Night of the Living Trekkies (Quirk Fiction)
ByKevin David Anderson
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Readers` Reviews
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
kevin auman
I won Night of the Living Trekkies through a website and held on to it for a couple of months before deciding to take a stab at it. My first recollection of the book, before I received it, was the book trailer I saw on the internet. It struck me more as a movie trailer than one for a book, and I was joking with my friends that I wanted to go see the movie and not bother with the book because it was so well done. But after checking the book out, I have to admit, it was a lot of fun and I'm glad I gave it a chance. For the purposes of full disclosure, I am both a sci-fi and a zombie geek (with leanings toward the zombie side of things), and while I haven't been to any sci-fi conventions, I've been to a few horror conventions over the past year, which has given me an appreciation to the dedication some fans have to their favorite characters, movies, and TV series. So that experience has probably shaped my appreciation for this book, though I think any fan of either Trek or of the zombie genre will enjoy this send up, whether casual or dedicated.
The basic plot centers around Jim, an Afghanistan war vet who comes back home in Houston shattered and unwilling to take on any responsibilities more crucial than that of being a bell hop in a mediocre hotel due to the guilt he feels at watching some of his fellow soldiers die. He is a "reformed" trekkie, or trekker, as it were, and now has to deal with Gulf Con, a Star Trek convention that has landed at his hotel, which is conveniently called the Botany Bay. His sister and over a thousand fans of Trek will be in attendance, but so will a ton of zombies, who crash the party after a alien virus escapes the confines of the Johnson Spaceflight Center bunker where it has been housed since it touched down via some meteors that hitched a ride on a downed NASA space probe.
I wouldn't call this one a parody, because the characters may be dressed up as different Trek characters for the convention, but they are not the characters themselves. Instead, this is an opportunity for the authors to express a love for Star Trek, zombies, and even Star Wars. I was able to pick up on most of the references, though perhaps I may have missed one here or there in the mix. Regardless, this was a fun and funny book that gave its characters enough depth and realism to make me appreciate them while not disrupting the comedic overtones of the story based on the idea of a convention for one sort of imaginary creation being overrun by another imaginary creation. The adventure is fast paced and Jim is forced to once again embrace his inner nerd, along with embracing the suck of the situation he finds himself in with a small group of surviving convention goers. The zombies have some interesting, alien twists to them, but overall, the book pays reverence to its benefactors: Rodenberry, Romero, and even Lucas, with ample references to what each man created and appreciation for them as well.
For a easy and fun read, this one was hard to beat. There was some high drama on the pages at certain points, and overall, that aspect of the story was well done, but again, none of it distracts from the comedy value of this engaging zombie-Trek send up.
The basic plot centers around Jim, an Afghanistan war vet who comes back home in Houston shattered and unwilling to take on any responsibilities more crucial than that of being a bell hop in a mediocre hotel due to the guilt he feels at watching some of his fellow soldiers die. He is a "reformed" trekkie, or trekker, as it were, and now has to deal with Gulf Con, a Star Trek convention that has landed at his hotel, which is conveniently called the Botany Bay. His sister and over a thousand fans of Trek will be in attendance, but so will a ton of zombies, who crash the party after a alien virus escapes the confines of the Johnson Spaceflight Center bunker where it has been housed since it touched down via some meteors that hitched a ride on a downed NASA space probe.
I wouldn't call this one a parody, because the characters may be dressed up as different Trek characters for the convention, but they are not the characters themselves. Instead, this is an opportunity for the authors to express a love for Star Trek, zombies, and even Star Wars. I was able to pick up on most of the references, though perhaps I may have missed one here or there in the mix. Regardless, this was a fun and funny book that gave its characters enough depth and realism to make me appreciate them while not disrupting the comedic overtones of the story based on the idea of a convention for one sort of imaginary creation being overrun by another imaginary creation. The adventure is fast paced and Jim is forced to once again embrace his inner nerd, along with embracing the suck of the situation he finds himself in with a small group of surviving convention goers. The zombies have some interesting, alien twists to them, but overall, the book pays reverence to its benefactors: Rodenberry, Romero, and even Lucas, with ample references to what each man created and appreciation for them as well.
For a easy and fun read, this one was hard to beat. There was some high drama on the pages at certain points, and overall, that aspect of the story was well done, but again, none of it distracts from the comedy value of this engaging zombie-Trek send up.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
pooja shetty
Occasionally a title alone will make me buy that particular book without having heard or read anything about it. Night of the Living Trekkies is one of those books. I'm not much of a Star Trek fan, but I have hit the conventions from time to time, and the idea of zombies set loose on the geekdom was too good to pass up. Just like the BBC series Dead Set, in which the zombie apocalypse hits and the walking dead invade the set of a Big Brother-type reality show, I loved the idea. They (the book and the TV series) could be stinkers, but I didn't care. The fact that it was zombies was a big plus. As I mentioned in a previous review, I was never much of a zombies, but that is rapidly changing.
Night of the Living Trekkies opens with some cute dialogue:
"Space, the final frontier. . ."
"Shut up."
"These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. . ."
"I said, shut up."
"Its five-year mission: to explore strange worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations. . ."
"You're pissing me off."
This had me laughing, and I knew I was hooked.
The premise of Trekkies is simple: A secret research facility located beneath Johnson Spaceflight Center in Houston, Texas, has been sabotaged. The subjects of the center have intentionally been set free, and not even a total nuking of the facility is enough to contain the outbreak. The zombies are loose and manage to find their way to the Botany Bay Hotel, where GulfCon is about to get underway.
The hero of our story is 23-year old Jim Pike, a bellhop at the hotel, and a "retired" US Army Officer. Jim has a sixth sense when it comes to enemy action, something that contributed to his early retirement from the military. Similar to Spiderman, he gets these sensations when trouble is near, a gift that repeatedly save his Unit. But when he wasn't there to save them and most of his unit was lost, the sense of responsibility became too much, and he wanted out. Now, at the Botany Bay, he has exactly what he wants -- a job with zero responsibility for others, which is why he can't understand why his "Spider sense" is tingling. He is slow to wake up to the danger, though, even when one guest complains about the poor TV reception, he discovers that the phones are out, and there's no cell phone signal. He only really begins to question when people who are supposed to be on duty go missing.
As the zombie population rapidly grows, Jim must once again shoulder the responsibility of leadership as he tries to lead a handful of survivors, which include his sister, a red-shirted (think Star Trek Engineering crew) young man named Willy Makit (Will he make it, get it? HAHA), Leia (and yes, she is dressed as slave girl Leia from Empire Strikes Back), and an overweight man who goes by the nickname Horta, to name a few, to safety. Who lives, who dies, and who joins the ranks of the walking dead? You'll have to pick up the book to find out.
Night of the Ling Trekkies is not a great book, not by any means, but it is a fun book. It is well written and the characters, while typical stock horror genre staples, are likable. There are enough nods to Star Trek, Star Wars, and Romero's zombie movies to keep the fan boys happy. And no, you don't have to be a fan boy or convention geek to enjoy the inside jokes. If you are in the mood for some light, campy, mindless fun for the weekend to relieve the stress and tension of the work week, then this book can't be recommended enough.
Night of the Living Trekkies opens with some cute dialogue:
"Space, the final frontier. . ."
"Shut up."
"These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. . ."
"I said, shut up."
"Its five-year mission: to explore strange worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations. . ."
"You're pissing me off."
This had me laughing, and I knew I was hooked.
The premise of Trekkies is simple: A secret research facility located beneath Johnson Spaceflight Center in Houston, Texas, has been sabotaged. The subjects of the center have intentionally been set free, and not even a total nuking of the facility is enough to contain the outbreak. The zombies are loose and manage to find their way to the Botany Bay Hotel, where GulfCon is about to get underway.
The hero of our story is 23-year old Jim Pike, a bellhop at the hotel, and a "retired" US Army Officer. Jim has a sixth sense when it comes to enemy action, something that contributed to his early retirement from the military. Similar to Spiderman, he gets these sensations when trouble is near, a gift that repeatedly save his Unit. But when he wasn't there to save them and most of his unit was lost, the sense of responsibility became too much, and he wanted out. Now, at the Botany Bay, he has exactly what he wants -- a job with zero responsibility for others, which is why he can't understand why his "Spider sense" is tingling. He is slow to wake up to the danger, though, even when one guest complains about the poor TV reception, he discovers that the phones are out, and there's no cell phone signal. He only really begins to question when people who are supposed to be on duty go missing.
As the zombie population rapidly grows, Jim must once again shoulder the responsibility of leadership as he tries to lead a handful of survivors, which include his sister, a red-shirted (think Star Trek Engineering crew) young man named Willy Makit (Will he make it, get it? HAHA), Leia (and yes, she is dressed as slave girl Leia from Empire Strikes Back), and an overweight man who goes by the nickname Horta, to name a few, to safety. Who lives, who dies, and who joins the ranks of the walking dead? You'll have to pick up the book to find out.
Night of the Ling Trekkies is not a great book, not by any means, but it is a fun book. It is well written and the characters, while typical stock horror genre staples, are likable. There are enough nods to Star Trek, Star Wars, and Romero's zombie movies to keep the fan boys happy. And no, you don't have to be a fan boy or convention geek to enjoy the inside jokes. If you are in the mood for some light, campy, mindless fun for the weekend to relieve the stress and tension of the work week, then this book can't be recommended enough.
The Night the Lights Went Out :: and Silent Night (Rock Harbor Series) - Cry in the Night :: One Night with a Stranger (Unforgettable Nights Book 1) :: Nantucket Nights: A Novel :: His Five Night Stand (Bedroom Secrets Series Book 1)
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
naren
Night of the Living Trekkies is a title that pretty much sums up the story. Unlike with some vaguer titles in Sci-Fi/Fantasy, with this one you really do get what it says on the metaphorical tin.
The same can't be said for the cover, as there are a few descrepancies between it and the book (The notable lack of the zombie's characteristic third-eye and the green skin, for example.), but it depicts the symbolic zombie in a Star Fleet uniform, so I guess it does give a clear indication of whats going on.
Firstly, I'm not sure I would class this as a work of parody, as it claims to be on the back cover, as it doesn't use characters or locations from the series. The main characters aren't even pretending to be any specific characters, they have their own Star Fleet positions and names. It's more a book about the "Trekkie" culture, with plenty of Star Trek references, the most obvious one is the first lines, which begin "Space, the final frontier...".
This is a good start, fantastic in fact, and completely removed any hestitance I had in reading the book. The characters in the prologue were fantastic, and I was disappointed that it turned out they... weren't major characters. But the main characters were fascinating to read, especially the Protagonist Jim, and the woman he rescues, Princess Leia. In fact, I think this second character, dressed in a Star Wars outfit for good reason, was my favourite character (Not so great in a Star Trek book perhaps) and I think the quotes and references to Star Wars was much better done than the Trek ones. Or perhaps just more obvious.
For example, I don't recall anyone ever saying "It's life Jim, but not as we know it." It's one of the most famous lines from Star Trek, and the main character had a name that was a clear set-up for such a quote. OK, so no-one actually said it EXACTLY LIKE THAT in Star Trek, but that's not the point. It would have made the book more... Trekky for non-major-fans. I would have concluded that this would have been to avoid putting off any Die-hard fans, but If that was the case, I would have called the book "Night of the Living Trekkers", since within the book it says "Trekkie" is an insult... But I'm not going to get into that debate any further, So I'll move on.
Wether it's a parody or not, It should be funny. And while it's quite amusing at first, towards the end it's less so. The change starts when the first zombies are around, and it quickly becomes a less humourous book. It's always lighthearted, and easy enough to read (I stayed up much of the night), but there are less laughs than I had hoped for.
And I think that's the only real problem with "Night of the Living Trekkies". It's a good book, but the only accurate thing about what it claims to be is the title, which is why I started the review with that. There are many zombie films about lately, and this one of those in book forms, with a little extra in it for Sci-Fi enthusiasts, Star Trek (and Wars) fans in particular. There ARE technical terms in it's pages, but they are mostly explained in the text. There was nothing I really felt I had missed by not being a die-hard fan (although maybe I just didn't know it). I wouldn't say you would need to have seen more than a little star trek - enough to know the most popular culture (as well knowing that Janeway is a person, not an obscure adjective) - to enjoy this book. I thought it was a well-written zombie-Horror, and I continued reading well into the early hours of the morning. It has an original take on the formation of zombies, and there are at least a few laughs.
If you enjoy Star-Trek, I would read this. If you enjoy Zombie Horror, I would read this. If you enjoy both... Well, this is your lucky day, you now know the perfect book to read in your next subspace journey!
The same can't be said for the cover, as there are a few descrepancies between it and the book (The notable lack of the zombie's characteristic third-eye and the green skin, for example.), but it depicts the symbolic zombie in a Star Fleet uniform, so I guess it does give a clear indication of whats going on.
Firstly, I'm not sure I would class this as a work of parody, as it claims to be on the back cover, as it doesn't use characters or locations from the series. The main characters aren't even pretending to be any specific characters, they have their own Star Fleet positions and names. It's more a book about the "Trekkie" culture, with plenty of Star Trek references, the most obvious one is the first lines, which begin "Space, the final frontier...".
This is a good start, fantastic in fact, and completely removed any hestitance I had in reading the book. The characters in the prologue were fantastic, and I was disappointed that it turned out they... weren't major characters. But the main characters were fascinating to read, especially the Protagonist Jim, and the woman he rescues, Princess Leia. In fact, I think this second character, dressed in a Star Wars outfit for good reason, was my favourite character (Not so great in a Star Trek book perhaps) and I think the quotes and references to Star Wars was much better done than the Trek ones. Or perhaps just more obvious.
For example, I don't recall anyone ever saying "It's life Jim, but not as we know it." It's one of the most famous lines from Star Trek, and the main character had a name that was a clear set-up for such a quote. OK, so no-one actually said it EXACTLY LIKE THAT in Star Trek, but that's not the point. It would have made the book more... Trekky for non-major-fans. I would have concluded that this would have been to avoid putting off any Die-hard fans, but If that was the case, I would have called the book "Night of the Living Trekkers", since within the book it says "Trekkie" is an insult... But I'm not going to get into that debate any further, So I'll move on.
Wether it's a parody or not, It should be funny. And while it's quite amusing at first, towards the end it's less so. The change starts when the first zombies are around, and it quickly becomes a less humourous book. It's always lighthearted, and easy enough to read (I stayed up much of the night), but there are less laughs than I had hoped for.
And I think that's the only real problem with "Night of the Living Trekkies". It's a good book, but the only accurate thing about what it claims to be is the title, which is why I started the review with that. There are many zombie films about lately, and this one of those in book forms, with a little extra in it for Sci-Fi enthusiasts, Star Trek (and Wars) fans in particular. There ARE technical terms in it's pages, but they are mostly explained in the text. There was nothing I really felt I had missed by not being a die-hard fan (although maybe I just didn't know it). I wouldn't say you would need to have seen more than a little star trek - enough to know the most popular culture (as well knowing that Janeway is a person, not an obscure adjective) - to enjoy this book. I thought it was a well-written zombie-Horror, and I continued reading well into the early hours of the morning. It has an original take on the formation of zombies, and there are at least a few laughs.
If you enjoy Star-Trek, I would read this. If you enjoy Zombie Horror, I would read this. If you enjoy both... Well, this is your lucky day, you now know the perfect book to read in your next subspace journey!
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
erinz
Crossing zombies and Star Trek already limits the target audience to a fraction of all readers. Too bad for them, because this book delivers a fun rollercoaster of an adventure perfectly suited for Trekkies and for those who have not grown tired of the seemingly ubiquitous zombie genre. To be sure, it's preposterous, but...
Afghanistan war veteran Jim has returned from duty to the civilian life. He wishes for nothing more than a steady job without danger, or, more importantly, responsibility. Little does he know his hotel job is about to force his hand when the annual GulfCon - similar to DragonCon and ComicCon, but for Star Trek aficionados - gets out of hand. A zombie outbreak engulfs the hotel, and it's up to Jim, a model wearing a Princess Leia costume, Jim's sister Rayna and a few of her friends, to battle through the hordes of faux Romulans, Klingons, and randomly esoteric Star Trek characters who have succumbed to the zombie plague.
Just enough background is provided for a plausible outbreak explanation without even broaching a semblance of earnestness. The plot moves along quickly and seamlessly enough for me to even recommend this to non-Star Trek fans. I can't be blamed, however, for a few obscure references and jokes that made me guffaw several times.
If there is a sequel to this book or a movie based on this book, all I can say is "Beam Me Up."
Jason Elin
Afghanistan war veteran Jim has returned from duty to the civilian life. He wishes for nothing more than a steady job without danger, or, more importantly, responsibility. Little does he know his hotel job is about to force his hand when the annual GulfCon - similar to DragonCon and ComicCon, but for Star Trek aficionados - gets out of hand. A zombie outbreak engulfs the hotel, and it's up to Jim, a model wearing a Princess Leia costume, Jim's sister Rayna and a few of her friends, to battle through the hordes of faux Romulans, Klingons, and randomly esoteric Star Trek characters who have succumbed to the zombie plague.
Just enough background is provided for a plausible outbreak explanation without even broaching a semblance of earnestness. The plot moves along quickly and seamlessly enough for me to even recommend this to non-Star Trek fans. I can't be blamed, however, for a few obscure references and jokes that made me guffaw several times.
If there is a sequel to this book or a movie based on this book, all I can say is "Beam Me Up."
Jason Elin
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
bendystraw
When zombies invade a Star Trek convention, who do you call? Jim Pike, of course!
Mr. Pike, an ex-Trekkie and ex-army person with an uncanny sense of danger who now deals with self-responsibility issues, serves as a bellboy at the Botany Bay Hotel where the next big Star Trek convention is being held. When all hell breaks loose, Pike uses his knowledge of sci-fi, his prowess in combat, and his natural leadership abilities to lead the fight the quickly multiplying menace.
As a huge fan of Star Trek, I found Night of the Living Trekkies to be a hilarious piece of work. Subtle and not-so-subtle references to all aspects of Star Trek lore (all five TV shows and the 10 prime timeline movies) grace every page of this novel. I literally laughed out loud at this book, cracking up at every little allusion from lines like, "He's dead, Jim!" to the description of the protagonists' predicament as a no-win scenario.
The book is written in a witty, fast-paced manner. As such, I found myself flipping pages like a madman and rushing to the end in no time at all. Though the prose is somewhat simple, the plot takes twists and that would keep any reader on the edge of his or her seat. Chapters are no more than a few pages long, and each has a title inspired by a different Star Trek episode or movie. The zombie apocalypse can be a little gory, but its nothing too extreme. Indeed, the part that made me cringe the most was reading that one of the main characters is actually...*gulp*...a Star Wars fan!
Mr. Pike, an ex-Trekkie and ex-army person with an uncanny sense of danger who now deals with self-responsibility issues, serves as a bellboy at the Botany Bay Hotel where the next big Star Trek convention is being held. When all hell breaks loose, Pike uses his knowledge of sci-fi, his prowess in combat, and his natural leadership abilities to lead the fight the quickly multiplying menace.
As a huge fan of Star Trek, I found Night of the Living Trekkies to be a hilarious piece of work. Subtle and not-so-subtle references to all aspects of Star Trek lore (all five TV shows and the 10 prime timeline movies) grace every page of this novel. I literally laughed out loud at this book, cracking up at every little allusion from lines like, "He's dead, Jim!" to the description of the protagonists' predicament as a no-win scenario.
The book is written in a witty, fast-paced manner. As such, I found myself flipping pages like a madman and rushing to the end in no time at all. Though the prose is somewhat simple, the plot takes twists and that would keep any reader on the edge of his or her seat. Chapters are no more than a few pages long, and each has a title inspired by a different Star Trek episode or movie. The zombie apocalypse can be a little gory, but its nothing too extreme. Indeed, the part that made me cringe the most was reading that one of the main characters is actually...*gulp*...a Star Wars fan!
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
haley
A Star Trek parody book, a Star Trek Convention, and the Walking Undead.
Sounds completely implausible, right? Wrong.
"Night of the Living Trekkies" is a fun parody of Star Trek and the Sci Fi Convention circuit without being scathing; very similar to the "Galaxy Quest" movie that had come out in the 1990's.
I'm not the type of Trek fan that has my nose so far up in the air as to shun anything that pokes fun at the franchise, so I recommend "Night" to any fans out there who want a good Halloween type of book read with Trekkies and the undead thrown in for good measure. I went along for the written adventure, and had fun!
In addition, this book understands everything about the Trek fan culture: Conventions, how much Trek is loved, the vendors, the events, people dressing up in the costumes, the fanboys and fangirls. I had read that the author(s) are lifelong Sci Fi geeks, and boy does that come through in the pages of the book. There are so many little fan culture gems hidden throughout the novel that they all can't be listed here.
The zombies are awesome, if zombies can be considered awesome. Typical "OMG, we gotta get out of here alive!" plot as the characters try and escape from a hotel overrun with undead & hosting a Star Trek convention, but the writing and character dialogue keeps it fresh and moving along nicely without being overly graphic with the blood or gore. Thankfully, silliness is also completely absent, and any light hearted moments are interjected skillfully without taking away from the book.
On a more serious note, the main protagonist is Jim Pike (Cpt. Jim Kirk and Cpt. Chris Pike character names, and the name dropping/combinations are done throughout the novel, which adds a great trivia depth), a former soldier dealing with the aftermath of two deployments to Afghanistan. At one time, he was a Trek fan, but his Afghan experiences crushed his interest in Star Trek.
Can Jim put his personal demons to rest and rescue the small group stuck inside the hotel, and expose what's going on, Trek fan style?
Pick up a copy of "Night of the Living Trekkies" and find out for yourself! Set your phasers and reading glasses to stun people!
Sounds completely implausible, right? Wrong.
"Night of the Living Trekkies" is a fun parody of Star Trek and the Sci Fi Convention circuit without being scathing; very similar to the "Galaxy Quest" movie that had come out in the 1990's.
I'm not the type of Trek fan that has my nose so far up in the air as to shun anything that pokes fun at the franchise, so I recommend "Night" to any fans out there who want a good Halloween type of book read with Trekkies and the undead thrown in for good measure. I went along for the written adventure, and had fun!
In addition, this book understands everything about the Trek fan culture: Conventions, how much Trek is loved, the vendors, the events, people dressing up in the costumes, the fanboys and fangirls. I had read that the author(s) are lifelong Sci Fi geeks, and boy does that come through in the pages of the book. There are so many little fan culture gems hidden throughout the novel that they all can't be listed here.
The zombies are awesome, if zombies can be considered awesome. Typical "OMG, we gotta get out of here alive!" plot as the characters try and escape from a hotel overrun with undead & hosting a Star Trek convention, but the writing and character dialogue keeps it fresh and moving along nicely without being overly graphic with the blood or gore. Thankfully, silliness is also completely absent, and any light hearted moments are interjected skillfully without taking away from the book.
On a more serious note, the main protagonist is Jim Pike (Cpt. Jim Kirk and Cpt. Chris Pike character names, and the name dropping/combinations are done throughout the novel, which adds a great trivia depth), a former soldier dealing with the aftermath of two deployments to Afghanistan. At one time, he was a Trek fan, but his Afghan experiences crushed his interest in Star Trek.
Can Jim put his personal demons to rest and rescue the small group stuck inside the hotel, and expose what's going on, Trek fan style?
Pick up a copy of "Night of the Living Trekkies" and find out for yourself! Set your phasers and reading glasses to stun people!
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
emilija
NIGHT OF THE LIVING TREKKIES is just one long hysterically funny romp through the Trek Universe with a little Star Wars spice.
The plotting and writing are as good as you will find anywhere at the top of the bestseller lists. The characterization, dialogue, and all the minutia of copyediting and so on are all top notch. The in-group jokes are rollicking good fun.
Yet this novel did not come from Ace, Tor, Bantam or Del Rey. Why?
Because it's a narrow-cast product, not a broadcast product. It's a jolly good sendup of both horror film genre and infatuated fans. But there are many readers who just would not enjoy this story, no matter how well written. I loved it!
For those who can enjoy it, it is truly a superb reading experience.
Jim Pike is our hero, a battle-worn Afghanistan Vet idling through life as a manager of services at a third class hotel. And he really knows his hotel, down to every lock and the contents of every closet.
There's a prolog that gives the reader a clue to what's going on, but Jim Pike has no inkling when people at a Star Trek convention at his hotel start to come down with some strange, personality altering, physically deadly disease that leaves them walking zombies with no imperative but to bite and infect others.
This creeping horror takes hold of everyone in sight. Then Pike finds a girl handcuffed to a bed in the hotel wearing a Princess Leia costume. We know why, but Pike doesn't. He releases her and finds her as good a fighter in an emergency as the fictional Princess -- a trait that stirs him on a primal level.
Fighting their way through the hotel full of zombies, meeting and linking up with others not infected, and discovering the whole city of Houston has ceased functioning as everyone is infected, they watch many acquaintances and others near and dear to them die horribly. Yes, this is a Horror Novel.
Pike's sharp mind picks up details and solves the mystery of what is really going on, whereupon he takes heroic action, a throw of the dice as bold, reckless yet divinely inspired as James Kirk ever made.
He wins, but with a realistic (and typical of the horror genre) amount of loss with a threat left over for a sequel. Still, he keeps his eye on the optimistic glow of the future out there somewhere and charges on. I like this guy&gal team and would be glad to see more of them.
The plotting and writing are as good as you will find anywhere at the top of the bestseller lists. The characterization, dialogue, and all the minutia of copyediting and so on are all top notch. The in-group jokes are rollicking good fun.
Yet this novel did not come from Ace, Tor, Bantam or Del Rey. Why?
Because it's a narrow-cast product, not a broadcast product. It's a jolly good sendup of both horror film genre and infatuated fans. But there are many readers who just would not enjoy this story, no matter how well written. I loved it!
For those who can enjoy it, it is truly a superb reading experience.
Jim Pike is our hero, a battle-worn Afghanistan Vet idling through life as a manager of services at a third class hotel. And he really knows his hotel, down to every lock and the contents of every closet.
There's a prolog that gives the reader a clue to what's going on, but Jim Pike has no inkling when people at a Star Trek convention at his hotel start to come down with some strange, personality altering, physically deadly disease that leaves them walking zombies with no imperative but to bite and infect others.
This creeping horror takes hold of everyone in sight. Then Pike finds a girl handcuffed to a bed in the hotel wearing a Princess Leia costume. We know why, but Pike doesn't. He releases her and finds her as good a fighter in an emergency as the fictional Princess -- a trait that stirs him on a primal level.
Fighting their way through the hotel full of zombies, meeting and linking up with others not infected, and discovering the whole city of Houston has ceased functioning as everyone is infected, they watch many acquaintances and others near and dear to them die horribly. Yes, this is a Horror Novel.
Pike's sharp mind picks up details and solves the mystery of what is really going on, whereupon he takes heroic action, a throw of the dice as bold, reckless yet divinely inspired as James Kirk ever made.
He wins, but with a realistic (and typical of the horror genre) amount of loss with a threat left over for a sequel. Still, he keeps his eye on the optimistic glow of the future out there somewhere and charges on. I like this guy&gal team and would be glad to see more of them.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
kitty
Rating System:
1 star = abysmal; some books deserve to be forgotten
2 star = poor; a total waste of time
3 star = good; worth the effort
4 star = very good; what writing should be
5 star = fantastic; must own it and share it with others
Title: Night of the Living Trekkies (unabridged audio book review)
Author: Kevin David Anderson = bio suggests he's written dark fantasy/horror short stories and is working on a YA series
Co-Author: Sam Stall = previous writings include books on dogs and cats?!?
Narrator: Zack McLarty
Story Description: Jim (an ex-Star Trek fan who is also an ex-soldier) is caught in the middle of a Star Trek convention overrun with a virus turning convention attendees, coworkers and hotel guests into flesh eating zombies.
1) Zack McLarty started narrating and I thought it was Fisher Stevens who read Dirty Job by Christopher Moore. Though I love Fisher, Zack did a great job too. He performed different voices and well delivered dramatization making this an excellent narration.
2) Dirty Job had many laugh-out-loud scenes. This book had a few. I think this is because much of the humor relied on a person having more than a cursory knowledge of the Star Trek universe to get the jokes.
3) I've seen a few episodes of The Original Series and all the movies, but nothing else. Thus I got much of the humor, but felt like I missed a lot too, since I don't understand the slights against Babylon 5 fans, I don't know the nuances between the Trek races and the like.
4) I can see how there will be automatic market for this book amongst Trekkers (yeah, book educated me not to call them Trekkies) especially the constant fun made of Star Wars fans within the book.
5) The plot holds its own as a fun, summer read.
6) The characters are distinctive and not necessarily charactures of some John Campbell Hero's Journey archetype (The Mentor, The Herald, etc). Anyone can live or die at any moment. The only obvious archetype is the Romantic Interest.
7) Yes there are red shirts! Nuff said.
OVERALL:
If you are a sci-fi geek and have some knowledge of the Star Trek universe you'll enjoy this tongue-n-cheek story that makes fun of zombies, makes fun of Star Wars fans, makes fun of Star Trek fans and just plan makes fun and is fun.
1 star = abysmal; some books deserve to be forgotten
2 star = poor; a total waste of time
3 star = good; worth the effort
4 star = very good; what writing should be
5 star = fantastic; must own it and share it with others
Title: Night of the Living Trekkies (unabridged audio book review)
Author: Kevin David Anderson = bio suggests he's written dark fantasy/horror short stories and is working on a YA series
Co-Author: Sam Stall = previous writings include books on dogs and cats?!?
Narrator: Zack McLarty
Story Description: Jim (an ex-Star Trek fan who is also an ex-soldier) is caught in the middle of a Star Trek convention overrun with a virus turning convention attendees, coworkers and hotel guests into flesh eating zombies.
1) Zack McLarty started narrating and I thought it was Fisher Stevens who read Dirty Job by Christopher Moore. Though I love Fisher, Zack did a great job too. He performed different voices and well delivered dramatization making this an excellent narration.
2) Dirty Job had many laugh-out-loud scenes. This book had a few. I think this is because much of the humor relied on a person having more than a cursory knowledge of the Star Trek universe to get the jokes.
3) I've seen a few episodes of The Original Series and all the movies, but nothing else. Thus I got much of the humor, but felt like I missed a lot too, since I don't understand the slights against Babylon 5 fans, I don't know the nuances between the Trek races and the like.
4) I can see how there will be automatic market for this book amongst Trekkers (yeah, book educated me not to call them Trekkies) especially the constant fun made of Star Wars fans within the book.
5) The plot holds its own as a fun, summer read.
6) The characters are distinctive and not necessarily charactures of some John Campbell Hero's Journey archetype (The Mentor, The Herald, etc). Anyone can live or die at any moment. The only obvious archetype is the Romantic Interest.
7) Yes there are red shirts! Nuff said.
OVERALL:
If you are a sci-fi geek and have some knowledge of the Star Trek universe you'll enjoy this tongue-n-cheek story that makes fun of zombies, makes fun of Star Wars fans, makes fun of Star Trek fans and just plan makes fun and is fun.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
nicki
This is one of those things like "Zombie Strippers" or "Lesbian Vampire Killers" or "Jesus Christ, Vampire Hunter" that you have to watch (or read in this case) just because of the title. As someone who grew up watching a lot of Star Trek (more of the Next Gen/DS9/Voyager/movies than the Classic series) and has watched a few zombie movies, I couldn't resist something called "Night of the Living Trekkies."
They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but in this case that actually works. "Night of the Living Trekkies" provides you exactly what you'd expect: Trekkies fighting zombies. There's not much more or less to it. Also as you'd expect, this is not to be taken seriously.
The plot works pretty much like any zombie movie. Things are going along, then some alien parasites break out of a secure government facility outside of Houston. They cause people to become zombies and spread into the city, where there's a Star Trek convention being held at the Botany Bay Hotel. (The name of the hotel is one of the many references to Trek for obsessive geeks.)
Another reference is the main character's name: Jim Pike. This is an amalgamation of Jim Kirk and Christopher Pike, the two captains of the Enterprise in the original series. Jim has served two tours in Afghanistan and come home to take a job at the hotel. He's on duty--in a uniform eerily similar to those worn by Starfleet officers in the first six movies--when strange things begin happening at the hotel. Most of these strange things involve people being bitten and/or disappearing.
The book pretty much then goes on like "Dawn of the Dead" where Jim, his sister (dressed as an Andorian), a Princess Leia impersonator, and a couple other geeks struggle to survive as the zombies continue to multiply.
Where it veers off from most zombie movies is that the book provides some evil mastermind behind it all. If they can survive long enough, Jim and the others might find out who it is.
As I said, this book provides you exactly what you expect and not much more. The writing isn't pretty or anything special, just your basic potboiler fiction. The characters are pretty thin and most of the time is spend eluding zombies. But again, that's what you expect.
Overall, though, it's a fun, brisk read recommended for fans of Trek and zombies.
That is all.
They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but in this case that actually works. "Night of the Living Trekkies" provides you exactly what you'd expect: Trekkies fighting zombies. There's not much more or less to it. Also as you'd expect, this is not to be taken seriously.
The plot works pretty much like any zombie movie. Things are going along, then some alien parasites break out of a secure government facility outside of Houston. They cause people to become zombies and spread into the city, where there's a Star Trek convention being held at the Botany Bay Hotel. (The name of the hotel is one of the many references to Trek for obsessive geeks.)
Another reference is the main character's name: Jim Pike. This is an amalgamation of Jim Kirk and Christopher Pike, the two captains of the Enterprise in the original series. Jim has served two tours in Afghanistan and come home to take a job at the hotel. He's on duty--in a uniform eerily similar to those worn by Starfleet officers in the first six movies--when strange things begin happening at the hotel. Most of these strange things involve people being bitten and/or disappearing.
The book pretty much then goes on like "Dawn of the Dead" where Jim, his sister (dressed as an Andorian), a Princess Leia impersonator, and a couple other geeks struggle to survive as the zombies continue to multiply.
Where it veers off from most zombie movies is that the book provides some evil mastermind behind it all. If they can survive long enough, Jim and the others might find out who it is.
As I said, this book provides you exactly what you expect and not much more. The writing isn't pretty or anything special, just your basic potboiler fiction. The characters are pretty thin and most of the time is spend eluding zombies. But again, that's what you expect.
Overall, though, it's a fun, brisk read recommended for fans of Trek and zombies.
That is all.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
darcey
Jim is back from leading a battalion in Afghanistan, at a dead-end job as a bell-hop at a hotel in Houston. This weekend it is hosting a Star Trek convention, to which Jim's sister comes with friends (a self-important jerk who keeps hitting on her, an overweight super-trekkie, etc.). Zombie outbreak. Alien invasion. Next thing you know, Jim is smashing zombie heads next to a woman named Leia in a golden bikini (in a nod to the Trek-Wars rivalry) and a specialist in Klingon weaponry. Lots of Star Trek references, lots of suspense, lots of running and hitting. Lots of fun.
I'm a Star Trek fan but no super-fan. I've seen some key episodes of the original show (from The Best of Star Trek: The Original Series and The Best of Star Trek: The Original Series, Vol. 2, most recently), lots of episode from The Next Generation, and most of the movies. Even so, I caught enough references to enjoy it.
I recommend this as a highly effective escape read.
Note on content: Some language, lots of zombie violence, no sex scenes. (A little kissing, but it's not a kissing book.)
Why I read this book: I received it as a birthday gift and needed a pulpy escape.
I'm a Star Trek fan but no super-fan. I've seen some key episodes of the original show (from The Best of Star Trek: The Original Series and The Best of Star Trek: The Original Series, Vol. 2, most recently), lots of episode from The Next Generation, and most of the movies. Even so, I caught enough references to enjoy it.
I recommend this as a highly effective escape read.
Note on content: Some language, lots of zombie violence, no sex scenes. (A little kissing, but it's not a kissing book.)
Why I read this book: I received it as a birthday gift and needed a pulpy escape.
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
lacilea24
Being a life long Trek fan, I was looking forward to reading this.
The plot is pretty straight forward. At a Stat Trek convention, zombies attack, and do what zombies do best, attack and eat people. It's up to a few survivors to fight off the Living undead.
There are a TON of Star Trek references. Each chapter is the title of a Star Trek TV (all of the Treks) episode, or names of a ST movie. The hero of the book is Jim Pike. If you're a Trek fan, that tells you all you need to know. There are a lot of nuggets that are referenced that refer to the Star Trek Universe. In a way, that's part of the problem. At first it was cute to pick up on all the nuggets. However, it went from being cute to grating on my nerves as the book went on. There are lines from the different ST show, and movies. A lot of references to Star Wars as well. To me, that was a drawback. It was just to much. At one point when Zombies are attacking, one character was quizzing another character on Star Trek trivia.
Overall, it was an okay read. I was glad I read it, but don't plan on reading it again. If you're a ST fan, the odds are that you'll get a kick out of it.
The plot is pretty straight forward. At a Stat Trek convention, zombies attack, and do what zombies do best, attack and eat people. It's up to a few survivors to fight off the Living undead.
There are a TON of Star Trek references. Each chapter is the title of a Star Trek TV (all of the Treks) episode, or names of a ST movie. The hero of the book is Jim Pike. If you're a Trek fan, that tells you all you need to know. There are a lot of nuggets that are referenced that refer to the Star Trek Universe. In a way, that's part of the problem. At first it was cute to pick up on all the nuggets. However, it went from being cute to grating on my nerves as the book went on. There are lines from the different ST show, and movies. A lot of references to Star Wars as well. To me, that was a drawback. It was just to much. At one point when Zombies are attacking, one character was quizzing another character on Star Trek trivia.
Overall, it was an okay read. I was glad I read it, but don't plan on reading it again. If you're a ST fan, the odds are that you'll get a kick out of it.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
sarahjean
Change the zombies to aliens, back up the clock about half a century, and you have a sure fire entry in the SF/F pulps of that era. It would have been published in mass market paperback only and sold for fifty cents or less. I bought and devoured dozens of them. (If I was very careful, I didn't even have to buy some of them. I worked in a drug store after school, so I could "borrow" and return them.)
You know the plot from the Product Description above. There is no need to add to that. You already know you're interested or you wouldn't be reading the reviews. It's a legitimate example of the genre.
This will never be confused with "literary fiction". In fact, the reader can see the events coming from miles away (or hotel floors away). There is humor and, depending on your definition, some "horror"; but neither exist in abundant quantity.
This is a light entrant into the field and will amuse you for a couple of evenings. It's fun, but mainly it's a good example of the true "pulp" of the genres from back when. Though the story has a pretty much honest-to-goodness ending, Anderson has left this wide open for a sequel. (Why am I not surprised?)
If you are a fan of such, go ahead and grab a copy. You'll read both better and worse this year, but this will end up in the stack with an "above average" label.
You know the plot from the Product Description above. There is no need to add to that. You already know you're interested or you wouldn't be reading the reviews. It's a legitimate example of the genre.
This will never be confused with "literary fiction". In fact, the reader can see the events coming from miles away (or hotel floors away). There is humor and, depending on your definition, some "horror"; but neither exist in abundant quantity.
This is a light entrant into the field and will amuse you for a couple of evenings. It's fun, but mainly it's a good example of the true "pulp" of the genres from back when. Though the story has a pretty much honest-to-goodness ending, Anderson has left this wide open for a sequel. (Why am I not surprised?)
If you are a fan of such, go ahead and grab a copy. You'll read both better and worse this year, but this will end up in the stack with an "above average" label.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
alecia
Quirk Books, who have kept us in supernatural horror characters like zombies, werewolves and vampires with PRIDE AND PREJUIDICE AND ZOMBIES and MANSFIELD PARK AND MUMMIES, tackles a media classic with this humor-edged survival tale about Jim Pike (hmmm...Jim Kirk...Christopher Pike...get it?), a veteran of two tours of duty of Afghanistan and former Star Trek fan who just wants to spend the rest of his life blending in with the woodwork, until the weekend GulfCon invades the hotel where he works as a bellboy. But it's not the invasion of the Trekkies that will bring Jim out of his torpor, but something more serious...something that looks like an invasion of...zombies? With his younger sister, a convention attendee, to protect, and others to help, Jim must find a way out for them, and fast.
This isn't great literature nor an insightful psychological portrait, but it is a well-paced, very often humorous, survival adventure. SF fans especially will enjoy the battle of wits against the mindless invaders (and no, they're not actually refugees from reality television...).
This isn't great literature nor an insightful psychological portrait, but it is a well-paced, very often humorous, survival adventure. SF fans especially will enjoy the battle of wits against the mindless invaders (and no, they're not actually refugees from reality television...).
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
wenhsiu
I thought this sounded hokey when I read the blurb, and it did start slowly, but then it pulled me in and kept my interest. I've been to various cons and met those who were REALLY into their characters, but this book grabs you and keeps you interested. It's not disrespectful of fandom but seems to pull out the inherent geekiness of the mundane.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
jessica earley
I saw the video advertising this book several months ago. While very funny, it reminded me of a Saturday Night Live skit so I put off reading the book until this week.
The prologue sets up a mysterious threat being contained in a secret underground military base that's been there for a long time. Then something goes wrong ...
The book starts with Jim Pike, a former Afghanistan vet that works at a hotel and has an adverse reaction to responsibility. A Star Trek convention is starting today and lasting through the weekend, but things have already started going wrong. Employees aren't showing up for work, other employees are disappearing and Jim's intuition is warning him that something is very wrong.
The book works very well as a straight zombie story, and the science fiction fan backdrop adds a decent amount of humor. Some of the humor is very obvious (Red Shirts) while some is a bit more subtle (Janice Bohica), but all of it shows fondness for SF and its fans. The descriptions of gore should satisfy most zombie lovers.
The prologue sets up a mysterious threat being contained in a secret underground military base that's been there for a long time. Then something goes wrong ...
The book starts with Jim Pike, a former Afghanistan vet that works at a hotel and has an adverse reaction to responsibility. A Star Trek convention is starting today and lasting through the weekend, but things have already started going wrong. Employees aren't showing up for work, other employees are disappearing and Jim's intuition is warning him that something is very wrong.
The book works very well as a straight zombie story, and the science fiction fan backdrop adds a decent amount of humor. Some of the humor is very obvious (Red Shirts) while some is a bit more subtle (Janice Bohica), but all of it shows fondness for SF and its fans. The descriptions of gore should satisfy most zombie lovers.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
vanessa kramer
Night of the Living Trekkies / 978-1-59474-463-1
I'm a big fan of zombie literature, but being a rather niche genre like it is, it's hard to consistently find new and well-done material. When I selected "Night of the Living Trekkies" to review, however, I was expecting something a little more parody based, and was pleasantly surprised to find that the novel is really quite a superb example of how to do zombie literature correctly. And although the novel calls out Trekkies in the title, people who are merely passingly familiar with the Star Trek series needn't worry - the colorful backdrop of the Star Trek convention is explained with enough detail to quickly acclimate the reader, but with a remarkable restraint and economy; really, this is almost the perfect way to handle niche genre matter.
Going in to the novel, I was a little concerned that the conceit of a Star Trek convention might be used as an excuse to play the main characters as blind to the obvious growing apocalypse long after any sane individual would realistically do so, but this isn't the case - the main characters are all delightfully Genre Savvy enough to figure out pretty quickly what the score is, and it's not long before they've all knuckled down to deal with the situation at hand. This is exactly what zombie literature *should* be, in my opinion - too much of the genre is dominated by either too much build-up at the start or too much navel-gazing at the safe spots in between (see also "Xombies") - and it's refreshing to see characters handle an apocalypse the same way most readers assume they themselves would at this point: with a minimum of disbelief, and enough shock and adrenaline to power through to the end.
"Night of the Living Trekkies" is only about 250 pages long, and fast readers will be able to plow through it in an afternoon, but the short length here really *works* - it's a tight-clenched ride through an extremely tense night of zombie mayhem, and never succumbs to the temptation to bog down in tedium, leaving me personally unable to put the book down after the first few chapters. Long-time fans of zombie literature will undoubtedly welcome this new offering into their libraries, as long as they can enjoy a touch of Star Trek and Star Wars themed trivia. Whether or not people approaching this as parody literature (a la "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies") will be satisfied remains to be seen - there isn't really an underlying story here besides the overarching apocalypse narrative, but the characters are deep and relatable, with a surprising level of characterization and growth throughout, so it's hard to imagine anyone being dissatisfied with the novel at large.
NOTE: This review is based on a free Advance Review Copy of this book provided through the store Vine.
~ Ana Mardoll
I'm a big fan of zombie literature, but being a rather niche genre like it is, it's hard to consistently find new and well-done material. When I selected "Night of the Living Trekkies" to review, however, I was expecting something a little more parody based, and was pleasantly surprised to find that the novel is really quite a superb example of how to do zombie literature correctly. And although the novel calls out Trekkies in the title, people who are merely passingly familiar with the Star Trek series needn't worry - the colorful backdrop of the Star Trek convention is explained with enough detail to quickly acclimate the reader, but with a remarkable restraint and economy; really, this is almost the perfect way to handle niche genre matter.
Going in to the novel, I was a little concerned that the conceit of a Star Trek convention might be used as an excuse to play the main characters as blind to the obvious growing apocalypse long after any sane individual would realistically do so, but this isn't the case - the main characters are all delightfully Genre Savvy enough to figure out pretty quickly what the score is, and it's not long before they've all knuckled down to deal with the situation at hand. This is exactly what zombie literature *should* be, in my opinion - too much of the genre is dominated by either too much build-up at the start or too much navel-gazing at the safe spots in between (see also "Xombies") - and it's refreshing to see characters handle an apocalypse the same way most readers assume they themselves would at this point: with a minimum of disbelief, and enough shock and adrenaline to power through to the end.
"Night of the Living Trekkies" is only about 250 pages long, and fast readers will be able to plow through it in an afternoon, but the short length here really *works* - it's a tight-clenched ride through an extremely tense night of zombie mayhem, and never succumbs to the temptation to bog down in tedium, leaving me personally unable to put the book down after the first few chapters. Long-time fans of zombie literature will undoubtedly welcome this new offering into their libraries, as long as they can enjoy a touch of Star Trek and Star Wars themed trivia. Whether or not people approaching this as parody literature (a la "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies") will be satisfied remains to be seen - there isn't really an underlying story here besides the overarching apocalypse narrative, but the characters are deep and relatable, with a surprising level of characterization and growth throughout, so it's hard to imagine anyone being dissatisfied with the novel at large.
NOTE: This review is based on a free Advance Review Copy of this book provided through the store Vine.
~ Ana Mardoll
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
bess browning
Have you ever wondered what would happen if there was a zombie outbreak at a Star Trek convention?
Me neither, but self-proclaimed "lifelong science fiction geek" authors Kevin David Anderson and Sam Stall have apparently given it way too much thought, and this oddly enjoyable little book is the result.
In the prologue, entitled "Space Seed" (Yes, all of the chapters are named after Star Trek episodes whose titles fit the action.), in a secret underground bunker located on the grounds of the Johnson Spaceflight Center, just outside Houston, Texas, containing the carefully guarded and highly secured remains of a still secret, successfully contained zombie outbreak, something is going wrong. ALL of the computer controlled doors are opening, releasing their contents....
Meanwhile, fifteen miles away, back at the Botany Bay Hotel and Conference Center in downtown Houston, former world's biggest Star Trek fan and decorated Afghan combat veteran platoon squad leader, more recently bellhop, current Assistant Uniformed Staff Manager Jim Pike is awakened from another flashback dream of Afghanistan (he was sleeping on the job again) in order to deal with a kid pointing a toy phaser at and scaring guests. Though there are only 262 registered GulfCon guests at present, in a few hours there will be more than 3,000 walk-ins (including Jim's little sister Rayna and an RV-load of friends) attending the biggest all-Star Trek con in the South, and hotel staff members are calling in sick or showing up with bite wounds. Human bite wounds....
Jim's famed "spider sense", the instinctive sense of danger that had kept him and most of the men he commanded alive back in Afghanistan, was tingling, and he didn't know why,...
but WE do, don't we?
Yes, though our hero doesn't know it yet, the Zombie Apocalypse is already underway. Soon Jim Pike, the man who has devoted his entire post Army life to AVOIDING any responsibility for the lives of others, will be stuck with the task of delivering his sister, a ragtag group of Trekkers and Trekkies, and one Star Wars fan who REALLY picked the wrong hotel to safety, as the world comes to an end around them,...
or does it? Can a bunch of fanboys and fangirls reach down and find their inner Klingon, Andorian, Vulcan, (sorta) Horta, Redshirt, or other Starfleet Academy graduate, plus one seriously lost Princess Leia, and figure out a way to save the planet?
How could you ever have doubted?
Note: Though there is a lot of funny stuff in here (including one darkly hilarious running gag about a group of Trekkies who formed a club celebrating the original series Redshirts, the usually unnamed extras who ALWAYS died instead of Kirk, Spock, or McCoy, after beaming down with them, in the process apparently triggering some sort of curse so that Ensign Willy Makit, NOT his real name, his real name is WORSE, is the last survivor out of 8 former members of the West Texas Red Tunic Club, none of whom perished from zombie attack but rather from one insane, stupid accident after another), this is NOT a funny book. Most of the humor (outside of the Star Trek inside jokes) is the gallows humor of a group of people who expect to die in the end.
Most of them turn out to be right. But as a story of people going above and beyond what they ever thought they were capable of when the chips are down and their friends (and the World) are depending on them, it works very well, like the similarly themed though much more lighthearted Galaxy Quest.
Note: You don't have to be a Star Trek fan to enjoy Night of the Living Trekkies, but it certainly helps.
Me neither, but self-proclaimed "lifelong science fiction geek" authors Kevin David Anderson and Sam Stall have apparently given it way too much thought, and this oddly enjoyable little book is the result.
In the prologue, entitled "Space Seed" (Yes, all of the chapters are named after Star Trek episodes whose titles fit the action.), in a secret underground bunker located on the grounds of the Johnson Spaceflight Center, just outside Houston, Texas, containing the carefully guarded and highly secured remains of a still secret, successfully contained zombie outbreak, something is going wrong. ALL of the computer controlled doors are opening, releasing their contents....
Meanwhile, fifteen miles away, back at the Botany Bay Hotel and Conference Center in downtown Houston, former world's biggest Star Trek fan and decorated Afghan combat veteran platoon squad leader, more recently bellhop, current Assistant Uniformed Staff Manager Jim Pike is awakened from another flashback dream of Afghanistan (he was sleeping on the job again) in order to deal with a kid pointing a toy phaser at and scaring guests. Though there are only 262 registered GulfCon guests at present, in a few hours there will be more than 3,000 walk-ins (including Jim's little sister Rayna and an RV-load of friends) attending the biggest all-Star Trek con in the South, and hotel staff members are calling in sick or showing up with bite wounds. Human bite wounds....
Jim's famed "spider sense", the instinctive sense of danger that had kept him and most of the men he commanded alive back in Afghanistan, was tingling, and he didn't know why,...
but WE do, don't we?
Yes, though our hero doesn't know it yet, the Zombie Apocalypse is already underway. Soon Jim Pike, the man who has devoted his entire post Army life to AVOIDING any responsibility for the lives of others, will be stuck with the task of delivering his sister, a ragtag group of Trekkers and Trekkies, and one Star Wars fan who REALLY picked the wrong hotel to safety, as the world comes to an end around them,...
or does it? Can a bunch of fanboys and fangirls reach down and find their inner Klingon, Andorian, Vulcan, (sorta) Horta, Redshirt, or other Starfleet Academy graduate, plus one seriously lost Princess Leia, and figure out a way to save the planet?
How could you ever have doubted?
Note: Though there is a lot of funny stuff in here (including one darkly hilarious running gag about a group of Trekkies who formed a club celebrating the original series Redshirts, the usually unnamed extras who ALWAYS died instead of Kirk, Spock, or McCoy, after beaming down with them, in the process apparently triggering some sort of curse so that Ensign Willy Makit, NOT his real name, his real name is WORSE, is the last survivor out of 8 former members of the West Texas Red Tunic Club, none of whom perished from zombie attack but rather from one insane, stupid accident after another), this is NOT a funny book. Most of the humor (outside of the Star Trek inside jokes) is the gallows humor of a group of people who expect to die in the end.
Most of them turn out to be right. But as a story of people going above and beyond what they ever thought they were capable of when the chips are down and their friends (and the World) are depending on them, it works very well, like the similarly themed though much more lighthearted Galaxy Quest.
Note: You don't have to be a Star Trek fan to enjoy Night of the Living Trekkies, but it certainly helps.
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
jason millward
What more can one say - Star Trek and zombies. If this alone hadn't been enough to keep me salivating over this book, the quippy dialogue and plausible (Hey, it's zombies...where ANYTHING is plausible) storyline were right there.
As a huge Trekkie myself, I was pleased with the accurate Star Trek knowledge. And, as a zombie movie fan, I was happy with a somewhat unique (well, rarely seen) zombie infection scenario. My only complaint was the ending. I won't say why due to *spoiler* status, but the ending was not exactly my cup of tea. This, however, is a definite must read. And will SO be passed on to my Trekkie/zombie loving father and many others.
As a huge Trekkie myself, I was pleased with the accurate Star Trek knowledge. And, as a zombie movie fan, I was happy with a somewhat unique (well, rarely seen) zombie infection scenario. My only complaint was the ending. I won't say why due to *spoiler* status, but the ending was not exactly my cup of tea. This, however, is a definite must read. And will SO be passed on to my Trekkie/zombie loving father and many others.
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
karen mchenry
This tale of zombies infesting a hotel hosting a Star Trek convention is also a mildly humorous satire on Trekkies/Trekkers (the distinction is explained) and sci-fi fan conventions. As a thriller story, it's relatively fun following the progress of Jim and his attractive companion Leia as they gather a band of survivors and attempt to make it through the zombie horde and flee the hotel. However, the plot is rather primitive, even by the standard of zombie stories. Some scenes work OK, such as when the group fights their way through a few adjoining rooms to find a better strategic location in the hotel. In general, though, the story is full of interchangeable descriptions of zombie encounters in hallways, stairwells, lobbies, etc. As a parody, and I say this as a quasi-Trekker myself (the non-convention variety), all of the Star Trek references got tiresome after about the first ten chapters. I did like the way the chapter titles are all episodes of the original Star Trek program, and they often even relate to what will happen in that chapter. And occasionally the authors used something from the Trek mythos in a very relevant way to improve the plot, such as an important "costume change" for Jim late in the story. Overall, though, the excessive Trek references were a drag on the success of the plot, plus they will exclude non-Trekker readers.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
jolene houser
Zombie outbreak at a sci-fi convention? Yes please!
My sci-fi fandom belongs to that other Star saga but I know enough about this universe to get by. I think if you're a devoted fan of anything, you can appreciate a lot of the geekiness here even if you don't get the actual Trek references. In other words if you obsess about trivial things in any fiction universe, you're good to go.
The story itself is a lot of fun to read and moves right along. As far as the overall story, it's a fairly standard zombie breakout (aren't they usually though?) but they do add an original twist on the zombies themselves which is good to see.
Even if you're only a passing Trek fan like me, if you like zombie comedy, I'd recommend this to you!
My sci-fi fandom belongs to that other Star saga but I know enough about this universe to get by. I think if you're a devoted fan of anything, you can appreciate a lot of the geekiness here even if you don't get the actual Trek references. In other words if you obsess about trivial things in any fiction universe, you're good to go.
The story itself is a lot of fun to read and moves right along. As far as the overall story, it's a fairly standard zombie breakout (aren't they usually though?) but they do add an original twist on the zombies themselves which is good to see.
Even if you're only a passing Trek fan like me, if you like zombie comedy, I'd recommend this to you!
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
jhoanna
I know what you're thinking right about now, "Josh...reviewing a Sci-Fi novel?" The answer is yes, yes I am. My secret is out -- not a horrible secret, really. I'm proud of the fact that I'm a Sci-Fi geek and a fan of Star Trek. Also, this book is about zombies. ZOMBIES! How could I not read this?
Night of the Living Trekkies combines George Romero's Night of the Living Dead with Star Trek. Taking place at a Star Trek convention -- who hasn't been to one of those? -- the undead begin to rise from the dead and threaten to not only ruin the GulCon event, but to take over the greater Houston area and the world. Jim Pike, assistant manager at the GulfCon venue, ex-military man with two tours of duty behind him, leads the fight against a safe escape and trying to save the world against a parasitic, alien takeover.
It reads like an adventure movie, not so much an adventure book. The dialogue is quick, to the point, sarcastic and I felt like I could have had the same conversations with friends -- if I were to ever participate in the zombie apocalypse; I can only hope. Kevin and Sam did an awesome job of combining my favorite zombie movie with my favorite Sci-Fi television show. If you're an avid follower of the Star Trek franchise, you will be happy to see some inside jokes as well as an appreciation for all of the different series involved.
This isn't a work of art, highbrow lit, or even middlebrow lit. Night of the Living Trekkies is an enjoyable, fun, quick read. I recommend this if you're a fan of zombies or Star Trek. It isn't so over the top that a non-Trek fan wouldn't understand what is going on.
Night of the Living Trekkies combines George Romero's Night of the Living Dead with Star Trek. Taking place at a Star Trek convention -- who hasn't been to one of those? -- the undead begin to rise from the dead and threaten to not only ruin the GulCon event, but to take over the greater Houston area and the world. Jim Pike, assistant manager at the GulfCon venue, ex-military man with two tours of duty behind him, leads the fight against a safe escape and trying to save the world against a parasitic, alien takeover.
It reads like an adventure movie, not so much an adventure book. The dialogue is quick, to the point, sarcastic and I felt like I could have had the same conversations with friends -- if I were to ever participate in the zombie apocalypse; I can only hope. Kevin and Sam did an awesome job of combining my favorite zombie movie with my favorite Sci-Fi television show. If you're an avid follower of the Star Trek franchise, you will be happy to see some inside jokes as well as an appreciation for all of the different series involved.
This isn't a work of art, highbrow lit, or even middlebrow lit. Night of the Living Trekkies is an enjoyable, fun, quick read. I recommend this if you're a fan of zombies or Star Trek. It isn't so over the top that a non-Trek fan wouldn't understand what is going on.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
desmon walker
Zombie outbreak at a sci-fi convention? Yes please!
My sci-fi fandom belongs to that other Star saga but I know enough about this universe to get by. I think if you're a devoted fan of anything, you can appreciate a lot of the geekiness here even if you don't get the actual Trek references. In other words if you obsess about trivial things in any fiction universe, you're good to go.
The story itself is a lot of fun to read and moves right along. As far as the overall story, it's a fairly standard zombie breakout (aren't they usually though?) but they do add an original twist on the zombies themselves which is good to see.
Even if you're only a passing Trek fan like me, if you like zombie comedy, I'd recommend this to you!
My sci-fi fandom belongs to that other Star saga but I know enough about this universe to get by. I think if you're a devoted fan of anything, you can appreciate a lot of the geekiness here even if you don't get the actual Trek references. In other words if you obsess about trivial things in any fiction universe, you're good to go.
The story itself is a lot of fun to read and moves right along. As far as the overall story, it's a fairly standard zombie breakout (aren't they usually though?) but they do add an original twist on the zombies themselves which is good to see.
Even if you're only a passing Trek fan like me, if you like zombie comedy, I'd recommend this to you!
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
julia
I know what you're thinking right about now, "Josh...reviewing a Sci-Fi novel?" The answer is yes, yes I am. My secret is out -- not a horrible secret, really. I'm proud of the fact that I'm a Sci-Fi geek and a fan of Star Trek. Also, this book is about zombies. ZOMBIES! How could I not read this?
Night of the Living Trekkies combines George Romero's Night of the Living Dead with Star Trek. Taking place at a Star Trek convention -- who hasn't been to one of those? -- the undead begin to rise from the dead and threaten to not only ruin the GulCon event, but to take over the greater Houston area and the world. Jim Pike, assistant manager at the GulfCon venue, ex-military man with two tours of duty behind him, leads the fight against a safe escape and trying to save the world against a parasitic, alien takeover.
It reads like an adventure movie, not so much an adventure book. The dialogue is quick, to the point, sarcastic and I felt like I could have had the same conversations with friends -- if I were to ever participate in the zombie apocalypse; I can only hope. Kevin and Sam did an awesome job of combining my favorite zombie movie with my favorite Sci-Fi television show. If you're an avid follower of the Star Trek franchise, you will be happy to see some inside jokes as well as an appreciation for all of the different series involved.
This isn't a work of art, highbrow lit, or even middlebrow lit. Night of the Living Trekkies is an enjoyable, fun, quick read. I recommend this if you're a fan of zombies or Star Trek. It isn't so over the top that a non-Trek fan wouldn't understand what is going on.
Night of the Living Trekkies combines George Romero's Night of the Living Dead with Star Trek. Taking place at a Star Trek convention -- who hasn't been to one of those? -- the undead begin to rise from the dead and threaten to not only ruin the GulCon event, but to take over the greater Houston area and the world. Jim Pike, assistant manager at the GulfCon venue, ex-military man with two tours of duty behind him, leads the fight against a safe escape and trying to save the world against a parasitic, alien takeover.
It reads like an adventure movie, not so much an adventure book. The dialogue is quick, to the point, sarcastic and I felt like I could have had the same conversations with friends -- if I were to ever participate in the zombie apocalypse; I can only hope. Kevin and Sam did an awesome job of combining my favorite zombie movie with my favorite Sci-Fi television show. If you're an avid follower of the Star Trek franchise, you will be happy to see some inside jokes as well as an appreciation for all of the different series involved.
This isn't a work of art, highbrow lit, or even middlebrow lit. Night of the Living Trekkies is an enjoyable, fun, quick read. I recommend this if you're a fan of zombies or Star Trek. It isn't so over the top that a non-Trek fan wouldn't understand what is going on.
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
charles crawford
I really started reading this thinking I was on for a crappy book, but I was fortunately wrong! Kevin David Anderson does exactly what the cover title proposes: a campy zombie novel with a twist -- a twist where no man has gone before.
This is no Star Wars: Death Troopers, mind you, but it's very enjoyable (specially having only 256 pages), although the reader should meet certain qualifications to really enjoy this book: first, you have to know your Star Trek. I mean it. The text is packed with obscure references and campy "cameos" that the casual Star Trek fan will certainly miss. Also, you have to like zombie tales, because this book--is--gory!
The text is simple, direct and not over the top. The author wasn't trying to win a Nobel prize with the book, just some readers, and I think he does it pretty well. There's even love for Star Wars fans in here -- trust me, princess. Is it worth the full cover price? No. But if you find «Night of the Living Trekkies» at a garage sale or a used books store, grab it right away. You're going to be glad you did.
This is no Star Wars: Death Troopers, mind you, but it's very enjoyable (specially having only 256 pages), although the reader should meet certain qualifications to really enjoy this book: first, you have to know your Star Trek. I mean it. The text is packed with obscure references and campy "cameos" that the casual Star Trek fan will certainly miss. Also, you have to like zombie tales, because this book--is--gory!
The text is simple, direct and not over the top. The author wasn't trying to win a Nobel prize with the book, just some readers, and I think he does it pretty well. There's even love for Star Wars fans in here -- trust me, princess. Is it worth the full cover price? No. But if you find «Night of the Living Trekkies» at a garage sale or a used books store, grab it right away. You're going to be glad you did.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
julie booth
Excellent Star Trek parody with a little of Shaun of the Dead thrown in for comic relief. Night of the Living Trekkies was entertaining from start to finish. I just have a question for the authors: What have you got against Houston, Texas? LOL!
And I'm not too happy with what happened to the character named Janice in the novel. However, you had me glued to the pages. Any Star Trek fan worth her salt will recognize all the references to the series.
I was also impressed with the kick-butt female character, Leia (Shelly). All in all, a splendid piece of pulp fiction. Quentin Tarantino would probably be proud.
And I'm not too happy with what happened to the character named Janice in the novel. However, you had me glued to the pages. Any Star Trek fan worth her salt will recognize all the references to the series.
I was also impressed with the kick-butt female character, Leia (Shelly). All in all, a splendid piece of pulp fiction. Quentin Tarantino would probably be proud.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
virginia mae
I initially passed on this book because I thought it was riding the "Pride & Prejudice & Zombies" coattails. Then I read the blurb and saw that it was about a zombie outbreak at a Star Trek con. There's a REALLY good book out there called, "Bimbos of the Death Sun", which is about a murder at a sci-fi con (and it's one I HIGHLY recommend), so I figured I'd give this one a chance.
"Night of the Living Trekkies" walks a tight-rope between campy and horror, teetering any which way at any given moment, but, for the most part, succeeds in playing it straight. It's definitely entertaining, with enough geekiness to keep even the most devout Trekker involved. Jim Pike, the main character (Geek Check: How many of you linked him w/Christopher Pike? Friggin' Trekkies.), works his way through what is obviously the Zombie Apocalypse without becoming a Mary Sue. Bravo. If there is a downside to this book, it's only because I feel as though only con-goers will truly appreciate the work that went into this. However, as one of their intended audience (Star Trek/Star Wars/Sci-fi geek), I had a blast. :)
"Night of the Living Trekkies" walks a tight-rope between campy and horror, teetering any which way at any given moment, but, for the most part, succeeds in playing it straight. It's definitely entertaining, with enough geekiness to keep even the most devout Trekker involved. Jim Pike, the main character (Geek Check: How many of you linked him w/Christopher Pike? Friggin' Trekkies.), works his way through what is obviously the Zombie Apocalypse without becoming a Mary Sue. Bravo. If there is a downside to this book, it's only because I feel as though only con-goers will truly appreciate the work that went into this. However, as one of their intended audience (Star Trek/Star Wars/Sci-fi geek), I had a blast. :)
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
marlene calhoun
This book is a fantastic "throw away" book. Definitely not Shakespeare or whatever but entertaining as hell down to the last chapter. I bought it at BookCon on a whim: I love Star Trek, conventions, zombies.. What's not to love about this book? I wasn't disappointed. If you're looking for a great quick read, this is for you. Enjoy!
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
deirdre
I picked up this book with a mixture of anticipation and trepidation. The premise--zombies disrupt a Star Trek convention--really appealed to the sci-fi loving, convention-going geek in me. But the amateur critic in me was fearful it would be utter rubbish.
To my delight, Night of the Living Trekkies satisfied both parts of me.
Authors Kevin David Anderson and Sam Stall have loaded their story with countless references to the Trek Franchise--and toss in a little love for some other sci-fi shows too. They even managed to make Star Wars an essential and surprising logical part of the plot.
They have also created a smart, funny and extremely readable tale, a sci-fi/zombie parody with a heart.
The protagonist, a world-weary veteran of the war in Afghanistan named Jim Pike, is well-drawn and extremely likable. As the book opens, Pike is marking time as assistant manager in a Houston hotel, the site of a small Trek convention. But as the guests and staff fall victim to a zombie plague, Pike finds the will to survive and the strength to save others.
This turned out to be one of the most enjoyable books I've read all year. The mix of Star Trek, humour and horror is a real winner.
To my delight, Night of the Living Trekkies satisfied both parts of me.
Authors Kevin David Anderson and Sam Stall have loaded their story with countless references to the Trek Franchise--and toss in a little love for some other sci-fi shows too. They even managed to make Star Wars an essential and surprising logical part of the plot.
They have also created a smart, funny and extremely readable tale, a sci-fi/zombie parody with a heart.
The protagonist, a world-weary veteran of the war in Afghanistan named Jim Pike, is well-drawn and extremely likable. As the book opens, Pike is marking time as assistant manager in a Houston hotel, the site of a small Trek convention. But as the guests and staff fall victim to a zombie plague, Pike finds the will to survive and the strength to save others.
This turned out to be one of the most enjoyable books I've read all year. The mix of Star Trek, humour and horror is a real winner.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
sarah kemp
I seriously laughed outloud several times during this book. You don't even have to be a huge Star Trek fan to enjoy it. Admittedly, I am a fan of the original Trek series, and a fair weather fan of Next Generation, but I never ventured beyond that. I do, however, love a good zombie book, and this one was very fresh and different than the usual zombie/survival horror. There is a refreshing sci-fi twist to the zombies, but they still fall into the classic, slow, Romero style flesh eaters. Several of the Star Trek references were over my head, but the ones I missed did not interfere with the flow of the story. There are also several fun 'Star WARS' puns that had me cracking up. I was very pleasantly surprized with this book. It was funny, but without crossing the line of becoming a 'comedy,' and it maintained the serious tone needed to be called a 'horror' book. The characters were lifelike and believable, and the writing was top notch. If you've read my review this far, you should just buy this book. It was great, and I am going to recommend it to several of my friends.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
anouska
"Trekkies" is not great literature, but you probably figured that much out from the title. It is, however, a really fun read that mashes up tropes from Star Trek, Star Wars, geek fandom, and (of course) the best of zombie films. The writing is very occasionally clunky, but it's a fun romp that makes up for a "by-the-numbers" approach of setting up the protagonist and supporting characters. It would work *great* as a film. If you've enjoyed "Shaun of the Dead" and/or "Galaxy Quest," you'll have a lot of fun with this as well. Great summer reading, or good for a diversion any time.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
anne solaas
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. From the chapter headings, episode names, to the obscure references, it moved at a good pace and wasn't overly predictable. I say overly as it did follow the normal genre outline, but there were some enjoyable twists. Definitely a worthwhile read for any Trek fan.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
karen lewis
Night of the Living Trekkies is an omage and parody to the fans of Star Trek. It takes the The Big Bang Theory: The Complete Fourth Season to a new level and you should set your phrasers on fun.
Disillusioned army vet Jim Pike is home from Afghanistan and working as a "glorified bellhop" in a hotel in Houston that's preparing to host hundreds of Star Trek fans for GulfCon, the "biggest all-Trek con in the South.. Then the virsus takes over.
This romp hits on all Science Fiction fandom with a humourous poke in the eye. If you want good fun and like Trek, this parody is for you
Bennet Pomerantz
AUDIOWORLD
Disillusioned army vet Jim Pike is home from Afghanistan and working as a "glorified bellhop" in a hotel in Houston that's preparing to host hundreds of Star Trek fans for GulfCon, the "biggest all-Trek con in the South.. Then the virsus takes over.
This romp hits on all Science Fiction fandom with a humourous poke in the eye. If you want good fun and like Trek, this parody is for you
Bennet Pomerantz
AUDIOWORLD
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
oyet
This work appeals more to dedicated Trekkies than to zombie fans. Non Trekkies will miss a lot of the humor. But, as a sci-fi nerd who likes zombies, this was perfect! Lots of nerd humor and peppered with a ton of ST references. Those familiar with Star Wars also get their share of references and jokes as well. Yes, the story and characters lean on the silly and superficial side, but I expected it to be more of a nerd comedy/parody than a "serious" book. A fast read, and very enjoyable. I rarely read books twice, but this one is good enough, I would definitely read it again.
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
tiago
Not a complete waste of time.
I probably would have enjoyed this more if I was more familiar with more of the Star Trek universe than just the original series. Unfortunately, by the time they were on TV I was working swing shift and didn't really get a chance to watch them. Also, I'm not a big zombie fan.
That said, I did still find a fair amount of humor (which was what I was mainly looking for in this book) and the plot did have a few twists I wasn't expecting.
All in all, nice brain candy. I would recommend it if you want a nice relaxing read.
I probably would have enjoyed this more if I was more familiar with more of the Star Trek universe than just the original series. Unfortunately, by the time they were on TV I was working swing shift and didn't really get a chance to watch them. Also, I'm not a big zombie fan.
That said, I did still find a fair amount of humor (which was what I was mainly looking for in this book) and the plot did have a few twists I wasn't expecting.
All in all, nice brain candy. I would recommend it if you want a nice relaxing read.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
annamarie
Decent character development for this genre. The story is well paced, with a bit of a surprise twist at the end. Bone up on your obscure Star Trek trivia to catch all the references in the book, though many are explained for the casual Trekkie. As an added bonus the protagonist's love interest drops tons of Star Wars quotes, worked in to the story line as a tongue in cheek running gag.
If you are a fan, or just a sci-fi geek, this is a MUST read.
If you are a fan, or just a sci-fi geek, this is a MUST read.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
lbernick
A fun read, not a lot of character development, but if you've been to a Con or two, you will recognize the feel of the story. It was a quick, effortless read that was enjoyable. Yeah, faint praise, but I wasn't expecting Shakespeare either.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
nathanial
I picked up this book with a mixture of anticipation and trepidation. The premise--zombies disrupt a Star Trek convention--really appealed to the sci-fi loving, convention-going geek in me. But the amateur critic in me was fearful it would be utter rubbish.
To my delight, Night of the Living Trekkies satisfied both parts of me.
Authors Kevin David Anderson and Sam Stall have loaded their story with countless references to the Trek Franchise--and toss in a little love for some other sci-fi shows too. They even managed to make Star Wars an essential and surprising logical part of the plot.
They have also created a smart, funny and extremely readable tale, a sci-fi/zombie parody with a heart.
The protagonist, a world-weary veteran of the war in Afghanistan named Jim Pike, is well-drawn and extremely likable. As the book opens, Pike is marking time as assistant manager in a Houston hotel, the site of a small Trek convention. But as the guests and staff fall victim to a zombie plague, Pike finds the will to survive and the strength to save others.
This turned out to be one of the most enjoyable books I've read all year. The mix of Star Trek, humour and horror is a real winner.
To my delight, Night of the Living Trekkies satisfied both parts of me.
Authors Kevin David Anderson and Sam Stall have loaded their story with countless references to the Trek Franchise--and toss in a little love for some other sci-fi shows too. They even managed to make Star Wars an essential and surprising logical part of the plot.
They have also created a smart, funny and extremely readable tale, a sci-fi/zombie parody with a heart.
The protagonist, a world-weary veteran of the war in Afghanistan named Jim Pike, is well-drawn and extremely likable. As the book opens, Pike is marking time as assistant manager in a Houston hotel, the site of a small Trek convention. But as the guests and staff fall victim to a zombie plague, Pike finds the will to survive and the strength to save others.
This turned out to be one of the most enjoyable books I've read all year. The mix of Star Trek, humour and horror is a real winner.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
eileen guo
This book combines two things nerds (myself included) love: zombies and Star Trek. Our protagonist Jim Pike is a veteran of the war in Afghanistan, home in Texas working at a terrible job in a hotel. The hotel is hosting the next GulfCon, a regional Star Trek convention. Soon, people become infected with a zombie virus that spreads throughout the convention, and all hell breaks loose. It's up to Jim to assemble a crew of unlikely heroes to defeat the zombie army!
You don't have to be a huge Star Trek nerd to enjoy this book, but in my opinion if you know at least a little about Star Trek you'll get more out of it. The story is loaded with inside jokes and references to Star Trek. Each chapter title is a title of a Star Trek episode. The name of the hotel is the Botany Bay (oh no!) And there are all kinds of comments about the Borg collective, Ceti Alpha Six, and Klingons. Even Jim's last name is a reference for the true fans of `classic' Trek.
It's a fun story, not anything I haven't really read before, but enjoyable and worth the time. You'll definitely get a few laughs out of it, even if you're not that into Star Trek.
You don't have to be a huge Star Trek nerd to enjoy this book, but in my opinion if you know at least a little about Star Trek you'll get more out of it. The story is loaded with inside jokes and references to Star Trek. Each chapter title is a title of a Star Trek episode. The name of the hotel is the Botany Bay (oh no!) And there are all kinds of comments about the Borg collective, Ceti Alpha Six, and Klingons. Even Jim's last name is a reference for the true fans of `classic' Trek.
It's a fun story, not anything I haven't really read before, but enjoyable and worth the time. You'll definitely get a few laughs out of it, even if you're not that into Star Trek.
Please RateNight of the Living Trekkies (Quirk Fiction)
We listened to this as an audiobook, narrated by Zach McLarty, so our review is based on that version.
My Review
Today, all my gentle readers get to find out one of my secrets ... I am a closet trekkie. Being a lover of the original Star Trek series and a lover of good zombie stories, I thought the two together would be very amusing. This story was a perfect mix of the two.
The authors were great the way they snuck in little bits and pieces of different Star Trek trivia into the story. I especially enjoyed the way the trekkies started fighting off the zombies with the different Klingon weapons.
The zombies are from a brave new world and they are seeking out new life and new civilizations ... oh wait ... sorry I slipped for a moment there. The main hero in our story is named Jim (no not James T. Kirk) and he is a closet Trekkie. He is working at a hotel where a Star Trek convention is being held. He was once a military soldier, but now he just wants to sit around and mindlessly do his job. When strange things start happening in his hotel, he can no longer sit back and do nothing. His sister has come to the convention with a bunch of her friends and Jim must find a way to make sure they get out of the hotel alive.
If you are a Star Trek fan, I highly recommend this book. It is a `must have' for all Trekkies. If you are not a Star Trek fan, it's not too late! If you are not a Star Trek fan and don't want to be one, but you are a zombie fan, you will love how lots of trekkies eaten or turned into zombies.
My Rating: 5 Stars ... I loved this book!
Jasmin's Review
Night of the Living Trekkies was the story about a bellhop that used to be an ex-Military-esque person who, during a Star Trek convention, has his hotel flooded with zombies from outer space. I had to have my mom explain a few references to me, but for the most part I'm enough of a mini-Trekkie myself to understand them. The book was HILARIOUS! I simply adored it and was thrilled when I got to listen to it with my mom when we were in the car. The voices were perfect for every situation and the Star Trek humor just about made be bust a gut laughing in several different places. The ending was great, and I have to say my all time favorite character was `Willie Makeit'.
5 out of 5 Stars. May this book live long and prosper.
The Narration Review
This audiobook was narrated by Zach McLarty and he had a great cast of voices tucked in his trekkie belt. I think he must be a trekkie because he did really well imitating the Klingon voices. It was very enjoyable listening to him telling this Star Trek-Zombie tale.