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Nuclear Bombshell #1
The Plutonium Blonde
"My name is Zachary Nixon Johnson. I am the last private detective on Earth...not exactly one hundred percent true, but it sounds good. The year is 2057 and, after a handful of species-altering upheavals, earth-shattering cataclysms, history changing extra-terrestrial contacts, and pop-culture disasters, the world is now a pretty safe place...But every once in a while some crazy thing happens that threatens all of society, all of humanity, or the entire space-time continuum. And for some reason it always happens on my watch." So begins the first installment of this all-new, all-hilarious trilogy that pokes fun at the pulps, and skewers sci-fi, as a private dick of the future goes after the most dangerous prey of all...The Plutonium Blonde.
342 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 1, 2001
38 people are currently reading
623 people want to read
About the author
John Zakour
124 books67 followersFrom the Author's Website
John Zakour is a humor/sf/fantasy writer with a Master's degree in Human Behavior and slowly plugging away at his Ph.D. He has written zillions (well, thousands) of gags for syndicated comics and comedians (including: Rugrats, Grimmy, Bound and Gagged, Dennis the Menace and Joan River's old TV show.) John also writes his own syndicated comic, Working Daze for United Media. John has been the regular cartoonist for Geek.com and has sold cartoons or gags to hundreds of journals and magazines. John is also a contributor to Nickelodeon magazine writing Fairly Odd Parents and Jimmy Neutron comic books. Recently he has started writing Simpsons comics for Bongo.
John’s first humorous SF mystery book, The Plutonium Blonde (DAW 2001, co-written with Larry Ganem and started of as an interactive web story for the Sci Fi channel) was named one of the top 30 SF books of 2001 by The Chronicle of Science Fiction who called it, “the funniest SF book of 2001”. His second novel, The Doomsday Brunette (DAW Feb 2004) has made the Locus best sellers list. The third book in the series, The RadioActive Redhead, also made the SF best seller list.
Besides his novels John has sold numerous short stories to anthologies and magazines. John has written the dialog and song lyrics for Frogwares Software computer game Around the World in 80 days. For something a bit different John writes skits for the Harlem Rockets basketball team.
In the past, John has written and helped develop the first year and season of the comic book and animated series: Caramel Crew, for Mobtoons. John also has written for the independent SF TV show, “Realm of the Mind”. John also helped develop an animated sf horror series, called Prime Squad for MUV Technologies in India. His romantic comedy, Skin Deep about an ordinary guy who can’t believe the hottest girl on campus is actually in love with him has won a couple of writing awards. John has also written for Ebru tv.
John use to be a database programmer / web guru / science writer for NYSAES.
When he's not writing or studying John likes to play softball, watch TV and hang out with his wife and son. He use to do judo and karate, but those have been replaced by tai chi and archery.
John Zakour is a humor/sf/fantasy writer with a Master's degree in Human Behavior and slowly plugging away at his Ph.D. He has written zillions (well, thousands) of gags for syndicated comics and comedians (including: Rugrats, Grimmy, Bound and Gagged, Dennis the Menace and Joan River's old TV show.) John also writes his own syndicated comic, Working Daze for United Media. John has been the regular cartoonist for Geek.com and has sold cartoons or gags to hundreds of journals and magazines. John is also a contributor to Nickelodeon magazine writing Fairly Odd Parents and Jimmy Neutron comic books. Recently he has started writing Simpsons comics for Bongo.
John’s first humorous SF mystery book, The Plutonium Blonde (DAW 2001, co-written with Larry Ganem and started of as an interactive web story for the Sci Fi channel) was named one of the top 30 SF books of 2001 by The Chronicle of Science Fiction who called it, “the funniest SF book of 2001”. His second novel, The Doomsday Brunette (DAW Feb 2004) has made the Locus best sellers list. The third book in the series, The RadioActive Redhead, also made the SF best seller list.
Besides his novels John has sold numerous short stories to anthologies and magazines. John has written the dialog and song lyrics for Frogwares Software computer game Around the World in 80 days. For something a bit different John writes skits for the Harlem Rockets basketball team.
In the past, John has written and helped develop the first year and season of the comic book and animated series: Caramel Crew, for Mobtoons. John also has written for the independent SF TV show, “Realm of the Mind”. John also helped develop an animated sf horror series, called Prime Squad for MUV Technologies in India. His romantic comedy, Skin Deep about an ordinary guy who can’t believe the hottest girl on campus is actually in love with him has won a couple of writing awards. John has also written for Ebru tv.
John use to be a database programmer / web guru / science writer for NYSAES.
When he's not writing or studying John likes to play softball, watch TV and hang out with his wife and son. He use to do judo and karate, but those have been replaced by tai chi and archery.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
December 12, 2017
The Plutonium Blonde is John Zakour's parody of the sci-fi noir detective story. Zukour did actually get the balance right between the humour and the story. This is clearly a light-hearted book packed with a ton of humour but it never overwhelms the story itself which means this actually manages to retain the feel of the sci-fi noir detective stories it is poking fun at.
Despite getting the balance right I was still not a great fan of this one. A lot of the humour missed the mark for me and the story was pretty bland and standard fare. I get that including just about every trope in the genre was likely deliberate but I'd have preferred a few more original moments and a group of characters that would have inspired at least a bit of emotional engagement.
Zachary Nixon Johnson is the last private detective on Earth. His latest case is tracking down a runaway android double of a billionaire. The android is powered by a plutonium core and is the most sophisticated computer on the planet. Which is a problem now that it has gone rogue!
I felt like I should have enjoyed the story more. I probably would have if the humour had been better and if the characters had been more likeable and well developed. A lot of the humour bombed and all the characters had less depth than a cardboard cut out! The world-building was actually fine. The future world seemed interesting and like it had the potential for all sorts of fun stories and cool sci-fi technology but it just never really materialized. Zachary's banter with his AI assistant was supposed to be the main comedic heart of the story but it mostly bombed which definitely did not help with my enjoyment of this one.
All in all I found this a below average read. It was not awful and I've definitely read a lot worse in my time but there was nothing here that will see me follow the story to the second instalment of the series.
Rating: 2.5 stars.
Audio Note: I listened to the Graphic Audio production of the series and as always the GA team did a great job. Unfortunately even they could not breathe much life into this uninspiring sci-fi story!
Despite getting the balance right I was still not a great fan of this one. A lot of the humour missed the mark for me and the story was pretty bland and standard fare. I get that including just about every trope in the genre was likely deliberate but I'd have preferred a few more original moments and a group of characters that would have inspired at least a bit of emotional engagement.
Zachary Nixon Johnson is the last private detective on Earth. His latest case is tracking down a runaway android double of a billionaire. The android is powered by a plutonium core and is the most sophisticated computer on the planet. Which is a problem now that it has gone rogue!
I felt like I should have enjoyed the story more. I probably would have if the humour had been better and if the characters had been more likeable and well developed. A lot of the humour bombed and all the characters had less depth than a cardboard cut out! The world-building was actually fine. The future world seemed interesting and like it had the potential for all sorts of fun stories and cool sci-fi technology but it just never really materialized. Zachary's banter with his AI assistant was supposed to be the main comedic heart of the story but it mostly bombed which definitely did not help with my enjoyment of this one.
All in all I found this a below average read. It was not awful and I've definitely read a lot worse in my time but there was nothing here that will see me follow the story to the second instalment of the series.
Rating: 2.5 stars.
Audio Note: I listened to the Graphic Audio production of the series and as always the GA team did a great job. Unfortunately even they could not breathe much life into this uninspiring sci-fi story!
March 30, 2022
I've been having a hard time lately being motivated to read. I've got a stack of books next to the bed that I intend to read but starting any one of them sounded really hard. Skimming through my list of want to reads on Goodreads though, I stumbled across one of the John Zakour Nuclear Bombshell books and remembered I had only read the first few.
This book is lighthearted and silly. Hardly any pages go by without a goofy joke or an inappropriate cultural reference. It is both an homage to the hard boiled detective stories of Hammet and Chandler but also a parody of them. I have no idea how he managed to pull of both respecting the genre and making fun of it but he did it with this story.
It's well told and tries hard to set the atmosphere of the future. Curse words include DOS and Gates!. Every place is New Name. New Mexico the state is New New Mexico but Mexico the country is New Mexico. The story itself is set within New Frisco all the cars fly except for museum relics and AI and laser guns are common. The Femme Fatale is a standard of the genre and Zakour takes advantage of that by setting up three of them in this story. Along with that detective staple there are also appearances by the faithful secretary character and the police detective friend. In addition Zakour adds in a girlfriend character and a wise cracking partner character. Somehow this all fits together into a cohesive whole.
If you are in the mood for something lighthearted to take your mind of the stresses of the world this is highly recommended. Because I'm a spaz and a collector at heart, I went ahead and bought all the rest of the books in the series. Hopefully starting the next one will be as easy as this one was.
This book is lighthearted and silly. Hardly any pages go by without a goofy joke or an inappropriate cultural reference. It is both an homage to the hard boiled detective stories of Hammet and Chandler but also a parody of them. I have no idea how he managed to pull of both respecting the genre and making fun of it but he did it with this story.
It's well told and tries hard to set the atmosphere of the future. Curse words include DOS and Gates!. Every place is New Name. New Mexico the state is New New Mexico but Mexico the country is New Mexico. The story itself is set within New Frisco all the cars fly except for museum relics and AI and laser guns are common. The Femme Fatale is a standard of the genre and Zakour takes advantage of that by setting up three of them in this story. Along with that detective staple there are also appearances by the faithful secretary character and the police detective friend. In addition Zakour adds in a girlfriend character and a wise cracking partner character. Somehow this all fits together into a cohesive whole.
If you are in the mood for something lighthearted to take your mind of the stresses of the world this is highly recommended. Because I'm a spaz and a collector at heart, I went ahead and bought all the rest of the books in the series. Hopefully starting the next one will be as easy as this one was.
March 1, 2009
OK, I saw one of the later books in this series on the shelf, thought it looked interesting . . . but still didn't buy it, mostly because it was pretty deep into the series. In fact it was so deep in the series that I sort of decided that I could let the series pass. Besides, it was SF and I mostly read fantasy.
But then I caved and bought the omnibus of book 1 and 2 called Dangerous Dames, which includes this book, The Plutonium Blonde and the second in the series, The Doomsday Brunette. I've just finished book 1 . . . and I have to say that I really enjoyed the read.
The book is about a privite detective, the last free-lance private investigator on Earth. It's set in 2057, and for the most part is an SF tongue-in-cheek version of the grand noir detective novels from the 50s, and it knows it. Zachary Nixon Johnson is the main character and he's definitely fun to follow. The book picks up on and plays with many of the cliches of what we all think of as the "near future" and uses them as part of the plot.
And speaking of plot, I have to say that it caught me a little by surprise. As a writer myself, I have a tendency to "figure out" the main part of the plot long before the characters reach it, and in one sense I did with this book. But not really. Meaning, that part of what I thought the ultimate solution to the case was true . . . but not in the way I expected. This was definitely a pleasant surprise on my part--because I was right! . . . and yet I wasn't--and that's hard to do. So the writing was definitely good enough to impress me.
That said, it is more of a light read. A very fun, laugh-out-loud kind of light read. There were a few little quirks that did annoy me. One was the cliche of having everything in the future named the same as it is now except with "new" put in from of it, such as New Seattle or New Cuba, etc. The characters actually made jokes about this (which is what you should do when you're using a cliche and know it), but the jokes came almost at the very end of the book and probably should have been done earlier. Another quirk has nothing to do with the author really: there were a significant number of typos throughout the book. But notice that both of these "annoying" factors were extremely minor. Again, I want to emphasize that this was an extremely fun, light read.
Meaning that I'm definitely glad I picked up the omnibus edition. I plan on reading the rest of the series as well. (There's a new omnibus of books 3 and 4 coming out shortly called Ballistic Babes.) In fact, I've already bought them.
I strongly suggest people check these books out.
But then I caved and bought the omnibus of book 1 and 2 called Dangerous Dames, which includes this book, The Plutonium Blonde and the second in the series, The Doomsday Brunette. I've just finished book 1 . . . and I have to say that I really enjoyed the read.
The book is about a privite detective, the last free-lance private investigator on Earth. It's set in 2057, and for the most part is an SF tongue-in-cheek version of the grand noir detective novels from the 50s, and it knows it. Zachary Nixon Johnson is the main character and he's definitely fun to follow. The book picks up on and plays with many of the cliches of what we all think of as the "near future" and uses them as part of the plot.
And speaking of plot, I have to say that it caught me a little by surprise. As a writer myself, I have a tendency to "figure out" the main part of the plot long before the characters reach it, and in one sense I did with this book. But not really. Meaning, that part of what I thought the ultimate solution to the case was true . . . but not in the way I expected. This was definitely a pleasant surprise on my part--because I was right! . . . and yet I wasn't--and that's hard to do. So the writing was definitely good enough to impress me.
That said, it is more of a light read. A very fun, laugh-out-loud kind of light read. There were a few little quirks that did annoy me. One was the cliche of having everything in the future named the same as it is now except with "new" put in from of it, such as New Seattle or New Cuba, etc. The characters actually made jokes about this (which is what you should do when you're using a cliche and know it), but the jokes came almost at the very end of the book and probably should have been done earlier. Another quirk has nothing to do with the author really: there were a significant number of typos throughout the book. But notice that both of these "annoying" factors were extremely minor. Again, I want to emphasize that this was an extremely fun, light read.
Meaning that I'm definitely glad I picked up the omnibus edition. I plan on reading the rest of the series as well. (There's a new omnibus of books 3 and 4 coming out shortly called Ballistic Babes.) In fact, I've already bought them.
I strongly suggest people check these books out.
September 5, 2012
It's not often you find something that can be both an homage and at the same time almost a spoof of its source material but they pull it off here fantastically.
Equal parts pulp detective, sci-fi and comedy, these books would make a perfect summer blockbuster...probably starring Will Smith. They read quick and are a lot of fun. Sometimes it gets a little over the top crazy but that's what makes it a good time. There wasn't any point where I thought the jokes were being overdone or the exposition was too much, it all fit as part of Zach's world.
If you want to check out the series, definately start with Dangerous Dames, which combines this and the 2nd book in the series into one paperback. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the very entertaining series!
Equal parts pulp detective, sci-fi and comedy, these books would make a perfect summer blockbuster...probably starring Will Smith. They read quick and are a lot of fun. Sometimes it gets a little over the top crazy but that's what makes it a good time. There wasn't any point where I thought the jokes were being overdone or the exposition was too much, it all fit as part of Zach's world.
If you want to check out the series, definately start with Dangerous Dames, which combines this and the 2nd book in the series into one paperback. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the very entertaining series!
April 17, 2013
Please note: I read and reviewed this book in 2007. Just copying over review from Amazon.
Overview and Synopsis: In the year 2057 the world is brand new - everything is New - New New York, New New Mexico (the state) as well as New Mexico (the country). Zachary Nixon Johnson is the last licensed private investigator - the licensed bit is the important thing here. There are other private investigators (for example - the employees of DickCo) but none are licensed like Zachary! Gates is God and DOS is hell and news is down to the nano.
When Zachary receives a call from BB Starr - an ex-exotic dancer who is now CEO of the largest corporation of the planet - he is naturally concerned. She is one of the richest and most powerful people on the planet - why does she need him? It turns out she requires his discretion and - unique - skills. So, with the help of HARV - his holographic assistant (who is the most intelligent computer in the world - and is, during the course of this adventure, implanted directly into his brain) - Carol, his psionic receptionist and potential future niece-in-law and Dr. Electra Gevada, his fiance, he sets out to track down BB-2. Of course, things aren't always as they seem. . .
Review and recommendation: Always funny, constantly exciting and eminently readable, I cannot recommend this book enough. Zakour and Ganem play with the English language with all the virtuosity of a savant while keeping the story readable and the pace swift. Do yourself a favor and get this book!
Overview and Synopsis: In the year 2057 the world is brand new - everything is New - New New York, New New Mexico (the state) as well as New Mexico (the country). Zachary Nixon Johnson is the last licensed private investigator - the licensed bit is the important thing here. There are other private investigators (for example - the employees of DickCo) but none are licensed like Zachary! Gates is God and DOS is hell and news is down to the nano.
When Zachary receives a call from BB Starr - an ex-exotic dancer who is now CEO of the largest corporation of the planet - he is naturally concerned. She is one of the richest and most powerful people on the planet - why does she need him? It turns out she requires his discretion and - unique - skills. So, with the help of HARV - his holographic assistant (who is the most intelligent computer in the world - and is, during the course of this adventure, implanted directly into his brain) - Carol, his psionic receptionist and potential future niece-in-law and Dr. Electra Gevada, his fiance, he sets out to track down BB-2. Of course, things aren't always as they seem. . .
Review and recommendation: Always funny, constantly exciting and eminently readable, I cannot recommend this book enough. Zakour and Ganem play with the English language with all the virtuosity of a savant while keeping the story readable and the pace swift. Do yourself a favor and get this book!
April 19, 2013
I liked this. It was a very entertaining book.
It had all the elements of a good old-fashioned detective story but the twist is the book is set in 2057 so there are some really cool technology involved: flying cars, artificial intelligence, teleportation, mind readers, killer robots, and my favorite: plutonium powered blonde babes.
I listened to the GraphicAudio (which is a little different than a regular audiobook) and they did a good job adapting the story.
I will definitely keep reading (listening) this series.
4 to 4.5 stars out of 5.
:)
It had all the elements of a good old-fashioned detective story but the twist is the book is set in 2057 so there are some really cool technology involved: flying cars, artificial intelligence, teleportation, mind readers, killer robots, and my favorite: plutonium powered blonde babes.
I listened to the GraphicAudio (which is a little different than a regular audiobook) and they did a good job adapting the story.
I will definitely keep reading (listening) this series.
4 to 4.5 stars out of 5.
:)
Read
August 12, 2021A noir-ish SF mystery with humor set in 2057. The detective is named Zachary Nixon Johnson. It leaves me with the sense of referring to presidents, but I don't see a connection. He's hired by a billionaire woman who runs a tech company to find an escaped killer android which was made to resemble her. What follows is what seemed to me to be an oversupply of attempts to kill or beat up Johnson. Perhaps, the author intended this to reflect the action-overemphasis of modern film and TV. This may explain the fact that the book is not divided into "chapters," but instead "episodes." It's probably not for readers who focus on the puzzle-solving side of mysteries.
Johnson gets his equipment from an eccentric scientist who contributes to the humor. Johnson also has a girlfriend who can really fight - and gets angry when the billionaire woman claims she slept with Johnson...
Hard SF readers: There are a few references to psi powers. This is not a crucial part of the story.
Probably, more for "light reading."
Johnson gets his equipment from an eccentric scientist who contributes to the humor. Johnson also has a girlfriend who can really fight - and gets angry when the billionaire woman claims she slept with Johnson...
Hard SF readers: There are a few references to psi powers. This is not a crucial part of the story.
Probably, more for "light reading."
December 6, 2020
These books are brilliant. I wish there were more available, I’ll be on the hunt!
September 9, 2008
I confess. I wish I had written this book. It combines so many things I love. It has science-fiction. The sci-fi is lightweight to be sure and totally done for laughs, but the extrapolation of Bill Gates and DOS into the swear words of the future is worth the price of admission. The inventions are implausible, but entertaining. The climactic scene where the inevitable plan to destroy the world is exposed is preposterous, silly, and utterly irredeemable—except as delightful entertainment.
So, yes. You’ve guessed that the second element I like in this book (the first of a series) is the comic ingredient. This is the funniest novel I’ve read since I discovered the Robert Asprin’s “myth-management” of nearly every fantasy plot ever written. It is funnier than Asprin’s own Phoule series. It is funnier than some of Mike Resnick’s science-fiction re-dos of his Lucifer Jones stories (classics in their own right—notice that I use the qualifier, “some”).
Third, there is a pulp detective element to this novel. The protagonist is the last private investigator in the world. He makes ends meet by selling off heavily edited versions of his cases to the entertainment industry (Guess we won’t be rid of this reality TV crap for a long while!) and competes with the corporate investigators (who sell off their hologram “tapes” of their cases to rival networks) who are more interested in roughing our hero up and making him look bad.
Fourth, there is a comedic Dr. Watson angle to our futuristic Sherlock Holmes. An evolving computer entity plays a major role in the book and, it is to be hoped, in the future. Not since George Alec Effinger rewrote an Infocom text adventure into a novel from the familiar/amanuensis/friendly native guide/loyal companion perspective or the skeletal head that followed the player character around in Interplay’s Planescape: Torment role-playing game have I enjoyed a supporting character so much. I’d tell you more, but it would destroy the fun.
In fact, to tell you any more than The Plutonium Blonde is Sam Spade meets Skeeve in a semi-credible futuristic world would spoil the fun. I just truly hate the idea that these two authors came up with this concept before I could write The Maltese Android or The RAM Curse.
So, yes. You’ve guessed that the second element I like in this book (the first of a series) is the comic ingredient. This is the funniest novel I’ve read since I discovered the Robert Asprin’s “myth-management” of nearly every fantasy plot ever written. It is funnier than Asprin’s own Phoule series. It is funnier than some of Mike Resnick’s science-fiction re-dos of his Lucifer Jones stories (classics in their own right—notice that I use the qualifier, “some”).
Third, there is a pulp detective element to this novel. The protagonist is the last private investigator in the world. He makes ends meet by selling off heavily edited versions of his cases to the entertainment industry (Guess we won’t be rid of this reality TV crap for a long while!) and competes with the corporate investigators (who sell off their hologram “tapes” of their cases to rival networks) who are more interested in roughing our hero up and making him look bad.
Fourth, there is a comedic Dr. Watson angle to our futuristic Sherlock Holmes. An evolving computer entity plays a major role in the book and, it is to be hoped, in the future. Not since George Alec Effinger rewrote an Infocom text adventure into a novel from the familiar/amanuensis/friendly native guide/loyal companion perspective or the skeletal head that followed the player character around in Interplay’s Planescape: Torment role-playing game have I enjoyed a supporting character so much. I’d tell you more, but it would destroy the fun.
In fact, to tell you any more than The Plutonium Blonde is Sam Spade meets Skeeve in a semi-credible futuristic world would spoil the fun. I just truly hate the idea that these two authors came up with this concept before I could write The Maltese Android or The RAM Curse.
July 11, 2017
This book is often compared to The Automatic Detective but I didn't quite enjoy it as much. In fact, it wasn't until around the halfway point that this book really clicked for me. Possibly because it took that long for our detective to stop telling jokes at his computer and start relating like partners.
May 21, 2013
Zach is the last licensed private investigator on Earth in the year 2057, and he is also sort of famous. He is hired by the beautiful and very powerful BB Starr to find and deactivate a powerful droid that her late husband secretly built. Unfortunately for Zach, said droid not only is a killing machine but may also be the most intelligent droid out there. Moreover, Zach's girlfriend is worried he may be having an affair with BB and a couple of different electronic devices keep trying to kill him. Zach has the help of the very efficient and slightly annoying HARV (his personal computer) to try and find the dangerous droid before it turns into a doomsday device.
The book had me before it even started as it is dedicated to Douglas Adams - which says a lot about the authors. The interaction between Zach and HARV is brilliant and I was pleasantly surprised by the mystery development. Even though it is a funny story, the mystery is there and carries the plot through twists and killer droids. If you like mystery and humour, ignore the science fiction part because you'll enjoy this book no matter what.
The book had me before it even started as it is dedicated to Douglas Adams - which says a lot about the authors. The interaction between Zach and HARV is brilliant and I was pleasantly surprised by the mystery development. Even though it is a funny story, the mystery is there and carries the plot through twists and killer droids. If you like mystery and humour, ignore the science fiction part because you'll enjoy this book no matter what.
November 30, 2009
Read this one in college. I remember quite liking it -- a fun little insane cyborg mystery -- but what stands out in my memory is the hero detective's internal A.I. partner, who constantly pokes fun at him and makes quips. A very funny book.
Yet I don't seem to have cared enough to follow along with the sequels... huh.
Yet I don't seem to have cared enough to follow along with the sequels... huh.
August 18, 2009
This book was so great! The world's last P.I., his AI sidekick (who lives in his head) and his smart, ass-kicking girlfriend save the world. Punny and witty.
September 29, 2014
The year in 2057 and Zachary Nixon Johnson is the last private detective on Earth.
A slightly bizarre story line makes this a thoroughly enjoyable read, with plenty of humour and action.
A slightly bizarre story line makes this a thoroughly enjoyable read, with plenty of humour and action.
September 12, 2018
Zábavná a povedená parodie na noir detektivky, tohle se vážně docela povedlo. Je to takový koktejl sci-fi, detektivky a humoru zhruba v poměru 1:1:1, protřepat, nemíchat!
April 3, 2021
This was great fun. This was a not too near future cautionary tale of the coming rise of the machines. It was a cross between a straight up sci fi story and a mystery/detective noir.
There was a great deal of humor.
The last human detective on Earth is hired by the richest woman on the planet to locate an android duplicate of hers that has gone haywire and is plotting to do "who knows what." The WKW ends up being the total destruction of the planet and everything living and mechanical thing thereon.
The human detective is helped by his computerized Watson, who is experimentally injected into the detective's brain. Great hilarity ensues.
This book is part of a series and I will definitely be reading the other books.
As an aside, I listened to the audiobook of this and unlike most other books which are simply narrated, (typically by a single person), this one has multiple actors playing the roles of all of the characters, as well as music and sound effects. There were times when it was hard to hear the dialogue, due to the music and sound effects. But the overall result was more immersive and definitely more high budget than the typical audiobook. It was a very enjoyable experience. This is one of a few books I have read recently where I would love to see a movie made of this.
There was a great deal of humor.
The last human detective on Earth is hired by the richest woman on the planet to locate an android duplicate of hers that has gone haywire and is plotting to do "who knows what." The WKW ends up being the total destruction of the planet and everything living and mechanical thing thereon.
The human detective is helped by his computerized Watson, who is experimentally injected into the detective's brain. Great hilarity ensues.
This book is part of a series and I will definitely be reading the other books.
As an aside, I listened to the audiobook of this and unlike most other books which are simply narrated, (typically by a single person), this one has multiple actors playing the roles of all of the characters, as well as music and sound effects. There were times when it was hard to hear the dialogue, due to the music and sound effects. But the overall result was more immersive and definitely more high budget than the typical audiobook. It was a very enjoyable experience. This is one of a few books I have read recently where I would love to see a movie made of this.
March 8, 2023
I'm fairly sure I've had this book for years in another format, but never bothered to look at it, because it was in with a collection of mediocre titles that didn't interest me. But, I obtained it in Graphic Audio format, and I know those guys never skimp on the story, so I picked it up one night, and started listening. What a story, well done, and the effects (as always) were amazing. Good story, and one I'd definitely have read if I'd known how good the story was. Now I guess I need to sort through those mediocre titles, and find the rest of the pearls. Good scifi story if you like scifi. Androids, guns, Terminator type action, and great fun. All rolled up in a story that's sure to intrigue detective fans.
Go ahead, go add it to your to read list. You know you want to.
Go ahead, go add it to your to read list. You know you want to.
March 30, 2025
Okay, y'know what? This is the best book I've read in years. Seriously! 6 stars! The thing is, this book has sat on my shelf for years, calling out to me, only to have me pass it over for less fare. Shame on me.
"The Plutonium Blonde" is a perfect mix of my two favorite genres: science fiction and Noir/neo-Noir. With those two as my faves, you can correctly assume that Blade Runner is my favorite movie of all time. (No matter which version you watch.) And this book is a perfect blending of Blade Runner, Thomas Marlowe and 1980s "Airplane!". The blend of hard sci-fi, action and humor comes together perfectly.
So, yeah, if sci-fi, noir, or comedy is your thing, then this is your fix. Oh! And don't forget to read the acknowledgements!
"The Plutonium Blonde" is a perfect mix of my two favorite genres: science fiction and Noir/neo-Noir. With those two as my faves, you can correctly assume that Blade Runner is my favorite movie of all time. (No matter which version you watch.) And this book is a perfect blending of Blade Runner, Thomas Marlowe and 1980s "Airplane!". The blend of hard sci-fi, action and humor comes together perfectly.
So, yeah, if sci-fi, noir, or comedy is your thing, then this is your fix. Oh! And don't forget to read the acknowledgements!
August 7, 2019
This is what you get when Sam Spade, Indiana Jones, and Daniel Craig get mixed. A witty, irreverent celebrity detective (Who's over the celebrity part) who ends up saving the world on accident.
The writing was punchy, funny and with good world-building. I believed there was stuff going on in the world before and after I closed the book.
The mystery was fair (as in you could solve it if you wanted to and paid attention) and pretty well written with some twists and turns and red herrings.
The characters may be the weak point, but it's a pulp novel, and they were interesting, had a bit of depth, and kept the plot moving.
I enjoyed it and would read the next book in the series.
The writing was punchy, funny and with good world-building. I believed there was stuff going on in the world before and after I closed the book.
The mystery was fair (as in you could solve it if you wanted to and paid attention) and pretty well written with some twists and turns and red herrings.
The characters may be the weak point, but it's a pulp novel, and they were interesting, had a bit of depth, and kept the plot moving.
I enjoyed it and would read the next book in the series.
January 25, 2018
Set in 2057 in a convincingly depicted AI-dominated America where the hero is the last remaining private eye on Earth, this is a clever and amusing parody of the pulp fiction genre. Zachary Nixon Johnson and his implanted super-computer HARV hunt an android copy of the CEO of a giant corporation. There’s plenty of tongue-in-cheek violence and humour in a fast moving and enjoyable read that pays homage to the clichés endemic in this type of fiction but also creates a realistic future world. 3.5-4.
October 18, 2022
Set in the not too distant future, and written in the style of the old pulp detective stories. Our hero detective always finds himself in mortal danger and surrounded by the hottest babes in the world. It's a tough job and Zack Johnson is up to the task. There's no shortage of people trying to kill him, or beautiful woman trying to be with him, some of which fit into both groups. If you want to read a book where the protagonist is always getting himself into great trouble and doing so i na very funny fashion, then this is your kind of book.
December 24, 2023
This is my first exposure to John Zakour or Lawrence Ganem, and this book was excellent. There was a fantastic combination of film noire atmosphere with sci-fi overlay that just worked way better than it had any reason to. I'm a big fan of this series now and it's main character, Zachary Nixon Johnson. Yes, it was a little hammy at times, but I think that was both intentional and fun. If you let yourself go along for the ride on this one I don't think you'll be disappointed. Looking forward to reading #2!
April 28, 2025
This was a quick, entertaining read. Not quite as in-your-face silly, as I was expecting from the synopsis, but still plenty of one-liners, puns and smart-assery. Set in the... nearish future, I guess. Some differences in tech, but not enough to make me want to put a sci-fi tag on it. More like an irreverent Sam Spade with hover cars, blasters and androids. There are around seven in the series. Not sure how long it will stay fresh, but this one was entertaining enough to make me move on to the next one.
May 6, 2017
John Zakour's and Lawrence Ganem's "The Plutonium Blonde (Nuclear Bombshell Book 1)" had potential. It's a fast-paced book done in a ridiculous style (and that's in a good way). Unfortunately, the authors liberally dosed the characters and plot with a boat load of stupidity. Ridiculous can be funny. Stupidity is just annoying. So, I'm sad to say I can only rate the book at a Pretty Bad 2 stars out of 5.
December 31, 2018
This review is for the entire series I binged in two weeks like a crazy day on Netflix. So I must say I loved it! Humorous, campy and fun for all the right reasons. Zakour pokes fun at all the tropes and takes it to the next level, so much over the top you have to chuckle at it poking fun of itself. Just the right blend of Noir and Sci-Fi to make the universe come alive! I highly recommend a binge on this one if you want something light hearted and fun to read!
December 31, 2020
** A B-Movie in a Book**
If you don't like constant action and bad one-liners then you won't like this book. It's a fun, cheesy sci-fi noir mystery with a quick witted PI and his quicker witted AI.
It was a fun book but the constant one-liners and protagonist's Gary Stu-ness made me not like it as much as I would have liked. And OMG if I have to read "hang on a nano" one more time I will scream.
If you don't like constant action and bad one-liners then you won't like this book. It's a fun, cheesy sci-fi noir mystery with a quick witted PI and his quicker witted AI.
It was a fun book but the constant one-liners and protagonist's Gary Stu-ness made me not like it as much as I would have liked. And OMG if I have to read "hang on a nano" one more time I will scream.
May 30, 2021
A pretty unique take on the hard-boiled detective genre, setting the tropes in the future. At times, the Sci-Fi elements were a bit much, but mostly they added to the novel...as did making the tone of the story more comedic than not. Which is what the book did best: create a great balance between funny moments, playing off the tropes of the mystery genre, and having an entertaining plot with emotional beats and consequences.
December 10, 2022
*3.5 stars*. This is a humorous parody of the sci-fi noir detective genre. It’s light and silly, full of action and pretty ridiculous “science”. I found it enjoyable and will likely seek out the other 2 books in the trilogy. Entertaining and mindless-which sometimes I just need some mindless entertainment! If you like sci-fi noir detective books then I think you would enjoy “The Plutonium Blonde”.
August 11, 2022
Sometimes the detective work is a little too softboiled without being correspondingly humorous, but this is the kind of genre experiment that I have a lot of patience for, so I still had an enjoyable time.
April 18, 2019
I really enjoyed this as silly, pulpy fun. This book reminded me of "Time Trax" meets some sort of "Star Trek" holosuite adventure.
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