Bryan Young, the editor of Big Shiny Robot! has a new book and physical copies are now available for order.
Lost at the Con tells the tale of a drunken political journalist and his dangerous assignment to a sci-fi/fantasy convention. It’s a blend of fictional Gonzo journalism and geek culture in a way that is sure to please audiences inside and outside the geek community.
There are two shipping options available, one for the Continental United States, and another for anywhere else in the world. All copies shipped through here will be signed by the author. If you want a personalization on the autograph, be sure to note it through paypal or send an email. Also, be sure to check out his collection of short stories, Man Against the Future.
REVIEWS:
“Young’s style is terse and crisp. He writes in a way that compels you to keep flipping pages as you delve deeper and deeper into what is either the strangest of cultures you will ever enjoy or something warm and familiar to all geeks who go to these types of cons.
Young writes with a familiarity of this subject in a way that blends the best of gonzo journalism with comic book/pulp sensibilities wrapped with just a tiny bit of a noir vibe — perhaps that comes from the omniscient first person narrative style. But if I had to compare it to anything else, I’d call it Hell’s Angels meets Breakfast of Champions meets Amazing Spiderman”
Amy Ratcliffe, Geeks With Curves:
“Young’s hard-hitting style pulled me into the story immediately. The dialogue and story move in a direct and snappy tone. No time and words are wasted but nothing is rushed or bland.
This book has appeal for both geeks and new initiates like Cobb. From the geek perspective, it’s fun because you have the inside knowledge and you get to feel a little superior to Cobb. You’ll recognize the setting, but you’ll still be surprised by where events lead. I recommend checking it out.”
Here’s the cover art and synopsis of the book:
A political writer for a second rate, online news magazine, Michael Cobb is assigned by his editor to cover a sci-fi and fantasy convention in a bid to humiliate him.
Since Cobb can’t afford to turn down the job, he heads to Georgia and dives head first into the world of Griffin*Con, renowned the world over as the Mardis Gras of geek conventions. In Atlanta he finds a place that takes geeky debauchery to new heights: science fiction and fantasy, cosplay, booze, sex, comic books, drugs, slash fiction, and more.
Can he make it through this assignment without snapping and winding up on the front page of the paper himself? Or will the entire experience change him in ways he’d never imagined possible?
About the author: Bryan Young is a man of many talents who works across many different mediums. As a film producer, his last two films (“This Divided State” and “Killer at Large”) were released by The Disinformation Company and were called “filmmaking gold” by The New York Times. He’s also published comic books with Slave Labor Graphics and Image Comics. He’s a contributor for the Huffington Post and the founder and editor in chief of the geek news and review site Big Shiny Robot!
If you’re a member of the press and would like a review copy or request an interview, email a request to editor (at) bigshinyrobot.com