Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Patton Oswalt's New Book....

If you've been reading this blog from the beginning (I'm sorry), you've probably seen my former tirade about Patton Oswalt's article on geek culture needing die to be reborn. I was in the book store today and decided to take a look at Oswalt's new book, "Zombie Spaceship Wasteland" (it was even autographed *squeal like a prepubescent girl and her 40-something year old mother at a screening of Twilight*). I leafed through the first fifteen pages (which I tend to do with hardcover books priced at $24.00 and which are as thin as a comic book), and found fifteen pop culture references that no one will remember after this year. So I put the book back into its little cubbyhole. 


Don't get me wrong, Patton is a fine stand up comic, but that's where his talents begin and end. As a writer, he's pretty painful to read. Which is a shame, because I had high hopes for this book especially since it was endorsed by one of my favorite writers, Harlan Ellison (among others). I have a feeling that Harlan either never read the book before endorsing it, or read it and took pity on a friend (which would be HIGHLY out of character) and gave the glowing review anyway. Suffice it to say, if you're on the fence about buying the book, don't. Or at least wait until it comes out in paperback and falls into the discount bin. 


You'll be glad that you did. 

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