The Eye of Argon [Paperback]

Jim Theis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 17, 2007

This is not a hoax. Jim Theis was a real person, who wrote The Eye of Argon in all seriousness as a teenager, and published it in a fanzine, Osfan in 1970. But the story did not pass into the oblivion that awaits most amateur fiction. Instead, a miracle happened, and transcribed and photocopied texts began to circulate in science fiction circles, gaining a wide and incredulous audience among both professionals and fans. It became the ultimate samizdat, an underground classic, and for more than thirty years it has been the subject of midnight readings at conventions, as thousands have come to appreciate the negative genius of this amazing Ed Wood of prose.

Product Details

• Paperback: 76 pages
• Publisher: Wildside Press (April 17, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0809562618
• ISBN-13: 978-0809562619
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 6.6 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,280,435 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

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I Can't Wait for the Movie, January 20, 2007

By 

Numps "Medievalist" (Estes Park, Colorado - USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Eye of Argon (Paperback)

Truly the worst-written piece of fiction ever, this is a story you just can't put down. Burdened with layer upon layer of bad description, stilted dialogue, and pointless drivel, as well as reeking of adolescent hormones, this really really wanted to be the next Conan the Barbarian.

It wasn't.

With spelling that changes with every sentence (much like Elizabethan texts, but at least spelling had not yet been standardized then) and punctuation that seems mostly random, this can a challenge to read. But read it you must...if you can see through laughter-induced tears.

In fairness to the author, he was very young and tried very hard when he wrote this (his use of a thesaurus could be considered legendary), and it shows. No one could deliberately write this as bad fiction and be so successful. For those who have encountered The "Eye of Argon" at conventions or on the web, this is a book to be treasured, and to be shared. Why not gift a copy to your favorite sci-fi or fantasy enthusiast?

For Mystery Science Theater 3000 fans, a wonderful "MSTing" of this by Adam Cadre was posted on the rec.arts.sf.written newsgroup in 1996. Once you have read the book, search for one of the many copies of that version on the web and laugh yourself silly all over again.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The reviewers who rated "Eye" a "1" need a sense of humor, September 2, 2009

By 

Catherine Raymond (Malvern, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Eye of Argon (Paperback)

There's no denying it; Jim Theis's little book probably includes some of the worst prose in history. It's ridden with cliche, the grammar and spelling are a horrible botch, and what is done to innocent similes has got to be read to be believed.

Yet for decades after it was written, mimeographed and photocopied versions of the manuscript circulated at science-fiction conventions, where it often featured in contests to see who could read the largest sections without breaking into helpless laughter.

For The Eye of Argon is incredibly funny. The 16-year-old that Theis was when he wrote it probably did not intend it to be funny, but it is, and should be appreciated as such. I just hope that the publisher of the current, nicely-bound edition wasn't foolish enough to try to have its editors eliminate the spelling and punctuation errors, for those add to the tale's charm.

If you doubt this; try this experiment. Google for "Eye of Argon". There are copies of the manuscript on line. Try to read it. Out loud. Preferably at a party, after a few beers. That's the best way to appreciate this strange little work.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars The worst story ever written, and for that it's worth reading., October 22, 2007

By 

BDan Fairchild - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Eye of Argon (Paperback)

That's right, this is the worst story ever written. At the very least, the worst story ever to see the light of day. The plot is confused and clichéd, the characters at most one-dimensional, the language mangled nearly beyond recognition. It has been described as having been written by a teenager with three thesauruses and no dictionary. Every part of it is cringeworthy.

Nevertheless, it is worth reading (though not, perhaps, worth paying $8 for... especially as it is available on the internet). The manner of reading is important, however, for reading this monstrosity alone is pointless. Instead, gather a good-sized group of friends together, and sit in a circle. Have one person start reading, making sure to pronounce everything as written. When the reader laughs (or makes a mistake), he or she passes the story to the next person, and so on. I have seen some people so overcome that they were unable to get through a single sentence, or even a single word.