Every now and then I will read a book that I was wholly unprepared for. I had a notion of what to expect, but then the tires screeched, a portal opened, and the story weaved into a different genre. I anticipated hummus. What I got was astrophysics.
This is what Zombie Spaceship Wasteland did to my brain.
I have been a longtime fan of Patton Oswalt, one of the sharpest comedians in the business. I love his stand-up shows and his television appearances always make me laugh. (His filibuster rant from Parks and Rec remains a laugh-out-loud delight.)
Thus, it stood to reason that I would enjoy his memoir, aptly titled Zombie Spaceship Wasteland. That might not sound apt, but fans of his work would certainly see the aptness. So I girded my expectations and dove in for a comedic adventure.
Just to get it out of the way, I did enjoy this book very much. But calling it a memoir completely misses the mark. It kinda is, kinda isn’t, very much is, and very much isn’t. Strap in, because the whiplash never relents. I learned about Patton’s stint as a movie theater usher, then enjoyed a comic depiction of vampires in New Orleans, then marveled at a selection of Chamomile Kitten Greeting Cards.
Yes, it’s as insane as it sounds.
And it’s also very, very funny.
That said, I think many people will read this through WTF goggles. I don’t think Oswalt would disagree or even shrug, as the book is admittedly insane. When he gets to the actual Zombie Spaceship Wasteland part, he says that the chapter is more for him than it is for us. (Not in a dismissive way, just in a “getting my thoughts on paper” comedian way.)
If I had to gripe about anything, it would be the never-ending flow of proper nouns. There are so many names, bands, books, and places, that they start to blend together. Granted, it does create an Oswalt tapestry, but the average reader will have a limited frame of reference. At the halfway point, I tossed them all into a “nerd-punk” silo, and that’s as a fellow Gen Xer.
Zombie Spaceship Wasteland is less of a memoir and more of a memoir-ish fever dream. And much like fever dreams, there are whimsical parts, grounded parts, and random encounters that force you to question your sanity. All of it is very funny and enjoyable, so long as you’re in the proper mindset. So if you’re looking for a unique read to shake things up, this quirky tome will certainly do the trick.
