Humbug: The Unwinding of Ebenezer Scrooge

By: Tony Bertauski

Narrated by: James Killavey

Length: 8 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's Summary

Jacob Marley is dead. His business partner, Eb Scrooge, is left to run Avocado, Inc., an innovative technology business, all alone. An introverted shut-in locked away in a Colorado mansion, he changes the company’s mission statement. Only his servant droids keep him company. Until the gifts arrive. Each Christmas, a messenger forces Eb to look at his life in hopes he will change. But change does not happen in a single night. And only Eb can make it happen. But who is sending the messengers?

Interview with author:

Where did you come up with the idea of writing science fiction for holiday characters?

My nephew mentioned the “secret Santa ninja elves” that visit his school during Christmas, and this spawned the idea of writing a semi-serious sci-fi version of Santa. How the ideas flesh out is a long process. I started keep track of how the story arc of my latest novel evolves, just to remember where it began. It’s all over the place. I love the challenge of bringing a story to light, letting the characters get in my head and telling me where to go. Flury: Journey of a Snowman is the third book in the Claus series. It was originally "Frosty the Snowman", but Frosty is copyrighted. It didn’t matter, really. The character was better suited to be something other than Frosty. Flury is a bit more serious.

Are you getting any backlash for rewriting these Christmas legends?

Not at all. In fact, a lot of readers have connected to all the unanswered questions surrounding them, especially Santa Claus. How does he go around the world in a night? Why is he fat? Why does he live on the North Pole? How do reindeer fly? How does he carry all those presents? All of them answered with the magic wand of science fiction... I mean, the science wand of science fiction. The stories still have the fantasy element, of course. Some leaps of imagination. And also the romance angle. Why? Because all stories have love.

What is your favorite character from the books that you have written?

Socket Greeny is one of my favorites. That science fiction trilogy was my first story. I wrote it in first person and really connected with him. However, Jack Frost is in Claus: Legend of the Fat Man and Jack: The Tale of Frost and has become my all-time fave. He’s childish, irreverent, and dangerous, but at the same time lovable.

What order should readers purchase the Claus books?

Claus: Legend of the Fat Man is the best start. After that, any order works. They all can be read as stand-alone novels. 

©2016 Tony Bertauski (P)2017 Tony Bertauski

I’ve been Scrooged!

Tony is THE master author in retellings of Christmas. Following on the heels of Santa, Jack Frost, and Flury, Humbug was written last year and recently released to audio.

Eb ubers when he isn’t hiding out in his Castle, Video conferencing because he CBA with the rest of the world. He has droids as slaves. The man servant, who he calls DumDum, seems to have more of a heart and sentimentality than Eb.
The ghosts visit yearly, which is how the book progresses. The annual visits prove how cold Eb is; as his change is so minuscule, it’s realistic it doesn’t happen overnight!

The cast of characters’ disgust with Eb and his cruel treatment is a painful, relatable reminder for most readers how “money talks” and how some people will stay with an employer because the salary is “that good”.

I had read the book last year, but I enjoyed this narrator so much from the Claus Boxed set, I couldn’t resist picking it up for a refresher!

An exceptional new, modern twist of Ebenezer Scrooge - just in time for the holidays!

The greatest

I read the book and listened to the audiobook. I absolutely love Tony's version of this Christmas tale. Have already read Claus: Legend of the Fat Man in one sitting. Can't wait to read his other books.

A masterful work

I loved the narrator's voice as he made the character come alive in my mind. The story of Scrooge will never be the same ever, ever again. I absolutely love it. If I had a droid named Jeeves approach me, I'd accept. Castle Scrooge I'll pass. Fun any time of year including THURSDAY

Read it yourself

This book could be funny and entertaining but the reader read the whole thing with grandeur and weight. He was very good at delivering the robot character, however still missed delivering on the humor in those lines. It was thoroughly disappointing. I couldn't enjoy it at all.