Beam Me Up, Scotty [Hardcover]

Michael Guinzburg (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 23, 1993

In a bone-chilling black comedy, recently recovered drug addict Ed T. provides his own lethal interpretation of the Twelve Step Program, when he begins brutally murdering crack dealers.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this robustly vicious, often outrageously slapstick first novel, drug-addicted alcoholic Ed T. joins a substance-abuse program HDA (Hard Drugs Anonymous) to sober up and win back his wife and sons. Filled with rage against dealers and himself, Ed immediately wavers in his resolve and visits a crack house where an accident with a crack pipe ("call it God, call it Freud, call it fate") leads him to kill the dealer and steal his money, his gun and his bloodthirsty dog. Sensing anew the possibility of recovery, Ed begins his personal 12-step crusade to rid the world of drug dealers and other street scum. In a first-person narrative that smacks of a lengthy acquaintance with AA, Ed turns self-help cliches on their heads to justify murder in a world where anything can be an addiction and spawn its own 12-step response. On one hand, Ed's tale is a brutal descent into urban degradation; on another, it's a hilarious parody of recovery programs (and the overused concept of addiction), placing Ed, a Jim Thompson-like character, in the middle of a Terry Southern-style satire. A classic comic ending, featuring prison inmates gathered for a BKA (Brutal Killers Anonymous) meeting, wraps up this alternately disturbing and laugh-out-loud debut.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

In his first novel, Guinzburg, who hails from a publishing family (his grandfather founded Viking), has created a cynical, seedy look at life in "Crack City," where addicts chant "Beam me up, Scotty" as they smoke the crack that takes them into another dimension. Ed, a recently detoxed drug addict, alcoholic, and sociopath, struggles with his damaged life and tenuous sobriety. It is at Hard Drugs Anonymous (HDA), a 12-step recovery program, that Ed learns about sobriety by attending meetings and forming new relationships. There is Myron/Myra, who is saving nickels for his sex-change operation; Rachel, a young and luscious sex addict; and Frank, a disgraced former cop. Guinzburg has cleverly depicted the HDA meetings; his dialog is true-to-life and quite explicit. The true story is, in turn, comical, satirical, violent, and shocking, as Ed takes the war on drugs into his own hands with the help of Natasha, his bull terrier. Not for the fainthearted, this well-written, chilling novel, optioned for a film, is for adventurous readers who thrive on collections of new fiction.
- Stacie Browne Chandler, Plymouth P.L., Mass.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 243 pages
• Publisher: Arcade Publishing; 1st edition (June 23, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1559702087
• ISBN-13: 978-1559702089
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,394,901 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best book I have ever read., November 20, 2000

By 

martin yoon (los angeles, ca United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beam Me Up, Scotty (Paperback)

Awesome, incredible. So funny. I never laughed so hard in my life, and really thought about what I read. There is sex, drugs, murder, tension, an outrageous bunch of characters who I loved. I can't believe this book is not a movie. Like Taxi Driver with humor and it actually says something about our sick society. If you read one book this year, make it this. Scotty rocks.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Addiction, murder, and 12 step programs, December 3, 1999

By 

Jacob Evans (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Beam Me Up, Scotty (Paperback)

"Beam Me Up, Scotty" is one of my all time favorite novels. Guinzburg portrayal of addiction to twelve-step programs, sex, food, crack and even murder is as powerful as it is hilarious. Guinzburg's style and imagery is harsh and brilliant! I can't wait until more of his work is published in the US.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sublime send-up of our self-help addled language and world!, September 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Beam Me Up, Scotty (Paperback)

Michael Guinzburg is an undiscovered writer of genius. A lyrical stylist with a richly deserved core of devotees (mostly in Europe where he is celebrated), his prose in Scotty nails the language of the Twelve Steps and our self-help addled culture with sublime hilarity. Read this book. Do it.