Zombie Spaceship Wasteland

A Book by Patton Oswalt

By: Patton Oswalt

Narrated by: Patton Oswalt

Length: 3 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's summary

Prepare yourself for a journey through the world of Patton Oswalt, one of the most creative, insightful, and hysterical voices on the entertain­ment scene today. Widely known for his roles in the films Big Fan and Ratatouille, as well as the television hit The King of Queens, Patton Oswalt—a staple of Comedy Central—has been amusing audiences for decades. Now, with Zombie Spaceship Wasteland, he offers a fascinating look into his most unusual, and lovable, mindscape.

Oswalt combines memoir with uproarious humor, from snow forts to Dungeons & Dragons to gifts from Grandma that had to be explained. He remem­bers his teen summers spent working in a movie Cineplex and his early years doing stand-up. Readers are also treated to several graphic elements, includ­ing a vampire tale for the rest of us and some greeting cards with a special touch. Then there’s the book’s centerpiece, which posits that before all young creative minds have anything to write about, they will home in on one of three story lines: zom­bies, spaceships, or wastelands.

Oswalt chose wastelands, and ever since he has been mining our society’s wasteland for perversion and excess, pop culture and fatty foods, indie rock and single-malt scotch. Zombie Spaceship Wasteland is an inventive account of the evolution of Patton Oswalt’s wildly insightful worldview, sure to indulge his legion of fans and lure many new admirers to his very entertaining “wasteland.”

Download the accompanying reference guide.

©2011 Simon & Schuster (P)2011 Lord Loudoun, Inc

Critic reviews

"Patton Oswalt is a brilliant rarity; a relentlessly creative and original comic who is also a superb writer. If you don’t buy this book you are a fool and I will, I swear, fight you.” (Conan O’Brien)

Fans of Patton Oswalt’s standup comedy have always known he was a born writer at heart, and now here’s the proof. This is a surprisingly affecting, sincere and daresay vulnerable collection of essays, all keenly observed, always very funny.” (Dave Eggers)

“Perfect—I can describe Patton’s book the same way I describe his stand up—brilliant and prolific, I am slackjawed, amazed, and left feeling both inspired and fraudulent.” (Sarah Silverman)

“Patton Oswalt is among the funniest on-stage talking humans I am aware of, so it annoys me deeply that he is also an incredibly talented writer. It annoys me, but it does not surprise me. Every sentence in this book is funny (except for the sad ones), but it also brims with Oswalt-ian smarts and surprising poignancy.” (John Hodgman)

Love Patton, Hate the "Book"

I really love Patton Oswalt's comedy. He is amazing. This "book" is not amazing. I have a hard time calling it a book. There are a couple of funny stories and a lot of other stuff that I don't know what to call.

AVOID THIS BOOK!

that was...weird!

What made the experience of listening to Zombie Spaceship Wasteland the most enjoyable?

Patton's voice rocks and his storytelling ability is such that even a lame story SOUNDS interesting enough to keep listening and remember.

Would you be willing to try another book from Patton Oswalt? Why or why not?

possibly. this memior hodgepodge thing was definitely... weird.

Which character – as performed by Patton Oswalt – was your favorite?

Descriptions of childhood and early performance experiences were my favorite. He was so normal and down to earth, I could relate.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

no, not really. It was nice listening a little at a time as I took walks with my dog.

Any additional comments?

now I know how to play D and D. Thanks, Patton.

Strange non sequiturs throughout.

It was a fine set of stories. However a few of them were poorly setup or just straight cold started without any context and so wildly different from the previous story that I thought I was just missing a chapter. Not his best book, but if you're a fan, it won't bother you much.

Best book I have ever heard.

Honestly, give it a listen, or read it, either way, you're welcome. A genius masterfully reads to you some of the best autobiographical words ever written.

A Must Have For Any Comedy Nerd

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Absolutely. Patton Oswalt is one of the Best working stand-ups out there right now.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Zombie Spaceship Wasteland?

A History of America from 1988 to 1996 As Recounted by the Three Types of Comedians I Opened for While Working Clubs on the Road. It's Simple amazing

Which character – as performed by Patton Oswalt – was your favorite?

Rodney.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Packed with Laugh Out Loud chapters and the memoir-stlye chapters are very enjoyable for those (like me) who like to get a look into the head of a comedian.

Any additional comments?

I hate to repeat myself but Patton Oswalt is one of the Best Working Stand-Ups out there right now. This is A MUST HAVE for any comedy nerd. I would also recommend picking up the Paperback print copy as there is some additional material.

Can't listen to narrator

Would you try another book from Patton Oswalt and/or Patton Oswalt?

maybe but probably not

Would you ever listen to anything by Patton Oswalt again?

no

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Drifted from normal speech to quiet kindergarten inaudible. What did he say? Audible book with footnotes is distracting and indicate an unplanned writing.

Do you think Zombie Spaceship Wasteland needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

Absolutely not

Any additional comments?

What was I thinking when I bought it?

Could have been better

I like Patton Oswalt a lot but overall I thought that this book was just okay and only somewhat funny. Or better yet, maybe it would be more accurate to say, this book was good but not as funny as I originally expected. Oswalt does do a very good job on narrating too!

Liked it but very short and scattered

If you could sum up Zombie Spaceship Wasteland in three words, what would they be?

Way too close

Would you recommend Zombie Spaceship Wasteland to your friends? Why or why not?

I already have recommended it to my friends who grew up in NOVA

Have you listened to any of Patton Oswalt’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

First one - I will rent again.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

NA

How can you not love Patton?!?

He's just a hilarious genius and that is all I can say! I need fifteen words, which I exceeded by six.

Not a Full Meal

There are four major essays here, and they range from pretty good to classic Oswalt. The title essay describing teenagers as falling into one of three groups is just wonderful. The article about working in a subterranean mall cineplex goes on too long, but the lyrics read by Michael Stipe rock. The last two articles about being on the road in the 1990s feel like two parts of the same article, and are reasonably funny and insightful, but again, go on to long.

Sorry to say, despite the effort that went into an fully illustrated chapter and fake hobo songs, the rest of the book feels either like filler (I wasn't all that interested in his childhood snow fort) or a clever idea that doesn't really work, or both. The hobo songs are especially irksome. The music is actually nice, but the whole "I'm singing ridiculously rude things only to claim they mean something else" is very one note and juvenile.

Having said that, it all goes down really easy; I mean, it's only 3 1/2 hours of material.

If you do buy the book, make sure to download the PDF so you can see the illustrated chapter; the artwork is quite nice. I didn't realize a PDF existed until I heard about it in the book. You can find the PDF in your library just right of the jacket illustration where it says "PDF".

So, to summarize, I continue to be a gigantic Oswalt fan, and have just purchased his second book, which is a real dandy concept. I just wish this book had more first rate Oswalt in it.