Bimbos of the Death Sun [Audiobook] (Audio Cassette)

Beyond that, however, the reviews depart from reality. I was expecting a good murder mystery wrapped in tightly written, funny sci-fi insider jokes. I got a grammatically correct novel with weak, unengaging characterizations, unworkable murder plot & plot resolution, and only a very, very thin scattering of humor aimed at things only sci-fi insiders would understand.
This book was written for the sci-fi OUTSIDER, laughing WITH the outsider, not embracing the insider fans & trade.

So, if you're a sci-fi fan, or looking for an engaging murder mystery, then look elsewhere.

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.

Still, I've got to give it 5 stars. It kept my interest (couldn't wait to finish it), was funny, and gave me a good feel for the stereotypes one would meet at a con. Now I understand more about my friends who are into SF.