As a general rule, film novelizations are love-it-or-hate-it affairs. Me? I love ‘em. Movies are visual affairs and novels exist in the mind; when you can find the sweet spot in the middle of all that, it’s often a magical affair. The George A. Romero / Susannah Sparrow novelization of Dawn of the Dead (a.k.a. THE great American horror film) is a stellar example of this. When it hits just right, a film novelization can be the perfect companion piece.

From the preposterously silly opening foreword and mandatory singalong, Jeff Strand (Candy Coated Madness, Autumn Bleeds Into Winter) lets you know this is a true and faithful novelization of one of America’s most joyously zany films, Attack of the Killer Tomatoes. Created in 1978 by Costa Dillon, John De Bello, and J. Stephen Peace, the film has become the very definition of a cult classic. It’s also one of the wackiest films ever made that doesn’t bear the name Zucker on it. I’m operating on the assumption that if you’re reading this humble review, you don’t need to be told the plot or preached to about the sheer awesomeness of it.

I’ll be perfectly blunt: I laughed so hard and so frequently reading this, I pissed myself a little. It’s true. Strand’s meta-approach and frequent fourth wall breaks perfectly capture the irreverent spirit of the film. The source material is rich enough on its own, but what Strand does is enrich the satire while acknowledging the plethora of politically incorrect characterizations and bad stereotypes with a wink and a nod. You can tell he had as much fun writing this as you’ll have reading it. There’s something sublimely satisfying about that.

Strand tells the story in a voice we all know and speak (though none as well as he). His full gonzo approach makes this so much more than a mere novelization or a companion piece – it’s an honest-to-God enhancement on an already beloved film. There’s just so much more here to absorb, and that makes it an essential piece of the Killer Tomatoes family (it’s easily my favorite novelization to date). Many of your favorite scenes (like Sam Smith’s infiltration of the tomato camp) are brought to squishy, fleshy life by Strand’s razor-sharp wit and pinpoint timing. And in comedy, timing really is everything.

There are too many highlights in the book to list them off, but I will say that if Conrad’s self-reflection on his chauvinistic ways with Lois Fairchild doesn’t have you both laughing and thinking at the same time, then you may be missing the point. And what is the point, you ask? The idea of tomatoes mutating into bloodthirsty, babbling killer vegetables and waging a full-scale war on humanity is no sillier than our antiquated ways and military-industrial obsession. Strand simply uses his full range of literary skill to remind you of that while keeping you wildly entertained in the process.

Attack of the Killer Tomatoes is one of those books you can enjoy for a brisk, “What the fuck did I just read?!” kind of experience, even if you haven’t seen the movie. However, if you’re a mark for the 1978 cult classic (as Jeff Strand clearly is), you will have one of the more enjoyable reading experiences of your life. You’re also guaranteed to go back and watch the movie again. Don’t fight it…just give in to it.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to go and get my tomato on.