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Greegs & Ladders
Greegs & Ladders is a wildly exciting tale of three oddball characters romping around space and time. Equal parts social satire and fun loving adventure, Greegs promises laughs, a few mildly intelligent and/or interesting observations, & several run-on sentences. You'll also get to find out what the hell Greegs are, and how life on Earth came to be, and the meaning of it all (at no extra charge.)
256 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 22, 2013
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438 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
October 31, 2013
The book starts off in an article/essay format. Whilst it is enjoyable to read, you pray that the whole book isn't like that. Indeed, it isn't, in which you finally experience the character of Dr. Rip T. Brash. From this point on, the structure of the plot is still questionable. "Is there a plot?" I often asked. I appreciate that this is a satire and will talk about such later, but I still believe that a plot must be in a place to drive the story and bring out the satire.
About 50% into the book, a plot is thankfully found. Following Krimshaw and his discovery of his past is enjoyable and for a good while, I was praising this book. As a result, the satire definitely worked. The plot then moved to Lincra and Garbatron and the book almost becomes mini-books, with different plots driving the story. However, I do wished their was a strong theme that tied those plots together.
The book ends with a rather touching message, where, throughout many times in the book, you stop and ask yourself the big questions. The epi-log (as they call it) was pointless and had no relevance to anything. The bonus short story about Jupiter, however, was great and settled the end of three great characters.
Due to the poor structuring and lack of plot - or lack of tying theme - I was almost forced to give this one star. However, the glimpse of wonderful story, Mitchell Mendlow's developed characters, and rather pleasing satire, I believed it deserved another star.
About 50% into the book, a plot is thankfully found. Following Krimshaw and his discovery of his past is enjoyable and for a good while, I was praising this book. As a result, the satire definitely worked. The plot then moved to Lincra and Garbatron and the book almost becomes mini-books, with different plots driving the story. However, I do wished their was a strong theme that tied those plots together.
The book ends with a rather touching message, where, throughout many times in the book, you stop and ask yourself the big questions. The epi-log (as they call it) was pointless and had no relevance to anything. The bonus short story about Jupiter, however, was great and settled the end of three great characters.
Due to the poor structuring and lack of plot - or lack of tying theme - I was almost forced to give this one star. However, the glimpse of wonderful story, Mitchell Mendlow's developed characters, and rather pleasing satire, I believed it deserved another star.
February 7, 2015
Wow! Incrediblly absurd! A very amusing journey through time and space. If you liked Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy for its crazy looping, twists and turns then you've got to try this! Got some great coorelations between how we earthlings blindly adhere to a vision of always being right....... In a fun, superfulious way. Happy traveling!
August 13, 2013
This was reviewed by Lee Ashford for Readers' Favorite.
“Greegs and Ladders” by Zack Mitchell and Danny Mendlow is… as far as I could tell… a very convoluted, satirical critique of the way humanity is treating its planet, its universe, its fellow humans, its non-human fellow inhabitants of Earth, its environment and, ultimately, its fate. A very serious message is buried deep within a fantastical, science fictional, cartoonish lampoon involving such creatures as have never seen the light of day, and hopefully never will.
Much of the action in this tale takes place on “one of 11 planets containing wriggly, walky, breathy things in the hopeless, undeveloped but reasonably entertaining to look at from a safe distance sun system of the 38 planets in the 59 sunned district of Herb”, but much also takes place in various other universes and at various times spanning many millennia.
The primary protagonists are the decidedly non-human Dr. Rip T. Brash the Third; his faithful sidekick and Astrospeciologist whom we shall call “Wilx”, because that is his name; and Krimshaw, the Greeg formerly known as Zook. These three immortal beings basically spend the entire book travelling through time – forward, backward, diagonally and sideways – so Rip can make absurd wagers with Wilx, in a fruitless effort to win back everything Wilx has already won from his previous wagers.
As you no doubt already have concluded, Mitchell and Mendlow are a couple very, very imaginative fellows. There are more made-up words, names, species etc. than any ten normal people could come up with if they had a lifetime to do it in. One might be tempted to assume it is due to a superior source of drugs, but I prefer to believe the two are just extraordinarily creative. In fact, it would seem their creativity knows no bounds.
I was well beyond the halfway mark before I decided this book was, in fact, a critique of the status quo. Even then, it wasn’t until the very final page that I was absolutely certain of this. They are to be highly commended for managing to keep their readers engaged for such a long time before allowing the reader to “get it”.
Without a serious message, this is still a very entertaining, if absurd, story, which engages the reader completely. However, with the realization that there IS a serious message under all the humor and absurdity, the story becomes not only entertaining, but also significant. I seriously do endorse this book, and recommend that it be read by all politicians, for starters.
Everybody else can read it, too, with the possible exception of Investment Bankers.
“Greegs and Ladders” by Zack Mitchell and Danny Mendlow is… as far as I could tell… a very convoluted, satirical critique of the way humanity is treating its planet, its universe, its fellow humans, its non-human fellow inhabitants of Earth, its environment and, ultimately, its fate. A very serious message is buried deep within a fantastical, science fictional, cartoonish lampoon involving such creatures as have never seen the light of day, and hopefully never will.
Much of the action in this tale takes place on “one of 11 planets containing wriggly, walky, breathy things in the hopeless, undeveloped but reasonably entertaining to look at from a safe distance sun system of the 38 planets in the 59 sunned district of Herb”, but much also takes place in various other universes and at various times spanning many millennia.
The primary protagonists are the decidedly non-human Dr. Rip T. Brash the Third; his faithful sidekick and Astrospeciologist whom we shall call “Wilx”, because that is his name; and Krimshaw, the Greeg formerly known as Zook. These three immortal beings basically spend the entire book travelling through time – forward, backward, diagonally and sideways – so Rip can make absurd wagers with Wilx, in a fruitless effort to win back everything Wilx has already won from his previous wagers.
As you no doubt already have concluded, Mitchell and Mendlow are a couple very, very imaginative fellows. There are more made-up words, names, species etc. than any ten normal people could come up with if they had a lifetime to do it in. One might be tempted to assume it is due to a superior source of drugs, but I prefer to believe the two are just extraordinarily creative. In fact, it would seem their creativity knows no bounds.
I was well beyond the halfway mark before I decided this book was, in fact, a critique of the status quo. Even then, it wasn’t until the very final page that I was absolutely certain of this. They are to be highly commended for managing to keep their readers engaged for such a long time before allowing the reader to “get it”.
Without a serious message, this is still a very entertaining, if absurd, story, which engages the reader completely. However, with the realization that there IS a serious message under all the humor and absurdity, the story becomes not only entertaining, but also significant. I seriously do endorse this book, and recommend that it be read by all politicians, for starters.
Everybody else can read it, too, with the possible exception of Investment Bankers.
September 4, 2015
This book is horridly and tastelessly written... And for that it is one of the most exceptionally comical stories I've ever read. It fits nicely on a shelf among the works of Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett. And it might also be removed from that shelf and read if you can stomach it. From the first derogatory remark on the reader's intelligence, you may hate it profoundly. And yet, I found it incredibly amusing. And as you read it, this book just gets worse and better simultaneously. That being said, it does its job exceedingly well.
As a writer, I've been taught not to open a story with an overabundance of exposition. But the way these gentlemen work at the process they achieve the effect of an exhausting exposition that is simultaneously a page turner. So because I hate it as much as I love it, this book receives 1 and 5 stars at once. Read this book if you can enjoy sci-fi with a sense of humor. If you cannot, by all means go and find something by Herbert or Asimov. I for one look to see more books from these two ingenious word masters in the future.
As a writer, I've been taught not to open a story with an overabundance of exposition. But the way these gentlemen work at the process they achieve the effect of an exhausting exposition that is simultaneously a page turner. So because I hate it as much as I love it, this book receives 1 and 5 stars at once. Read this book if you can enjoy sci-fi with a sense of humor. If you cannot, by all means go and find something by Herbert or Asimov. I for one look to see more books from these two ingenious word masters in the future.
July 28, 2015
As I read "Greegs and Ladders" by Zack Mitchell and Danny Mendlow, I couldn't help draw comparisons to Douglas Adams' "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy". Clearly, Adams' seminal work is the inspiration behind this tongue-in-cheek sci-fi novel. While I didn't find myself laughing out loud as often as I did with "Hitchhiker", and the character development isn't as rich, this is a worthy effort at emulating the spirit of Adams' best-seller. While some may complain about the lack of plot and focus, others will recognize the nod towards "Hitchhiker".
If you like your care-free romp through a comical universe with a side of healthy cynicism towards humanity, then this might be the book for you.
If you like your care-free romp through a comical universe with a side of healthy cynicism towards humanity, then this might be the book for you.
January 7, 2014
A sprawling mess of things that don't make sense. I really enjoyed it, for its references to my favourite sci-fi and comedy authors, for its absurdity, and surprisingly for the lack of traditional structure.
An extremely vicious editor would turn this into a five star book. Did like.
An extremely vicious editor would turn this into a five star book. Did like.
November 25, 2017
Wonderful, so enjoyable. Not sure where it was going for a while
And then I was definitely not sure where it was going with every page. And such an uplifting end. Kestel
And then I was definitely not sure where it was going with every page. And such an uplifting end. Kestel
March 27, 2022
My, this was bad. The first ten chapters were basically exposition. And while that accounts for one fifth of the chapter count, it was less than a tenth of the page count. Absolutely nothing happened. I got the feeling the author was going for a Douglas Adams, Hitchhikers Guide style. If so, he didn't get there.
When there's finally a character introduced, in a chapter with two names for a title, it starts of with "He", and doesn't bother given either a name until the next page. This was done purposefully, for it doesn't work.
I didn't make it much further
When there's finally a character introduced, in a chapter with two names for a title, it starts of with "He", and doesn't bother given either a name until the next page. This was done purposefully, for it doesn't work.
I didn't make it much further
April 8, 2018
Barf
Really Barf
And not good barf
Seriously
Norman C Stone
By
Hi
Ok who the fuck makes you type a specific number of words on a review
Really Barf
And not good barf
Seriously
Norman C Stone
By
Hi
Ok who the fuck makes you type a specific number of words on a review
March 19, 2015
This was a freebie on the Kindle. There is a story here somewhere, I just can't find it. The sheer scope of the text crammed pages make reading this not only challenging, but daunting as well. Not to mention the author seems to have a problem with Investment Bankers, apparently they are used as fuel for a star-ship or something.
There is something to be said for editorial services. I was intrigued by the book's description and I don't say No to free books very often. I am always willing to give something a try. It is not that the book is hard to read, it isn't, it is that the story is hard to follow or find while sifting through the massive amounts of information you are given in the first 10pages (3%) of the book.
A valiant effort, and for the right reader, very entertaining.
There is something to be said for editorial services. I was intrigued by the book's description and I don't say No to free books very often. I am always willing to give something a try. It is not that the book is hard to read, it isn't, it is that the story is hard to follow or find while sifting through the massive amounts of information you are given in the first 10pages (3%) of the book.
A valiant effort, and for the right reader, very entertaining.
February 27, 2015
Although I enjoyed this comedic sci-fi romp I cannot say it was a total success. Yes it has a tongue firmly in its cheek and clearly takes inspiration from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy; however I did not find it as funny. It was amusing rather than laugh out loud. Perhaps this was because I felt it missed some of the satire and deep cynicism of HHGTTG.
Nevertheless it was well done and clearly the author continues to add to the tale.
Nevertheless it was well done and clearly the author continues to add to the tale.
February 3, 2016
This book needs a good editor. At the start of Chapter 13, "He had many eyes, some of which were capable of site."
I'm not an editor, but I think the correct spelling is SIGHT, not SITE.
I have enjoyed the books of Terry Prachett and Doug Adams; this book may be intended to be similar, but it misses.
Now I am wondering if I will push myself to finish reading this; or just shift to a book I might enjoy. After 19 chapters I realize I DON'T CARE ABOUT ANYTHING IN THIS BOOK !!!
On to another book.
I'm not an editor, but I think the correct spelling is SIGHT, not SITE.
I have enjoyed the books of Terry Prachett and Doug Adams; this book may be intended to be similar, but it misses.
Now I am wondering if I will push myself to finish reading this; or just shift to a book I might enjoy. After 19 chapters I realize I DON'T CARE ABOUT ANYTHING IN THIS BOOK !!!
On to another book.
August 22, 2015
Couldn't finish... just not my type of book after all.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews