When I was working on Leverage this summer, I spent quite a bit of quality time in Powell's world of books. On one of my trips into the store, I saw a little book with a fantastic cover that I knew I would be buying before I even laid a hand on it. That book was called … Shatnerquake.
I sent a picture to Twitter and said "How can I *not* buy a book called Shatnerquake?" It was, of course, a rhetorical question that I couldn't (and can't) summon the appropriate double-not-negatives to answer. What's important is that I bought it, took it back to my hotel, and read it the very next day.
Here's the review I posted to Goodreads:
It's like Lloyd Kaufman and Sam Rami's mutant offspring wrote a book. It's very funny, and doesn't try to be anything other than what it is: The William Shatner locked in surreal and hyperreal mortal combat with every character he's ever played, from the Priceline guy to Kirk.
I would have rated it higher, but it desperately needed to go to a copy editor, especially for the last two chapters.
With a little bit of clean up, though, this could become an underground sensation.
I hope it gets cleaned up and sent to another printing, because it's an incredibly fast read, right around 100 pages of highly-entertaining action, humor, parody, and more Shatnerlove than you could ever hope to see without being a green alien lady in 1968.
Today, Shatnerquake's author, Jeff Burk, is offering Shatnerquake as a free download. He says:
Thank you for devoting some of your precious internet tubing to the downloading of my first book, Shatnerquake.
You may be wondering why I am offering my book for free. It is because I am an avid downloader as well. I believe that information, art, and entertainment wants to be free.
The internet has allowed us all so many opportunities to share with each other. To resist this is to resist the future. Others may attempt to block this forward progression with lawsuits and file protection. I, instead, want to do what I can to contribute to this wonderful digital community.
All he asks in return is that you write a review at Amazon or Goodreads. He reminds us that little actions like that really do help out independent artists, who rely on word of mouth from our readers to help our audience grow.
I think this is an exceedingly fair trade, though I would hope that if you enjoy Shatnerquake (and if you don't, please see your doctor right away) you'll find a way to support the author in a more direct, giving-him-money-so-he-can-pay-his-bills-or-maybe-buy-a-pony kind of way.
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Use the second link to RapidShare to download the book and wait 50 seconds for the free download button to appear. You may get a pop-up ad for some online casino. The other service requires a premium account to download this book.
I’m totally on this – already d/l’ed the pdf and will peruse it while I mmo-grind, then spend my down time on a brief critique. I WILL say that your quick synopsis has me VERY interested!
Thanks for the scoop, man!
(I love living in the future – someone 3000mi away makes a book suggestion and I HAVE a readable copy before I’ve finished reading the recommender’s missive!)
Oh, and Pete? No, MEGAUPLOAD has the same options – immediate with a premium account, or wait about a min (I myself has 45sec) to d/l for free.
I’m EXCITED to have this BOOK
in my possession.
It will
be READ
SOON!
Thanks for this Wil! Already got the pdf and will peruse this during an MMO-grind, then craft up a brief critique during same free time later in the day. I will say that your synopsis of the work has me VERY INTERESTED!
Thanks for this tip!
(I love living in the future – someone a continent away makes a reading suggestion, and I can GET A READABLE COPY of the work in question BEFORE I’ve even finished reading the recommender’s missive! ^_^)
Oh, and Pete? No – MEGAUPLOAD has the same options as RapidShare: immediate d/l for a ‘premium account’, or wait about a minute (I had 45sec – maybe load related) to d/l for free. Heh, and I’ve got the “Online Casino – Get $/…” pop-under on my taskbar, too! 🙂
Guess I was too late. I couldn’t get free download from either site. Even after waiting on MEGAUPLOAD, I was told there were no free slots available and “encouraged” to sign-up for a premium account. ::sigh::
I just downloaded it, read the first chapter and am already hooked. Thank you for passing this on.
Khaaaaaan!
Keep trying. Give it an hour or two. Wil just posted this so a million people will be trying to access this at the same time. No wonder there aren’t any free slots left.
I just got it and sent a RT! Totally fantastic!
Love the intro letter to Shatner!
Thanks @wilw. I just downloaded it. If I like it I’ll probably buy it. Ain’t nothing like having books you love on your shelf!
Dude. Living in the future rocks. Got it!
Oh, and not that anyone keeps tabs on such things, but I’m baaack! Been reading from abroad but keeping mum for the most part. Now to catch up on Memories of the Futurecast!
Guess we’ve ‘WWDN’d the Rapidshare site – I’ve gotten the ‘no free slots available’ message as well…
And the web filter at my work doesn’t like the MegaUpload site at all so it won’t let me go there 🙁
Same problem here. Except it’s college, not work, so I’m *living* here. I’m hoping that Rapidshare gets its shit together so that I can partake in the Shatnerquake awesomeness.
This is off subject to the post, but just wanted to say YES…I am definitely for an autographed copy of your book…my luck I am too late. I was not at my computer yesterday. I have my autographed ‘Just A Geek’ book proudly displayed on my book shelf. Are you going to be doing any book promotions in Texas in the upcoming year? I would very much like to meet one of my favorite authors!! Anyway, sorry for the off subjest thing again…oh, and anything Shatner is worth the bucks.
Hey Wil,
I did one up – I like your book choices and just decided to purchase from Amazon!
Anything to help and support good authors! You turned me on to Cherie Priest and that was a phenomenal choice!
Bill
I wish I could be as enthusiastic about this as those who have posted before me. I downloaded the book this morning. I just finished reading it. Sorry, but it’s (at best) a mildly amusing SNL skit that goes on much too long. It was, however, well worth the price I paid. Only the cover art could justify my spending money on a hard copy.
I give the opening of Shatnerquake 6.0 on the Wheaton Scale. This might actually turn out to be popular enough to invite the lawsuit as he makes scads of cash from us Wheatonites. That said, I think I recall something about parody and whatnot being exempt from lawsuitedness (but I’m from Canada, so what do I know, eh?).
Finally got rapidshare to be agreeable and got my download. I suspect that never having been to a con (not much of that sort of stuff happens here on my island in Alaska), I’m missing a lot of the relevant humor, but still it was funny for about the first hundred ‘pages’ (pretty short pages, but what the hey, it was free)…
I really was able to visualize Wiliam F’ing Shatner doing this though, and the thought of those ‘Campbellians’ was hilarious!
Good news everyone!! Thanks!
Not to be nit-picky, but you misspelled Sam Raimi’s name. Normally, I wouldn’t bother mentioning something so trivial, but the name “Sam RAMI” sounds like a porn pseudonym.
Wow, you're right. I … feel really stupid for getting that wrong, especially because I know better.
Curses!
Hey Wil:
Thanks for getting the word out; my wife & I bought a couple copies the last time you mentioned it, and we enjoyed it immensely. So, I just spammed a bunch of my FB friends about the free download 😉
I’m very intrigued/scared by all the other crazy books in the back of Shatnerquake (not sure if the download includes this); someday I hope to acquire a bunch of those and save them for a power outage time-passer.
I finally gave up on Rapidshare. It just kept telling me there were no free slots available, to try again later -or- go premium. After an hour of that, I went to Megauploads, waited about 30 seconds for the free download button to pop up and got my free pdf.
*reading now*
Cool beans, Wil! Ever since you posted about getting that book when you were in Portland, I was more than a little bit curious as to which Shatner would prevail. I have a pretty good idea which incarnation will emerge victorious, and I’ve already stated that I really want to see Priceline Shatner to die a slow, painful death. But at the same time, come on, the gremlin seeing kook on the Twilight Zone seriously has no chance in hell of surviving this battle. T.J. Hooker, I imagine another Shatner running him over with a car just for the sheer fact alone that he was constantly rolling over car hoods all the time on that show. And let’s face facts here, you know he left some dents in those hoods because he was well, a little bit on the stout side at that point in his career, so he kind of deserves to die for doing that. And the fact that his name sounded like a porn star name. But enough with my crazy imagination, download complete, time to see if this book measures up to what I’ve been picturing in my head for all of these months.
Thanks everybody! I hope you at least find the book a shat-load of fun. All the rapidshare issues have finally been worked out. If you couldn’t download it before, you should be able to now.
And, thank you Wil for directing so many people towards my work.
OH Dear BOB YES!
I will also put something up on my site about it. SQUEE!
Sorry, it kinda happens when Shatner is involved.
Wow. That was a bit Jasper Fford-ish. Thanks for the heads up.
That’s totally awesome – it’s ALL about paying it forward, and simply knowing that if you don’t hold onto things that karma will come back around your way. Great to see the ball of giving rolling around 🙂
Thank you to everyone who downloaded Shatnerquake! To celebrate the huge success, Eraserhead Press has give me five more bizarro books to give away:
Ass Goblins of Auschwitz by Cameron Pierce
Super Fetus by Adam Pepper
Sausagey Santa by Carlton Mellick III
The Bizarro Starter Kit (orange)
The Bizarro Starter Kit (blue)
So go here: http://jeffburk.wordpress.com/free-books/
and download away!
Wil – Thank you so much for helping me out and giving my book more attention. If you would ever like any physical Eraserhead Press Books for review, email Rose O’Keefe at [email protected]
There is a book called “Cybernetrix” that is a Tron satire. Two words: Tron Sex. I think you would love it.
DAMMIT! I missed the chance to get Shatnerquake for free! AUGH! 🙁
I just downloaded it and am reading it off an on all day today. Also @ Wil… I just bought Mmemories of the Future, dood. Looking forward to a fun time. I will critique it on my blog and link you when I’m done.
Missed my chance at the freebie download. Drat! I’ll actually have to (*GASP*) buy it…
(Off topic)
Picked up Just a Geek about the time you were having the issue with the so-and-so giving away the pdf. I bought it off of Amazon and am just now getting to be able to read it. (Blame David and Leigh Eddings for my lack of reading time) I am enjoying it thoroughly and am learning more about the Wil Wheaton I thought I knew about. You’re my age and I always lived vicariously as a teen through your Star Trek role. Also, thanks for the vast laughs you got when I watched the Big Bang Theory and saw your episode. Please do it again! Apologies for the OT nature, but I didn’t see another place to make joyous geek comments.
Thank you, for a very entertaining read. I especially found it delightful that TJ Hooker got to roll around on a car hood in almost the exact same manner as I described in my post above. The book exceeded my expectations and then-some. Right after I post my review on Amaxon, I will most definitely be browsing through the other books in your collection. The titles to some of them alone make me want to go on a shopping spree.
This is an awesome idea…I had never even heard of this book, and after I read the first chapter from the free download, I’ve already ordered my copy! SO AWESOME!
http://www.livingwithanerd.com
Figures. The one day I neglect to read WWdN is the one day there’s a one-day deal. *sigh*
Thanks for the free chance for a good read – heavier than I expected, but once I had a better idea what to expect I quite enjoyed it.
Tron Sex… “Hey, baby, wanna ‘ride’ my ‘Light Cycle’?”
Or, Yori exclaimed, “That’s the biggest input-output tower I’ve ever seen!”
Not related to this post: CBS is doing an NCAA style bracket for best serial killer on Criminal Minds. Vote for Floyd Hansen!