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George Seymour

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Olivia Barry

558 books | 574 friends

Tim Wilson

168 books | 122 friends

Clay Fernald

127 books | 467 friends

R.J. Vaccarelli

325 books | 77 friends

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Steve Altes

Goodreads Author

Born

The United States

Website

http://stevealtes.wix.com/stevealtes

Genre

Graphic Novels, Humor and Comedy, Memoir

Influences

David Foster Wallace, Arthur Plotnik, Harmon Leon

Member Since

March 2016

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Steve Altes is the author of the comedic graphic novel Geeks & Greeks, set at MIT and inspired by MIT's culture of hacking and Steve's own experiences with hazing.

Known for his humorous essays, Steve's specialty is getting hired into unusual occupations and writing funny accounts of his misadventures. Some escapades he has written about include working as a hand model, a stand-in for Brad Pitt, a stunt man on Die Hard With A Vengeance, a bank robber at the FBI Academy, an aide to President-elect Bill Clinton, and applying to the CIA.

His humor essays have been published in dozens of magazines and newspapers, including the Boston Phoenix, Capital Style, Funny Times, the Los Angeles Times, Penthouse, P.O.V., Salon, The Christian Science Monito ...more

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Good afternoon, Steve! You have done many exciting things in your life, and have many accomplishments. What has been your favorite professional accomplishment? Where do you see yourself heading professionally in the next 5-10 years? Thanks! R.J. Vaccarelli

Steve Altes Hi R.J.! Sorry for the delay. I didn't visit GR for a couple weeks. You're very kind to call the things I've done accomplishments. I view it more like…moreHi R.J.! Sorry for the delay. I didn't visit GR for a couple weeks. You're very kind to call the things I've done accomplishments. I view it more like failing sideways. Or the spaghetti theory of life: throw a bunch of stuff at the wall and see what sticks.

I started out in engineering because my father and sister were both engineers, so it seemed like, I don't know, the family thing. But I left engineering the day I realized two things. (1) Engineering is a no-nonsense profession. And (2) I’m all nonsense.

I just never took engineering seriously enough. I was sort of like the kamikaze pilot who did 35 missions. I was *interested* in my work, but not really committed.

I bounced around the film and TV world for a while, landing a few blink-and-you-missed-it parts in a handful of forgettable movies.

Then I wound up writing humor essays for magazines, which surprised the hell out of me. When I graduated college, writing was the last occupation I would have ever imagined for myself. I was more interested in careers that got people rich. And trust me, the answer never came back, “Essays, Steve. Yep, see that man getting off the Learjet over there, he amassed a huge fortune in essays. He’s that essay tycoon from Texas.”

Writing humor essays led to speakers bureaus hiring me as an inspirational speaker, but to tell you the truth, I’m not sure if my life is an inspiration… or more of a cautionary tale. I’m someone who traded the anxiety and frustration of corporate life for the uncertainty and degradation of show business.

Now I've reincarnated myself as a graphic novelist. It' been an incredible ride so far, getting Geeks & Greeks in print. I'm gratified that people are responding very positively to the story, which is based largely on actual events (hacking and hazing at MIT).

Five to ten years from now? In an ideal scenario the film rights to Geeks & Greeks would sell, allowing me the breathing room to write the sequel I have in mind (Geeks & Greeks, Volume Square Root of 4). Worst case scenario? It's the year 2020 and Emperor Trump is pinning medals on the few surviving veterans of World War 3 onboard the Space Station. (less)

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Steve Altes’s books

Average rating: 3.82 · 22 ratings · 5 reviews · 3 distinct works

	Geeks & Greeks by Steve Altes (Goodreads Author), Andy Fish (Illustrations) 3.79 avg rating — 19 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	If You Jam The Copier, Bolt! 3.50 avg rating — 2 ratings — published 2001	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Little Book of Bad Business Advice it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating — published 1997 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

* Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. To add more, click here.

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Steve Altes's Blog

Animal House for the Tech Gen: Geeks & Greeks Graphic Novel Review

"Fresh, fun, and sometimes, wonderfully batshit insane... Geeks & Greeks is not like other graphic novels, with their cliché-laden dialogue and tired, recycled plotlines. Geeks aspires to grandeur and more often than not, achieves it."

- Remy Carreiro, ForeverGeek.com, 9.5.16

http://www.forevergeek.com/2016/09/ne...

Geeks & Greeks Read more of this blog post »

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Published on September 07, 2016 16:59 • Tags: geeks

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Steve Altes is now friends with Lisa Masson
Jun 12, 2020 03:50PM · like
Steve Altes liked J.D. Kleinke's review of Geeks & Greeks: "Today, we’re all geeks of one persuasion or another: computer geeks, yoga geeks, beer geeks, movie geeks. Geeks, like software, have slowly been eating the world, actually for a couple decades now; but lately, especially here in the formerly charming" Read more of this review »
May 16, 2019 11:34AM · see review
Steve Altes liked Anna's review of Dudeville: "One of the best things about this book is the handling of the spiritual nature of being outdoors. The main character is clearly not religious, but also not impervious to what he calls “The Presence.” Almost a character unto itself, the Presence is wh" Read more of this review »
Feb 15, 2018 11:41AM · see review
Steve Altes rated a book it was amazing Dudeville by J.D. Kleinke	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
This isn’t just a great book: it’s TWO great books, a serious literary work hiding inside a funny, absorbing, affecting adventure story. The first and more obvious book – and the way the book is packaged – is a wild romp about a guy dealing with an ea ...more
Feb 15, 2018 11:34AM · 4 likes · like · see review
Steve Altes has read Catching Babies by J.D. Kleinke	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Feb 15, 2018 11:33AM · like
Steve Altes rated a book it was amazing Dudeville by J.D. Kleinke	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
This isn’t just a great book: it’s TWO great books, a serious literary work hiding inside a funny, absorbing, affecting adventure story. The first and more obvious book – and the way the book is packaged – is a wild romp about a guy dealing with an ea ...more
Feb 15, 2018 11:31AM · 4 likes · like · see review
Steve Altes and 1 other person liked Caroline Stanistreet's review of Dudeville: "Author J.D. Kleinke captivated my attention for this book from start to finish, taking us on a vivid tour of the mountainous West. This is all while a story of main character Jack’s past and present unfold and develop. The marvelous details and story" Read more of this review »
Feb 15, 2018 11:30AM · see review
Steve Altes rated a book it was amazing The Bitcoin Big Bang: How Alternative Currencies Are about to Change the World by Brian Kelly	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Trader and CNBC-TV "Fast Money" regular Brian Kelly brings much-needed clarity of thought to the fascinating world of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. He writes with an easy, engaging style, whether he is explaining cryptography, blockchains, or m ...more
Jun 28, 2017 05:57PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Bitcoin Big Bang by Brian Kelly. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Bitcoin Big Bang by Brian Kelly <iframe id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Steve Altes rated a book it was amazing The Passage (The Passage, #1) by Justin Cronin (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
May 10, 2017 02:38AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Passage by Justin Cronin. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Passage by Justin Cronin <iframe id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Steve Altes liked a quote “Maybe heaven entailed more than a soul residing in a single place, but instead having pieces of yourself spread among the hearts and memories of people you've touched.” ...more Kristina McMorris
May 10, 2017 02:36AM · like · more quotes by Kristina McMorris · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Pieces We Keep by Kristina McMorris. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Pieces We Keep by Kristina McMorris <iframe id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

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Steve’s Quotes

“Maybe heaven entailed more than a soul residing in a single place, but instead having pieces of yourself spread among the hearts and memories of people you've touched.”
― Kristina McMorris, The Pieces We Keep

tags: death, faith, hearts, heaven, inspirational, memories, peace, philosophy, soul

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Animal House for the Tech Gen: Geeks & Greeks Graphic Novel Review

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