Gil's All Fright Diner

Bloodier than Fried Green Tomatoes!Funnier than The Texas Chainsaw Massacre!Welcome to Gil's All Night Diner, where zombie attacks are a regular occurrence and you never know what might be lurking in the freezer . . .Duke and Earl are just passing through Rockwood county in their pick-up truck when they stop at the Diner for a quick bite to eat. They aren't planning to stick around-until Loretta, the eatery's owner, offers them $100 to take care of her zombie problem. Given that Duke is a werewolf and Earl's a vampire, this looks right up their alley.But the shambling dead are just the tip of a particularly spiky iceberg. Seems someone's out to drive Loretta from the Diner, and more than willing to raise a little Hell on Earth if that's what it takes. Before Duke and Earl get to the bottom of the Diner's troubles, they'll run into such otherworldly complications as undead cattle, an amorous ghost, a jailbait sorceress, and the terrifying occult power of pig-latin.And maybe--just maybe--the End of the World, too.Gory, sexy, and flat-out hilarious, Gil's All Fright Diner will tickle your funnybone--before ripping it out of its socket!

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Something Evil (that's with a capital E) is stalking Gil's All Night Diner in Martinez's terrific debut, a comic horror-fantasy novel. Heading the delightfully eccentric cast are buddies Earl (aka the Earl of Vampires) and Duke (aka the Duke of Werewolves), who are looking for a place to eat as they drive through Rockwood, a small desert community besieged by cosmically weird stuff. Soon after stopping at Gil's Diner, the pair help Loretta, the formidable owner-operator, fend off a zombie attack. Determined to do the right thing, the two supernatural misfits take on further challenges, such as trying to prevent Tammy (aka Mistress Lilith, Queen of the Night) and her loyal but dumb boyfriend, Chad, from ending the world. The fast-paced plot is full of memorable incidents (e.g., a ghost and a vampire fall in love; a Magic 8-Ball becomes a message vehicle for trapped spirits) and such wonderful observations as "this whole undead stuff sounds good on paper, but it ain't all it's cracked up to be." Fans of Douglas Adams and Joe R. Lansdale, who supplies a blurb, will happily sink their teeth into this combo platter of raunchy laughs and ectoplasmic ecstasy. (May 11) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Fans of Douglas Adams will happily sink their teeth into this combo platter of raunchy laughs and ectoplasmic ecstasy.”

Library Journal

“[A] laugh-out-loud comic fantasy that should appeal to fans of Terry Brooks's Landover novels.”

Voices of Youth Advocates

“Do you know a young man twelve to seventeen years old who hates reading? This is the book for him! . . . A funfest of ghouls, zombie cattle, ghosts of various kinds, and lots of battles featuring decaying flesh and body parts. . . . Reads like the work of Douglas Adams. . . . One young reader gives highest praise: ‘I buy the book . . . and read it straight through! I've never done that in my life, but I couldn't put it down.'”

Booklist

“Delightfully droll, this comic romp will be a crowd-pleaser.”

The San Diego Union-Tribune

“Traditional necromantic horror treated as Southwestern fun.”

Fangoria

“The story finds its footing through its personable likable characters and the absurdly awkward fight they put up against increasingly bizarre supernatural terrors. . . . Gil's All Fright Diner really goes the extra mile to distinguish itself from the pack, creating a unique mythology and canon rather than relying on pre-established guidelines for its various creatures. . . . It's an appetizing snack perfect for devouring quickly over a hot cop o' joe.”

Analog Science Fiction and Fact

“If there's any justice in this world, Martinez is already working on a sequel to star Duke, Earl, Cathy, and the ghost of a plucky little dog.”

Locus

“It's horror both humorous and grisly, a twisted take on small-town America and buddy adventures.”

The Decatur Daily, Alabama

“A supernatural concoction spicier and tastier than a bowl of Texas red. . . . The funniest book you ever read about the undead, the occult, and Armageddon. . . . Martinez infuses his comic horror story with dry Texas wit, playing skillfully with the reader's expectations and the hoary conventions of the horror genre.”

Steve Vernon, Cemetery Dance

“The best book that I've read all year. . . . This is tale telling at its finest. Martinez's writing flows as smoothly as cold draught beer. I recommend this one highly.”

Joe R. Lansdale, author Sunset and Sawdust

“Gil's All Fright Diner is a hoot of a novel. Fast-paced, Texas-wit-funny, sharply written, sharply observed. Pure blood-sweet entertainment from a Alex Martinez, a writer whose future books I look forward to.”

Charlaine Harris, bestselling author of Dead to the World

“Can a vampire find true love with a ghost? Can a teenage witch open the gates of Hell? Anything can happen in A. Lee Martinez's wacky debut.”

Spider Robinson, bestselling author of Callahan's Con

“Not since Christopher Moore has anyone managed to make The Damned so damned funny. Martinez's Earl of Vampires and Duke of Werewolves are memorable characters, fully realized and totally plausible--if you believe in Texas, at least--and I hope to meet them again, and again.”

David Lubar

“A rippingly wonderful novel, funny enough to wake the dead and gripping enough to captivate the living.”

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Gil's All Fright DinerBy Martinez, A. LeeTor BooksCopyright © 2005 Martinez, A. LeeAll right reserved.ISBN: 0765314711Midnight Munchies!The waitress smiled. Her smile vanished as her eyes fell on the glass diner doors. "Aw, damn it. Not tonight."Earl glanced to the front. Nine shambling corpses in various stages of decay were pressed against the glass. Their yellow eyes (for those that had eyes) stared hungrily. Purple tongues licked peeling lips."Told'ja I smelt zombies," Duke said without turning from his meal.The walking dead smashed their way through the glass doors. The lead corpse, in a paisley blue suit, stumped forward on stiff legs."Don't you worry none, boys. I'll handle this."She pulled a double-barreled shotgun from behind the counter, took aim, and squeezed the trigger . . .Continues...Excerpted from Gil's All Fright Diner by Martinez, A. Lee Copyright © 2005 by Martinez, A. Lee. Excerpted by permission. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

About the Author

A. Lee Martinez is the acclaimed author of several science fiction and fantasy novel including Gil's All Fright Diner, which won the Alex Award, In the Company of Ogres, A Nameless Witch, The Automatic Detective, and Too Many Curses, among others. Martinez lives in Texas.

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