Q: First off: Do you yourself have any super powers?
A: Not unless booking counts as a super power, no. I got the job through Craigslist.

—John Scalzi, “Denise Jones, Super Booker”

Want something free today? Something that’ll make you laugh out loud? John Scalzi has that something for you. It’s a short story of his called “Denise Jones, Super Booker” and the folks at Subterranean Press have posted it at their website. And best of all, it’s yours for the reading, free of charge, no strings attached. To say anything about the plot would spoil the jokes, so I’ll just say that Denise books personal appearances for superheroes and let it go at that.

Scalzi is the Heinlein-enhanced writer of many science fiction books like “Old Man’s War” and “The Ghost Brigades,” both set in the same universe. He also wrote “The Android’s Dream,” which is a laugh-out-loud funny novel in a Douglas Adams sort of way. If you like the short story, I highly recommend his other books, and if you’re a member of the World Science Fiction Society you have the chance to nominate “Denise Jones, Super Booker” for a Hugo Award in the Best Short Story category. Regardless, read the story and tell a few friends. It’s a couple of minutes very well spent.

And if someone out there at Marvel or DC is still poking around book publishing to find some big-name writers to tackle a comic book mini-series…hey, look over there, it’s John Scalzi!