In the blink of an eye, everyday, ordinary nice-guy Charley Tooth is abducted from Earth by a bizarre grouping of aliens, and forced to perform for their entertainment. That’s just the beginning of a series of increasingly strange and illogical adventures for Charley, as he’s catapulted from one incident to another, caught up in interstellar politics and more wierdness than any one Earthling has a right to survive. Can he stay alive long enough to win the heart of the hot alien girl he meets along the way, and possibly make it home before anyone notices he’s gone?

The Adventures of Charley Tooth is the debut novel in Dorchester’s new Vortex line of fantasy and science fiction. Unfortunately, if this is at all representative of the new line, it doesn’t bode well. The opening chapter, depicting Charley’s abrupt arrival into the cosmic version of a cocktail party, is so crammed full of strange names and absurd imagery that it’s hard to imagine anyone getting past the initial confusion. I certainly wasn’t inclined to continue after such a difficult beginning. While it does let up somewhat after the first chapter, this isn’t a book that lends itself to casual reading. I wanted to like this book, but its strong points (imaginative scenarios, clever writing, sly humor, and some rather likable characters) are outweighed by its flaws (confusing plotline, weirdness for the sake of weirdness, and a tendency to be way too satisfied by its own cleverness). I’m looking forward to seeing what Dorchester has next, but as its debut offering, The Adventures of Charley Tooth is a lot weaker than it could be.