A review by biblio_lore
Night of the Living Trekkies by Kevin David Anderson, Sam Stall
4.0
This book is a wonderful example of parody done so well that it's a delight to read. For anyone who isn't a trekkie, this might not be the book for you though why you would pick up a book called Night of the Living Trekkies if you weren't a fan of the show, movies and merch of the various incarnations of the show is kinda beyond me. Anyway. For those of you who have any love for this show and its aforementioned attributes, you are doing yourself a disservice by not reading it. This book is really one of the most lovingly constructed literary ribbings that I've ever read and it's one that anyone who loves Star Trek can appreciate. I'm making sure to mention the trekkie love specifically because there is so much in this book that is going to make those fans squeal with delight that it is really unfair to review it while trying to pretend that this is for everyone because it truly is not. That said, it's still a delightful book.
They plot is something that is easy enough to grasp even from the title. There's a Star Trek convention in a less than stellar hotel and it just so happens to be near a secret military base wherein there are creatures that crave human brains locked up for observation and research. Creatures get out and shit goes awry, as tends to happen in your average zombie story. Where this book differs from the rest is the setting. The convention is a convenient place to let the authors play with all their trekkie love and they cater to that love every chance they get. The participants in the story traverse the horror elements with the same kind of luck and strategies that you might expect from an episode of the show and they are self-aware enough to know they are doing it. Everything is aimed at making sure that the reader (assumed to be a Trek fan) is part of the ride and makes sure that everything from the jokes to the chapter titles are part of that inclusion. There are too many pivotal moments in the book that are related to Star Trek related settings, facts, in-jokes and other things that boldly went where no man had gone before that it's impossible to really even give examples without spoilers. You will just have to trust me that if you are a fan, this book belongs in your hands and in your home.
For the non-gushing part of this review, I want to say that this book captures everything that a good parody should. I last reviewed The Hunger Pains and was terribly disappointed by it for all the same reasons that I loved this book. This book and its authors understand and, more importantly, love the subject they are taking jabs at. There was a real sense of love and excitement that was part of this book even when it was also showcasing how ridiculous this love is. For me, as a horror fan, I compare it to Cabin in the Woods as something that shows me all the things that I love and all their flaws but does so with a sense of not just respect but an embrace of the humor in finding it ridiculous but loving it completely anyway. That's what this book does and if you are a trekkie, you need it. Until you get it, may you live long and prosper. ;)
They plot is something that is easy enough to grasp even from the title. There's a Star Trek convention in a less than stellar hotel and it just so happens to be near a secret military base wherein there are creatures that crave human brains locked up for observation and research. Creatures get out and shit goes awry, as tends to happen in your average zombie story. Where this book differs from the rest is the setting. The convention is a convenient place to let the authors play with all their trekkie love and they cater to that love every chance they get. The participants in the story traverse the horror elements with the same kind of luck and strategies that you might expect from an episode of the show and they are self-aware enough to know they are doing it. Everything is aimed at making sure that the reader (assumed to be a Trek fan) is part of the ride and makes sure that everything from the jokes to the chapter titles are part of that inclusion. There are too many pivotal moments in the book that are related to Star Trek related settings, facts, in-jokes and other things that boldly went where no man had gone before that it's impossible to really even give examples without spoilers. You will just have to trust me that if you are a fan, this book belongs in your hands and in your home.
For the non-gushing part of this review, I want to say that this book captures everything that a good parody should. I last reviewed The Hunger Pains and was terribly disappointed by it for all the same reasons that I loved this book. This book and its authors understand and, more importantly, love the subject they are taking jabs at. There was a real sense of love and excitement that was part of this book even when it was also showcasing how ridiculous this love is. For me, as a horror fan, I compare it to Cabin in the Woods as something that shows me all the things that I love and all their flaws but does so with a sense of not just respect but an embrace of the humor in finding it ridiculous but loving it completely anyway. That's what this book does and if you are a trekkie, you need it. Until you get it, may you live long and prosper. ;)