Free Zone — Charles Platt

Free Zone Has Been Compared With The Hitch-Hiker's Guide To The Galaxy! But Platt Is The Better Writer, And Free Zone Is The Better Book.  -Washington Post Book World In a Los Angeles of the near-future where anything goes, Dusty McCullough presides over anarchy with the help of her computer genius lover, whose work triggers a series of unexpected events.Hilariously makes use of almost every sf theme, trope and instrument yet devised (a chart is provided) to tell a pixilated tale of urban anarchy and dreadful threat. -The Encyclopedia of Science FictionAn everything including the kitchen sink send-up of distopian sci-fi in a near-future Los Angeles free zone where a freebooting woman is leading a semi-autonomous urban geography of misfits and freaks. The author touches on every conceivable theme used in science fiction (time travel, aliens, ESP, etc) and references several bodies of sci-fi work as well as specific authors. A great spoof book, equal parts humor and adventure. Extremely entertaining for anyone who has extensively read sci-fi to treasure hunt all the subtle and not so subtle references. This had me howling with laughter. Highly recommended. -Amazon reviewYou'll enjoy the book more if you put your brain in neutral and go along for the ride. Free Zone is a mostly successful spoof/pastiche. -Aboriginal Science FictionA delightful science fiction fantasy novel set in a parallel universe where Los Angeles is a chaotic dictatorship with a libertarian Free Zone in the middle of it. We know it's an alternate universe because ours is referenced in it by the super-intelligent robot from the future who stumbles upon it while threading time-space looking for a better place for the combat-grrl president of the Free Zone and her geek boyfriend, his friends. This is because the Free Zone is being invaded by hyper-intelligent dogs, aliens, dinosaurs and subterranean troglodytes all at about the same time. Fortunately, the Hell's Angels are there to save L.A. from these lesser terrors. -Amazon reviewGood, wacky, over the top fun! -Goodreads