I just finished listening to the CDs of Nuclear Jellyfish on a long roadtrip. I don’t think it’s Dorsey’s best, but it was fun to have Serge and Coleman along for the ride.
Tim’s work is often described as a cross between Dave Barry and Carl Hiaasen. I’m not familiar enough with Hiaasen to confirm that, but I guess the comparison is fairly apt. You could probably say that there’s even a bit of Dexter in the mix.
Beyond the crime/caper/unsuspecting bystander-in-over-their head plots, Serge’s mayhem and Coleman’s nonstop partying, I just love the element of non-stop Floridiana. For me, every book is like taking a vacation in the Sunshine State!
Heck yeah, love the Dorsey. And he’s answered my e-mail inquiries about audiobooks at least twice, which gives him extra points in my book.
So far I think my favorite is still Torpedo Juice; I have ebook and audiobook copies of every book he’s written since Cadillac Beach, at least, and ebook copies of all of them. But I haven’t read or listened to the latest ones yet, not since Hurricane Punch (which means I have three, I think, books to go through); I really liked George Wilson’s narration, especially as the voice of Serge, and while Oliver Wyman isn’t bad, he just doesn’t feel like Serge to me, you know?
Oh, and having read all of Carl Hiaasen’s novels and Dave Barry’s novels and other books, I’d say the comparison is pretty apt. Tim Dorsey is like their love child … on mescaline. Lots and lots of mescaline.
As I mentioned, one of the best things about the books is Serge’s love affair with Florida history. In Nuclear Jellyfish, he has set up a travel website with tips on things like making sure to back into parking spots and warnings about “barracuda hookers”. One of the subplots features his attempt to shop his hotel reviewing service at internet job fairs, with just the kind of results you’d expect.
In the course of his travels, Serge plays a (demented) knight in shining armour for several innocent tourists who fall victim to roadside scammers. He also hooks up with a down-on-his luck purveyor of Florida collectibles and explains the artistic movement of The Highwaymen. Great stuff.
Florida gives all three plenty of lunacy to work with. Hiassen has said that when ever he comes up with some preposterous storyline, actual events outdo him. I’ll probably get Dorsey’s latest book soon.
Are there any other authors one would recommend to a fan of Dorsey, Hiassen, Barry, and Christopher Moore? I’ve run out of their books, but would like more in a similar genre. Brian Wiprud is good and he’s got one or two I haven’t read, as is Bill Fitzhugh, but neither of them are ever in the bookstores for an impulse buy.
Serge is just the person to take along on road trips. Torpedo Juice was the first one I read, and I actually “read” it on audio book. Whenever anyone asks for an audio book recommendation, Torpedo Juice is my go-to. I’ve read all except Nuclear Jellyfish and Gator a Go Go. I am neck deep in King’s Under the Dome right now and don’t want to buy anything else till I finish it.
You say that like it’s a bad thing. Umm, well, yeah, sort of. Also disorienting is how dead people come back to life after being killed off in a previous book. Once you get past that it’s clear sailing.
Which book was it where Serge killed someone with napalm suntan lotion? And how abouit the guys he mummified alive?
Heh. I was going to say Christopher Moore, but too late.
Hmm. Matt Ruff? His books are good, at least Bad Monkeys and Sewer, Gas, and Electric: The Public Works Trilogy (which is just one novel, alas). But he doesn’t have anything recent, that I can see. Alas again!
Have you read Dave Barry’s novels? He only wrote two real “pure Dave Barry” novels, Big Trouble and Tricky Business, before getting involved with Ridley Pearson and writing some awesome-if-not-quite-authorized Peter Pan prequels, but they were both great, in my opinion. When I started reading Carl Hiaasen and Tim Dorsey, I felt that reading Dave Barry’s novels had totally prepared me. I was right at home.
I adore Tim Dorsey. I think I started a thread about him myself once. He’s one ofthe few current writers whose books I will always buy the second I see them on the shelves. Serge is one of my all time favorite literary characters.
I really love Orange Crush, by the way. The character obviously based on George W. Bush, (but with a soul) I think is one of the best Dorsey ever created and his story arc could be a great movie even without Serge. I find that book to be unusually moving for Dorsey, who is usually more anarchic and irreverant.
Oh, awesome, Diogenes … I had forgotten that I haven’t read Orange Crush yet because Tim told me in an e-mail that it wasn’t really in chronological order with most of the series, so I put it aside for later. Now I’m interested.
I too grab Tim Dorsey’s books the instant they hit the shelf. Also Christopher Moore and Carl Hiaasen and Dave Barry (even the Peter Pan books, though I really wish he’d start writing solo novels again – the Peter Pan books are good and his columns are good, but I thought his novels were just plain awesome).
Heh: I even picked up a book at the bookstore the other day (First Contact, or, It’s Later Than You Think, by Evan Mandery) just because it had an endorsement from Tim Dorsey on the cover. And it’s pretty good so far.
I might have to check out the Peter Pan prequels, but I have read Big Trouble and Tricky Business, the latter which I just finished.
Thanks chorpler, I’ll look up Evan Mandery. We need more writers of light, humorous fiction. And for those who like political satire that can be roll-on-the-floor laughing good, let me recommend to you Christopher Buckley.