Book Review: Night of the Living Trekkies

Let me begin by saying I am not a Zombie movie/fiction fan. I never got into the horror genre, thanks to a few family members that enjoyed watching horror movies and made me watch them, late at night, when I would spend the night as a child. That being said I will start this book review.

Even though I don't enjoy or "get" the zombie fandom, I didn't have that bias when I started this book. I actually happened to stumble across this book at a local book store that is going out of business and purchased the book at a lower discounted price than retail. I found it in the Sci-Fi book area along with licenced Star Trek books. Granted, I don't know what I was even doing in that section. I haven't read a Star Trek novel in years. Yet, fate brought me to this book. The saying, 'you can't just a book by its cover' is very true, but who could pass up seeing a zombified nerd dressed as Spock?  It certainly grabbed my attention.

I'll try to keep this as spoiler free as possible. The book opens up with an event of the zombies getting loose in a top secret location and then they run amok at a Star Trek convention in Houston, Texas. The main character is Jim Pike, a nice play on the names by combining the names of Captains James 'Jim' T. Kirk and Christopher Pike from the original Trek. He is a young guy that is trying to escape the world of responsibilites after serving two tours in Afghanistan by becoming a bellhop at the Botnay Bay Hotel and Convention Center (that is not even the beginning of all the Trek references in the book).

Much to his dismay he is promoted to assistant manager and is getting the hotel ready for a big weekend of Star Trek fans, Trekkies or Trekkers, (they discuss the differences in the book) for a Trek only convention. There has to be purity somewhere in the universe right? There is a very humorous introduction to one of the other main characters who happens to be a Star Wars fan, but I won't give it away. However, hotel staff and convention goers start encountering strange people and are getting bitten and falling ill. The typical zombie calling card from what I understand of the genre. Pike's sister is in attendence and is stranded in one of the upper levels of the hotel and it is up to him and the other non-zombified people he encounters to save her and themselves from the on-slaught of the zombies.

The story tends to be very predictable in a horror movie kind-of way throughout until over half-way into the book. The explaination for how the zombies came to be, to me, was very well thought out by the authors. All that is missing is the corny horror movie soundtrack playing in the background while I was reading. It could be how the authors intended to make it along with their love of Star Trek and sci-fi.

I knew this book would be a different read and I couldn't resist a book written by Star Trek fans that used episode titles from the various series as their chapter titles.  As mentioned before there is a lot of Trek references and quotes throughout that would make it enjoyable for the Trek fans.

'Living Trekkies' is worthwhile for a one time read. There is nothing that would make me want to re-read the book or want to keep it on my bookshelf.  Since the absence of new Star Trek episodes weekly on television for almost six years escaping into the world of these Star Trek fans fighting for their lives from the evil zombies made me apperciate being a fan and makes me want to go another convention minus the zombies!

The Lowdown:

Title: Night of the Living Trekkies
Authors: Kevin David Anderson and Sam Stall
Released: 2010
Publisher: Quirk Fiction
Price: $14.95

Overall: If you happen to find this book on the shelf of your local book store it might be worth picking up if you have a coupon or if the store is having a sale or look for it on your local library shelves. Since I am not a zombie fan, I don't know how this stacks up to what fans in that genre consider to be their "Wrath of Khan" or "First Contact", but it is definately worth a one time read. Enjoy!

My next review will be over the true story of how a father allowed his son to not go to school as long as he watched a few movies a week. The book is called, "The Film Club". I can't wait to start reading it.

Also, if you have any ideas of books you would want me to read and review please let me know. Now that grad school is coming to a close, I have more time to read things other than scholary journal articles and text books.