A Voice in the Wilderness

This week's episode of The Human Division, A Voice in the Wilderness, finds us back on Earth and in the world of blowhard shock-jocks.

Al Birnbaum is a terrestrial radio talk-show host well on the way to being washed up. His audience numbers have been on the slide for a while and he seems to be far too deep in denial to do anything about them. But when a warning from his terrifying boss happens to coincide with an offer of help from a mysterious stranger, Birmbaum can't sell out fast enough. Surprised to find himself at the head of a pro-Colonial Union movement, Birnbaum's enthusiasm returns and his numbers sky-rocket. But just as he seems placed to parley himself into a political force, he discovers that his backers have other plans for him.

Scalzi has a lot of fun with the amoral Birnbaum and the moment when he finally takes the plunge is particularly good — he believes that it's always good to put up a fight when being bribed, because it gives the briber a feeling of accomplishment and justifies his acceptance because it usually involves the sort of thing he'd do anyway.

The plot to promote the Colonial Union makes sense, not least because they are, ultimately, the only thing standing between Earth and a league of blood-thirsty aliens but it's not clear who is behind the intrigue. The most obvious answer is that it's the CU itself, possibly in the form of its foreign ministry. But is that too straight-forward? Could it by tied up with the other events of The Human Division — the result of one or other of the power blocs maneuvering behind the scenes?