Description
Finalist for the 2015 Association for Mormon Letters Award
"This just may be my favorite true-life amazing-but-true tale--never has threatening an aircraft been funnier or more thought-provoking." --Cory Doctorow, author of Little Brother and Homeland
1987. A faltering missionary named Bill Shunn lands himself in a Canadian jail, facing charges of hijacking and the prospect of life behind bars.
1844. A frontier prophet named Joseph Smith lands himself in an Illinois jail, facing charges of treason and the prospect of imminent lynching.
What binds these two men together? This riveting memoir--by turns hilarious, provocative and thrilling--answers that question in style, weaving from their stories a spellbinding tapestry of deception, desperation and defiance. Answer its call and you'll never look at a Mormon missionary the same way again.
"The book grabs you on page one and never lets go. Fantastically written, beautifully paced, The Accidental Terrorist reads like a novel instead of a memoir. Only in novel form, no one would have ever believed these events could have happened. Believe it. William Shunn lived every word of this book. That he can share it so eloquently is a tribute not just to his writing skill, but his strengths as a human being." --Kristine Kathryn Rusch, USA Today bestselling author
About the Author
William Shunn was born in Los Angeles and raised in Utah. Since his first publication in 1993, his work has appeared in Asimov's, Analog, F&SF, Salon, Storyteller, Sunstone, and many others. Along the way he has garnered nominations for the Hugo, Nebula, Theodore Sturgeon Memorial, and Association for Mormon Letters Awards. Shunn has worked as a software developer for WordPerfect Corporation, Sesame Workshop, and various other organizations. On September 11, 2001, he created what may have been the first online "survivor registry," a site that allowed people in affected cities to report themselves safe. He lives in New York City, where he hosts and produces Line Break, a monthly literary reading series.
Reviews
"This just may be my favorite true-life amazing-but-true tale-never has threatening an aircraft been funnier or more thought-provoking." -Cory Doctorow, author of Little Brother and Homeland "I devoured the more than four hundred pages of this memoir in what was essentially one sitting... A welcome addition to the library of Mormon autobiography-educational and highly entertaining." -Richard Packham, Association for Mormon Letters "The book grabs you on page one and never lets go. Fantastically written, beautifully paced, The Accidental Terrorist reads like a novel instead of a memoir. Only in novel form, no one would have ever believed these events could have happened. Believe it. William Shunn lived every word of this book. That he can share it so eloquently is a tribute not just to his writing skill, but his strengths as a human being." -Kristine Kathryn Rusch, USA Today bestselling author "Thanks to the sharp writing and heartfelt detail of author William Shunn, you will not forget for a minute that this is a true story, and a faithful account of a boy sorting out his loyalties. You should buy this book, and a few extra copies too. In fact, keep a stack by the front door. You never know when a friendly visitor might come knocking." -Elena Colás, Chicago Literati "You will read few other books as smart, funny, honest, and heartbreaking as William Shunn's The Accidental Terrorist, and I unreservedly recommend it to you as both a home-grown cautionary tale and a highly original coming-of-age saga." -Michael Bishop, author of Ancient of Days and editor of A Cross of Centuries
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