Be sure to stop by tomorrow for my interview with Louis!!
Die Laughing
By: Louis K. Lowy
AISN: B005D4Y85G
Published July 15, 2011 by IFWG
Available Format: ebook, paperback in August
My Rating: ★★★★★
The 1950s: Chuck Berry, Elvis, I Love Lucy, The Honeymooners, The Day the Earth Stood Still, East of Eden, Fred Astaire, Bette Davis, Thunderbirds, Studebakers, Sputnik I, and the Red Scare. Most of all, the 50s began the golden age of science fiction, and Louis K. Lowy combined the time period, science fiction, and a lot of funny to create a super exciting, entertaining read!
Sam E. Lakeside is a stand-up comic climbing the ladder of success when he is suddenly beamed aboard an alien spacecraft. These aliens, who can take the form of anyone they see on television, adopt a mobster to aid them in their plan to steal all the earth’s oil. When Sam’s manager (best friend) is murdered, Sam is set on revenge. With the mobster’s girlfriend and a black-listed comic book writer, Sam heads to New York and the Steve Allen Show to put an end to the alien threat. He finds he must make a monumental decision—his career or the earth’s survival.
I received a copy of Die Laughing for review.
I’ll admit, I wasn’t so sure about this one when I was asked to review it. Cheesy sci-fi and horror films and greasy comedians aren’t typically my thing. I have to say, however, Lowy might have converted me! This book was an action-packed page-turner! I absolutely loved that Sam E. was a comic and all these goofy little jokes were scattered throughout the story. The way he interacts with the other characters, sometimes shallow but showing a deeper side when he lets his guard down, made him so appealing and relatable. Each of the characters had some sort of wall around themselves, and as the story progresses we get to see those walls slowly come down.
I thought I didn’t know much about the 50s before I started reading this, but it really reminded me how much we have carried over into our generation. There were times that I felt like I had a quick, easy history lesson on all things 50s—well, the things that count, right? For someone that didn’t find the era that interesting, Lowy certainly brought it into a whole new light!
The idea that these aliens could take on the appearance of anyone they had seen on television was brilliant! When they were in their true form, they were pretty gross, but when they were Howdy Doody and Lucille Ball, they were hilarious. Not very smart, but funny…
Louis K. Lowy is a fantastic writer. His characters are well-rounded and perfectly developed. He knows how to describe a scene so the reader is actually transported within. Timing and pacing is spot-on. I cannot say enough great things about this book!
Even if you think this isn’t your thing, give it a shot anyway. I did, and I don’t regret it!!
Check out the video trailer for Die Laughing:
Die Laughing is now available for Kindle at Amazon. Nook and PDF formats will be available soon. The paperback version will be published August 2011.
You can learn more about Louis, Die Laughing, and his other work at: www.louisklowy.com.
