Night of the Living Trekkies (Quirk Fiction) [Paperback]

Kevin David Anderson (Author), Sam Stall (Author)

Book Description

Release date: September 15, 2010 | Series: Quirk Fiction

Journey to the final frontier of sci-fi zombie horror!
 
Jim Pike was the world’s biggest Star Trek fan—until two tours of duty in Afghanistan destroyed his faith in the human race. Now he sleepwalks through life as the assistant manager of a small hotel in downtown Houston.
 
But when hundreds of Trekkies arrive in his lobby for a science-fiction convention, Jim finds himself surrounded by costumed Klingons, Vulcans, and Ferengi—plus a strange virus that transforms its carriers into savage, flesh-eating zombies!
 
As bloody corpses stumble to life and the planet teeters on the brink of total apocalypse, Jim must deliver a ragtag crew of fanboys and fangirls to safety. Dressed in homemade uniforms and armed with prop phasers, their prime directive is to survive. But how long can they last in the ultimate no-win scenario?

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Science fiction geekdom meets the zombie apocalypse in this engaging and genuinely funny parody. 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." The already surreal convention turns nightmarish when convention-goers begin turning into cannibalistic zombies. As tricorder-wielding flesh-eaters overrun the city, Pike and a small band of survivors, armed with Klingon bat'leths and Vulcan lirpas, must find a way to escape. The fusion of campy zombie-powered storyline, abundant Star Trek trivia, and hilarious one-liners makes this an utterly unforgettable read that will be cherished by Trekkies, Trekkers, and horror fans alike. (Sept.) (c)
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Review

“Absolutely terrifying!”—Fangoria

“Has the zombiepocalypse ended its undead run on bookstores yet? Not if Kevin David Anderson and Sam Stall can help it.”—Los Angeles Times, Jacket Copy

 “A fun, highly readable action tale packed with obscure Trek references, all wrapped in a sturdy, fast-paced and cinematic story.”—Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Shock Room

“Lovers of the zombie genre will definitely breeze through this book, while Star Trek fans will revel in the abundance of in-jokes and shout-outs to their beloved franchise.”—Geeks of Doom

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Quirk Books (September 15, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1594744637
• ISBN-13: 978-1594744631
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.7 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (111 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #483,355 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 39 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars 5 star pulp July 31, 2010

By Margaret Dybala VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

Clearly, as hinted in the title, this is not "War and Peace." My 5 stars is not because it is a great work of literature. But this book is a very, very readable and very, very enjoyable piece of summer fluff. It's like when you go see a movie with a similar title -- you don't expect oscar performances, but you can still truly enjoy it.

Having said all that: this book is about a young man who has just gotten back from several tours of duty in Afghanistan and is having some problems adjusting. He is a very sensitive young man. He just wants some peace and quiet in his life, and no responsibility for life and death decisions. As a bellhop in a hotel in Houston, he believes he has found a perfect job. Meanwhile, somehow, through a plot that actually works, Houston is overrun by zombies, and our hero and a clever bunch of other characters must escape.

OK. You've heard that plot before. What I liked, really liked about this book (and believe me, it is almost unique), is that 1) Hey! The plot actually hung together! The continuity was excellent! It didn't end with a last chapter that was impossible, given the first chapter! 2) I liked the characters! There was witty conversation and a humorous point of view through the whole thing. The book was just, in general, entertaining.

I enjoyed it!

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars If you're a Trek fan, this is a must read September 6, 2010

By Jill Florio TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

I adored every second of Night of the Living Trekkies. For fans of the Trek universe - and no series is left out - you will delight in each page. There are Klingons, Ferengi, Vulcans, Andorians, Tellarites, a Horta (sorta) and even Princess Leia. While that last bit doesn't seem to make sense, it's the best gag in the story.

And of course there are zombies.

I was reminded of Galaxy Quest with this novel. You have real people in costumes stuck in an otherworldly situation. The crisis demands they get into character to survive. There's even a Red Shirt worried about his chances (he's named, natch, Willie Makit). There's also the same wry yet bright humor splashed across the tale. This is a very fun read.

The zombies, shuffling flesh eaters like we expect, have their own twist. Imagine Galaxy Quest with Die Hard (we're trapped in a hotel for 4/5ths of the story), a bit of Shaun of the Dead (but you get to smack down the undead with modern-day phasers and Klingon weaponry instead of a Cricket Bat), Resident Evil (there's a virus, sort of) and I am Legend (night time is baaaad). With a a little of short-film fan favorite George Lucas in Love thrown in for fun. I was as happy with this story as a Klingon with a new bat'leth.

Non-Trekkers are not going to get this tale. In fact, casual Trekkers will miss a lot of inside jokes. SERIOUS Trekkers are the intended audience and for those readers, Night of the Living Trekkies rates five stars.

Zombie fans might give this a go, just to be well rounded in their genre. But an interest in Sci-Fi is still advised.

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Pleasingly Pulpy Paperback! August 28, 2010

By Danno VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

If you're looking for a quick, fun horror/sci-fi spoof you might want to check out "Night of the Living Trekkies." It's the latest in a seemingly endless series of pop culture/zombie crossovers that include "Marvel Zombies," "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies," and "Paul is Undead." The cover - a brilliant pastiche of the old lurid 50 cents drugstore paperbacks - pretty much lays out the premise for you. There's a zombie outbreak at a Star Trek convention and various con-goers and hotel workers have to do their best to rise to the occassion and stay alive. All of this is exceptionally tongue-in-cheek, so don't come to this novel expecting genuine scares.

The novel assumes that you haven't yet overdosed on zombie fiction and that you're someone familiar with Trekkie and sci-fi culture, two assumptions that may turn many of you away. I personally like the way the authors seem to have genuine affection for sci-fi fandom, as virtually none of the spoofing of fans or of fandom in general seems mean-spirited. The Trekkies may seem odd if you're not familiar with them (or you don't like them) but the various Trekkies in the novel run the entire gamut of what you're likely to encounter if you have many friends who love Star Trek. Again, I've read a lot of self-loathing literature about fandom and found this novel refreshing because within the microcosm of a convention, Trekkies are both heroes and villains. It's why I enjoyed the novel so much, along with its unashamed love of pulpy dimestore paperbacks.

On the negative side, there are so many zombie-themed books and movies out there that "Night of the Living Trekkies" is going to suffer by comparison due to overfamiliarity with the genre. That said, I enjoyed this book far more than "Marvel Zombies" or "Paul is Undead" and far less than "Zombieland" or "Shaun of the Dead" in regards to how well the chills were combined with chuckles. This isn't really a very creepy book, and isn't hilarious either. It works best as a very affectionate tribute to fandom and to two genres that don't seem to get a lot of respect.

In sum, I enjoyed reading this novel over a couple of extended afternoons, and strongly recommend it to Trekkies and their non-Trekkie friends. If you aren't in one of those two groups, or if you've seen more than 2 zombie films this year, it's harder for me to recommend it.