Monday, June 27, 2011

Book Review: Vampire in the Outfield by Walter Knight

Okay, so I lied in the title of this blog post as this isn't a book so much as a short story.

Now that I've gotten that out of the way I can say that I gobbled down this story. I'll go ahead and say this is some of the best vampire fiction I've read in awhile.

Now, is it serious vampire fiction? Absolutely not, and that was the point. It was also why I loved it. I think I laughed through the entire thing.

Vampire in the Outfield is about a young man who wants to play baseball more than he wants to do anything else. The only thing is...he isn't very good...hence the steroids. Then he comes across a hot piece of....you know...and she turns him into a vampire. Now he has to deal with that age old question....can vampires play baseball?

Well, yes they can...still, it is a bummer...being a vampire and not being able to pose for all those publicity shots. After all, vampires have no reflections. He doesn't fly or sparkle either...and now, he has to take on the evil empire, namely, the New York Yankees.

Vampire in the Outfield is a brilliant, tongue in cheek comedy about the world of vampires and baseball. It is quick and satisfying, which is a rare combination, and as such I am recommending it to anyone that has a sense of humor.

Walter Knight is also author of: America's Galactic Foreign Legion, a series of books licensed and produced through Penumbra Publishing.

2 comments:

Walter Knight said...

Natasha, I appreciate your well written synopsis and review. "Vampire in the Outfield" is my first foray outside of the science fiction genre, so I was not sure about how I would be recieved.

I write parody, so I stuck with humor to tell my tale. My rookie vampire does not sparkle lie the Twilight vampires, and he has to take some quick flying lessons. A drug dealer wants 'Johnny Black' to fly drugs across the border, but all he wants is to play baseball.

I had fun with the many obsticles that a rookie vampire might face breaking into major league baseball, like day games, TV interviews, a bloody midnight appitites, and playing against the 'Evil Empire' (New York Yankees). New York is truly evil.

A novella of about 23,000 words, "Vampire in the Outfield" was fun to write, and fun to read. I do not think anyone has ever combined baseball and vampires, but being a fan of both, this book begged to be written (I was raised on Dark Shadows back in the day).

Natasha Larry said...

Oh, Dark Shadows! I haven't heard that in awhile, lol.

I think you did a fantastic job, and thank you for giving me the chance to read your work.

My favorite part was when he bit Anita and she put duck tape over the room and flew out the window. "Women...they are never satisfied."

LoL, brilliant!