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The Thackery T. Lambshead Pocket Guide to Eccentric & Discredited Diseases by Jeff VanderMeer
nwhyte's review against another edition
http://nhw.livejournal.com/195017.html[return][return]Based on the title, and the list of contributors, I expected this to be a real riot. I have to say I was somewhat disappointed; too much repetition of disorders where writers get consumed by their own work or vice versa, or suffer random medical explosions, or limb-rotting. The humour is grotesque rather than witty or satirical, and basically didn't appeal to me much. The narrative sections towards the end were best.
cindywho's review against another edition
I got about halfway through and finally asked myself if I was enjoying this book. Sadly - not really, so back to the library it goes... It was just a little too creepy to read the short bits over breakfast - I had expected short stories, but these are encyclopedia entries.
sunn_bleach's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.75
A collection of fake illnesses and reports on those illnesses by a myriad of different authors. Sometimes subversive, sometimes pretentious.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror
Moderate: Death
morporum's review against another edition
5.0
This is probably the paradigmatic example of the category I call "unreliable reference" . . . Jeff Vandermeer and his circle of weirdos got together and decided to write stories in the surprisingly fecund format of a diagnostic guide to diseases. Since said circle includes such luminaries as Alan Moore, Neil Gaiman, Michael Moorcock, and the underrated but astounding Michael Cisco, the maladies in this book are sometimes so perfectly True that you may find yourself infected. Thankfully, the editors have marked the most infectious diseases with a quarantine stamp. Unfortunately for me, and possibly for you, I ignored it.
thevapidwench's review against another edition
3.0
An interesting little collection that's perhaps a little too earnest to read all in one go, lest an over-sensitive hypochondriac become prone to itching or bouts of worry - are my organs about to spontaneously fly away? Due to the collective nature of the work, some ailments are more meticulously described than others.
Excellent for dipping into now and again, rich in gory details and nifty anatomical diagrams.
Excellent for dipping into now and again, rich in gory details and nifty anatomical diagrams.
drewsof's review against another edition
4.0
A little stodgier than the [b:The Thackery T. Lambshead Cabinet of Curiosities: Exhibits, Oddities, Images, and Stories from Top Authors and Artists|9466840|The Thackery T. Lambshead Cabinet of Curiosities Exhibits, Oddities, Images, and Stories from Top Authors and Artists|Ann VanderMeer|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327893048s/9466840.jpg|14351889] but still a blast. Beautifully designed, by turns hilarious and horrifying, full of winks and nudges from fantastic creators -- it's a must-have for any serious aficionado of the Weird, or any medical professional.
rickklaw's review against another edition
5.0
This book is exactly what the title suggests with contributions from Neil Gaiman, Michael Moorcock, Alan Moore, China Miéville, Jeffrey Ford, Kage Baker and many others. Where else could you read about post-traumatic placebosis, female hyper-orgasmic epilepsy, or vestigial elongation of the caudal vertebrae?
josephfinn's review against another edition
3.0
A little bit of the jpke goes a long way, but a fun little parody of medical manuals.