Review 81: Life’s a Gas by Dave Holland

Life’s a Gas
Dave Holland
© 2009
$7.02 Paperback
$2.81 E-book
161 pages

It’s interesting that Life’s a Gas was published on the 25th Anniversary of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy because it will appeal to the same, slightly ‘off’ sense of humor as the Guide but it includes more modern innovations as cell phones and Eminem. It also has a bit more implied (and actual) sex, usually with holograms or shape shifting aliens, so don’t say that I didn’t warn you.

You’ll probably even recognize the premise, chronically repressed Englishman caught up in an inter-Galactic adventure to save Earth from destruction. However, it’s not like a cover band playing a Led Zeppelin classic, Life’s a Gas is its own story. In this case, the main character is named Colin instead of Arthur, so that’s different right there. For me, the humor isn’t in the slapstick situations as much as the clever turn of a phrase such as this gem:

It was a warmish Friday night – the birds had just sung their last song, put away their hymn sheets and were now tucked up in the trees with a nice hot cup of cocoa.

I also liked this bit of philosophy regarding Colin’s boss:

Now, lest you think Colin was being a bit cruel, it should be pointed out that Neil was a crap employer, a very crap employer… He was bored and boring. He was a hippie. He was also a hippie who had made money, the worst kind. Just look at Richard Branson.

Colin gets whisked away from his mundane existence by his roommate who isn’t really a bad comedian named Gregg but is in actuality a space traveler named Syd who hasn’t traveled through space much. However, he has a nice spaceship that one accesses by getting a keycard to the local port-a-potty.

The door slid open and there was a narrow walkway about a hundred yards long which ended up at a shimmering silver grey ship – the third most beautiful thing Colin had ever seen. The ugliest thing Colin had ever seen was the walkway.

When they enter the ship, Colin discovers that Syd has configured his room to be exactly like his room on earth, complete with his dirty clothes and his goldfish, Eddie.

Colin arrived at the door and noticed Syd had installed a doorbell just like the one at home. Colin pressed it, it sounded liked the home one too – like a bee caught in a pensioner’s colostomy bag.

Other interesting characters include Blossom, another earth woman with an uncanny knack for getting hired for desk jobs, her best friend (and Colin’s love interest) Sally, and Scatter, the onboard computer from a spaceship Colin and Syd use to escape from the Bureaucracy Robots seeking to make the Galaxy conform to the code book. There is also Komfort, the shape shifting nymphomaniac alien whom we meet with this description:

‘Oh really! Do be careful there, I’ve just had these manicured.’ The disgruntled alien pointed to his feet. Manicured was probably a bit strong, unless the manicurist had been a blind lumberjack. There was pink nail polish there, but most of it was over his toes. A small proportion had made its way onto the actual nails, but more by luck than judgment.

It is descriptions like these scattered throughout the book that give it the charm and feel reminiscent of The Hitchhiker’s Guide. If you’ve read the whole series of books by Douglas Adams, Dave Holland’s book will have the comfortable feel of a favorite sweater to you, or perhaps a well traveled towel. While it’s not the same, it FEELS the same, and from my perspective that’s a huge compliment to Dave Holland and his writing style.

I also enjoyed the differences. There is a soundtrack to this book, an ebb and flow of music from the ubiquitous Beatles to T. Rex to Randy Tinglebush. What? You don’t recognize that name? Randy is another character that stops by for a cameo, think of Tom Jones but more willing to get out of Las Vegas to see the rest of the galaxy. And possibly the President of a planet.

My only complaint about Life’s a Gas is the pace. The first 100 pages or so serenely meander from English pub to charmless flat to space and back again. The last 70 pages get in a hurry and drive towards the finish more like the Enterprise going to warp speed, complete with the descriptions of the stars turning into lines on the view screen. I guess my complaint is more of a compliment, the book left me wanting more. More time spent at the space station, more time spent on the red tape capital planet of Cowncil, and more time hanging out with my new friends, Colin and co. However, based on the ending, I suspect more will be forthcoming.

If you enjoy English humor with some sci fi thrown in for good measure, if you enjoy going along for a journey where the ride is more important than the destination, or if you’re a Randy Tinglebush fan, you will enjoy Life’s a Gas by Dave Holland as thoroughly as I did.