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Book Reviews - EARTHLINGS by Phil Growick

Posted by Steve Emecz on

Susan Dougherty, Retired Art Teacher, Realtor
"EARTHLINGS" is both a creative & hysterically funny story book. The AI characters are amazing. As an artist I have a special appreciation for the creative genius who developed them. Phil Growick! Laugh, read & figure out the pun-ish names & enjoy!
 
Do you like Jazz? Phil Growick has pulled off the ultimate solo gig where he riffs language like Bird worked his horn. We know Growick from his excellent mantle carrying for Doyle by bringing Sherlock Holmes into a more modern context. But with Earthlings you get the sense Growick is just saying, “Watch what I can do with words.” Or maybe, “listen” is more appropriate because if you read some of these stories aloud they’re even funnier. Where else are you going to find sentences like: “Shvesteh Esther began her life in the tiny Polish shtetel of Oy Gevalt, a tad north of the tiny Polish shtetel of Shweig Shayne.” found in a chapter called “Shvesteh Esther” about a woman named Sister Esther living in a Jewish village placed there by a Pope (Loquacious XII, if you must know) to be part of a Sisterhood but she in reality turns out to be a Druid. Or Druish, as Growick points out. Earthlings is chock full of this fun with AI illustrations to boot that ratchet the absurdity up to at least Kafka. Highly recommended fun.

 

Steve Harsnett, President. Aesthetic Technologies of Florida 

"Earthlings" by Phil Growick is a madcap journey through the absurdity of human existence, taking readers on a zany ride filled with a cast of eccentric characters and bizarre scenarios that never fail to entertain. Growick's writing is not only hysterical, but it also manages to be deeply insightful as it pokes fun at the quirks and idiosyncrasies of humanity.  The AI generated images tickle the imagination and further enhance each storyline."

 

Steve Herczeg (Australian Sherlockian Author)

What an astounding and, to be perfectly honest, completely nutty collection of short biographies and stories of residents of the planet Earth.

The focus isn’t on well-known Earthlings but on the miasma of strange, offbeat and downright eccentric people that inhabit this world, or at least the author’s imagination.

Growick tells each tale with his tongue planted firmly in his cheek. His humour is wacky, sitting somewhere amongst the styles of Douglas Adams, Monty Python and the Young Ones. His wordplay is a must-read in itself, with each expression offering him a chance to deviate on a tangent with yet another chance to take the reader down a rabbit hole of puns and witticisms.

I read the updated A.I. version, which includes artwork created specifically for each story by an artificial intelligence art engine. Sadly, the name of the AI engine isn’t included (author's note, it was Midjourney). The pictures themselves are exquisite and add an extra level of mastery to each little tale.

Magnus Flobore - EARTHLINGS #28

Earthlings is an easy, and fast read. This reviewer downloaded the book on Friday night, and by Sunday had easily finished off all the little tales, leaving him with a wish for more of these ludicrous stories, and a strange aversion to a place called Mt. Blap, and to garbage trucks.

 

Eyephone Fran - EARTHLINGS #33

 

Rick MorrisAsst. Chief of Police, West Palm Beach

"Earthlings is a highly animated master piece. The  author is genius in his projection of creativity which catches and stimulates the imagination. The story form keeps an addictive flow and compels the reader to move on to the next story line. Kudos to the author who has brought back the lost art of stimulating the imagination."

Maureen Taylor

"What intricate, complicated and completely off the wall imagination!!! Wholly bonkers ? brain, but very very clever. Who else other than Phil Growick could write such hilarious stories and dream up such totally weird characters!! Love the stories, laughed and laughed!!" 

Dean Wilkinson (TV comedy writer who has worked with Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, Harry Hill) 

"I'm looking at it, and it's very good, very Douglas Adams / Hitchhikers."

 

EARTHLINGS is best viewed in colour digital format on an iPad, Kindle Fire or Samsung Galaxy Tab or similar and is now available on Kindle USA, Kindle UK, Kindle Canada and all Amazon sites and soon in other digital formats.

EARTHLINGS is also available in print (though the images aren't as impressive) available from this site right now for pre-publication copies and pre-order via Amazon USA, Barnes and Noble, Amazon UK and all good bookstores.

You can also read some of the EARTHLINGS on Phil's blog - Phil's Earthlings.

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