Jim Hill
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Mind you, there's more to "Snowbird" than just a skillful recreation of Walt Disney. Larry also uses his knowledge about how the Walt Disney Company actually operates to take you deep inside the Mouse House. Reading this book, you'll probably be surprised at the number of cool little factoids you'll pick up about the Disney Company works.

Pontius' skillful mixing of a highly implausible story line along with tons of well researched factual material reminded me quite a bit of the writing of best selling author Michael Crichton. In fact, there are whole sections of "Snowbird" that had me thinking of Crichton's 1990 novel, "Jurassic Park."

How so? Well, do you remember the original novel? How there were these wonderful sections in the book where Grant & Co. will dealing with the dinosaurs, followed by these long boring patches where Crichton went on and on about DNA and chaos theory? "Snowbird" is a lot like that. There are fun, fleet footed parts of this book where Larry is believably setting up how Walt could have been on ice all these years (And -- more importantly -- who's been keeping watch over his frozen body for 35 years now) as well as sections where Disney's back on his feet and dealing with modern life.

And then another large batch of the Russco / Washington stuff will come along and slow the story down. In the end, you'll probably end up doing what I did: Which is skim over these sections so that you can get back to the good stuff. Where Walt Disney is alive again and reacting to &interacting with today's world.

Just a word or two to clarify things here: As gruesome as this premise may sound to some Disney purists, Larry's actually written quite a respectful, often very affectionate novel here. One that might a really fun read at the beach this summer. That is -- of course -- if there were a publishing house out there that had enough guts to actually publish the book.

You see, Pontius has sent the manuscript to "Snowbird" off to no less than 50 different agents -- seeking help from each of them in getting his book published. Quite a number of these folks wrote back to Larry, saying that -- while they really enjoyed reading the book -- there was no way that they'd dare get involved with the project. Why for? Out of fear of upsetting the all powerful Walt Disney Company.

Well, I've got news for all you cowardly agents & publishers out there: Bringing a public figure back from the dead to help push along the plotline of a fantasy novel isn't exactly a new idea. What about Nicholas Meyer's wonderful "The Seven Percent Solution," where Dr. Watson turned to noted physician Sigmund Freud for help in curing Sherlock Holmes' cocaine addiction? Or what about David Carkeet's marvelous "I Been There Before," where Mark Twain briefly comes back to life in 1986 as Halley's Comet circles the earth? These both were highly praised, very popular -- and profitable -- books.

Anyway ... Given there wasn't a publisher to be found who was willing to take on Disney's infamous legal department, Larry took a novel approach with his novel. He ended up getting his manuscript for "Snowbird" posted with aghostwriter.com, an internet service that usually caters to helping unpublished romance novelists get their stories out before the public. While Pontius's book could hardly be considered a romance, the owners/operators of aghostwriter.com reviewed Larry's manuscript, liked what they read, and agreed to post it on their site.

The rest of the story ... Well, it's like something out of a Disney movie. Though it's only been a little over three months since "Snowbird" made its debut on aghostwriter.com, nearly 1,200,000 people have gone to the site to download Larry's book to read. 35,000 just from Australia alone. These folks are then turning around and telling their friends about what a fun read "Snowbird" is. Which is how "Snowbird" began snowballing.

Pontius is obviously thrilled that people are reacting this way to his first novel. Of course, what would be the icing on the cake would be if some editor or publisher out there who were to read "Snowbird" on-line and -- realizing its commercial potential -- would offer to really-for-real publish this book.

Hey, stranger things have happened. Particularly in Disney films.

Anyway ... If you're looking for a great book to take to the beach this summer, then be sure to schlep your laptop the next time you head out for the ocean. That way -- after you've spread out your towel -- you can fire up your computer, head over to aghostwriter.com and download Larry Pontius's "Snowbird." While it ain't exactly great literature (Again, too many Russians & rogue FBI agents for my taste), it is still great fun to read.

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Related Links

• "Snowbird" from aghostwriter.com

-- Jim Hill

-- Posted June 12, 2001