By Candice Dayoan
If you haven’t read Bloodsucking Fiends or You Suck: A Love Story, there will be minor spoilers ahead.
“My ‘readings’ are a lot like sex. Everyone shows up and gets excited and then it’s 30 minutes of awkward apologizing. I will not be reading from the book,” Christopher Moore warned us as he started the night.
Hundreds of Christopher Moore fans gathered at Books, Inc. in San Francisco last night for his launch of Bite Me. “I apologize, I’ve committed a trilogy,” Moore lamented, given that this was the third book to center around two newly minted vampires, Jody and Tommy, who un-live in San Francisco. The first two books won me over with their absurdist humor and, of course, vampires. I rarely laugh out loud when I’m reading books, but both Bloodsucking Fiends and You Suck: A Love Story had me laughing until the sun rose.
Moore mused about what he thought of being part of the vampire trend: “I wrote my first vampire book a 15 years ago because someone pointed out to me that I wouldn’t have to do any research. It wasn’t a trend back then. They go in cycles. When Anne Rice wrote Interview with the Vampire in the late ’70s, people called that part of a vampire trend as well. You know, before they were all shiny.”
With that, the audience erupted in applause. He then stated, “Look, those books were written for a certain audience in mind. I am not that audience and they serve their purpose, but a shiny vampire is just fucking wrong.” It was at that point that I wished I had actually acted on my urge to bring my copy of Twilight for him to sign.
The line for book signing was so long it snaked around the store, so I started reading Bite Me. I was in line long enough to get to page 39 before I looked up to see what was taking so long. Moore was actually taking the time to talk to each of his fans. He was having genuine conversations, making each one laugh. I love it when anyone treats their fans with that type of respect, so I definitely didn’t mind waiting.
When it was my turn, I thanked him for helping me to start reading again for fun after college, and he said “That ruined reading for a lot of us.” I also gushed to him about loving that it was set in SF, having just moved here a few years ago from Hawai’i. Turns out, he had just moved back from Kauai, so I got to have one of my patented Hawai’i conversations with one of the best authors of our time. I begged him to write to “Geek Girl on the Street Candice” on my copy. I took a picture with him and thanked him once more and headed out.
I opened the other book he had signed for me and immediately I cracked up. In all caps he had written: “NO FUCKING SPARKLES!”
Awesome.
[Image via Candice Dayoan]
OMG — that sig on the book is THE BOMBDIGGITY! (I wish like hell I could have been there!!)
I picked up my copy last night. I can’t wait to get home in a couple days and start it.
I haven’t read more than page 39 at this point but I am sooooooo excited to.
it’s “no frickin’ sparkles!”
thank you soooo much for going to the signing. i really wish i could’ve joined ya!
No worries, had I known of your fandom, I woulda told you the minute I found out about it!
i am so j right now! I LOVE his books! you need to read “A DIRTY JOB” and “Fluke” is set in Hawaii
Oh yes, I’ve been meaning to read both of those.
The whale’s named “Kona” right?
Now that is a MUST KEEP book! Awesome…. And yes, I need to get this book.
I know – I wish I had a copy signed “To Geek Girl on the Street…” But, CD totally deserves the copy, as she put the work into getting it!
I must get a copy, too… And – how weird is it that the next five books in my “to read” pile are vampire books????
I’m such a nerd.
If I could only read one genre from now until the end of time, it would be Vampire Books.
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