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The Man Who Wouldn't Die
Penned by an anonymous tech insider, a hilarious and biting neo-noir send-up of Silicon Valley.
Silicon Valley scion Captain Don Donogue is dead under mysterious circumstances. In fact, he might’ve well have been murdered. Just ask Captain Don himself. He’s been sending messages about his suspicious death from beyond the grave. Yep, he’s been tweeting from the afterlife. Or so it seems.
Could life-after-death be Silicon Valley’s latest innovation? Our bodies die but our souls and social media accounts are eternal? This is the mystery that confronts the only sane person left in a region gone mad with greed, William Fitzgerald. Fitch. He’s a world-class detective, tough, stoic, carries a big fist and a flip phone. He’s a bad fit for Silicon Valley, where the law firms have drive-thru windows manned by barristeristas (who serve instant coffee and instant patents); attractive women aren’t MILF’s but TELFs (Tech Executives I’d Like To Fund); and couples are so anxious to get into the best free-play kindergartens that they get on the waiting list as soon as they freeze their sperm and eggs for later use.
One day, a woman knocks on Fitch’s door. She’s got a handful of cash and a wild story: She says that her father was Captain Don, or is Captain Don. He was killed, or maybe not. He’s tweeting from beyond. Fitch takes the case and goes into the belly of valley, discovering that life and death, well, sometimes they’re just another transaction….
Original, clever, and hysterical, The Man Who Wouldn’t Die is the Carl Hiaasen of Silicon Valley and neo-noir at its unforgettable best.
Silicon Valley scion Captain Don Donogue is dead under mysterious circumstances. In fact, he might’ve well have been murdered. Just ask Captain Don himself. He’s been sending messages about his suspicious death from beyond the grave. Yep, he’s been tweeting from the afterlife. Or so it seems.
Could life-after-death be Silicon Valley’s latest innovation? Our bodies die but our souls and social media accounts are eternal? This is the mystery that confronts the only sane person left in a region gone mad with greed, William Fitzgerald. Fitch. He’s a world-class detective, tough, stoic, carries a big fist and a flip phone. He’s a bad fit for Silicon Valley, where the law firms have drive-thru windows manned by barristeristas (who serve instant coffee and instant patents); attractive women aren’t MILF’s but TELFs (Tech Executives I’d Like To Fund); and couples are so anxious to get into the best free-play kindergartens that they get on the waiting list as soon as they freeze their sperm and eggs for later use.
One day, a woman knocks on Fitch’s door. She’s got a handful of cash and a wild story: She says that her father was Captain Don, or is Captain Don. He was killed, or maybe not. He’s tweeting from beyond. Fitch takes the case and goes into the belly of valley, discovering that life and death, well, sometimes they’re just another transaction….
Original, clever, and hysterical, The Man Who Wouldn’t Die is the Carl Hiaasen of Silicon Valley and neo-noir at its unforgettable best.
320 pages, Paperback
First published August 6, 2019
25 people are currently reading
189 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
January 26, 2020
Took me forever to read; I just couldn't buy into the characters any of the characters. And the obnoxious oblique yet recognizable names for many tech companies and apps is just too cheesy: fotobook, Instacharm, Gooble, ad nauseam etc.
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October 13, 2019Actually I didn’t finish it. It was unfinishable. Completely awful
August 15, 2019
This was a hoot, so tongue-in-cheek I was guffawing out loud. As a native ca I appreciated all the slapstick humor, I listened to the audio, not sure if I would have enjoyed as much reading, but I grew up in the area and got every single joke and parody. Was a fun way to start my day!
August 3, 2021
Amusing, insightful satire of Silicon Valley ethos and technology’s influence today. Enjoyable.
January 16, 2020
Silly, pointless and if it was aiming for funny it definitely missed the mark.
July 8, 2023
I had put off reviewing this for a while, not because it isn't brilliant, but because to really do it justice would take nearly as long as the book itself.
The short of it is it's absurdist humour that, unfortunately, seems all too plausible in the near future. (Snipchap is just an abbreviated version of Facebook "stories"...) Strange it was a dollar book, but I guess it's an even tougher market to break into than what it used to be!
Samples:
I would probably reread this at some point, if I didn't have the allure of NEW BOOKS, ALL THE TIME. Fun read, but I don't know about keeping it. (I do like the extremely manly gay main character and husband, though! Need a few more stereotypes thrown completely out the window.)
The short of it is it's absurdist humour that, unfortunately, seems all too plausible in the near future. (Snipchap is just an abbreviated version of Facebook "stories"...) Strange it was a dollar book, but I guess it's an even tougher market to break into than what it used to be!
Samples:
I would probably reread this at some point, if I didn't have the allure of NEW BOOKS, ALL THE TIME. Fun read, but I don't know about keeping it. (I do like the extremely manly gay main character and husband, though! Need a few more stereotypes thrown completely out the window.)
March 9, 2021
3.5
This book was a fun weird read. I loved the hyperbolic nature of the story; how students were expected to the perfect extra curicculars, How his neighbor wanted to get his child in the best preschool (talking about children on second dates becasue there was a 5 year minimum wait list on said schools) or they wouldn't have a chance in life, and a giant news story tranding for only 2 minutes. The fact everyone was glued to their phones and that fact is what helped him and his husband get away in the end.
I appreciated the subtle gay rep. It wa nice to have a book that focused on a gay character but their gay identity wasn't the main focus of the book. I liked that there were moments where I actually chuckeled, or dare I say laughed out loud, because it was either bizzare or genuinly funny.
I'm overall glad I decided to pick this book up off the shelf once the libraries reopened. It was a random pick up and it payed off. I think what took away from my reading of the book, was how long it took me to get through. It took me around 3 weeks, probably closer to a month to read (mainly before bed to get me drowsey). So they novality of the story started to wear after week 2 ish but I don't want to discount the book based on my own reading speeds. Thats why I gave it a 3.5 stars.
This book was a fun weird read. I loved the hyperbolic nature of the story; how students were expected to the perfect extra curicculars, How his neighbor wanted to get his child in the best preschool (talking about children on second dates becasue there was a 5 year minimum wait list on said schools) or they wouldn't have a chance in life, and a giant news story tranding for only 2 minutes. The fact everyone was glued to their phones and that fact is what helped him and his husband get away in the end.
I appreciated the subtle gay rep. It wa nice to have a book that focused on a gay character but their gay identity wasn't the main focus of the book. I liked that there were moments where I actually chuckeled, or dare I say laughed out loud, because it was either bizzare or genuinly funny.
I'm overall glad I decided to pick this book up off the shelf once the libraries reopened. It was a random pick up and it payed off. I think what took away from my reading of the book, was how long it took me to get through. It took me around 3 weeks, probably closer to a month to read (mainly before bed to get me drowsey). So they novality of the story started to wear after week 2 ish but I don't want to discount the book based on my own reading speeds. Thats why I gave it a 3.5 stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 23, 2019
This hilarious send-up of the classic detective thriller pits our hero Fitch against a basket of tech-plorable characters; tech gurus and wannabes, gaming Gen-Zers, artisanal barristeraristas (drive-thru legal services) in a wacky page-turning adventure.
Silicon Valley's 'disrupting' start-up culture gets a deserved sardonic smack as Fitch tries to find out who killed sort-of deceased tech giant Captain Don Donogue, who may have figured out an app for immortality. His family, colleagues and nemeses are all suspects in a thrill ride that includes chase scenes with Mini Cooper-driving henchmen and assassins with great employee benefits. When Fitch's husband Terry gets kidnapped, it ups the ante to full throttle (the story rolls at a breakneck pace within a few days). Penned by an anonymous straight tech writer, this atypical gay action hero is my new favorite in a genre-bending tale.
Silicon Valley's 'disrupting' start-up culture gets a deserved sardonic smack as Fitch tries to find out who killed sort-of deceased tech giant Captain Don Donogue, who may have figured out an app for immortality. His family, colleagues and nemeses are all suspects in a thrill ride that includes chase scenes with Mini Cooper-driving henchmen and assassins with great employee benefits. When Fitch's husband Terry gets kidnapped, it ups the ante to full throttle (the story rolls at a breakneck pace within a few days). Penned by an anonymous straight tech writer, this atypical gay action hero is my new favorite in a genre-bending tale.
May 20, 2019
A clever send up of Silicon Valley and it it's so painfully obvious self importance and bullshit. A hard-boiled gay private dick with an even-tougher husband tries to sort out messages from beyond the grave - from a Silicon Valley mover-and-shaker who is "dead-ish". The evil gang is self-actualized with a generous health plan, start ups are cheek-by-jowl in Palo Alto and everyone is pitching everyone so they can motor up to the drive-thru law firm (24 hour service) and get their patent and mezzanine financing in one stop. Despite all the mockery, the tough-as-nails private eye teases out the clues as he creeps along at 10 miles per hour in jammed traffic from one end of the valley to San Francisco on his custom motorcycle. Lots of fun. Reminded me of Snow Crash.
March 6, 2023
Amusing story about the downfall of civilization because of technology... no, it shows us the downfall of civilization but that it not what it is about. Quirky and funny and fast paced.
Fitch is a private investigator who is hired to figure out if a man who is so innovative that he has found a way to cheat death. Either Captain Don is dead or he is not. If he is dead, who killed him and why. The problem is he keeps sending messages from the beyond so his daughter can't figure out what's what.
Lots of quirky characters. The author makes fun of silicone valley culture in a fun way. He makes fun of "woke" culture in a passive aggressive way - like some people he is poking fun at.
Fitch is a private investigator who is hired to figure out if a man who is so innovative that he has found a way to cheat death. Either Captain Don is dead or he is not. If he is dead, who killed him and why. The problem is he keeps sending messages from the beyond so his daughter can't figure out what's what.
Lots of quirky characters. The author makes fun of silicone valley culture in a fun way. He makes fun of "woke" culture in a passive aggressive way - like some people he is poking fun at.
September 20, 2019
This book is supposed to be written by a "Pulitzer Prize winning tech journalist", writing under a pseudonym. I can see how someone like that would have had fun taking shots at the Silicon Valley and San Francisco bubble he works in. What he wrote is a broad, very broad, parody of a private detective noir novel built around the (maybe) death of a tech genius and multi-billionaire. Who did it? Was it actually done? Who will get the money? Lots of inside jokes and silly plot twists, but the book is short, quick and fun. Really only recommended for techies who live in or visit the Bay Area a lot.
October 8, 2019
The voice of the noir sendup private detective protagonist fell flat for me now and then as did some of the supporting characters painted in broad satirical brush strokes. The Silicon Valley humor also swung from hit to miss and back with consistent regularity from my vantage point. That said, I enjoyed the juxtaposition and melding of elements at play. Perhaps this Pulitzer Prize-winning technology reporter could refine his storytelling and satirical touches by catching up on or revisiting the likes of Douglas Adams and Jasper Fforde?
January 28, 2020
This was a strange novel. It's well paced, and a couple of the recaps are done at points where it's been long enough to warrant a reminder on what's been going on.
The plot is a fairly standard mystery, but with some Silicon Valley jokes thrown in about how weird everyone is, which also show up as some of the central plot points.
It's good, but seems to treat people in Silicon Valley as bit very smart and very stupid at the same time, which is odd.
Overall it's enjoyable but didn't blow me away.
The plot is a fairly standard mystery, but with some Silicon Valley jokes thrown in about how weird everyone is, which also show up as some of the central plot points.
It's good, but seems to treat people in Silicon Valley as bit very smart and very stupid at the same time, which is odd.
Overall it's enjoyable but didn't blow me away.
August 27, 2019
Silicon Valley/tech-SF mystery by pseudonymous tech journalist. Very funny little jokes about Bay Area culture now (gangs give out consumer-satisfaction surveys after beatdowns), but the larger human context didn't work for me. Cover blurb from Tim Dorsey comparing it to Hiaasen, plus the first page, got me to buy it, but reading it made me realize that Hiaasen makes you care about his characters even amidst the farcical plotting. This one didn't.
July 23, 2022
This book was not good. It took me a month to finish. A MONTH! Around 300 pages and I just struggled to get through this thing. I feel like the story was all over the place, the title wasn’t, at al, fitting, and the side plot (which I found incredibly dull) ended up being the main plot. Not a quality detective story, in my opinion. Just a lot of running and chasing and the “reveal” was lack-luster. I felt no connection to the characters and found this book to be an incredible bore. On to the next!
October 1, 2022
I really loved this book. A mystery thriller set in silicon valley. I can admit that the story itself was not what kept me reading, it was the satire. I feel this whole book is really just a joke about how ridiculous these new-age herbalist techie people are. Everything is racist, except the things that actually are. Everything is an injustice, except things that actually are. Money is the most important thing in the world. Cant survive without technology. I love it.
December 25, 2022
*4.5 stars*. Absolutely insane, original, and hilarious! I do not have a clue how to describe this book….a CEO of tech is tweeting from the afterlife and only Fitch can solve this mystery! “The Man Who Wouldn’t Die” is a bizarre satire of Silicon Valley and society’s obsession with technology. I laughed out loud….when my jaw wasn’t dropping from the outrageousness. Top book of the year and I’d like to read more in this world!
December 19, 2019
I alles Geld bad to give 1 statt ratings because I appreciate the words authors must have put into their books. But this is just eye rolling.
I could see some Silicon Valley insider thinking „Haha, this is funny die“ behind every line. It felt artificial, too Insider-y and frankly plain bad at levels of plot and character (simply because this was not focus of writing)
I could see some Silicon Valley insider thinking „Haha, this is funny die“ behind every line. It felt artificial, too Insider-y and frankly plain bad at levels of plot and character (simply because this was not focus of writing)
September 22, 2019
A cute, entertaining read. The Hiassen of Florida is to Silicon Valley is an accurate descriptor, although some of the revised names descriptors (i.e. Starbacks) were a bit hokey instead of funny...overall good read.
June 2, 2023
This was surprisingly funny in its ridiculousness. I took off a star for its aggravating over-use of knock-off names: people eat Cheese-ohs, post on Twypper and Faceberg, buy coffee at Starbacks etc etc ad nauseam. It's so pervasive it's grating..
September 23, 2019
Entertaining but author thinks he’s funnier than he is.
December 12, 2019
only read half and let it go
April 20, 2020
I couldn't get into it. Didn't care about any of the characters.
January 4, 2021
Humor was not to my taste, but I loved the queer rep.
March 9, 2022
A lot of fun just as long as you don't take it too seriously
March 27, 2022
3.5
Sooo much satire about technology etc
Sooo much satire about technology etc
June 13, 2022
Very reminiscent of Carl Hiaasen’s writing style. I enjoyed it.
September 12, 2022
A noir PI story that is told in the 1920's style. It has some updated laughs for our modern age.
March 9, 2023
This is quite a detective story. It's also a hilarious take on Silicon Valley and the tech industry. It follows the "death" of Captain Don Donogue. And the investigation by William "Fitch" Fitzgerald an out of place, first rate detective, asked by Captain Don's daughter. It was very amusing how the story went.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews