Year Zero

Rob Reid

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aliens pirating music

copyright chaos

extraterrestrial copyright infringement

humorous cultural references

satirical sci fi comedy

nick carter the copyright lawyer

humorous and quirky characters

nostalgic themes from '70s and '80s

quick and fun pacing

engaging prose with clever footnotes

absurd narrative

music industry satire

'Year Zero' by Rob Reid is a satirical sci-fi comedy that explores the consequences of aliens pirating Earth's music and the resulting copyright licensing chaos. The book follows the story of a copyright lawyer, Nick Carter, who must find a solution to prevent the destruction of Earth by extraterrestrial beings due to the massive fines owed for illegal downloading. The writing style is described as humorous, engaging, and filled with pop culture references from the '70s and '80s, making it a nostalgic and entertaining read for fans of satire and sci-fi.

Characters:

The characters are a mix of humorous and quirky, with Nick being the relatable protagonist amidst outlandish alien personalities.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style is characterized by humor, clever footnotes, and engaging prose, reminiscent of classic sci-fi comedies.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot centers around Nick Carter, who is approached by aliens to address a massive copyright infringement issue stemming from their love for Earth music, leading to a comedic quest to rescue humanity.

Setting:

The story is set primarily on Earth but expands into bizarre alien environments filled with humorous cultural references.

Pacing:

The pacing is generally quick and fun, though it experiences some lulls that disrupt the flow.

Aliens suck at music. And it’s not for a lack of trying. They’ve been at it for eons, but have yet to produce even a faintly decent tune. If they had, we’d have detected them ages ago. We’ve been scan...

Notes:

The main character is Nick Carter, not the Backstreet Boy.

Aliens are terrible musicians but love Earth's music.

The plot kicks off when aliens realize they owe humanity massive copyright fines.

The story features a 'Kotter Moment,' where aliens became obsessed with the theme from 'Welcome Back Kotter.'

Nick is an entertainment lawyer facing job loss while dealing with alien visitors.

The narrative includes humorous footnotes that enhance the story.

Rob Reid founded a music streaming service, giving him insight into the music industry.

The novel is a satire on music licensing and copyright issues.

The book has been compared to 'Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' for its humor.

It features whimsical alien life forms and oddball characters, adding to the fun.

The story critiques the music industry's handling of copyright and piracy.

The book references pop culture from the 70s and 80s, making it nostalgic for some readers.

Has Romance?

There is a medium level of romance as the protagonist has a romantic interest in a neighbor, adding a subplot to the main narrative.

From The Publisher:

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Low-level entertainment lawyer Nick Carter thinks it's a prank, not an alien encounter, when a redheaded mullah and a curvaceous nun show up at his office. But Frampton and Carly are highly advanced (if bumbling) extraterrestrials. The entire cosmos, they tell him, has been hopelessly hooked on American pop songs ever since "Year Zero" (1977 to us), resulting in the biggest copyright violation since the Big Bang and bankrupting the whole universe. Nick has just been tapped to clean up this mess before things get ugly. Thankfully, this unlikely galaxy-hopping hero does know a thing or two about copyright law. Now, with Carly and Frampton as his guides, Nick has forty-eight hours to save humanity-while hoping to wow the hot girl who lives down the hall from him.

Ratings (5)

Loved It (2)
Liked It (2)
Did Not Like (1)

Reader Stats (13):

Read It (6)
Want To Read (5)
Not Interested (2)

What can you read after
Year Zero?

See the list (100 books)

About the Author:

Rob Reid founded Listen.com, which built the pioneering online music service Rhapsody, and created the unlimited subscription model since adopted by Apple, Spotify, and many others. He is the author of the New York Times bestseller Year Zero, a work of…

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