Bimbos of the Death Sun

Rating:
Summary: If you liked "Galaxy Quest", buy this. NOW!
Review: "Bimbos of the Death Sun" is the only murder mystery novel I've ever solved by reading the back cover blurb, but if you've ever been to a science fiction convention, you're bound to recognise most of the characters in this book and laugh out loud (and maybe cringe a little) when you do. Its caricature of the best-selling fantasy author is even less flattering than its portrayal of fans and gamers, but you can have hours of fun trying to work out who it's based on. If you live somewhere where you can't get to enough conventions and are feeling nostalgic, or if you've just run one and need cheering up, this is the perfect book for you.

Rating:
Summary: Don't judge a book by its title...
Review: "Bimbos of the Death Sun," just leaps off the stand at you and begs you to buy it quickly, carry it out in a brown paper bag, and read it while no one else is watching you. DO NOT FALL PREY TO THIS DESIRE. Read this book out in the open, and then recommend it to your friends. I guarantee they'll ask you what it's about when they catch sight of the title. Mine did. This book captures the highs and lows of a science fiction convention, and the fans who frequent them. Her characterization is quirky, and her stereotyping is twisted enough to be realistic, when referencing the fans and the guests. And you get a fun mystery, to boot. The only drawback that I found was the predictability of the story, but the imagery is so good, and the trivia so well entwined, that it's almost not necessary to have a plot. If you like this one, "Zombies of the Gen Pool," the sequel, is even better

Rating:
Summary: Why did they go to the disgusting "fen" zone?
Review: 10/02/00 Tallahassee, Florida 8:39 pm EDT

McCrumb'slight-o-love was {and hopefully still is} a Scottish engineer. He washaving terrible academic problems getting his original workpublished.

He eventually published his engineering discoveries in ascience fiction book with naked babes on the cover, just to get thematerial into "popular science." Title? BIMBOS OF THE DEATHSUN! The sycophantic "fans" at the SFCON were exactlylike the worthless thieving "students" that the engineer hadto fight off at the university.

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Summary: A splendid Review by Hadrian Badrian
Review: A scrumpdidlyumptious book. The funniest book ever created. Hilarious. I went into hysterics. I like the book. It was good. I like it a lot. It was splendid. Very splendid. It was my favorite book. Eyeryone who reads it likes it, I would imagine.

Rating:
Summary: You'll laugh until your face hurts!
Review: A university engineer and computer nerd writes his theories as science fiction, the publisher gives the book a racy title, and suddenly he's invited to a SF convention. And he thought *he* was odd... When the star author is found murdered, guess who has to help the poor detective figure out who done it, who existed, who was imaginary, and how do the computer illiterate find clues on the computer, anyway? Every character is well drawn, the plot believable, and the entire situation is hysterically funny. Flaunt this book at all your friends, carry it prominently on public transportation, and never, ever loan your copy.

Rating:
Summary: Can you laugh at yourself?
Review: An extremely fun and lighthearted romp through a sci-fi con for those who know and love them. Remember those sterotype characters aren't based ENTIRELY on fiction.

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Summary: Comedy/mystery for the misfit in us all
Review: As mysteries go, this book isn't much, but as a comedy/life study it still ranks as one of the best, in spite of being slightly outdated.

Sharyn McCrumb is a noted mystery writer, better known for her serious work, but here she sets her "mystery" at a sci fi/fantasy convention filled with a host of zany misfits and social outcasts and pays homage to a slew of science fiction and fantasy greats. The author shows a genuine fondness and respect for the people who are grocers, hotel workers and students in their every day lives, but come alive when given a chance to get together with their fellow geeks and dress up as sci fi/fantasy characters to play role-playing games, watch classic old movies and hear well-known authors speak. One such author is Appin Dungannon, the diminutive and hostile writer of a fantasy series featuring the Celtic warrior Tratyn Runewind, who is the source of both the author's fame and his reknowned wrath and disdain for his fans. When the author turns up dead at a sci fi/fantasy convention, Lt. Ayhran, the police officer assigned to investigate the murder, must deal with wargamers, elves, filksingers and Jay Omega, an engineering Ph.D. who has written the unfortunately titled "Bimbos of the Death Sun," and is attending his first con with his folklore professor girlfriend, Marion. The two team up with the police to help solve the murder, but not before taking us on an adventure through the world of the fantasy convention. I fell in love with the fat girls, the skinny nerds, the would-be authors, the tech geeks, and all the other characters that populate this novel. The book is laugh out loud funny in places, educational about folklore, and compassionate in the extreme. A fun, quick read that you'll come back to time and time again, because even when you know who did it, you'll still want to hang out with the characters.

Rating:
Summary: Does to cons what should be done to cons
Review: Before I start, let me say that I'm a minor SMOF (secret master of fandom) who has been a panelist and masquerade MC at several regional cons and one Worldcon. I wrote fan fiction, married an APAhacker, and participated in regular D&D runs until recently. I didn't go to cons for a while due to financial problems, but I'm going to Readercon next weekend. I'm also in the SCA.

And I thought this book was hilarious, and very much on point when it came to cons. I know a lot of fen who hated it because it stereotyped fandom...unfortunately, they forgot to remove the beam from their own eyes when contemplating the mote in Sharyn McCrumb's. This is a devastatingly accurate portrait of a small con, down to the enthusiastic fen who do nothing except write comments for each other's zines. There are plenty of everyday, normal weight folk who go to cons and live their lives, but that doesn't mean there aren't plenty of the Bernard Buchanans out there.

I loved it. And I really wish she'd write a third book in the series, maybe set at an SCA war. I know Mary Pulver did it already, but McCrumb can write her into the ground....

Rating:
Summary: Hysterical. Read it now! SF Cons get the pasting they Earn.
Review: Bimbos of the Death Sun, title aside, is a hysterical send-up of SF conventions, the events at SF cons, and the people who frequent them. While the author claims to have not pointed any of the stereotypes at any individual, I know individuals that I could fit to each of the people in the book. My spouse looked at me like I was nuts, because I kept giggling. Then she grabbed the book, and started reading, and I had to YANK to get it back. I suspect she'll be reading it tonight. She started in the the middle, and was giggling before she hit the first paragraph break.

Rating:
Summary: A book about a Sci-fi / fantasy convention, oh and a murder.
Review: Don't let the title fool you there are no bimbos and well the death sun only exists in the imagination of a fictional Sci-fi author Dr. James Owen Mega (a.k.a. Jay Omega). The story follows Jay as he attends his first ever Sci-fi / fantasy convention and gets introduced to convention etiquette along with the accompanying archetypal characters found at such events.

The book gives you an insiders (organizers) view of the systematic chaos that go on at most Sci-fi / fantasy conventions worldwide. Having an added murder / who done it sub plot adds just one more layer to the convention organizers ever growing list of issues and problems to straiten out all in the name of 'Fandom'.

If you have ever attended a convention you can read this book and laugh at the situations portrayed, if you've never been to a convention then hopefully if the book hasn't put you off the whole idea it has at least prepared you for what your going to come up against. ;0)

In all its a good story, not gripping but good for a few chuckles. Get the paperback and read it when you have nothing meaningful to do.