Michael Rubens' The Sheriff of Yrnameer

Every few years I discover a new novel of which I know nothing. Often these titles are authored by writers with whom I'm unfamiliar, too. Occasionally, these works prove intriguing, sufficiently so that I make an impulse buy.

Michael Rubens' The Sheriff of Yrnameer is one such book. I found it on the new fiction table at Barnes & Noble last week. There's but one review printed on the jacket. Stephen Colbert writes, "a science fiction book your grandmother will love--if she's a lustful, violent lady."

That's all I needed. I sat down with a copy on a nearby bench and began reading. I was reminded, almost instantly, of the old school (at least to me) science fiction my brother encouraged me to read in the early '80s. We're talking great stuff, works by Kurt Vonnegut, Douglas Adams and even Philip Jose Farmer.

I couldn't be happier. I certainly recommend Rubens' new novel, especially if you like science fiction similar to Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Venus on the Half Shell and Player Piano. While I haven't yet finished the novel, I'm finding it entertaining, creative and just the right amount irreverent.