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Fat Men from Space
When young William gets a filling in his tooth that can pick up radio transmissions, he discovers that hungry aliens are plotting a sinister junk food takeover of Earth.
64 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1977
18 people are currently reading
186 people want to read
About the author
Daniel Pinkwater
156 books415 followersDaniel Manus Pinkwater is an author of mostly children's books and is an occasional commentator on National Public Radio. He attended Bard College. Well-known books include Lizard Music, The Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Death, Fat Men from Space, Borgel, and the picture book The Big Orange Splot. Pinkwater has also illustrated many of his books in the past, although for more recent works that task has passed to his wife Jill Pinkwater.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
October 27, 2023
When I was a little kid (second or third grade), I read a few books (I was forced to by parents or teachers), and I didn't like anything I read. In fact, I decided that I wasn't going to read anything any more. Then one of my siblings said that before I gave up on reading, I should read Fat Men from Space. I decided it would be my last book. It was not my last book. I loved Fat Men from Space, and I read several other books by Pinkwater. If you're giving up on reading (or know a little kid who is), try it out.
July 16, 2014
There are some moments in life that define a person (such as Elvis Presley's invention of the banana peanut butter sandwich and surviving a botched kidnapping attempt in Bogota). There are some moments that define a generation (such as the Berlin Wall going up or Steve Jobs meeting Steve Wozniak). But then there are other moments that define history, such as Alexander the Great's campaigns or Julius Caesar's conquest of most of the known world, or the invention of cheese-in-a-tube.
Daniel Pinkwater's book, Fat Men From Space, is one of those moments, but it is not just a historically defining moment, it is a galactic moment.
Can one even call it a book? It is to other books like the Sumatran pineapple is to small, sour grapes that have progressed beyond mold and rot into some kind of foul, chemical calcification and that have been hiding out in your deceased Aunt Ethyl's vegetable crisper for the past decade. Fat Men From Space, to put it succinctly, is a heartbreaking work of titanic genius, somewhat like Michelangelo's David, but much, much better, and without the artfully concealed nudity and the large amounts of marble.
It is difficult to know where to begin when analyzing a work like Fat Men From Space. One circles around, so to speak, trying to determine where on this towering edifice of beauty and profundity is the best place to approach. One looks for a literary toehold with which to begin the Everestian climb, despite the dead and crumpled bodies of critics scattered about that have tried, without success, of course, to master Pinkwater's work and have subsequently fallen to their justly deserved deaths.
Perhaps one angle to begin with is the social aspect of the book. Replete with commentary on the ennui of life, layered with both culinary despair and joy, Fat Men From Space could arguably be ranked among the top ten of literary history's great books of social discourse. The Russians, Solzenitzyn, Tolstoy and Pushkin tried their best (and did fairly admirably), but Pinkwater outdoes them with his deft approach. After all, the motifs of boy, radio tooth, and plaid jackets, taken in contrast with the sly allusions of frozen tacos, chocolate-covered marshmallows and hamburgers, turn modern expectations of feminist critique theory on its closely cropped head.
Of course, one might argue, as Professor Argus Shellington of Yale did in his famous 1997 lecture, "Pinkwater, God and Bagels in the Post Modern West," that the book's inclusion of the teenage girls forced to deep-fry countless oysters is a veiled disparagement of the Sexual Revolution, "a celebration" (in Professor Shellington's words) of gender inclusivity and forced homogenization. However, this is a short-sighted critique, for it does not take into account the ancient archetype of the oyster as metaphor for both the universe and the beholder of the universe (oys, in the original Sumerian), restating the idea that, as we watch the universe, the universe watches us.
At any rate, critique theories aside, Fat Men From Space can be read on many other levels: Man as Devourer, Man as Integrated in Nature, or Man as Hot Dog. But, in addition to such approaches, the book can and should be read for its immense beauty, its poetic turn of phrase, and for its haunting elegance. Bewitching, bedazzling and beyond anything ever written (or will be written, I am confident to prophecy), Fat Men From Space should be on every bookshelf, on every required reading list, and enshrined in the Library of Congress (alongside the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence).
Long after we have gone from this earth, long after paltry and puffball jumbles of tawdry words (such as Twilight, all of Danielle Steele's mistakes, and pretty much anything else ever written) have faded away, even when the cockroaches are the only things left alive on our radioactive planet, Daniel Pinkwater's Fat Men From Space will live on, a monolith of existence, looming in the cold, lonely light of space like an enormous star, waiting for the return of sentient life in order to once again carry about the task of inspiration and enlightenment.
Daniel Pinkwater's book, Fat Men From Space, is one of those moments, but it is not just a historically defining moment, it is a galactic moment.
Can one even call it a book? It is to other books like the Sumatran pineapple is to small, sour grapes that have progressed beyond mold and rot into some kind of foul, chemical calcification and that have been hiding out in your deceased Aunt Ethyl's vegetable crisper for the past decade. Fat Men From Space, to put it succinctly, is a heartbreaking work of titanic genius, somewhat like Michelangelo's David, but much, much better, and without the artfully concealed nudity and the large amounts of marble.
It is difficult to know where to begin when analyzing a work like Fat Men From Space. One circles around, so to speak, trying to determine where on this towering edifice of beauty and profundity is the best place to approach. One looks for a literary toehold with which to begin the Everestian climb, despite the dead and crumpled bodies of critics scattered about that have tried, without success, of course, to master Pinkwater's work and have subsequently fallen to their justly deserved deaths.
Perhaps one angle to begin with is the social aspect of the book. Replete with commentary on the ennui of life, layered with both culinary despair and joy, Fat Men From Space could arguably be ranked among the top ten of literary history's great books of social discourse. The Russians, Solzenitzyn, Tolstoy and Pushkin tried their best (and did fairly admirably), but Pinkwater outdoes them with his deft approach. After all, the motifs of boy, radio tooth, and plaid jackets, taken in contrast with the sly allusions of frozen tacos, chocolate-covered marshmallows and hamburgers, turn modern expectations of feminist critique theory on its closely cropped head.
Of course, one might argue, as Professor Argus Shellington of Yale did in his famous 1997 lecture, "Pinkwater, God and Bagels in the Post Modern West," that the book's inclusion of the teenage girls forced to deep-fry countless oysters is a veiled disparagement of the Sexual Revolution, "a celebration" (in Professor Shellington's words) of gender inclusivity and forced homogenization. However, this is a short-sighted critique, for it does not take into account the ancient archetype of the oyster as metaphor for both the universe and the beholder of the universe (oys, in the original Sumerian), restating the idea that, as we watch the universe, the universe watches us.
At any rate, critique theories aside, Fat Men From Space can be read on many other levels: Man as Devourer, Man as Integrated in Nature, or Man as Hot Dog. But, in addition to such approaches, the book can and should be read for its immense beauty, its poetic turn of phrase, and for its haunting elegance. Bewitching, bedazzling and beyond anything ever written (or will be written, I am confident to prophecy), Fat Men From Space should be on every bookshelf, on every required reading list, and enshrined in the Library of Congress (alongside the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence).
Long after we have gone from this earth, long after paltry and puffball jumbles of tawdry words (such as Twilight, all of Danielle Steele's mistakes, and pretty much anything else ever written) have faded away, even when the cockroaches are the only things left alive on our radioactive planet, Daniel Pinkwater's Fat Men From Space will live on, a monolith of existence, looming in the cold, lonely light of space like an enormous star, waiting for the return of sentient life in order to once again carry about the task of inspiration and enlightenment.
June 16, 2015
Short and hilarious. Too short, really. After the fun of Harold playing with his new filling, which allows him to pick up radio signals, he misses most of the invasion of fat men seeking snacks. Would loved to have had this expanded into a longer book!
August 2, 2011
Let me put this simply. This is the best kid's book evar! I read it over and over and over as a child. It probably influenced me more than I can imagine. It's a must read for everyone. And truthfully, I still read it.
May 2, 2024
Short and funny book to read and weird idea too!
# VERDICT: ( 6.5/10)
# VERDICT: ( 6.5/10)
June 10, 2009
This is one of the funniest books ever, and all children should read it.
August 27, 2019
When I was 12 I lived in a town so small that our Post Office, Fire House, and Library were all in the same building that was no bigger than the small three-bedroom house I lived in. There were only two other buildings in the town that wasn't somebody's house barn or shed, the town hall that had been there since 1930 and the general store that was closed more days than it wasn't. The next town over was nearly thirty miles away and was barely any bigger. We usually had to drive for over an hour down the highway to go grocery shopping, and that was for the basics. The point is that it was very hard to come by some decent reading material, especially as the only other person in my family that read for fun was my dad and all he read was Westerns (YUCK!).
The library in this town (Indian Valley, Idaho for those that are curious) had very few books that were what I was interested in at the time (and still mostly am) fantasy, sci-fi and horror. It also contained very few books printed after 1955 so my options were rather limited. I remember one day after making my way to the library, it was just a quick jaunt through a couple of fields, I stared at all the books I had either already read or had no interest in only to discover a miracle. A box casually was thrown next to a bookshelf. Some glorious person had donated to the library. In eager anticipation, I grabbed one book after another out of the box. Western, boring local historical non-fiction, western, a coffee table book about the prairie, western, and on and on. I was beginning to despair when my eyes discovered, at the very bottom of the box, three books for middle-grade readers. One I had already read, The Celery Stalks at Midnight, and one was incredibly uninteresting named Mandy I believe. The third was this treasure of a book.
I had never read such absurdity in all my young life and I ate it up in less than an hour. Which was quick for me in those days. It was a very crazy original idea of a young man whose filling picks up on radio signals and in this newfound gift, he discovers something frightening, Fat Men from Space. It is a cute story with an obvious but so fun you don't care message. If I had one complaint about this book it was that it was far too short, or that it wasn't a series, I would have loved to have read more in Mr. Pinkwater's crazy absurd world.
The library in this town (Indian Valley, Idaho for those that are curious) had very few books that were what I was interested in at the time (and still mostly am) fantasy, sci-fi and horror. It also contained very few books printed after 1955 so my options were rather limited. I remember one day after making my way to the library, it was just a quick jaunt through a couple of fields, I stared at all the books I had either already read or had no interest in only to discover a miracle. A box casually was thrown next to a bookshelf. Some glorious person had donated to the library. In eager anticipation, I grabbed one book after another out of the box. Western, boring local historical non-fiction, western, a coffee table book about the prairie, western, and on and on. I was beginning to despair when my eyes discovered, at the very bottom of the box, three books for middle-grade readers. One I had already read, The Celery Stalks at Midnight, and one was incredibly uninteresting named Mandy I believe. The third was this treasure of a book.
I had never read such absurdity in all my young life and I ate it up in less than an hour. Which was quick for me in those days. It was a very crazy original idea of a young man whose filling picks up on radio signals and in this newfound gift, he discovers something frightening, Fat Men from Space. It is a cute story with an obvious but so fun you don't care message. If I had one complaint about this book it was that it was far too short, or that it wasn't a series, I would have loved to have read more in Mr. Pinkwater's crazy absurd world.
October 19, 2010
I have to say that this was quite the silly book. The premise is that a young boy, William, probably a third-grader, gets a filling at the dentist. It turns out that William is able to pick up radio broadcasts from around the world, and around the universe through his new metal filling. After confirming that this is a rare occurance with his dentist, William decides to use his dental phenomenon to its fullest. After driving his classroom teacher over the edge with the sounds of radio broadcasts, for which there is no source the teacher can locate and turn off, William and his entire class are suspended for the day.
William learns how to extend his fillings reception by placing different metal objects in his mouth. He begins to pick up strange transmissions from outer space and learns of an impending alien invasion of Earth. William is abducted by aliens who turn out to be obese men in plaid sportcoats, dacron pants, knitted neckties, and wide plastics belts, with cheeseburger shaped belt buckles.
The aliens explain to William that their main objective is to travel from planet to planet, stealing all the junkfood they can find and then enslaving the population and forcing them to continue manufacturing junkfood for them. William is troubled by these facts and begins to worry about his mother and father. He continues to receive broadcasts from earth as the aliens invade and begin to take hotdogs, cupcakes, and the Earth's supply of chocolate and sugar.
The broadcasts received from Earth are told in great detail and are hysterical. At once, the space aliens begin to float back up to the spaceship abandoning Earth. One of the aliens tells William that a giant potato pancake has been launched into space and that they are going after it. William pleads with his captors to allow him to return to Earth and they finally agree and give William a rather large sportcoat, which will allow him to float back down to his home.
The end of the story finds William, his parents and the rest of Earth's population being forced to live without sugar or junkfood for an extended period of time, until they are able to build up their stores of sugar again.
The illustrations are very sparse and are in black and white. The descriptive language the author uses and the cover illustrations however really do create a hysterical picture of what the aliens look like and the situation on Earth when they invade.
This book would be a great read-aloud for the primary grades and probably would be enjoyed by children from first to fifth grades.
William learns how to extend his fillings reception by placing different metal objects in his mouth. He begins to pick up strange transmissions from outer space and learns of an impending alien invasion of Earth. William is abducted by aliens who turn out to be obese men in plaid sportcoats, dacron pants, knitted neckties, and wide plastics belts, with cheeseburger shaped belt buckles.
The aliens explain to William that their main objective is to travel from planet to planet, stealing all the junkfood they can find and then enslaving the population and forcing them to continue manufacturing junkfood for them. William is troubled by these facts and begins to worry about his mother and father. He continues to receive broadcasts from earth as the aliens invade and begin to take hotdogs, cupcakes, and the Earth's supply of chocolate and sugar.
The broadcasts received from Earth are told in great detail and are hysterical. At once, the space aliens begin to float back up to the spaceship abandoning Earth. One of the aliens tells William that a giant potato pancake has been launched into space and that they are going after it. William pleads with his captors to allow him to return to Earth and they finally agree and give William a rather large sportcoat, which will allow him to float back down to his home.
The end of the story finds William, his parents and the rest of Earth's population being forced to live without sugar or junkfood for an extended period of time, until they are able to build up their stores of sugar again.
The illustrations are very sparse and are in black and white. The descriptive language the author uses and the cover illustrations however really do create a hysterical picture of what the aliens look like and the situation on Earth when they invade.
This book would be a great read-aloud for the primary grades and probably would be enjoyed by children from first to fifth grades.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 25, 2015
Another re-read from my childhood. This was my absolute favorite in elementary school. As an adult, it is still absurd, mischievous fun, but the end is anti-climactic, and it is almost too fast a read. I wish Pinkwater had milked the idea a little more thoroughly. As an adult who is more aware of Daniel Manus Pinkwater and his hilarious ouvre, I also am tickled by his obvious salutes to Ashkenazic Jewish culture (really, they are searching for latkes!) and the realization that the fat men from space are caricatures of Pinkwater himself.
October 8, 2013
Pinkwater at his best! Surpassed only by Lizard Music. How I love this book.
The first time I read this was long ago. It's perfect -- From the science fiction of the tooth filling radio reception to the potato latke eating space aliens who look just like my dad did in 1972. this is my kind of book!
The first time I read this was long ago. It's perfect -- From the science fiction of the tooth filling radio reception to the potato latke eating space aliens who look just like my dad did in 1972. this is my kind of book!
May 12, 2009
Though this is a science fiction fantasy about an invasion of alien fat men in search of junk food, the funniest part is in the realistic section - the classroom scene. That deserves a 5; it's delicious. The rest is just cute.
January 8, 2024
I find it coincidental that I started on a Pinkwater reading week and this book came up in the rotation the day before I scheduled a dental appointment. William, the main character of the book, begins his crazy adventure at the dentist's office. Well, I'm glad I'm not having a filling today lest I, too, end up in his predicament.
As always, Pinkwater's sense of humour is wacky and fun. I just finished Lizard Music yesterday which referenced some of the Fat Men adventure, so I had an idea of what was going to happen, but that didn't spoil the story. There seems to be a running gag about the President having a cold that I'll be looking for in the next book on my list. You can't go wrong if you just hand a stack of Pinkwater books to your young readers. If you're an adult and you just want a break from the crazy world surrounding you, I think you'll find the crazy antics in these books refreshing and such fun.
As always, Pinkwater's sense of humour is wacky and fun. I just finished Lizard Music yesterday which referenced some of the Fat Men adventure, so I had an idea of what was going to happen, but that didn't spoil the story. There seems to be a running gag about the President having a cold that I'll be looking for in the next book on my list. You can't go wrong if you just hand a stack of Pinkwater books to your young readers. If you're an adult and you just want a break from the crazy world surrounding you, I think you'll find the crazy antics in these books refreshing and such fun.
August 10, 2020
"Fat Men from Space," by Daniel Pinkwater was a little disappointing. I liked the concept, but this short story was not presented in such a manner. The same story is printed twice in this book (including illustrations) so the publisher can sell it as a book. I thought the book needed more of everything. The plot is thin and the characters needs more personal time, perhaps that's in the next ten page book.
January 23, 2020
Another silly story from Daniel Pinkwater, this one about a boy whose new dental filling enables to receive radio signals in his mouth, resulting in his unwitting discovery of an invasion of earth by Fat Men from Space who want all of our snack foods - especially potato pancakes. Great fun, as always.
September 25, 2023
What a fun, quick read.
I hadn't read this story in over 20 years. It was still as much fun as the first time, but disappointing that it was over so quick. Mr. P. Will write a sequel some day.
Why aren't there any Pinkwater movies being made?! There was the Hoboken Chicken Emergency in 1984, but that was it. So sad ...
I hadn't read this story in over 20 years. It was still as much fun as the first time, but disappointing that it was over so quick. Mr. P. Will write a sequel some day.
Why aren't there any Pinkwater movies being made?! There was the Hoboken Chicken Emergency in 1984, but that was it. So sad ...
April 22, 2018
a Sly Knowing Homage satire of space invader tropes, made most frightening and preposterous by all aliens are a fat bald dude in tacky suit whos really hungry. Whats passes its self off as a morality play on junk food is actually a loving long list of junk food pinkwater was craving while writing.
December 17, 2019
A Walk on the Silly Side
Lots of Pinkwater's best books are mellow, deadpan, and a bit toasted. (Think "Lizard Music".) This book has the authentic Pinkwater vibe, but it's a bit more on the younger, sillier side. Still, of course, a fun choice; it just doesn't have that touch of hidden edge.
Lots of Pinkwater's best books are mellow, deadpan, and a bit toasted. (Think "Lizard Music".) This book has the authentic Pinkwater vibe, but it's a bit more on the younger, sillier side. Still, of course, a fun choice; it just doesn't have that touch of hidden edge.
June 17, 2021
Third grade kids love this book.
Mine read the 60 pages in two days!!!
Mine read the 60 pages in two days!!!
August 4, 2020
This book with illustrations by Pinkwater, is funny beyond the stars! Fat men come to Earth to eat up all the junk food in the world. How will we be able to stop them? Don't worry, someone will.
Read
January 25, 2016I found an old book report from what looks like 5th grade that stated "I liked this book a lot. William had a one-in-a-million radio tooth. He had a lot of adventures: fat men invade earth, and William gets stuck in their spacehamburger. How will he get out? To find out read 'Fat Men from Space.'"
I don't remember this, but I do know that my brother loved Daniel Pinkwater and reading this had to somehow have been influences by him.
I don't remember this, but I do know that my brother loved Daniel Pinkwater and reading this had to somehow have been influences by him.
February 14, 2011
This was written in the 1970's. Ironically it is more relevant now than it ever was in the 70's. Fat men from space, come to earth and
I kind of wish this could happen in real life, as I'm sure this would help get rid of the obesity problem.
I kind of wish this could happen in real life, as I'm sure this would help get rid of the obesity problem.
May 16, 2015
This book appeared in our house. Since it was by the Big Orange Splot guy, I decided it was worth reading. The kids and I all enjoyed it. It appealed to their goofy, imaginative natures. It's pretty short and simple, written in an old-fashioned style. But it's cute and quirky with unbelievable yet fun ideas. It is a hit for ages 7-9.
June 24, 2015
I read this book in one night! 57 pages of pure hilaraious stuff.The events like the time when the commander fat man wasn't worried about the earthling's weapons because he knew the fat men could eat them made me laugh out loud so hard my parents thought I was up to something.I liked it so much that I'm reading it to my sister.
July 13, 2015
William gets a filling in his tooth and is able to play radio stations from his mouth. This is a rare occurrence and he has fun with it, using his tooth to carry out the biggest prank in class. On the downside, William’s filling enables him to hear space aliens plotting a culinary invasion on Earth. This is a fun and fast read.
May 1, 2009
It's only 57 pages, but it's a quirky and memorable read. William gets a filling in his tooth that unexpectedly acts as a radio antenna, allowing him to spy on aliens who want to invade Earth to eat all our junk food. It kind of reminded me of Whales on Stilts by M.T. Anderson.
March 19, 2013
All my children loved this book. I completely enjoyed reading it to each one of them.
I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Pinkwater at a college reunion and felt like a child myself, telling him how much we all loved his book over the years.
I still own that time worn copy.
I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Pinkwater at a college reunion and felt like a child myself, telling him how much we all loved his book over the years.
I still own that time worn copy.
June 22, 2015
A great short story; a boy's dream and a dentists dream.
This is a story about a boy who gets a filling for his tooth that turns into a radio. Then he is captured by fat space aliens who invade earth to eat all of earths sugary junk food.
Quick and fun to read.
This is a story about a boy who gets a filling for his tooth that turns into a radio. Then he is captured by fat space aliens who invade earth to eat all of earths sugary junk food.
Quick and fun to read.
August 16, 2015
The fat men from space invade and wipe out earth's supply of junk food. Well, how do you think they got to be so fat? Earthlings must eat only healthy fare, both to thwart the invaders and because that's all that's left.
June 12, 2007
If you get a hardback version of this book, one of the funniest parts of the book is the author's photograph. Hide your frozen burritos!
April 3, 2015
I read it like 50 times, but it usually has an orange cover
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews