Martin Olson

Much like the show, this book is pretty silly (and told from the perspective of Hunson Abadeer, Lord of Evil and Marceline's dad). I'm not caught up with the whole series, so there were a few spoilers in here, mostly in the form of introductions to characters I hadn't seen yet. It's a good encyclopedia with profiles of characters (whole chapters for main characters and blurbs for minor ones) and places (e.g. Candy Kingdom and Lumpy Space), a map of the Land of Ooo, and some extras. And "handwritten" annotations by Finn, Jake, and Marceline.

It's not a book that I could read from linearly cover to cover, but it'll be fun to revisit and reference as I finish watching the more recent seasons. Gonna leave it out on the coffee table for browsing.

Oh, and, A for all the illustrations inside!… (mere)

This is a Reading Good Books review.

Encyclopaedia of Hell makes fun of EVERYTHING in the human race from acne to zippers. It is an invasion guide proposed by the Ruler of Hell, Lord Satan himself. This is how we humans seem to the demons.

Think along the lines of Max Brooks’ Zombie Survival Guide. It is not to be taken seriously. The terminologies are described in the most sarcastic and surreal ways meant to show that humans are lesser beings to demons. It also talks about eating humans, diseases that make human flesh “taste better”, mentions of suicide, stupid politicians, etc. It’s not for the faint of heart… and those without a sense of humor.

My favorite parts are editor Zyk’s memo. His affair was so hilarious! His narration was so animated and just flat out funny. I honestly found myself just breezing through the encyclopaedia part just so I can get to his letters sooner. There were parts of the book that got a bit redundant. They were still funny but as it went on, I got a little bored and it didn’t quite have my attention anymore.

I also liked the illustrations. Again, not to be taken seriously. Many are grotesque representations of the key demons mentioned. You’ll be transported as if you’re reading Satan’s manuscript from the cover, to the layout, even the spelling of some words!

Rating: 4/5.

Recommendation: Go into this with a sense of humor.… (mere)