I’m warning you: this review is so totally non-objective. But as a look into the effects of pouring a strong solution of John Scalzi into my insane little brain, probably priceless.
I’m going to talk about how the book affected me. Just as John Scalzi comments that he’s writing from his own perspective of what worked for him, I’m giving you a mileage-may-vary review. Attempting to frame the text in some theoretical valuation of “goodness” is really not my strength.
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Sundays with Vlad: From Pennsylvania to Transylvania, One Man’s Quest to Live in the World of the Undead
by Paul Bibeau
A wacky tour-de-force through the history of vampires from a pop culture perspective. From the historical roots of the Dracula of history and the Dracula of literature and current Romania’s love-hatred of the idea of making money from its most famous icon, through a whirlwind of bad vampire movies, LARPS and the vampire subculture, this is a fun book to read in little bites at a time. I also like Bibeau’s version of the “real” story behind Bram Stoker’s Dracula.
Recommended when you need to procrastinate and yet extend your pop culture knowledge in a way most appropriate to the current social clime, i.e., Halloween. Get in touch with your inner Count Chocula.
Elephants on Acid: And Other Bizarre Experiments by Alex Boese
A bizarre and readable little book, capturing the strange ends of Science!. Perfect when you need some quick breaks between periods of beating your head against the next plot twist. And some of these little articles are inspiring! For instance,
- Back in the Victorian ages, real scientists were trying to revive the dead with electricity, a la Frankenstein. What if they had succeeded?
- An experiment involved people not seeing what was in front of their eyes—an “invisible” gorilla. That’s useful information for your mystery puzzle box.
- Milgram’s experiment. Obviously. But also Landis and the decapitation of rats.
Recommended. Also recommended are Boese’s books about hoaxes.
