Die Nacht Der Lebenden Trekkies (2011) - Plot & Excerpts
This was a fun, quick and campy read. If you like science fiction (especially Star Trek, though there is enough to keep Star Wars fans happy and even a Battlestar Galactica Easter egg) and zombie stories, than this will be right up your ally. I don't normally put to much into zombie stories, I have a hard time distinguishing them, but I love parodies and that is what this short novel does best. It is laugh out loud funny in parts and if you are even a mild Star Trek fan you will find yourself grinning at the inside jokes.To say that this is a well written sf story might be a bit much, but I don't think this wants to be taken seriously. In one scene, in which the red shirt motif is beat to death, the parody became a little too over the top for me. The characters have WAY too much knowledge of Star Trek, even characters who you wouldn't suppose would be Trekkies can answer obscure questions about the series. As a Native Texan, I found the geography to be a bit off. Especially at one point where the characters are "deep" in "West Texas" but haven't quite reached San Antonio. That area there...it's called Central Texas. West Texas is West of San Antonio, and Houston is considered to be East Texas. But now I'm just being a nit-picking Texan.Overall this was a quick read, I finished it in half a day; that provided some laughs; some genuine chills; was a fairly well thought out Zombie Apocalypse...as those things go...and a great bit of fun for a science fiction nerd like myself. What if zombies overran a Star Trek convention? Would the attendees’ devotion to the franchise, and possible familiarity with the science fiction genre, give them an advantage over non-fans in surviving a zombie attack? This humorous and enjoyable question is answered in Kevin David Anderson's and Sam Stall’s Night of the Living Trekkies.Jim Pike (yes, this pun should give you an idea of the tone of the book), was a life-long, devoted Star Trek fan, until a skirmish during his second tour of duty in Iraq had deadly repercussions for his team. That deadly encounter has shaken Pike’s faith in humanity, and more importantly in himself. Seeking to rid himself of as much responsibility as possible, Pike has been working as the Assistant Manager of the Botany Bay Hotel and Conference Center in downtown Houston (remember, you were warned about the puns). While the job isn’t challenging, Pike justifies this by telling himself, and others, that no one can/will get hurt as a result of the decisions he makes. And this appears to be true--until GulfCon, the world’s largest Star Trek-only science fiction convention, books the Botany Bay Hotel for its annual gathering. Now strange things are happening in the Botany Bay Hotel. People are dying, and the dead are rising and attacking. The streets surrounding the hotel are full of the reanimated dead. For a small group of fans attending the convention, Jim Pike, with his military training, plus their combined knowledge of Star Trek and science fiction, may provide their only chance to survive...Night of the Living Trekkies' plot is surprisingly solid for this type of parody, and the situations are both somewhat believable, in a Murphy’s law kind of way, and also rife with humor. Add to this a never-ending stream of sci-fi franchise-based puns and chapter titles, plus the retro pulp fiction style of the cover, and Night of the Living Trekkies is about as much fun as a Trekkie could ever hope to have while encountering a zombie!Reviewed by Daryl M., Librarian, Central Library,
What do You think about Die Nacht Der Lebenden Trekkies (2011)?
Better than I expected. I'm surprised this has not been adapted as a TV movie yet.
—Alex
A very fun read. Not going to tax your brain, but will entertain.
—manasa
A must-read for any trekkie who likes zombies!!!
—dietergaskin
