content: This is one of the funniest SF books out there. I've got an old tattered copy, and I will order the new edition when it comes out. The book is full of cultural, SF and fandom references. Some might be a little dated (for example, the symbol of the sheep, the horned box, is a reference to a TV with antenna, and how many people have seen one of THOSE lately?), but overall, this book holds up very well.To answer another reviewer's question would be a spoiler, but anyone who wishes to know who Purple was based on can email me at my nickname at hotmail.