Oliver Vale was conceived on February 3, 1959, the day that iconic rock & roll singer Buddy Holly died. Exactly thirty years later, Buddy Holly appears on every television set in the world, on every channel. Holly states that he is being held on Ganymede, and that Oliver Vale is to be contacted for assistance. He then begins performing.
As a result, Vale finds himself being pursued by agents of the Federal Communications Commission, by angry television watchers, and by still more mysterious forces.
Kirkus Reviews found it to be "illogical, uproarious, yet ultimately memorable", "riotous", and "gloriously mad", but noted that "(t)he plot doesn't add up, or even make much sense", stating that despite Denton being "an exceptionally promising new talent" (in 1991), "the parts (...) are greater than the whole".[5]Publishers Weekly, reviewing the audiobook, described it as "quirky" with a "cockamanie and action-packed plot" and "many laugh-out-loud moments".[6]Cory Doctorow called it "the great American comic science fiction novel".[7]
In August 2009, a film version of the novel was announced. It is to be titled Alive and Well and star Jon Heder.[8][9] On April 11, 2011, a teaser trailer was released.[10] the film was never released.
