SELECT * FROM uv_BookReviewRollup WHERE recordnum = 985 I Was Probed by Aliens and Lived to Tell the Tale, by Barry J. House Book Review | SFReader.com

I Was Probed by Aliens and Lived to Tell the Tale, by Barry J. House cover image

I Was Probed by Aliens and Lived to Tell the Tale, by Barry J. House
Genre: Science Fiction
Publisher: Penguin
Published: 2006
Review Posted: 1/2/2007
Reviewer Rating:
Reader Rating: 8 out of 10

I Was Probed by Aliens and Lived to Tell the Tale, by Barry J. House

Book Review by David A. Olson

Have you read this book?

102 pages, with 8 funny illustrations. As you might guess from the title of this book, it is a science fiction comedy about a guy who is abducted by aliens and anally probed. A week afterward, he is abducted again by the same ship. This time they aren't just studying him, but the captain wants his help. Soon enough they find themselves in an ancient city of giants set on conquering the galaxy.

The plot of this book is much sillier than my summary suggests. The humor is a little low-brow and entirely unpretentious. To give you a better sense of what you can expect from this book, I've put a couple of my favorite lines here:

"I knew it (hadn't really been a dream) because dreams don't give you a sore arse--except, maybe, for that one, strange time after the party at Colin's house--and mine was still smarting from that bloody probing."

"...three of our most levelheaded, loyal, and trustworthy generals were chosen for the immense honour of having their brains ripped out, and then placed upon these flimsy pedestals..."

The book is a quick read, being only 102 pages. I was able to read it in one day by stealing a little time here and there. If it were longer, the jokes might have grown old, but in small doses this type of thing is quite enjoyable.

The only caveat I have is that you have to be somewhat familiar with British slang. There were a few words I couldn't make heads or tails of, but they didn't really slow me down much.

If you're looking for a short, silly read about aliens, I'd recommend this book. If, on the other hand, you think anal probing is a very serious subject and necessitates a serious book, you should probably look elsewhere. While this book isn't as funny as Douglas Adam's "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe," it is more fun to read than the later sequels in that series.
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Comments on I Was Probed by Aliens and Lived to Tell the Tale, by Barry J. House
Posted by Richard T. Elliott on 1/16/2007
I read this book in just over a day, and from the humorous postcard-style cover to the witty, carry-on film style dialogue, I was left with a silly grin on my face. It's maybe a little too risque for under 16's, but generally it isn't that adult in tone, more naughty toilet humour. The storyline is easy to follow and reasonably fast paced, and the author does a good job of endearing the characters to the reader, so one really roots for them when the chips are down. The fine illustrations in each chapter help to fire up the memory, should you get lost, and in all, I'd say it was well worth buying for those rainy or empty days when yo ureally need a good giggle to cheer you up. 8/10