Genrenauts: The Shootout Solution

Genrenauts, Episode 1: The Shootout Solution by Michael Underwood, 154 pages

Leah Tang is failing as a stand-up comedian when a mysterious job offer comes her way, promising high adventure in any number of book and movie genres. Before she knows it, she's off to Western world, on a mission to help save a dusty town from bank-robbing bandits, hanging out in the saloon and learning to fire a six-shooter.

I'll be completely honest here: I wasn't that impressed with this novella. Yes, there were lots of funny bits and references to sci-fi and fantasy pop-culture touchstones, but overall, it was nothing to write home about. I picked this up because I like (OK, love) Jasper Fforde's absurdly clever adventures-in-fictional-worlds Thursday Next series, and I guess I was hoping that this might tide me over until the next Fforde book pops up. Instead, it reads like a ghostly pale imitation of Fforde's wonderful tales. If you've never read Fforde, this might not annoy you as much as it does me, though I'd recommend just picking up Fforde instead. If you're already a fan of Fforde, don't bother with this one. I give it a resounding "meh."