Dorkgasm Gonzo Is God

            The latest novel from A. Lee Martinez is not a laugh-a-minute riot, and that’s okay. When it came in the mail, I was looking forward to another row of dork in-jokes, pop-culture references, and a slew of witty banter, but this novel had surprises for me. His previous works have felt like a man who could channel the best parts of Robert Aspirin and Douglas Adams wrote them. This worked well, but looking back, sometimes the humor felt like it was covering up for a lack of heart. This new novel, Automatic Detective, changes that and ends up not as funny, but may have more to say.