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Birdbrain
When a gold coin heist turns out badly a pair of idiotic crooks hook-up with some moronic thieves (and a movie star) in order to steal the secret KFC chicken recipe. Along the way they reveal (among many other things) the connection between Gilligan's Island and the devil, what Salman Rushdie and Elvis have in common with Col. Sanders, why Betty was never a vitamin and what Bootsy Collins does in his spare time. It also deal with the whole "why did the chicken cross the road" conundrum.
176 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
15 people are currently reading
146 people want to read
About the author
Jim Yoakum
17 books8 followersJIM YOAKUM has been a professional writer for over thirty years. He is the author of non-fiction books, novels and the screenwriter of three produced films. He has contributed articles to numerous magazines, websites and periodicals including Rolling Stone, The Onion and Goldmine. He was former writing partners with the late Graham Chapman of Monty Python and is U.S. Curator of the Graham Chapman Archives. He is also a professional musician.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
November 23, 2025
The 150 Prompt Doctor Who Reading Challenge - Eleventh Doctor - 1) Bow Ties Are Cool: Pick a book with a quirky, charming or eccentric main character who feels a bit like the Eleventh Doctor - clever, chaotic but deeply kind.
This was a decent comic sci-fi, but it really wasn't my type of novel, and as I'm not one of the target audience, I really wasn't a fan and I was a bit bored listening.
This was a decent comic sci-fi, but it really wasn't my type of novel, and as I'm not one of the target audience, I really wasn't a fan and I was a bit bored listening.
November 15, 2016
( Audiobook )
""Pollination is just plants having sex.""
Just when the world can celebrate the end of the fears of global warming, an asteroid is spotted which will crash into earth in one month's time, on April 12th at two in the afternoon. And, effectively, end all human life.
One month to find a solution.
One month for the world to unite against their common fear
Er, no.
This is a slapstick parody of power and politics designed to show people at their silliest and worst, almost inviting the reader to be offended. There is often vulgarity mixed with the humour. But it is very funny at times - more Monty Python than Douglas Adams. Especially enjoyable is the strong line of sexual innuendo running throughout and especially that between the two U.S. Presidents (yes, two. The United States having previously split in half to form the republican U.S.A. and the democrat United Blue States of America). Quite priceless and amazingly inventive. And so good to have humour in an apocalyptic situation.
The narration is excellent, holding together this loosely formed story with a myriad of voices, all distinctive, all appropriate. His foreign accents weren't too good but that just added to the fun. Altogether a bravado performance from Mr.Dear.
My thanks to the right's holder who gifted me The Miyoshi Effect, via Audiobook Boom. It both surprised and delighted me. Would I recommend it to a friend? Yes, but I would have to chose carefully ...
""Pollination is just plants having sex.""
Just when the world can celebrate the end of the fears of global warming, an asteroid is spotted which will crash into earth in one month's time, on April 12th at two in the afternoon. And, effectively, end all human life.
One month to find a solution.
One month for the world to unite against their common fear
Er, no.
This is a slapstick parody of power and politics designed to show people at their silliest and worst, almost inviting the reader to be offended. There is often vulgarity mixed with the humour. But it is very funny at times - more Monty Python than Douglas Adams. Especially enjoyable is the strong line of sexual innuendo running throughout and especially that between the two U.S. Presidents (yes, two. The United States having previously split in half to form the republican U.S.A. and the democrat United Blue States of America). Quite priceless and amazingly inventive. And so good to have humour in an apocalyptic situation.
The narration is excellent, holding together this loosely formed story with a myriad of voices, all distinctive, all appropriate. His foreign accents weren't too good but that just added to the fun. Altogether a bravado performance from Mr.Dear.
My thanks to the right's holder who gifted me The Miyoshi Effect, via Audiobook Boom. It both surprised and delighted me. Would I recommend it to a friend? Yes, but I would have to chose carefully ...
October 18, 2017
This is the first of Jim Yoakum's books that I've had the opportunity to experience. From what I read ahead it time, it seemed like a short humorous novel that would be enjoyable regardless of the quality. With this knowledge in hand, I was impressed with how much I actually enjoyed the book. The protagonist, Wilt Fusarium, is the classic straight man thrust into an endless torrent of absurd interactions and facetious situations. The story has all the charm, suspense, and intrigue of a classic spy novel with layers of dark humor and dramatic irony that recaptures the spirit of campy 80's comedies. It's not hard to imagine Chevy Chase or Bill Murray portraying the same interactions that Fusarium experiences throughout the story. As a satirical commentary on the heartlessness and encroachment of US industry within the fictional nation of Costa San Rico, The Banana Massacre comes across in a way that even those without knowledge of these situations will be able to understand. All in all, Jim Yoakum has done a tremendous job of creating a comedic novel that makes for an enjoyable read.
March 19, 2017
Set in the Great Depression era this story gives you a real feel of that time. From door to door salesmen, to gangsters, preachers and the start of the FBI; it is a small taste of history wrapped up in a tale of murder and displaced Christian values. The deep baritone of the narrator of the audiobook seemed to epitomize the era and the intonation he used for the characters voices suited them to a tee. Even though there was lots of people murdered in this story, I found the action was a little slow, I would have liked to have seen more intrigue and more of the Pyle's pursuit of the psychotic salesmen. Having said that, I enjoyed this book, especially the somewhat different conclusion to the story. I received the audiobook from the author at no cost, in exchange for an honest review.
September 17, 2019
This is the first book I have read by this author and I found it to be a very enjoyable read. The story is amusing due to the misunderstandings of the main character, Wilt Fusarium, and his role in Costa Rica. This is well written with humour, irony, suspense, and intrigue.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
November 13, 2016
Really enjoyed this book. I'm not great at writing reviews so bear with me but I'll start with that I thought it had Very authentic dialogue. It kind of reminded me of that movie about smoking in a Brooklyn coffee house–sorry I can't remember the name–where a parade of funny characters are perfectly described. I'm going to try to read other offerings by Jim Yoakum in 2017.
April 12, 2024
I forget how exactly I came across this author, but I do remember he was shilling his work on other authors' Goodreads/Amazon pages. Hell, one of the only three other reviews for this book is by the author himself. I'm thinking this guy's a shameless clown and I'm gonna read and review one of his pieces of crap, take him down a peg.
But I thoroughly enjoyed this book. What am I supposed to do now? Pick walnuts out of my stool? I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS.
But I thoroughly enjoyed this book. What am I supposed to do now? Pick walnuts out of my stool? I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS.
November 2, 2016
Aerosol Cheeses Products the End the World?
If you are one who enjoys the humor and whit of Matt Groening (Simpsons/Futurama) along with the language and snarkyness of South Park, I believe you will like “The Myoshi Effect”. The book is written by Jim Yoakum and perfectly narrated by David S. Dear. What could go wrong with a book published by a company called “Precision Chicken”? Expect a number of laughs. The book quickly grabbed my attention when it was found out that aerosol cheese products (Cheez Whiz) were not only harmful to one’s health, but the environment as well.
In the near future, the United States has been divided into two factions including the Red and Blue states having their own presidents. The United Nations has also changed because it now recognizes many other countries or people groups as representatives of the new world order; including a large Mexican cartel. How do things change when the world faces a devastating and catastrophic event of an asteroid on target to destroy every living thing in a month’s time? The answer to this question is covered in the “The Myoshi Effect”.
I listened to the audiobook version during a single long drive, and overall I thought it was quite unique, generally strange, far out-there, but well-crafted and entertaining; apart from a few caveats listed below. I thought Mr. Dear did an exceptionally good job of bringing this story to life in its audio form. He was able to voice the many different characters and quickly gave them their own unique personalities. The audio itself was professionally done and I did not pick up on any audio artifacts while listening.
I would suggest you not pick up this book if you are offended by the use of vulgar language. The book started off rather cleanly but quickly devolves down a path of achieving humor and laughs by resorting to excessive vulgar words; for me this did not work. In most cases, the story itself and the witty nature of the tale made the book funny, the language used was not required. If you are one who does not finds sexual innuendos tolerable or a book offending nearly every people group, you may want to not read/listen to this story.
Disclaimer: I was voluntarily provided this review copy audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator.
If you are one who enjoys the humor and whit of Matt Groening (Simpsons/Futurama) along with the language and snarkyness of South Park, I believe you will like “The Myoshi Effect”. The book is written by Jim Yoakum and perfectly narrated by David S. Dear. What could go wrong with a book published by a company called “Precision Chicken”? Expect a number of laughs. The book quickly grabbed my attention when it was found out that aerosol cheese products (Cheez Whiz) were not only harmful to one’s health, but the environment as well.
In the near future, the United States has been divided into two factions including the Red and Blue states having their own presidents. The United Nations has also changed because it now recognizes many other countries or people groups as representatives of the new world order; including a large Mexican cartel. How do things change when the world faces a devastating and catastrophic event of an asteroid on target to destroy every living thing in a month’s time? The answer to this question is covered in the “The Myoshi Effect”.
I listened to the audiobook version during a single long drive, and overall I thought it was quite unique, generally strange, far out-there, but well-crafted and entertaining; apart from a few caveats listed below. I thought Mr. Dear did an exceptionally good job of bringing this story to life in its audio form. He was able to voice the many different characters and quickly gave them their own unique personalities. The audio itself was professionally done and I did not pick up on any audio artifacts while listening.
I would suggest you not pick up this book if you are offended by the use of vulgar language. The book started off rather cleanly but quickly devolves down a path of achieving humor and laughs by resorting to excessive vulgar words; for me this did not work. In most cases, the story itself and the witty nature of the tale made the book funny, the language used was not required. If you are one who does not finds sexual innuendos tolerable or a book offending nearly every people group, you may want to not read/listen to this story.
Disclaimer: I was voluntarily provided this review copy audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator.
November 2, 2016
OF ASTEROIDS AND PRECIOUS BODILY FLUIDS
Imagine an audiobook where, faced with imminent death and destruction (a humongous 25 million-ton asteroid is careening directly towards Earth), our squabbling politicians all come together to maturely face the threat, all countries unite in a common goal, and the public actually seeks out the expertise of competent scientists to avert the disaster.
The Myoshi Effect is not that audiobook.
Humans are humans, folks, and we don't like to change. We hilariously don't like to change. Those in power remain just as self-serving, clownish and petty---and insane---as always, countries still go to war (you'll never guess the aggressor), the population remains in ostrich-head-in-the-sand denial mode or spontaneous suicide mood, which leads to some outrageous, implausible, crazy scenarios.
The jokes are hit or miss, more slapdash slapstick than dark parody, but with enough hits to keep the all-over-the-map plot moving along. Mix one part "The War Room" scene overseen, not by a wimpish Pres. Merkin Muffley-type, but by a sexually confused General Jack D. ("our precious bodily fluids") Ripper character in Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece "Dr. Strangelove," (although, to be honest, the humor only rarely rises to that level of satire and sophistication) with three parts of "The Three Stooges Have Rocket--Will Travel" and a tiny pinch of "Armageddon" and you'll get an idea of what's on the menu. Expect a lot of name-dropping. Even Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton warrant a brief mention but, in this world, neither wins the presidency in 2016---with side-splitting results.
All in all, an entertaining and different listen. Urine for a helluva strange whiz-bang journey.
The narrator does an excellent job with the many characters and accents, which makes listening to the audiobook probably a more interesting and funny experience than reading the book.
This audiobook was given to me for free by Audiobooks Boom in exchange for an unbiased review.
Imagine an audiobook where, faced with imminent death and destruction (a humongous 25 million-ton asteroid is careening directly towards Earth), our squabbling politicians all come together to maturely face the threat, all countries unite in a common goal, and the public actually seeks out the expertise of competent scientists to avert the disaster.
The Myoshi Effect is not that audiobook.
Humans are humans, folks, and we don't like to change. We hilariously don't like to change. Those in power remain just as self-serving, clownish and petty---and insane---as always, countries still go to war (you'll never guess the aggressor), the population remains in ostrich-head-in-the-sand denial mode or spontaneous suicide mood, which leads to some outrageous, implausible, crazy scenarios.
The jokes are hit or miss, more slapdash slapstick than dark parody, but with enough hits to keep the all-over-the-map plot moving along. Mix one part "The War Room" scene overseen, not by a wimpish Pres. Merkin Muffley-type, but by a sexually confused General Jack D. ("our precious bodily fluids") Ripper character in Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece "Dr. Strangelove," (although, to be honest, the humor only rarely rises to that level of satire and sophistication) with three parts of "The Three Stooges Have Rocket--Will Travel" and a tiny pinch of "Armageddon" and you'll get an idea of what's on the menu. Expect a lot of name-dropping. Even Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton warrant a brief mention but, in this world, neither wins the presidency in 2016---with side-splitting results.
All in all, an entertaining and different listen. Urine for a helluva strange whiz-bang journey.
The narrator does an excellent job with the many characters and accents, which makes listening to the audiobook probably a more interesting and funny experience than reading the book.
This audiobook was given to me for free by Audiobooks Boom in exchange for an unbiased review.
August 25, 2017
As someone who has enjoyed several of Jim Yoakum's books, when I was offered a review copy of The Greatest Living Englishman I leapt at the chance to read and review it. One thing that strikes me with Jim Yoakum is that with every book he writes, he attempts to do something new. While many authors rely on convention and patterns, Yoakum makes every effort to produce an original and intriguing piece every time he publishes. The Greatest Living Englishman is no exception to this. Bumbling, pompous, lowbrow Colin Millaney is the quintessential anti-hero thrust into the bosom of high society at the birth of the roaring twenties. Millaney, who possesses all the pride and grandeur of Oscar Wilde with none of the talent to back it up, is much more analogous to a modern day grumbling Jeremiah in his common unfiltered view of the world. Yoakum mixes fictional symbolic characters with actual historic figures in this short story that is sure to please. The audio version is a fully immersive experience, with an excellent narrator, and a consistent ambiance that bring the scenes to life. My biggest criticism would be the long pauses between chapters. Some went on for so long that I thought my iPod had frozen. If you can get past that, the story itself is a definite winner.
December 18, 2016
Wilt Fusarium is a advertising agent on a business trip to the tiny island of Costa San Rica. Unfortunately for him, the island is on the cusp of revolution and he is continually mistaken for a 'secret agent' and the ad agency he works for is mistaken for The Agency, the CIA. However Fusarium is oblivious to all this, with all these issues going straight over his head.
The book is very amusing, with most of the comedy coming from Fusariums absolute cluelessness. There is some great satire in there too, poking fun at American and her politics.
A quick read, with an interesting story. Highly enjoyable.
Narration by Pavi Proczko was good. His pace is quick though, so I had to slow down my playback a little to make him match most other readers. Possibly because of the reading pace I felt that early on he missed some of the comedy beats. This certainly improved over the course of the book.
Proczko provided a variety of voices and emotions and was generally very engaging. Overall I was happy with the narration work, really enjoying it towards the end.
I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.
The book is very amusing, with most of the comedy coming from Fusariums absolute cluelessness. There is some great satire in there too, poking fun at American and her politics.
A quick read, with an interesting story. Highly enjoyable.
Narration by Pavi Proczko was good. His pace is quick though, so I had to slow down my playback a little to make him match most other readers. Possibly because of the reading pace I felt that early on he missed some of the comedy beats. This certainly improved over the course of the book.
Proczko provided a variety of voices and emotions and was generally very engaging. Overall I was happy with the narration work, really enjoying it towards the end.
I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.
Read
March 21, 2017"MEN OF GOD, MEN OF DEATH"
The Christians tells a tangle vine of a tale complete with prickly thorns and pretty flowers and with roots deep in Biblical muck and mire. Shep Christian and Wally Paul are two lost souls who are trying to find redemption in Great Depression-era America by selling Bibles door-to-door, but their way of doling out God's saving grace is a perverted as is Satan's brand of salvation, leaving a string of dead bodies across the American Midwest. The fact that they are sociopathic killers doing God's work in a sick and violent manner has no meaning for them; they are not haunted by guilt, as they don't view their actions as a crime--at least not until Shep begins to question his faith. The Christians frequently crosses into black comic territory to produce a story that's weirdly funny, startlingly violent and steeped in sadness.
The Christians tells a tangle vine of a tale complete with prickly thorns and pretty flowers and with roots deep in Biblical muck and mire. Shep Christian and Wally Paul are two lost souls who are trying to find redemption in Great Depression-era America by selling Bibles door-to-door, but their way of doling out God's saving grace is a perverted as is Satan's brand of salvation, leaving a string of dead bodies across the American Midwest. The fact that they are sociopathic killers doing God's work in a sick and violent manner has no meaning for them; they are not haunted by guilt, as they don't view their actions as a crime--at least not until Shep begins to question his faith. The Christians frequently crosses into black comic territory to produce a story that's weirdly funny, startlingly violent and steeped in sadness.
January 5, 2017
Why did the chicken cross the road? Colonel Sanders, Bill Murray, and a whole host of dimwitted crooks all have their parts to play in answering that question.
Told as a retrospective by an unnamed narrator, Birdbrain tells the story of a heist (or two) gone wrong. Following the classic heist storyline, Jim Yoakum shows what would happen if you were to recruit a group of loudmouth drunken idiots at a bar and actually put them in a heist.
The characters play out as self-parodies of the typical roles, sufficiently proficient in one specific area, but so deeply lacking in the basest of common sense that it's a wonder they've made it thus far through life.
Seasoned with plenty of useless trivia, amusing conspiracy theories, and convoluted and mondegreened urban legends, Birdbrain is one book that you won't want to put down.
Told as a retrospective by an unnamed narrator, Birdbrain tells the story of a heist (or two) gone wrong. Following the classic heist storyline, Jim Yoakum shows what would happen if you were to recruit a group of loudmouth drunken idiots at a bar and actually put them in a heist.
The characters play out as self-parodies of the typical roles, sufficiently proficient in one specific area, but so deeply lacking in the basest of common sense that it's a wonder they've made it thus far through life.
Seasoned with plenty of useless trivia, amusing conspiracy theories, and convoluted and mondegreened urban legends, Birdbrain is one book that you won't want to put down.
March 21, 2017
I really liked this book. I found it truly chilling to be shown the inner workings of a disturbed mind. I found the characters fascinating, and the pacing of the story is slow, but intense and works well. This was the first book I have ever read by Jim Yoakum, but after reading this one, I don't think it will be the only one for long. I can't wait to read more by him. I listened to the Audible audio version of this book narrated by Alex Zonn (the first time listening to him), and his narration was INCREDIBLE. I really want to check out more stuff that he has done, too. His voice transports you to the era of the book, and he does a great job of giving everyone a unique voice. I highly recommend this book.
June 11, 2017
This was an interesting and entertaining book. It was pretty short, but I thought the author did a good job of developing his characters. I thought it was quite funny and there were a few parts of the book where I laughed out loud. I listened to the Audible audio edition narrated by Tony Green. I liked his narration a lot, and I liked the added sound effects. The production quality, however, could use some improvement. The pauses between chapters were a bit too long. I thought several times that my player had stopped, but it hadn't. Also, the background noises needed a bit of adjusting so that it "fades in" better at the beginning of the chapters. Overall, a fun and funny book. I would definitely check out more works by this author.
January 27, 2017
Madhattan
: Jim Yoakum
A collection of short peeks into the lives of a teenage boy who's dad sends him off to New York to have the musical adventure that his dad missed out on. Somewhere along the way the boy decided one week isn't enough. Musicians and music lovers will like this adventure. The language was too course for my taste, but probably fit with the theme of the book. Ending was abrupt, hopefully there will be a sequel.
The narration was way too monotone............an occasional bit of emotion, but not enough. Ramona Master's interpretation wasn't what I expected.
"I was voluntarily provided this review copy audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator."
: Jim Yoakum
A collection of short peeks into the lives of a teenage boy who's dad sends him off to New York to have the musical adventure that his dad missed out on. Somewhere along the way the boy decided one week isn't enough. Musicians and music lovers will like this adventure. The language was too course for my taste, but probably fit with the theme of the book. Ending was abrupt, hopefully there will be a sequel.
The narration was way too monotone............an occasional bit of emotion, but not enough. Ramona Master's interpretation wasn't what I expected.
"I was voluntarily provided this review copy audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator."
January 2, 2022
I'm not at all impressed by this book about the last 6 months (or so) of Warren G Harding's Presidency. Don't get me wrong, it's well written, it's just it's fictional. It's based on some facts, but the author has guessed the gaps in the paperwork.
Some people enjoyed this faction(?), but it's not for me. I just found myself thinking "Oh yeah no, that wouldn't happen" so much that by the end I was left doubting everything, Oh, and another thing... the book has a particularly... euphemistic scene about Harding's love life in the Oval Office, and there going some of my brain cells that I'm not going to be able to use for anything else for a while.
So overall, not for me.
Some people enjoyed this faction(?), but it's not for me. I just found myself thinking "Oh yeah no, that wouldn't happen" so much that by the end I was left doubting everything, Oh, and another thing... the book has a particularly... euphemistic scene about Harding's love life in the Oval Office, and there going some of my brain cells that I'm not going to be able to use for anything else for a while.
So overall, not for me.
September 29, 2019
I am not always a fan of satire but this author did a great job of exposing a very serious topic through a light-hearted humorous piece. I am not sure if just any author could pull this off as well. This author did a great job.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 21, 2013
Saw this mentioned in a discussion of Douglas Adams, and it is indeed comic sci-if but sadly the similarities pretty much end there.
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March 21, 2017absurd and fun
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 26, 2016
tense
October 28, 2016
Gripping
October 22, 2022
Oy, how exHAUSting…
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