tanya_the_spack's review against another edition
2.0
I have very mixed feelings about the book. I can't decide whether I like it or hate it. It's a clever premise. It is a murder mystery set at a science fiction convention. The title of the book (and it's a great title) is also the title of a book written by a minor author invited to the con; he is our protagonist. However, the author's agent/editor/girlfriend seems to be voice of this book's author, Sharon Mccrumb. And she's annoying.
And this is where my mixed feelings mostly come in. She seems to have a very cliche view of con-goers, incredibly judgmental about what losers they all are. The geeks are all superficially characterized. At the same time, I had to admit I'd met con-goers like those portrayed. Thus I was constantly bouncing back and forth between offense and laughter.
As for the tale itself, I liked the premise. It was a fairly interesting read (I don't normally read murder mysteries), and they way the killer was brought to light at the end (through a Dungeons and Dragons game) was a great idea. Unfortunately, the events at the very end of the game when the murderer is revealed led me to roll my eyes. I didn't buy it. I think that the suspension of disbelief was lost because of the weak characterization. We as readers had not been given a deep enough understanding of the murderer - or any of the characters, for that matter - to accept what was then told us about what he did and his motivation.
So... mixed feelings. Clever premise, fairly good read, but weak characterization, which damages the entire story.
And this is where my mixed feelings mostly come in. She seems to have a very cliche view of con-goers, incredibly judgmental about what losers they all are. The geeks are all superficially characterized. At the same time, I had to admit I'd met con-goers like those portrayed. Thus I was constantly bouncing back and forth between offense and laughter.
As for the tale itself, I liked the premise. It was a fairly interesting read (I don't normally read murder mysteries), and they way the killer was brought to light at the end (through a Dungeons and Dragons game) was a great idea. Unfortunately, the events at the very end of the game when the murderer is revealed led me to roll my eyes. I didn't buy it. I think that the suspension of disbelief was lost because of the weak characterization. We as readers had not been given a deep enough understanding of the murderer - or any of the characters, for that matter - to accept what was then told us about what he did and his motivation.
So... mixed feelings. Clever premise, fairly good read, but weak characterization, which damages the entire story.
lilacs_book_bower's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Some of these older mysteries do not hold up well, I am finding. It's a pity because this one has a good mystery, a fun setting, some of the sexism gets called out, and there some likable main characters with some depth. I would have rated it higher, but there is a LOT of fatphobia here, particularly in regards to one character, and the sort of villain of the piece also uses the f-word (a gay slur), and that was shocking to read on the page. I'd like to think the authors I have read lately would be writing more sensitively in this day and age, but we have to judge them by what they did write.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Eating disorder, Sexism, Murder, and Fatphobia
tarrant's review against another edition
4.0
How could you not love a book with a title like this one? Perfect for anyone who has gone to a -con or loves a role-player/gamer/fanfic person. It's a bit dated but love.
letab's review against another edition
5.0
This is a hilarious satire of comic/fantasy/ sci fi conventions. I laughed till I cried. Of course, the book is much better if you have actually attended one of the aforesaid conventions but you can still enjoy it otherwise. McCrumb weaves a world of characters, events and good natured humor to a "This is Spinal Tap" level with a bit of murder thrown in for a romping whodunit. I have read this book numerous times and love it more with each read. It's satire without malice; a book that even convention goers will appreciate and have fun with.
hskey's review against another edition
3.0
Great fun. McCrumb totally nails the fantasy/sci-fi convention crowd. I've been to and helped organize a few of these types of events and it made me feel like I was there again. Light writing style and a lean story meant I finished this one way too quickly. I wanted more!
djwudi's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I’d call this a guilty pleasure, except that I don’t think I need to feel guilt about the things I enjoy, even if they have their issues…which this book definitely has. I first discovered it in the early ‘00s, and loved its lighthearted take on a murder mystery at a SF/F convention. At some point I lost my copy, but recently found one at a used bookstore. Re-reading it now, its flaws are a little more apparent, but it’s still mostly enjoyable fluff.
Pros: The general sense of weirdness of the con atmosphere, with its disparate groups of fans connected by their overall fandom. The surreality of the mix of costumes and mundanes, and what it must be like for people unconnected to a con to find themselves in the middle of it. And, yes, the recognizable tendency for some fen to be a little _too_ wrapped up in things. Plus, I really enjoy that because the book was written in the late ‘80s, this is a con of the time, with things like video programming rooms and a “high tech” room with things like demonstrations of personal computers.
Cons: There is a relatively heavy reliance on the “poorly socialized misfits” trope that’s often seen when cons or SF/F fans are part of the setting or plot; though the main characters tend to be real-people-who-are-fans, most of the peripheral characters fall solidly into barely-functional-in-the-real-world territory. But the biggest flaw is the ongoing fat-shaming, where one character exists entirely as an extended “laugh at the overweight woman and her quest to find a partner socially inept enough to accept her” joke. Nothing about this plot line advances or even really engages with the main plot, and it really stands out as a misstep.
Pros: The general sense of weirdness of the con atmosphere, with its disparate groups of fans connected by their overall fandom. The surreality of the mix of costumes and mundanes, and what it must be like for people unconnected to a con to find themselves in the middle of it. And, yes, the recognizable tendency for some fen to be a little _too_ wrapped up in things. Plus, I really enjoy that because the book was written in the late ‘80s, this is a con of the time, with things like video programming rooms and a “high tech” room with things like demonstrations of personal computers.
Cons: There is a relatively heavy reliance on the “poorly socialized misfits” trope that’s often seen when cons or SF/F fans are part of the setting or plot; though the main characters tend to be real-people-who-are-fans, most of the peripheral characters fall solidly into barely-functional-in-the-real-world territory. But the biggest flaw is the ongoing fat-shaming, where one character exists entirely as an extended “laugh at the overweight woman and her quest to find a partner socially inept enough to accept her” joke. Nothing about this plot line advances or even really engages with the main plot, and it really stands out as a misstep.
tyrshand's review against another edition
3.0
Cute story and parody of science fiction conventions, but the mystery, plot, and characters were a little flat for me.
innae's review against another edition
3.0
An amusing story - the computer references are out dated, made me feel a bit old because I remembered back then -- Love the references to the scifi con, sadly I've been there.
bmahaffy's review against another edition
3.0
Despite the name and the suggestive cover this book really isn't as provocative as one might think. It was a fun read about the goings on at a typical 80's-ish Sci Fi Convention. It has all the stereotypical Con goers that one might expect.
During the Con a popular, yet reviled, author is murdered and it is left to the other guest author -- an engineering prof who is only there because of a "hard science fiction" book he's written -- to solve the murder.
Fun and witty, the book looks rather dated now but is an entertaining flashback to the 80s.
During the Con a popular, yet reviled, author is murdered and it is left to the other guest author -- an engineering prof who is only there because of a "hard science fiction" book he's written -- to solve the murder.
Fun and witty, the book looks rather dated now but is an entertaining flashback to the 80s.