Beware the Shatzilla!

Shatnerquest

By Jeff Burk

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

First, I feel I owe Jeff Burk an apology. In a past review of Cripple Wolf, I insinuated that the author did not like cats. From Shatnerquest, it is clear he loves cats, or at least one particular cat. You can count me in as an official Squishy fan. Grumpy Cat move over!

Shatnerquest is a sequel of sorts to the very funny Shatnerquake. Yet it is separate enough in plot to rank as a stand-alone. Its premise involves a trio of sci-fi/fantasy convention nerds and one fat cat who, having nothing to do after a sudden apocalypse, embark on a journey to save William Shatner. Why Shatner rather than another pop icon like Bruce Campbell or Adam West? As obsessed Star Trek fan Gary says, "Because Bruce can take care of himself and fuck Adam West."

Yes, there are plenty of pop culture references in this short novel. Enough to say it is primarily a satire of pop culture fandom. Yet the references are wide enough to entertain even the barely initiated pop culture geek. More importantly, the author uses these references in very creative ways (Look for a very polite Dalek) and is clearly having a lot of fun with them. As much as I liked Shantnerquake, I found Shatnerquest to be even more entertaining and creative. I especially loved the ending which features a climatic battle between Shatzilla and...sorry, no spoilers. It's too funny to give away.

So over all, this is a hilariously fun roller coaster ride. I give it a strong four stars but my two cats, who are also Squishy fans, give it five stars. So rounding out, an enthusiastic four and three-quarters stars.

P.S. My cats are mad at me because I didn't round up. They are not speaking to me and parading in front of the house with "Unfair to Squishy" signs. So, for the purpose of bringing peace to the family...five stars.


Method acquired: Purchased