Jim Pike was the world's biggest Star Trek fan—until two tours of duty in Afghanistan destroyed his faith in the human race. Now he sleepwalks through life as the assistant manager of a small hotel in downtown Houston.
But when hundreds of Trekkies arrive in his lobby for a science-fiction convention, Jim finds himself surrounded by costumed Klingons, Vulcans, and Ferengi—plus a strange virus that transforms its carriers into savage, flesh-eating zombies!
As bloody corpses stumble to life and the planet teeters on the brink of total apocalypse, Jim must deliver a ragtag crew of fanboys and fangirls to safety. Dressed in homemade uniforms and armed with prop phasers, their prime directive is to survive. But how long can they last in the ultimate no-win scenario?
*This is an original work of fiction, horror, and parody, and is not officially sponsored by, affiliated with, or endorsed by the owners of the Star Trek® brand.
My Thoughts: I'm not generally a zombie fan but I AM a Trekkie. I've loved it since I was a little kid. One of my very best friends, I met over 20 years ago in college because of Star Trek. We had a class together but hadn't talked until she spotted me reading a Star Trek comic book (yes, this was back before they were graphic novels) as I waited for class to start. We've been good friends ever since. I spotted this book over the summer at my local independent book store, picked it up and skimmed through it. I've been to some ST conventions and the authors seemed to know what they were talking about plus it didn't seem campy despite the cover art so I decided to give it a try.
The book moves quickly and contains some twists and turns, though a few parts were predictable. There are a few small plot holes, but the book is written in good fun. It's funny but not sarcastic or biting, the convention parts felt real, and the characters were likable. I did want to slap Jim a time or two, he was exceedingly self-absorbed, but he's written that way and some of the other characters did it for me. :D
There's a running gag concerning the friendly rivalry between Trek fans and Star Wars fans which was fun but not overly done. There are some puns (hello, the name Jim Pike? Awesome) but the book never becomes childish or crosses the line into ridiculous. I didn't completely buy into the explanation for where the zombies came from or how they developed but but it didn't interfere with my enjoyment of the book. It was fun, had lots of neat little ST references, and I read it in one sitting.
Publisher: Quirk Books
Release Date: July 28, 2010
I borrowed this paperback from my local library.
It sounds like the name of the publisher also fits the nature of the book. I'd recommend it to my friend the star trek fan, but he is not a reader.
ReplyDeleteI noticed that to Diane :D You might suggest it to your friend anyway, maybe it would catch his interest. If he's ever been to a ST con, he would be able to appreciate the humor and some of the happenings.
ReplyDeleteInteresting! I loved the old Star Trek shows in black and white when they first came out, and I love all the Star Wars movies. Adding zombies and conventions sound like a recipe for fun and craziness. Good review! :)
ReplyDelete