One of a series of comedy science fiction novels featuring slow-witted detective Frank Burly. By John Swartzwelder, the writer of 59 episodes of The Simpsons.
Dead Men Scare Me Stupid
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
By Lewis Aleman
Format:Paperback
If you're a fan of The Simpsons, you're already a John Swartzwelder fan. Not only has he written more episodes than any other writer, but his episodes are many fan favorites, such as Whacking Day (1993), Homer the Great (Stonecutters, 1995), Homer the Smithers (1996), and Homie the Clown (Clown School, 1995), along with 55 other incredible episodes.
Dead Men Scare Me Stupid is an adventure of Frank Burly, the world's most dimwitted, yet likeable, detective. In this adventure two of his former clients, who are not-so-coincidentally deceased, come to haunt and torment him from beyond the grave. The most devious of their actions is framing Frank for many unexplained crimes. The story takes off from there and doesn't stop. Even Amelia Earhart's body makes an appearance. Yep, that's right.
As one would expect from Swartzwelder's talent, the book is full of one-liners that will crack you up and stay with you long after you're finished the book. The jokes are so dense, one needs to watch to not read too quickly and pass over some humorous absurdity. This also makes the book great for a reread.
I'd recommend Dead Men Scare Me Stupid to any fan of The Simpsons, satire, or witty humor. Swartzwelder's a genius; this book won't disappoint.
Lewis Aleman
Author of The Anti-Vampire Tale
Dead Men Scare Me Stupid is an adventure of Frank Burly, the world's most dimwitted, yet likeable, detective. In this adventure two of his former clients, who are not-so-coincidentally deceased, come to haunt and torment him from beyond the grave. The most devious of their actions is framing Frank for many unexplained crimes. The story takes off from there and doesn't stop. Even Amelia Earhart's body makes an appearance. Yep, that's right.
As one would expect from Swartzwelder's talent, the book is full of one-liners that will crack you up and stay with you long after you're finished the book. The jokes are so dense, one needs to watch to not read too quickly and pass over some humorous absurdity. This also makes the book great for a reread.
I'd recommend Dead Men Scare Me Stupid to any fan of The Simpsons, satire, or witty humor. Swartzwelder's a genius; this book won't disappoint.
Lewis Aleman
Author of The Anti-Vampire Tale
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
By Michael Cody
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I've read all of his books and was really excited when his latest came out. From the very first line I was already rolling. I haven't finished the book to entirety yet but I have to say this may be his best work to date.
"Well they found Amelia Earhart, that's the good news"
Also a hilarous gag where Frank tries to punch a ghost and comments that it felt like punching the air "I take that back, it felt like punching my lamp"
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
The worst part? I have to wait who-knows how long for his next book.
"Well they found Amelia Earhart, that's the good news"
Also a hilarous gag where Frank tries to punch a ghost and comments that it felt like punching the air "I take that back, it felt like punching my lamp"
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
The worst part? I have to wait who-knows how long for his next book.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I have only one complaint about this book: IT'S TOO SHORT!!!
Don't get me wrong--Mr. Schwartzwelder ties up all the loose ends rather nicely and VERY HUMOROUSLY! I just wish there was more to read about this story! 143 pages aren't enough!
I'm not the type to give spoilers, but this is kind of a detective/ghost-story/insane-government-takeover-plot story. Normally I'm not big on ghost stories, but this one is VERY GOOD.
Anyway, I should explain my review title. The whole time I was reading this book, I kept thinking, "Schwartzwelder's Frank Burly is just like Adams' Dirk Gently!" (If you don't know what I'm talking about, read Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams) Schwartzwelder knows just about everything there is to know about comedy-writing and makes ghosts at once hilarious and frightening. His writing is a little less sarcastic than Douglas Adams' though, but rest assured it's not any less funny. In fact, it's even funnier in some cases, because I found myself thinking the character knew what he was talking about (it's written in 1st person), and then two sentences later I'd realize--nope, he's just a completely idiotic buffoon! Very very very very very VERY GOOD STUFF!
Don't get me wrong--Mr. Schwartzwelder ties up all the loose ends rather nicely and VERY HUMOROUSLY! I just wish there was more to read about this story! 143 pages aren't enough!
I'm not the type to give spoilers, but this is kind of a detective/ghost-story/insane-government-takeover-plot story. Normally I'm not big on ghost stories, but this one is VERY GOOD.
Anyway, I should explain my review title. The whole time I was reading this book, I kept thinking, "Schwartzwelder's Frank Burly is just like Adams' Dirk Gently!" (If you don't know what I'm talking about, read Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams) Schwartzwelder knows just about everything there is to know about comedy-writing and makes ghosts at once hilarious and frightening. His writing is a little less sarcastic than Douglas Adams' though, but rest assured it's not any less funny. In fact, it's even funnier in some cases, because I found myself thinking the character knew what he was talking about (it's written in 1st person), and then two sentences later I'd realize--nope, he's just a completely idiotic buffoon! Very very very very very VERY GOOD STUFF!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By J. Castaldi
Format:Paperback
This book might possibly be the greatest achievement in the history of all mankind. Sure, there's a chance it might not be; but it might be, too.
By Daniel
Format:Kindle Edition
The prices and covers for Swartzwelder's books seem to suggest either confidence or just a lack of caring about grabbing an audience. He's just doing this for himself, apparently.
And it really shows in his comedy, in the best possible way. This isn't to say "not for everyone! This is too obscure/intelligent for the unwashed masses!"
I mean that the Frank Burly series really gives off the vibe of a comedy genius just doing something for his own amusement. It's pure funny, straight from the tap. Don't expect any deep plots, or even for the series to restrain itself from returning to Swartzwelder's fascinations over and over again. It's just great line after great line after great line, stringing itself together into complete, absurd stories.
I'm singling out Dead Men Scare Me Stupid in particular, because it has to be my favorite of the series I've read. It's tempting to just quote a passage, but it'd be a struggle to point out a particularly stand-out moment in a random page, or even to tell when that moment ends. Burly's narration just keeps knocking it out of the park, whether he's digressing about the purposes of eyebrows or describing a court scene.
So, yeah. It may be a little pricy for the size of the book, but this is the kind that begs you to reread it again and again.
And it really shows in his comedy, in the best possible way. This isn't to say "not for everyone! This is too obscure/intelligent for the unwashed masses!"
I mean that the Frank Burly series really gives off the vibe of a comedy genius just doing something for his own amusement. It's pure funny, straight from the tap. Don't expect any deep plots, or even for the series to restrain itself from returning to Swartzwelder's fascinations over and over again. It's just great line after great line after great line, stringing itself together into complete, absurd stories.
I'm singling out Dead Men Scare Me Stupid in particular, because it has to be my favorite of the series I've read. It's tempting to just quote a passage, but it'd be a struggle to point out a particularly stand-out moment in a random page, or even to tell when that moment ends. Burly's narration just keeps knocking it out of the park, whether he's digressing about the purposes of eyebrows or describing a court scene.
So, yeah. It may be a little pricy for the size of the book, but this is the kind that begs you to reread it again and again.
By Sam Addison
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
Very Funny book. Deals with supernatural, government conspiracies, time travel and what to do if you find Amelia Earhart in your car trunk.
By A. White
Format:Paperback
Like many Simpsons fans who are familiar with John Swartzwelder I too heard about his books through episode commentaries. I knew John wrote more episodes than anybody (is that still true going into their 24th season?) and in my humble opinion his writings consistently make the best episodes of the show, so I figured I would like his books as well, and I do!
Although I intended to read them in order, as I do with most stories, I received this one first as a gift and got through it over a weekend. The story was a bit odd, even considering where it came from, but it was still absolutely hilarious, and I made the mistake of reading it in public making me a bit of a specticle.
I gave it four stars instead of five for seemingly petty reasons but I stand by them none-the-less: Since I started with the fifth book of the series I wasn't prepared for the craziness or characterization of Frank. I didn't really buy into some of Burly's antics toward the latter half of the book, while he was a ghost; they just didn't seem feasible to me, despite the fact that it was completely fictional. Besides those vague things I really enjoyed reading it and may do so again once I read the first four. Another point I also feel needs a mention is that the books in this series are about a quarter the size, if not even smaller, than the average novel yet costs double the standard amount. Granted $16 isn't really that much but considering you can read this in an afternoon I can't say it's entirely worth the cost. That opinion might change if the covers were more artistic or there were some Simpsons tidbids that you can't find anywhere else (as just two examples although Burly prefers at least three), but I felt all that was worth a star reduction.
Although I intended to read them in order, as I do with most stories, I received this one first as a gift and got through it over a weekend. The story was a bit odd, even considering where it came from, but it was still absolutely hilarious, and I made the mistake of reading it in public making me a bit of a specticle.
I gave it four stars instead of five for seemingly petty reasons but I stand by them none-the-less: Since I started with the fifth book of the series I wasn't prepared for the craziness or characterization of Frank. I didn't really buy into some of Burly's antics toward the latter half of the book, while he was a ghost; they just didn't seem feasible to me, despite the fact that it was completely fictional. Besides those vague things I really enjoyed reading it and may do so again once I read the first four. Another point I also feel needs a mention is that the books in this series are about a quarter the size, if not even smaller, than the average novel yet costs double the standard amount. Granted $16 isn't really that much but considering you can read this in an afternoon I can't say it's entirely worth the cost. That opinion might change if the covers were more artistic or there were some Simpsons tidbids that you can't find anywhere else (as just two examples although Burly prefers at least three), but I felt all that was worth a star reduction.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Kind Of Stupid, But Also Funny
Frank Burly is at it again in John Swartzwelder's fifth book, "Dead Men Scare me Stupid." This is the fourth book in the Burly series, and this time he's being haunted by the... Read more
Published on November 30, 2010 by Chad S. Groen
5.0 out of 5 stars
Too funny for words
I have read some of MR. Schwartzwelder other books and this one ranks up there with them. I the main character, Frank Burly, and the way he approaches life. Read more
Published on November 18, 2010 by Ricardo J. Noriega
4.0 out of 5 stars
I love Swartzwelder
It reads like a Simpsons episode and if you only have a little leisure time to read, this book is great for getting in a few pages here and there with weeks or months in between. Read more
Published on November 4, 2010 by Schmeagle
5.0 out of 5 stars
As smart as Burley is stupid
No one writes intelligently about stupid people better than John Swartzwelder. He has a real knack for making the mundane thoughts we all have funnier than when we think them. Read more
Published on January 18, 2010 by Gene Glotzer
5.0 out of 5 stars
This Guy Is The Best John
His name should be John "The Best" Swartzwelder. Or "The Best" John Swartzwelder. Or, if he were to select a nickname, obviously, since he is the best, it would be better than my... Read more
Published on May 29, 2009 by Brendan
4.0 out of 5 stars
Schwartzwelder is still funny, but starting to recycle ideas
"Dead Men Scare Me Stupid" is #4 in the series of Frank Burly adventures, following "The Time Machine Did It", "How I Conquered Your Planet" and "The Exploding Detective". Read more
Published on May 18, 2009 by C. Wynes
3.0 out of 5 stars
Simpsons fan, but didnt laugh out loud
I made the decision to purchase this book after reading everyone else's review of this and Swartzwelder's other books. Read more
Published on January 22, 2009 by Danielle
5.0 out of 5 stars
Swartzwelder knocks another one out of the park with the fourth entry...
Another fantastic effort from Swartzwelder. Fun, well-paced and packed FULL of laughs (you'll laugh several times each page). Read more
Published on September 22, 2008 by Robert Miller
