Blast from the Past: A Novel (Kinky Friedman Novels)

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Kinky's back, and Abbie Hoffman's got him. Or he's got Abbie. Or a mysterious man with dirty blonde hair and a faded camouflage jacket has them both in his gunsights. It's always hard to tell who the bad guys are, because the country-western singer turned author draws an almost invisible line between his real life and his fictional adventures. That, of course, is where the fun comes in. In Blast from the Past, the Kinkster serves up an appetizer for his myriad fans--a prequel to such novels as Roadkill and The Love Song of J. Edgar Hoover. The book explains how Kinky got into the detecting game and met up with the Greenwich Village irregulars who populate this popular series--Ratso, Rambam, McGovern, and the luscious Stephanie DuPont. The action takes place in the post-Watergate 1970s, when Abbie's hiding out in upstate New York, sex and drugs are de riguer, and nobody's ever heard of political correctness. The mystery is pretty simple--you can see the ending coming long before Kinky can--but that's never been the point of these bawdy, irreverent tales. To quote Friedman himself, "Being a private dick is pretty simple. Once you run out of cocaine, crazy ideas, and self-pitying bullshit, you're eventually left with the truth." --Jane Adams

Book Description

Now, at last, it can be revealed! The TRUTH behind the legend!

That Kinky Friedman...
Where did he come from?
How did he get that way?
Shouldn't someone have called 911 long ago?

Now, in Blast from the Past, nationally bestselling author Kinky Friedman has searched his failing memory and has come up with a novel about his early days in New York City and how Kinky Friedman, the down-and-out star-crossed country music performer, became Kinky Friedman, the down-and-out star-crossed ace detective.

In this prequel to his earlier novels, one which gives new meaning to the term "retro," Kinkster fans are given the definitive answer to two of literature's great burning questions: Where the hell did those weird characters come from anyway? And what about that puppet head?

Of course, it's not just Kinky himself who gets retroed, but all the Village Irregulars as well -- Ratso, Rambam, and McGovern -- who are glimpsed in the nascent stage, as is the ever-luscious Stephanie DuPont, who blasts upon the scene as a five-year-old nymphet in patent-leather spikes.

Imagine it's the '70s. Imagine the Lone Star Cafe is still alive and well. Imagine that it's still okay to do drugs, still okay to have unprotected sex, still okay to paddle a brat and spank a monkey. And imagine you are there, in the '70s, at the Lone Star, sipping a brew with the Kinkster, a much younger, even kinkier Kinky -- uncouth, unshaped, unrepentant, and frequently unconscious.

But lest you think that Blast from the Past is all nostalgia, be assured that Kinky has supplied a bang-up plot as well, much of which revolves around the mystery of who this guy Tim is who Judy exclaims about while being hosed by Kinky, and the question of whether or not the Feds have found Abbie Hoffman, who has been playing hide-and-seek in Ratso's apartment. Or something like that.

As always, it's great, unpredictable fun from a true original, whose "Irreverent, bawdy and often outrageous adventures are like no others," as says The San Diego Union-Tribune. In Blast from the Past, you'll find the Kinkster in top form and at his most outrageous.

Customer Reviews:

I probably started wiht the wrong book. . ........2003-08-04

. . .or at least that is what I am told. This probably is a more fun book after you already know these characters from previous adventures. That said, it was wildly funny and silly, although a poor mystery. I do plan on reading more of the books, so obvioulsy the silliness was more of a blessing than a grating characteristic. I liked this more for style than content.

What can I possibly say?.......2002-07-22

I always finish Kinky's books feeling confused and a bit violated, but I have no idea why. The books are so entertaining although there is not much story - just a mix of insane people (who you just can't tell if they like each other or hate each other), and their often unfortunate lives.

Blast from the Past does give you some insight into the Kinkster's life and you learn things like how he came to live in his fourth floor apartment on Vandam Street, how he left country music to be a P.I., and how he came to know many of his cohorts such as Rambam, Ratso, Chinga and McGovern.

This book, along with other Kinkster books is just plain bizarre and silly!

Fresh gimmickry keeps the Kinky series top-notch!.......2002-06-05

I had lost some faith in Kinky Friedman's tales of the Village Irregulars and the "mysteries" that they take on. Most folks noticed that the series was starting to get long on drawl and short on substance about the time the gang was searching for Ratso's mother...however, Friedman had a flash of brilliance when he started pulling out new scenarios for his alter ego.

First was Kinky going back home to Texas to fight the bad buys on the stomping grounds of his youth instead of the mean streets of New York. Then we had an entry featuring Willie Nelson as one of the main characters (Roadkill is still the best of the series, too). Now, in Blast From The Past, Kinky's back on Vandam Street...circa 1979. That's right, a blow to the head sends the Kinkstah's memory banks through the years to his first amateur detective work ever. And, to make things even loonier, counter-culture hero (and real life Friedman pal from back in the day) Abbie Hoffman is the center of much of the action.

For those of you who've never read a Kinky Friedman book this is not a good place to start. By this point in the series it's understood that the reader "gets" Kinky's world and the characters in it. If you're not familiar with the skidmark-covered couch over at Ratso's place or the unusual greeting that they get every time they enter Big Wong's restaurant...well, go back a few books and catch up first. Many of the recurring points of interest in the series have their origins explained in this volume as well, but you have to know what the big deal is about.

The jump back in time also sends the meter of un-PC behavior skyrocketing. The Kinkster is eyebrows-deep in the 'ole Peruvian Marching Powder and has just discovered Jameson's whiskey. It's a high old time (and it opens with Kinky in bed with a strange girl). It's grand fun and proof that there's still plenty of new ground to explore in the series. Or at least plenty of off-color jokes, humorous antecdotes, sex, drugs, and a teensy bit of crime-solving. My faith in this Texas Jewboy is as strong as ever.

Average by Kinky's Standards.......2001-01-24

You get the sense that Kinky needed a change of pace with Blast from the Past, as if even he realized that his previous few novels were almost becoming caricatures of themselves. So he wrote a "prequel", going back in time to the early 1970's in order to bring together the Village Irregulars for the first time, and to detail his beginnings in the private detective world.

As usual, Steve Rambam is all business, Ratso is his typical wisecracking cheapskate self, and McGovern drifts in and out of the plot as a hard-drinking, loud Irishman with little to do. The action begins on Ratso's couch with Kinky in the arms of "Judy", although it is not specified whether we are dealing with Uptown Judy or Downtown Judy from Elvis, Jesus and Coca Cola fame. Abbie Hoffman a.k.a. Barry Freed drifts into the picture, and the mystery of the novel involves someone who is apparently trying to kill either Hoffman, Kinky or Judy. A parallel plot line, which Kinky suspects may be related to the first, involves the appearance of a man Judy believes to be her deceased Vietnam veteran husband.

As in all Friedman books, the plot is just there as an amusing excuse to throw the various characers together for some good-natured fun. It probably has more substance to it than Spanking Watson, (at least we weren't treated to two dozen conversations with a mute cat), but overall I agreed with some of the other reviewers who thought this effort was a little empty. The characers don't get along, so there is little sense of camaraderie, and you get tired of reading about Kinky's agressive appetite for "Peruvian marching powder". I thought the funniest scene was one in which Kinky, getting ready for a date with Judy, unknowingly brushes his "moss" with a toilet brush at McGovern's apartment. I give it 3 stars, an interesting diversion but instantly forgettable.

BRAVO KINKAZZO!.......2000-06-13

Man, am I addicted to Kinky's gonzonian books! Look at me, I'm a Jewish Italian former transplant to Aussieland, and what do I like reading? About a sleazeball, down-and-out, retired Texan country-music detective with a cranky cat in the house (is that a house?) and half a puppet on the fridge. This particular novel is actually a prequel - just like the last Star Wars - that answers all your burning questions about those Village [fellows] Kinky hangs around with. Happy now? I shouldn't think so: this is actually a suspenseful tale of murder, mayhem, madness, eroticism, and irrepressible laughter. Kinky, sei in gamba!

Blast From The Past Kit: Be An Ancient Egyptian (COOL KITS)

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A "Cook Kit" for youngsters on the ancient Egytpians and their mummies

Blast From The Past Kit: Be An Ancient Egyptian (COOL KITS)
Book Studio
Manufacturer: DK CHILDREN
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0756624339

Book Description

Whether they're taking kids back in time to ancient civilizations or letting them explore the action-packed world of science, these compact kits are full of fun and innovative ways to learn!

Customer Reviews:

A "Cook Kit" for youngsters on the ancient Egytpians and their mummies.......2006-10-18

"Be An Ancient Egyptian" is an interactive kit for children ages 8 and up that allows them to do a bit more than walk like an Egyptian. The 32-page booklet written by Sarah Eason and illustrated by Leon Brown provides a brief overview on ancient Egypt as the dawn of civilization and then focuses primarily on what it was like to live there way back when. The 2-page chapters look at things like building a home, family life, going to school, and similar topics, emphasizing daily life rather than ancient history. There is a lot of information crammed into this little book, and if young readers are interested in finding out more about ancient Egypt there are some excellent books by DK that will do just that.

The other main component of the kit is a small board game, "Pyramid Raider Game." There are riches beyond your wildest dreams buried along with the pharaoh, but you need to pass many tests before you can reach the inner chamber that holds the pharaoh's hidden treasure. You have a pair of pyramid raider counters (this is a two person game) that you push out and slot into the bounder stands, and a small game board, which really does not have much to do with the actual interior of a pyramid touched upon in the booklet. You need a die to play with the first person reaching the pharaoh's tomb being the winner. As you go along there are symbols of Anubis, Isis, or Thoth, and whenever you land on a symbol you have to pick a card. Isis cards are lucky (e.g., find a secret passage and move forward 4 squares), while Anubis cards are unlucky (e.g., the curse of the cobra makes you miss at turn). There are also Thoth cards are multiple-choice questions (e.g., "Which pharaoh's tomb lay hidden until 1922?"). Answer the question correctly and you get to move forward 2 squares. There is also the opportunity to pick up one of two special Eye of Horus cards that can overrule even the cruelest card dealt by Anubis.

There is also a fold out chart of "The Court Hierarchy in Ancient Egypt," with 13 stickers representing everybody from the Pharaoh on to a slave at the bottom, with people like the Head Priest and a Scribe in between. Pay attention to the shapes of the stickers to figure out which one goes wear. This is a fun little kit that provides youngsters with more than a cursory introduction to the life of the ancient Egyptians. The game is rather simplistic, but there is an educational component with the questions based on reading the booklet. This is one of a half-dozen Cool Kits that the Book Studio has put out for DK. The other "Blast From the Past" kit is "Be an Ancient Roman," but there are also a pair of "Build Your Own" kits for "Cool Trains" and "Cool Trucks," and a couple of "Pop Science" kits having to do with "Sparks!" (electricity) and "Attract!" (magnets).

Blasts From The Past (Ripley's Believe It Or Not)

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Blasts From The Past (Ripley's Believe It Or Not)

Manufacturer: Scholastic Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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World' Weirdest Gadgets (Ripley's Believe It Or Not)

ASIN: 0439429803

Book Description

Unlock the mysteries of history with this newest collection of unbelievable facts from the files of Robert Ripley. Stonehenge, the ghosts of the White House, and far-out fashion faux pas... Who can resist unbelievable facts about our peculiar past? Especially when they come complete with an 8-page full-color photographic insert and pop quizzes to test readers' grasp of everything bizarre!

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BEDROOM OPERA
Strained and stained
Extreme G.I. Joe meets Left Wing Bridget Jones
Good, but not Elton at his best
Proceed with caution

Blast from the Past
Ben Elton
Manufacturer: Delta
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0385334524
Release Date: 2000-10-10

Book Description

Ready to follow Nick Hornsby and Helen Fielding as the next big thing from Cool Britannia to hit America is Ben Elton. Already known to a wide public television audience as the funnyman behind Blackadder, The Young Ones, and The Thin Blue Line, Elton, author of Popcorn, lights up the literary sky with Blast from the Past.

Part noir thriller, part hilarious send-up of the politics of extremism, Blast from the Past is the new novel from English comedy phenomenon (stand-up, playwright, television writer, and author) Ben Elton--a name soon to be known in all circles once Joel Schumacher's film of his book Popcorn reaches the silver screen.

In the early 80s, when Polly was a seventeen-year-old ideological peace protestor and Jack was a U.S. Army captain stationed at England's Greenham Common, the two had a secret and very unlikely affair. No two people could have had more to argue about, save that they couldn't live without each other, yet one day Jack came to the conclusion that he loved soldiering more than Polly and sacrificed their love to be a career army man.

Now, sixteen years later, Polly is a lonely thirty-something social services employee and Jack is a four-star general who has returned to Britain to find her, his only true love. With only one night to resolve their differences, and a knife-wielding stalker lurking in the shadows, for everyone concerned this will be a night like no other.

From the Hardcover edition.

Download Description

From the world-famous author of Popcorn and Inconceivable, this is his hilarious and thrilling Number One International Bestseller.

Customer Reviews:

BEDROOM OPERA.......2006-11-10

Picture the scene - the bedroom of a down-at-heel apartment where two lovers from 16 years ago are unexpectedly reunited. As they clasp each other with hesitant longing the woman utters the cobwebby old line `Is that a gun in your pocket or are you just pleased to see me?', and the man replies `It's a gun in my pocket'. Any novel with that piece of dialogue has to have something going for it.

This is a novel by Ben Elton, so we would expect it to have quite a lot going for it, and indeed it has. The usual ingredients are here - the zany situations, the offbeat characters and - most importantly - the satirical attacks on a variety of targets. Ben Elton's way is to fix on a main target but to fire at a few others along the way, and he does that here as usual. The difference this time is that it's not as clear as normally exactly what the main target is, and that is one indication, I'd say, that this book is not quite his best. My own money would go on this being a novel satirising people with fixations. To say that the obsessed and deluded stalker who is making the heroine's life a misery is fixated is not the profoundest piece of literary analysis, nor does it take any dazzling insight to suggest that the 4-star general who will destroy any obstacle to his career-advancement is peculiarly one-track-minded. However the heroine herself is something approaching normal. She is ridiculed more than a little for her loony-left proclivities, but it's around this issue that the story seems to me not to cohere awfully well.

Ben Elton's politics are of the left, and so are my own. However some of the `revolutionary' manifestations of the 70's were a muddle-headed mishmash of affectation, posing and sheer pampered infantile nonsense. They exasperated me, and they obviously did the same to him. On top of that, the era witnessed the high riptide of some assertive and (to me) plain weird feminism as well as the associated dawning of political correctness, and Elton wants to take a few pops at these particular manifestations. He hangs them around his heroine, they don't really attach to her very well, as she has to some extent grown out of them, but he still wants to have his say about them, so there are a string of snide (and entertaining) apercus in the early part of the story that don't integrate well with the overall plot. The character of the general is not altogether successful either. He comes across as part redneck simpleton, part scheming manic obsessive, part intelligent and charismatic hero with an engaging sense of humour, and the author seems not very clear about when he is trying to depict the general as a real person and when as a caricature.

By this time I ought to say that the book is a very easy and thoroughly enjoyable read. It is different from Ben Elton's other novels in that less happens. His narratives usually pour out a Rabelaisian torrent of grotesque events, and I would no more dream of criticising Elton for improbability than I would criticise Rabelais himself. This book has only three characters of any importance, and as it went on I felt more and more that it would have been better as a play along the lines of Pinter. When it came to the final denouement I even started to feel it called for Puccini - this is pure opera, (and the last page of all, sadly, is just plain naff). Still, this is Ben Elton, and even at his second best he is special. I have no regrets about the pleasant couple of hours this book took me to read.

Strained and stained.......2006-09-17

I've long meant to read the novels by Ben Elton, a writer whom I have admired for his movie and television work of comic genius such as Four Weddings and a Funeral, Blackadder, and Love Actually. This is his fourth or fifth novel, and I figured that me must have been able to shift into a new medium with some success, not to mention that I had seen some recommendations for his novels in places that I usually trust.

Unfortunately, this book didn't work for me. I did finish it, but I think that was due in part to my not wanting to start another book so near to my recent vacation and that I was actually reading it quite quickly. The problem here stems from Elton's choice of comedic material: the juxtaposition of an ultra lefty in the person of Polly, who once protested the American presence on British soil by chaining herself along with a group of other female peaceniks to the gates of the military base, and Jack Kent, an ultra righty who was one of those American soldiers, now risen to the rank of General and on the precipice of becoming the next head of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff. Neither Polly or Jack are believeable characters, which usually isn't a problem in a comedy novel, as believability often takes a back seat to exaggeration. But by making them opposite sides of the political coin, some of their aspects are not so much exaggerated as inconsistent, especially in the use Elton puts them into service of the thin plot. They are, instead, means by which Elton proceeds to skewer both political persuasions and this might work if they weren't each so full of straw that his darting arrows not only pierce but proceed to explode the propped up dummies, to extend and exaggerate the metaphor. He also is exceedingly graphic, especially in his portrayal of the physical attraction of these opposites in the backflashes to their initial meeting, which is more squirm-inducing than arousing. As the book works inevitably to the climax, and as Elton has his characters move around to the spots where everything will proceed as he wants, he has to have them repeat themselves to the point of annoyance. Halfway through the book, I debated if you could make a drinking game out of every time Polly demanded that Jack answer why he had returned after 30 years and then revealing that she was still attracted to him. It's the kind of thing that might have worked in a screenplay, because it could have been excised by the director or editor.

Compared to books by other British TV alumni such as Stephen Fry or Hugh Laurie, this was a major disappointment. I'm hoping that this was just an off-book, and that Elton's others are much better. It may be some time for me to try one of those after this book, though.

Extreme G.I. Joe meets Left Wing Bridget Jones.......2005-06-18

I think Ben Elton has a lovely sick sense of humor that I can't help but respect. Some people have complained that the characters in this book are too stereotypical but I think that is what makes this book so funny. But I will admit that this book is not as good as "Popcorn" but it is still a very funny book.

Good, but not Elton at his best.......2003-11-07

The only other Ben Elton book I've read was 'Dead Famous' which I loved and wholeheartedly recommend. I was inspired to read this one on the strength of that, but sadly I was not as impressed.
The book is not a bad read - parts of it are gripping, there are some interesting details and descriptions, the plot is unusual and the timescale well-balanced. However, the word that came to mind when reading it was 'lumpy'. The gender issues seemed to be shoved into the mouths of the characters in order to Put A Point Across, and this meant their dialogue sometimes seemed unconvincing. Also, the final twist was not something I expected - good - but that's because it just seemed totally unreal and out of character for the protagonist in question.
Overall, I'd recommend borrowing this book from your library if you're an Elton fan, or you're interested in gender politics or the army, but I wouldn't recommend buying it. Not bad, but it needed some fine-tuning.

Proceed with caution.......2003-11-05

I wanted to love this book; I truly did. I fell in love with Elton's humor and political satire when I read Stark years ago. This book doesn't measure up. The pacing was great, and I confess there were times I had trouble putting the book down. I did find parts quite amusing, and, as a political junkie, I enjoyed the debate.

The problem I had was two-fold. First, I didn't think the story had enough depth. I found it frustrating that on one hand Elton seemed to be trying to tell a serious story about these two people who loved each other, but couldn't find a way to bridge the gap between their two vastly different worlds, and on the other hand, he was just doing a broad satire of left wing vs right wing politics, with a stereotypical stalker thrown in for good measure. He didn't give the characters enough depth to make me fully care about the love story, so why did he bother with all those flashbacks? Yet, in giving me the background, he seemed to almost want me to care about the characters - he just didn't give me enough to allow me to buy in. Also, I saw the ending coming a mile away. Elton is capable of better than that. In general, I don't think there was enough to the story to make a full length book - this would've worked alot better as a short story.

I know it sounds like I'm being harsh, and I probably am. I did enjoy the book, it just wasn't memorable, and it wasn't up to the standards I've come to have for a novelist the calibre of Ben Elton. Anybody who isn't already a fan may well read this book and wonder what the fuss is all about.

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Reminiscing fun!

Blast from the Past (Spinner Books)
Bob Moog
Manufacturer: Spinner Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1575289091

Product Description

Pick up a great book and take it for a spin. Nostalgic know-how is put to the test as readers take a trip through the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s. Filled with fun facts and kooky questions, Blast From the Past brings players back to the good old days. It's a great cross-generational game but also fun to play alone. Features six unique and amusing categories of play, including Fact or Phooey, Hot or Not, Rapid Recall, Order Up, Hit Parade and Dead or Alive. Perfect for travel.

Customer Reviews:

Reminiscing fun!.......2003-12-04

This book was a blast! It's a book that can be played as a game. The trivia spans 4 decades and covers a range of topics from music to movies to sports to history. It's perfect for road trips, family vacations or just passing the time by yourself!

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Blast from the Past (Star Power)
Catherine Hapka
Manufacturer: Aladdin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0689867913

Book Description

Is Samantha who she says she is?

While on tour in Switzerland, Star meets a girl named Samantha. Sam explains that she and Star went to kindergarten together before Sam's family moved away to Europe. Star doesn't really remember Sam, but Sam seems to have lots of fond memories of Star's parents, and that's a topic Star never gets tired of discussing.

Soon Star and Sam are virtually inseperable. But Mike and Mags are suspicious of Star's friend's motives. Is Sam really a blast from Star's past, or is she after something more than memories?

Book Description

Blast from Her Past is the first adventure about Rita Pullman, a homemaker and community activist, who finds herself embroiled in intrigue and deception starting at the White House and ending in a suburb of Los Angeles. When Rita gets an opportunity to meet the President and First Lady, she believes that the excitement will end at that meeting. Sending a fan letter to the First Lady, with whom she attended a large high school, rocks Rita's world with mystery and murder. She is thrown into the world of high level politics and pharmaceutical scandal, which puts Rita and her family in more danger than she ever imagined.

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