by Sherman Alexis and

Don't get me wrong it's a stellar book. If you happen to be one of the five people who haven't already read it, you're in for a treat. It's fantastically fun, intelligent, creative and silly, but it's an odd choice after past winners with somewhat more gravity and/or local relevance such as Stanley Park by Timothy Taylor, Joy Kogawa’s Obasan, Joel Bakan’s The Corporation and The Five Books of Moses Lapinsky by Karen X. Tulchinsky. (There's more info on their website.) Terry Lavender writes a killer article that says exactly (but more eloquently) what I thought when I heard the news, which is basically that, as influential as the book has been for the tech-happy, cyber-stoked side of this planet, it's not specifically Vancouver-y at all.

Maybe it was nominated because of the potential for fun themed events. While the Hitchhiker's Guide reigns supreme this fall there will be "intergalactic events and contests" (the promotional pamphlet from the library said it, not me) which include a Vogon Poetry Slam and Vog-Off (Vogon Poetry is, according to The Guide, the worst in the universe), a travel writing workshop, a Hitchhiker's Innovation Expo of the latest gear, eco-gadgets and technology –an "electronic petting zoo", apparently– and the assembly of a 2040 time capsule to be opened in thirty years.