Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.

Start by marking “Bodega: Tales from the Bodegaverse” as Want to Read:

Other editions

Enlarge cover

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

Open Preview

Bodega: Tales from the Bodegaverse

Edward Forsyth

4.28 · Rating details · 167 ratings · 30 reviews

Bodega. Lover. Sniper. Thief. Scourge of the wicked. In fact, scourge of anyone if there's money to be made. A lawless man in a galaxy overrun by villains, Mork beasts, Dildonians and the dreaded imperial forces of Crem Slumdump. Aided by his otherwise unemployable crew of drunks, criminals, assassins and broken down combat droids, Bodega seeks fortune, and trouble seeks h ...more

Get A Copy

Paperback, 230 pages

Published August 2019 by Fourth Floor Creative Ltd

More Details... Edit Details

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Reader Q&A

To ask other readers questions about Bodega, please sign up.

Be the first to ask a question about Bodega

Lists with This Book

This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Add this book to your favorite list »

Community Reviews

Showing 1-30

Average rating 4.28 ·

Rating details

· 167 ratings · 30 reviews

More filters

Sort order

Start your review of Bodega: Tales from the Bodegaverse

Aug 19, 2019 Harry rated it it was amazing

Essentially, this is something kinda like a cross between Guardians of the Galaxy, Dirty Harry, and Hitchhikers guide to the galaxy.
For those who don't know, this is book that started life as a joke on a podcast the author Edward Forsyth (aka Pyrion Flax) is a part of, where he attempts to parody all the hard-boiled, hyper masculine, sci-fi pulp action heroes. And he does a great job, especially for a debut novel!
It starts off a little rough because of this, as the first half is more or less a c ...more

flag 14 likes · Like · see review

Aug 02, 2019 Johnny Bannister added it

The flarvin' thing rocked my world I tell ya your in for one heck of a hoardersharcortiery I tell you ...more

flag 7 likes · Like · see review

Aug 22, 2019 E.Elizabeth. rated it it was amazing

Please announce 'round two' of pre-orders soon!!
description

...more

flag 4 likes · Like · see review

Aug 04, 2020 Paul added it

I got Bodega as a gift from a friend. I had no prior knowledge of where it originally came from other than "It's science fiction" from my present giver. So, as I'd been gifted this I immediately moved it to the top of my reading list.
It's an interesting one, this, and I'll attempt to tell you for why. Very early on (actually probably before the book even officially begins, to be accurate) we learn that this is full of throw-away, silly, sci-fi episodes written for a podcast. On reading this it b I got Bodega as a gift from a friend. I had no prior knowledge of where it originally came from other than "It's science fiction" from my present giver. So, as I'd been gifted this I immediately moved it to the top of my reading list.
It's an interesting one, this, and I'll attempt to tell you for why. Very early on (actually probably before the book even officially begins, to be accurate) we learn that this is full of throw-away, silly, sci-fi episodes written for a podcast. On reading this it began to make sense that my pal would give this to me, it having come from a series of podcasts he often mentions. It didn't immediately strike me as having the makings of a good book though. I still gave it a go however and found that, yes, it is a bunch of loosely connected 'chapters' that are overly comic and self-aware, while also maintaining the same number of pages each chapter like those books that come out at Christmas. Books that are all the columns some actor has written for the Guardian collated into a hardback, cash-in. And yet...

And yet, clearly, Edward Forsyth (our author) started to get a bit of a taste for this writing lark. Slowly but surely these nonsense stories start to develop a little more detail. Characters begin to round out and things that happen in one chapter have consequences in later ones. By about the half-way all the chapters are brand new, and not built for 10 minute sections in a podcast, and it shows. They are suddenly taut, focused, charming and bursting with sharp ideas. Something as close to a narrative as you're ever going to get from a thing born of a podcast bumper slowly emerges. The second to last chapter even manages to stand entirely on it's own two feet. A genuinely good short story with all the prior comic silliness removed and, for 26 pages, carves out a brain and a body to go with all of the heart shown up till then in the book.

I can't really call this a novel though, because it is not, but I can say that watching this idea grow over the course over 264 pages was quite a novel experience. Ha-ha-ha, did you see what I did there? Sorry. Yeah, it's a wonderful thing to take part in this journey. To come in cold to it probably only served to make my experience all the sweeter.

So what's the book about? Well, it's about a guy called Bodega. Boooodega. Bodegaaa... Bodega, his name is Bodega. He's a cartoonish, 2D, space pirate/cowboy, badass. He goes on silly adventures and makes a lot of horrible choices. Along the way he learns a terrible lesson and then builds a gang to sort things out. Or at least sort things out so that he can live the life he wants to. And that's about it. There are a few stand out chapters (as mentioned above, and one involving a trip to hell) that hold the whole thing together, giving it weight and spark, and they come along just at the right time so that the trivial nature of the beginning doesn't ever get to a point where it overstays its welcome.

I applaud the achievement and the obvious gains and talent that bloomed along the way. Also a fun wee read. ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Feb 04, 2020 Kate Hawkins rated it liked it

Shelves: books-i-own, science-fiction, humorous

How exactly does one review something that is, at its very core, a joke?

That question has been swirling around in my head as I try to figure out just what I should say in a review of Bodega: Into the Bodegaverse because this isn’t a character or a series that is meant to be taken seriously. I remember when the character was created on the Triforce! podcast a few years ago, the three hosts were discussing just how bad, or silly, or insane internet fanfiction can be when one of the hosts, the aut How exactly does one review something that is, at its very core, a joke?

That question has been swirling around in my head as I try to figure out just what I should say in a review of Bodega: Into the Bodegaverse because this isn’t a character or a series that is meant to be taken seriously. I remember when the character was created on the Triforce! podcast a few years ago, the three hosts were discussing just how bad, or silly, or insane internet fanfiction can be when one of the hosts, the author of this book, gave an example of how easy these stories were to write. He proceeded to speak the sentence ”And then the robot pulled out his canon arm and fired at Bodega, but Bodega, using his cyborg legs dived to the left, anticipating the robots canon arm and shot back with his las-pistol” and from that sentence the character was born.

Bodega, in many respects, represents a send up of the incredibly insane science fiction paperbacks of the seventies and eighties that held more gunfights than they did logic. The characters here are nothing short of caricatures of tropes commonly held in westerns, sci-fi, and fantasy and it’s a great bit of fun to watch them gallivant across a universe filled with strange species of aliens, A.I. planets, the president of the universe, and strange German television hosts. Everything in this universe of stories has a strange named designed for comedic effect, and I would be lying if I didn’t say that some of the things Mr. Forsyth was able to come up with don’t make me laugh incredibly hard.

The quality of writing isn’t great, by Mr. Forsyth isn’t a writer, the only reason we have these stories is because the other hosts of his podcast asked him to write them, and the fans only wanted more and more. With that said, Mr. Forsyth does actually have some natural talent for the art, it just has to be practiced and worked on. Towards the end of the book, when the stories read out on the podcast were finished we get a chance to see the best of what he can write, some of the ideas and themes in the final couple of stories are genuinely good and I wanted to see what he could do with those stories if he wrote the entire book around them as opposed to ending a series of significantly shorter tales with them.

I want this series to continue, because I think that Mr. Forsyth really has the potential to make this into a great character and a great series, if he steps back on the humor just a little bit and turns up the drama and character work the follow up to Bodega: Into the Bodegaverse could really be something to look out for. As it is now, the book offers very little to someone who wasn’t already a fan of the character because of the original stories told on the podcast.
...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Sep 08, 2019 JennericUser rated it liked it

Understand that this might not be the most objective review. I've been a fan of the Yogscast for many years and of the Triforce since its inception. (view spoiler) I feel like these boys and their recommendations of various sci-fi novels and general rambling about the genre are what made me branch out and start reading some of this stuff and discover (to my surprise) that I actually really like it. I read Dune because of them. I read the Red Rising trilogy beca Understand that this might not be the most objective review. I've been a fan of the Yogscast for many years and of the Triforce since its inception. (view spoiler) I feel like these boys and their recommendations of various sci-fi novels and general rambling about the genre are what made me branch out and start reading some of this stuff and discover (to my surprise) that I actually really like it. I read Dune because of them. I read the Red Rising trilogy because of them. I read Old Man's War because of them. I even bought a collection of short stories just so I could read the Library of Babel because of them, so I feel like everything else that I've read and enjoyed under the heading of sci-fi is at least partly because of them and I'm super grateful for that.

That said, I'm honestly torn between giving this a 4 star or 3 star review.
I want to give it 4 stars because I really did enjoy it. I liked how all the typical tropes were played with and poked at, and (obviously, since I'm a fan) I loved the voice it was written in. I thought the transition from separate stories to one cohesive plot was well done and I liked all the authors notes at the end of chapters, though I wish they had continued through the second half of the novel. I thought there were some really clever bits and well constructed jokes, definitely enough to keep me interested in what would happen next, but I can also see where a little bit more editing, a little reordering of chapters (which I know was meant to be done but accidentally wasn't for this first printing), and maybe a little too much rushing here and there should probably knock it down to 3 stars, so in the interest of total honesty I'm going to do that, but with a little bit of personal regret included.

I'm honestly really impressed that the book became a reality at all with everything else these guys have on their plates and I hope Pflax eventually publishes more stories from the Bodegaverse because they're hilarious and sometimes startlingly compelling (Twenty-two-ino messed me up, bro).

If you see this review Pflax, thank you and congratulations! ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Jan 27, 2021 Sebastian Hoppe rated it liked it

Amazing for Triforce Podcast fans. Please continue writing Pflax

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Jun 03, 2020 Matus K rated it it was amazing

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Feb 02, 2020 Jake Munnerley rated it it was amazing

I enjoyed reading this book, both as a fan of the Triforce podcast, and as a fan of sci-fi.

After hearing the first half of the book on the podcast, I couldn't wait to read the rest of the book. I certainly wasn't disappointed.

I cannot wait to see if PFlax (Edward Forsyth, the author) writes another book, be it set in the Bodegaverse or something completely new. ...more

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Sep 16, 2019 Patrycja Kotlowska rated it it was amazing

Just crazy enough

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Dec 22, 2019 Ian rated it it was amazing

My kind of sci fi, laughed, cried, came

flag 1 like · Like · see review

Mar 05, 2020 Menno Van rated it really liked it

Bo-de-ga!
I gotta be honest, I've been a fan of the Yogscast for over a decade so I'm obviously quite biased when it comes to their products. That said, I definitely enjoyed this book. It's not quite the bees knees, but it is close, like the bees toes or the bees ankles or something.

The structure of the book is quite messy, like a Shrovian cabaret. Roughly the first half are just short tales which were originally told on the Triforce podcast. These stories have some loose continuity, but many cou Bo-de-ga!
I gotta be honest, I've been a fan of the Yogscast for over a decade so I'm obviously quite biased when it comes to their products. That said, I definitely enjoyed this book. It's not quite the bees knees, but it is close, like the bees toes or the bees ankles or something.

The structure of the book is quite messy, like a Shrovian cabaret. Roughly the first half are just short tales which were originally told on the Triforce podcast. These stories have some loose continuity, but many could be easily read and understood on their own. This part is mostly focused on humor instead of plot. From the weird alien names, to the irrelevant references, to the various absurd settings Bodega finds himself in. These were written to be read within ten minutes at the end of a podcast, long before the idea of making a book came up. At one point Pyrion ends a chapter in a hilariously short and rushed way because he needed it finished in time for the podcast. Any other writer would've gone back and changed this into a more coherent ending, but not Pyrion. He chose to keep this the way it was originally told. He admits things like these in the little author's notes he placed at the end of some chapters. There is something charming about the raw, honest and absurd writing quality. It's just a guy having fun.

The second half has more of a plot going on. The writing style changes to something a bit more serious (though still hilarious at times). In my opinion, the story loses a bit of its original appeal this way, which had no sense of direction and was just over-the-top action combined with strange characters in an even stranger world. It does become a lot more tense, like an actual book. It is a trade-off Pyrion must've realized as well. I wished he elaborated on that in his author's notes.

I also wished Pyrion explored his various cast of characters a bit more. There's a ton of potentially interesting people in it, but most of them seem a bit shallow. Some are only briefly introduced, talk very little in the whole book, and never add much to the plot. Some are seemingly forgotten (or abandoned) later on without any neat conclusion. I'd like more scenes like the drinking contest between Big Rab and VARU, and perhaps some tales (that aren't just an introduction) that focus mainly on a particular side-character. Also, the way he writes women is... a bit cliche and sexist (though he admits he knows very litte about women). This is part of the style, though I wished Pyrion had gone more against the cliches.

However, I don't think it's anything Pyrion can't fix in (hopefully) the second book, which I'd definitely buy. In the end I'd rank this book a 7/10, so it's a toss up between 3 or 4 stars for me. If you liked stuff like the Hitchhiker's Guide, you'd probably enjoy this as well. ...more

flag Like · see review

Dec 11, 2020 Sky rated it it was amazing

Shelves: reccomended, own

Suppassed all expectations!

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't expecting anything more than just a general shit post for this, I'd heard a couple stories from the podcast but not too many. This genuenly though was a well crafted story, with a well thought out galaxy and characters.

Yeah it's dumb, got some stupid moments and can't be taken overly seriously, but that's really enjoyable.

A lot of stories fall into the trap of "here's a main character. Here's a world around said character.". For bodega, ...more

flag Like · see review

Aug 13, 2020 Meredith rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-as-of-2020

This book is a flarvvin' good time, ESPECIALLY if you're familiar with the Triforce Podcast. My biggest note about this book is very interesting, actually... Pyrion's writing became more consistent, more serious, and (in my opinion) more investing *after* he stopped writing for the podcast. I think this was after "Part Twenty-three-ino." His [writing] craft definitely changed once he stopped writing with the intention of 'podcasting' it. And in terms of professional writing, it improved after th ...more

flag Like · see review

Dec 19, 2020 Daniel Kephart rated it liked it · review of another edition

As many other reviewers note below, the central challenge of reviewing Bodega is that the story is itself, in many ways, a joke. As such, I've primarily limited myself to reviewing the Kindle Edition rather than the plot or content (which, as the book makes clear, is not entirely meant to be polished stuff).

A few typos dot the manuscript, and unfortunately the font is locked it at a single size, make this a bit of a frustrating text to deal with at times. Most unfortunate is that the "Kindle Ed ...more

flag Like · see review

Dec 23, 2019 Adam Malone rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Lock your flarvin' eyes on this Space epic, Pard'.

Born from a conversation between two Dad's and an 8 year old Lebanese child for a podcast, Bodega asks what happens when you take John Wayne at his most cowboy, shoot him into space, surround him with mad creatures, mad aliens, and madder scenarios, and write it like you're trying to out cliche the worst Philip K. Dick wannabe at their most hackiest.
What you get is Bodega, a love letter written to bad Sci-Fi that leaves you wanting more.

Come join ...more

flag Like · see review

Feb 26, 2021 Dmitri Chizhikov ii rated it it was amazing

Shelves: sci-fi

Great book, idk if it's for everyone though? It is quite meme-y. I love it because it's easy to read without being yound adult-y, it's very funny, really well written and Edward Forsyth (better known as Pflax) is a super nice dude. He is the best member of the triforce podcast (nothing to do with zelda) imo, so I guess my liking of the book is very very biased. However if anyone reading this is on the fence about reading this great piece of sci-fi, like half of the book is available as audio at ...more

flag Like · see review

May 13, 2020 Nicole Dorville rated it it was amazing

15 out of 15 yogstars, more exciting than a spurloopian cabaret. If you like Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams, you'll find this in the same vein of British wit and slapstick humour, childish and mature. Also loved Pyrion's notes, they really add flavour to the worldbuilding and humour. However I felt like I think I was spoiled by the Triforce listening to this, although there were times that I was absolutely hooked in the chapters that were both on and off the Triforce and yogcon. I hope Pyrion ...more

flag Like · see review

May 25, 2020 George Pearson rated it really liked it

The early chapters establish the theme. Hilarious sci-fi writing with no real commitment to plot. It’s just fun, unapologetically trashy sci-fi.

I was expecting more of the same from P Flax’s (Forsyth’s) later chapters. Instead I was pleasantly surprised by an overall improvement - he expanded the plot and maintained the exciting element throughout.

At times I was totally gripped by this book; I couldn’t put it down and I am very excited for the next instalment.

flag Like · see review

May 18, 2020 Daniel Verner rated it it was amazing

Great moons of Shabboth, this is one flarv of a good time. This hooked me quicker than a Galdorpian hook fish catches dinner.

Great fun, such a good laugh. Can't wait for Number 2.. Hear that Flax? Get on it! ...more

flag Like · see review

Jun 25, 2020 Kelly Broomhall rated it really liked it

I witnessed the birth of the Bodegaverse on the podcast (Triforce Podcast, part of the Yogpod) and loved it then. In book form with extra stories it's even better. SO funny, and reminiscent of Hitchhiker's Guide sometimes. Recommend whether you've heard the podcast or not. ...more

flag Like · see review

Nov 28, 2020 Joseph rated it really liked it · review of another edition

A Great Read For Fans of the Triforce Podcast

If you like the Yogscast Triforce podcast, you'll like this book. There were some minor grammar issues here and there but it was written by an gut having fun with friends and fans. ...more

flag Like · see review

Feb 08, 2021 Lance Wilson rated it really liked it

This is unlike any novel I’ve read, it’s extremely unpredictable while playing a twist on the usual tropes of sci fi. It offers a fantastic and refreshing experience while not taking itself too seriously. Sit back with a scoffee and enjoy some space cowboy shenanigans.

flag Like · see review

Apr 10, 2021 Ian S. rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

From humble beginnings, this book simply proves two things. 1. It’s man’s nature to create, and 2. Just have to have fun and enjoy life. This is one flarv of a space adventure with twists and turns to make you chuckle and grin the whole way through

flag Like · see review

Jun 15, 2020 Dylan rated it it was amazing

Amazing, imaginative and cool writing style

flag Like · see review

Feb 06, 2020 Kayleigh rated it it was amazing

The most unexpected, brilliant sci fi. Truly took me by surprise and I hope he writes more, soon. Loved every page.

flag Like · see review

Jan 29, 2020 Andy Pearce rated it it was amazing

Written by someone with barely any writing experience, I was suprised to find that I finished this book quicker than most others ive read!

From short stories that were unrelated to eachother, to a full plot being implemented using the characters introduced in said early chapters, Bodega provided everything i could've expected from PFlax (Forsyth) as the author! A lovely balance of humour, tension, sci-fi references, romance, action, it has the lot.

As a huge fan of the Triforce podcast, hearing n ...more

flag Like · see review

May 04, 2020 Brandon D. rated it really liked it

HOLY FLARVIN' COCK BALLS PARD, THIS HERE BOOK BE TICKLIN THE ORGAN BEHIND MY TITTIES

Now that I have your attention, Ted, I'd like to say thank you for making this novel.

For anyone who bought this book: READ THE FOREWORD. It explains the book better than I can. For those who are on the fence about buying, here's why you should.

In isolation it is not fantastic. Its biggest flaw is that it's inconsistent stylistically, even something as simple as chapter titles vary wildly (and hilariously); but wh ...more

flag Like · see review

Nov 06, 2019 Billy Cao rated it it was amazing

A callback to classic sci-fi tropes, this book doesn’t take itself too seriously, and yet takes you upon a surprisingly captivating, funny, neat little adventure across the Bodegaverse.

If you don’t take it too seriously and just want to join Bodega as he roams around the verse, you’ll have a flarving blast.

flag Like · see review

Dec 29, 2019 James Richardson rated it it was amazing

Flarv of a good book.

flag Like · see review

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend It | Stats | Recent Status Updates

Readers also enjoyed

See similar books…

Videos About This Book

Add a comment

Genres

Science Fiction

5 users

Space > Space Opera

3 users

See top shelves…

About Edward Forsyth

Edward Forsyth

42 followers

Edward "Ted" Forsyth, better known by his online pseudonym "Pyrion Flax", is an English Twitch Streamer, E-Sport Commentator, Amature Poker Player and YouTuber.
Pyrion is also a member of the entertainment company "The Yogscast", with whom he frequently collaborates with.
After much delay, he finally completed his first novel "Bodega: Into the Bodegaverse" in 2019. ...more

32 Highly Anticipated Sci-Fi and Fantasy Reads for Summer

The coming season is a big one for the science fiction and fantasy genres, with the release of some of 2021's most anticipated speculative...

Trivia About Bodega: Tales fro...

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

See a Problem?

Preview — Bodega by Edward Forsyth

Bodega: Tales from the Bodegaverse

Get A Copy

Friend Reviews

Reader Q&A

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

Readers also enjoyed

Videos About This Book

Genres

About Edward Forsyth

Related Articles

Trivia About Bodega: Tales fro...

See a Problem?

Preview — Bodega by Edward Forsyth

Bodega: Tales from the Bodegaverse

Get A Copy

Friend Reviews

Reader Q&A

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topicDiscuss This Book

Readers also enjoyed

Videos About This Book

Genres

About Edward Forsyth

Related Articles

Trivia About Bodega: Tales fro...

new topic
Discuss This Book