"There's a bomb on the plane. There's a spy on the plane. I'm reading this on the plane."
— Three Panel Book Review, on the genre in general.
Hans Moleman: Do you have anything by Robert Ludlum?
Store cashier: Get out!
Store cashier: Get out!
Female holidaymaker: Hi, we're looking for—
(Bernard silently hands her a copy of "Tempapocalypse")
Bernard: Here's one for you. (hands the man a copy)
Female holidaymaker: How do you know what we both want?
Male holidaymaker: We don't like the same sort of stuff anyway.
Bernard: You're going on holiday, you want trash. But you want different kinds of trash. You're a woman, you want social themes, believable characters. You (the man), you want plot, suspense. This'll do you both. It's this temp, right? She's 29 and she can't get a boyfriend. Oh my god.
Female holidaymaker: Sounds great!
Male holidaymaker: Ugh, no way.
Bernard: And she's got twelve hours to stop a nuclear war with China.
Male holidaymaker: All right!
Female holidaymaker: One each, then.
(Bernard silently hands her a copy of "Tempapocalypse")
Bernard: Here's one for you. (hands the man a copy)
Female holidaymaker: How do you know what we both want?
Male holidaymaker: We don't like the same sort of stuff anyway.
Bernard: You're going on holiday, you want trash. But you want different kinds of trash. You're a woman, you want social themes, believable characters. You (the man), you want plot, suspense. This'll do you both. It's this temp, right? She's 29 and she can't get a boyfriend. Oh my god.
Female holidaymaker: Sounds great!
Male holidaymaker: Ugh, no way.
Bernard: And she's got twelve hours to stop a nuclear war with China.
Male holidaymaker: All right!
Female holidaymaker: One each, then.
— Black Books, on what is possibly the perfect airport novel.
