Tag: humor

Review: No Plot? No Problem!

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No Plot? No Problem!Chris Baty, No Plot? No Problem!: A Low-Stress, High-Velocity Guide to Writing a Novel in 30 Days

This book, written by the creator of NaNoWriMo, explains the origin of his crazy idea to write a 50,000-word novel in 30 days. Its target audience is those creative, literature-loving types who often say to themselves, “Someday I’d like to write a novel,” but who haven’t actually done anything to make their dream happen. Baty’s central point is that the best way to write a novel is just to sit down and write it — and to give yourself an impossibly short deadline so that you can’t let procrastination or perfectionism get in the way. This book introduces the concept of NaNoWriMo and offers a guided tour of each week, complete with tips from people who have successfully hit the 50,000-word target in the past. It also offers suggestsions for how to keep motivated, what to do when you get stuck, and how to conquer your pesky Inner Editor.

Not sure if I’ve mentioned this yet, but I am participating in NaNoWriMo this month (and am already falling behind in my word count, due to an incredibly busy first weekend!), so I seized the opportunity to read this book before all the madness began. I really enjoyed Baty’s breezy, tongue-in-cheek tone, which underscores the fact that this is a ridiculous undertaking that is highly unlikely to produce quality work. I also found several of his suggestions helpful, particularly the idea of finding time to write every day by making a schedule and eliminating nonproductive activities. I know I can waste several hours a day doing nothing but watching TV or puttering around the apartment…but now I’m going to spend those hours writing intead! I should say, though, that this is not a good resource for learning about the craft of writing. Other than very basic definitions of plot, setting, and characters, this book doesn’t offer advice about style or improving the quality of your writing. I’d recommend it to people who are interested in doing NaNoWriMo, but those who want a more general writing guide should look elsewhere.

Review: Year Zero

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Year Zero: A Novel by Rob ReidRob Reid, Year Zero

Nick Carter is a midlevel associate at an intellectual property law firm. His biggest problems are lack of job security — if he doesn’t get on the partner track soon, he’ll most likely be fired — and his crush on the hot girl in his apartment building. But things get a whole lot worse for Nick when two aliens suddenly appear in his office and announce that Earth is in serious trouble. The aliens explain that Earth’s music is the most popular in the universe and that various alien species have been pirating the music at an alarming rate. Due to Earth’s copyright laws, the aliens owe us a whole lot of money — and they’re not happy about it. Can Nick use his legal knowledge and bluffing ability to save the world?

This is an extremely clever sci-fi novel whose success really depends on its premise. If the idea of aliens getting all worked up over copyright infringement appeals to you, you’ll most likely enjoy this book. Personally, I thought it was a funny and entertaining read. The satire of U.S. copyright laws and their total inability to deal with the Internet is pretty spot-on, but the book mostly focuses on silliness rather than social commentary. I loved the musical in-jokes, which mostly focus on classic rock (“year zero” to the aliens is 1977, the year in which they were first exposed to Earth music). Gotta love a universe where aliens will be reduced to a state of quivering ecstasy by hearing a Simply Red song! Anyway, as I said, if you like the premise, this one is worth a read.

Review: Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency

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Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by…Douglas Adams, Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency

It’s nearly impossible to describe the plot of this book, since there’s so much going on. Suffice it to say that it involves a murder, a mechanical monk (who believes things so you don’t have to), an extremely dull dinner at St. Cedd’s College, Cambridge, a ghost, a cutting-edge (in 1986) computer program, a conjuring trick, a time machine, and the poetry of Samuel Taylor Coleridge. There’s also some musings on Schrödinger’s cat, a sliver of romance, and a fairly staggering number of coincidences that ultimately demonstrate “the fundamental interconnectedness of all things.” In short, it’s a wacky sci-fi rollercoaster of a read, and fans of the “Hitchhiker” books should really enjoy it.

Normally this is the point at which I’d talk about what I liked, what I didn’t like, and my overall opinion of the book. But for some reason, I don’t have much else to say about it. I found it a very enjoyable read and laughed aloud several times (often in public). There were a few parts where the scientific explanations came dangerously close to going over my head, but I was always able to follow what was going on. I would have liked a little more character development for Richard, who is pretty much the only everyman in a world populated by nutcases. But Dirk Gently is absolutely delightful, especially when he’s bamboozling old ladies into paying for his trips to the Bahamas — because although he’s been hired to find their lost cats, the vacations are all part of his process. (OK, so I have things to say about it after all!) In short, I’d definitely recommend this book if you’re in the mood for some humorous science fiction. I plan to read the sequel, The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul, one of these days.

Review: Manalive

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Manalive by G. K. ChestertonG.K. Chesterton, Manalive

This novel takes place in a dull, dreary London boardinghouse whose inhabitants are terribly bored and listless — that is, until Innocent Smith bursts into their lives. Smith has extremely odd manners that startle the boardinghouse dwellers at first, but soon his gaiety and zest for life become contagious, even inspiring courage and romance in the hearts of the other characters. However, just as they’re all starting to enjoy themselves, Smith is cornered by two mental health doctors who claim that he is criminally insane. They accuse him of committing murder, burglary, polygamy, and a host of other crimes. The boardinghouse residents are shocked, but one of them suggests an informal “trial” to determine whether Smith is a force of good or evil.

I think the trick to liking this book is to approach it as a fable rather than as a novel in the traditional sense. There’s not much character development, nor is there a real plot to speak of; instead, the book satirizes modern psychology (“modern” being 1912, when the book was published) and explores a host of philosophical issues ranging from the profound to the (apparently) trivial. Being a diehard Chesterton fan, I enjoyed this book, but I wouldn’t recommend it to someone reading Chesterton for the first time. Start with Orthodoxy instead, which is a wonderful introduction to his style and his philosophy.

Review: Blotto, Twinks and the Ex-King’s Daughter

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Simon Brett, Blotto, Twinks and the Ex-King’s Daughter

This send-up of the Golden Age mystery stars the amiable but incredibly dense Blotto and his sister Twinks, who is both staggeringly beautiful and extremely intelligent. The story begins with the discovery of a body in the library (of course), which happens to belong to a visiting dignitary from Mitteleuropia. The exiled King Sigismund and his retinue are staying at Blotto and Twinks’ home due to a recent coup in Mitteleuropia by the ex-king’s traitorous brother. But the body in the library turns out to be the least of Blotto and Twinks’ worries when they stumble upon a plot to kidnap the ex-king’s daughter. Now they must save the ex-princess, infiltrate the Mitteleuropian court, and restore King Sigismund to his rightful place on the throne.

As with most parodies, enjoyment of the humor will vary widely from reader to reader; personally, I liked it and thought it worked well. The plot is, of course, ridiculous and wildly improbable, but that’s part of the fun. The characters are also fairly two-dimensional; even Blotto, the protagonist (of sorts), doesn’t really have any depth. But again, in my view, that’s not the point of the book. Rather, this novel is a playful homage to the classic British cozy, with more than a few nods to P.G. Wodehouse thrown in. Anyone who likes the Golden Age of mysteries would probably find a lot to enjoy and appreciate in this novel. That said, the jokes do get a bit repetitive, and they’re also not particularly subtle, so I can understand why some people might find the whole thing irritating rather than amusing. In my opinion, though, the book succeeds in being a fun, silly read, and I’ll most likely continue with the series.