hardcover copies

From Publishers Weekly: 

“Scalzi (The Consuming Fire) unleashes his wicked wit in this stocking stuffer miscellany of mostly goofs and jibes directed at the holiday season. But not all is irreverence: two of the book’s 16 selections, ‘Christmas in July’ and ‘Sarah’s Sister,’ are sweet stories that exude Christmas cheer. Scalzi fans will find something here that appeals, no matter their feelings for the holiday.”

From Booklist:

“Overall, the collection shares Scalzi’s joy of the season and reminds the reader of the importance of the holiday, without being too serious.”

From Library Journal:

“Sf favorite Scalzi gathered 12 previously published pieces and wrote three new short works specifically for this collection. Most entries tend to be shorter in length, which makes them perfect for a quick reading break during the holiday season… The generally humorous stories range in tone from quirky to sweet, but all showcase the author’s inventive imagination in the best possible light.”

From Kirkus:

“Bestselling sci-fi author Scalzi injects plenty of holly and jolly into his second short story collection, a follow-up to Miniatures(2016). You've finished rewatching your bootleg version of The Star Wars Holiday Specialand every episode of Futurama featuring the murderous Robot Santa, the Doctor Who Christmas special won't be on for hours yet, and you already have Jonathan Coulton's ‘Merry Christmas From Chiron Beta Prime’ on infinite loop. How else can you fill the Yuletide season with geekiness and laughs? This slim stocking stuffer may be just what you need.”

From Locus:

“For a fancy stocking stuffer, this collection of holiday items, most originally published on Scalzi’s Whatever blog, presents a mix of hilarious Santa snark and heartwarming sentiment, with a mix of lists, poems, interviews with some of Santa’s helpers, stories, and more… I could see this becoming a holiday standard for older folks with a fondness for the season and the right sense of humor.”

Table of Contents: