Rule number one of modern survival: never trash a reality show on Twitter.
José María "Chema" Ruiz never imagined a tweet could change his life. A forty-something programmer far more at home on the sofa than anywhere near anything resembling an adventure, Chema is the last person on Earth who should ever take part in a survival reality show.
But when his viral criticism on Twitter provokes a public dare from the show's producer, his pride —wounded and rather badly advised— won't let him say no.
What follows is a pile-up of questionable decisions: a crash-course training, a flight to the Namib Desert in the naive belief that this is all controlled television, and the blind confidence of someone who has never had to fix a problem that couldn't be solved by rebooting the router.
And then everything goes to hell. For real.
Stranded in the oldest desert in the world, with no signal, no rescue and no useful skill beyond his programmer's logic and a dark sense of humour that works as his last firewall against madness, Chema does the only thing he knows how to do: document everything.
Every disaster, every discovery, every decision swinging between brilliance and sheer stupidity is logged in an obsessive journal that is, all at once, a survival manual, a confession and a will.
Because out in the desert there are no software updates to patch a critical bug. There's no "undo" button, and no manual to consult on how not to die when your body and your sanity evaporate under a sun that seems to have something personal against you.
PIZZA, TWITTER y 23 días en el INFIERNO is a survival chronicle told with the razor-sharp cynicism of a man who never expected to become a hero. Brutally honest, darkly funny and absurdly human.
Lesson learned: never trash a reality show on Twitter. Or at least, don't take the dare when they throw it at you.
José María Palazón Molina (Alcantarilla, Murcia) is a programmer, IT technician and writer. For over twenty years he has worked at the crossroads of technology and management, from general management at financial-sector companies and coordinating educational projects to Full Stack development with PHP, MySQL and Python.
His first novel, Blackout Europa, explores a continent-wide power blackout through speculative science fiction. With PIZZA, TWITTER y 23 días en el INFIERNO, his second work, he confirms a narrative voice that blends dark humour, programmer's logic and the human condition in its rawest, funniest form.
He currently combines his work in public administration with quality auditing of AI models at Scale AI and writing his next novel.
I've just finished it and all I can say is that it's an absolute reading bombshell. It had been a long time since I had so much fun with a book: it's super entertaining, fast-paced and, above all, very, very funny. The dark humour and the situations the main character gets into are sheer genius. The pace grabs you from the very first page; it's one of those fresh, human stories you can't put down because you need to know how the character will get out of the next mess. It has so much visual force and such a brutal hook that it's begging some streaming platform to adapt it into a miniseries. I'm buying popcorn already! If you're after an original, easy read that makes you laugh and keeps you on edge from start to finish, don't hesitate. It's a complete win!
A thrilling adventure — I read it in one sitting because it grabs you from the very first chapter. If I did not know the author, I would think he was describing a personal experience. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys adventure stories. Thanks to my friend F. Molina for putting this book in my hands.
A good book for a fun read.
Gripping, absorbing, fast-paced, harrowing and funny all at once — that's "Pizza, Twitter y 23 días en el infierno". A book to entertain you and pull you right into the story. A fresh read for any time of year. Perfect for evenings by the fire, days under a beach umbrella, relaxing in the countryside or as a travel companion.
The book gripped me from the very first page. The story is beautifully built, the character is deeply human — even with some slightly ridiculous moments that make him all the more real — and the author's writing makes it impossible to stop reading. It made me laugh, moved me and made me think, all at once. On top of that, it's a read completely unlike anything I'd read before. Without a doubt, a book that leaves its mark.
In one word: spectacular. The story grabbed me from the very first page and it was hard even to schedule breaks. I went through a whole range of emotions, from joy and laughter to tension and sadness. I recommend reading it without hesitation; it's nimble, accessible and even leaves you with enriching little nuggets about a carefully researched natural setting.
A magnificent blend of dark humour, tension, suffocating moments and at the same time deeply human ones. A very well-built plot, resolved effectively, that manages, at many points, to hold a mirror up to the reader and make us realise we can all be a bit of a "Chema" under anonymity and from the comfort of our homes. Congratulations.
It's one of those books that grab you and won't let go. It starts off close to home, but within a few pages you're already deep in a tough, real and very powerful story. It reads fast, but leaves a mark. It makes you feel and forces you to reflect. It's not just a book, it's something you live through. Highly recommended.
If I had to define this book in a few words, I'd say it's a survival adventure using the narrative technique of interior monologue (Virginia Woolf style). That, together with the main character's "ordinary person" image, makes it an immersive, gripping read. PS: Somehow you end up wishing you had a Paco in your life.
Funny, entertaining and at times even moving. It takes you through a whole carousel of misadventures while you grow both fond of and exasperated with the main character. An easy, enjoyable read that gives you far more than it asks of you. Perfect for a weekend of adventures... or 23 days!
A story that doesn't ask permission to come in. It starts with a smile and ends with something you can't quite classify, but that stays with you for days after closing the book. The main character is so imperfect and so recognisable that at some point you stop reading about him and start wondering what you'd do in his place. It makes you think. Highly recommended.
"Pizza, Twitter y 23 días en el infierno" isn't read, it's survived. It starts off light, almost trivial… and then suddenly drags you into an uncomfortable, very real descent. Short, intense and with a message that lingers long after the final page.
I liked it because the author managed to blend the tragedy (of the accident) and the tenderness (of the main character) with touches of humour and empathy.
Different, enjoyable, funny, it draws you in. Highly recommended.
Typos and exclamation marks included as standard.
I loved it
21:55I lived it, even if it got hard at times, and the ending is perfect, all good, but it stays inside you for life
21:56Good morning sir, I really loved the latest book!! I think it's a smash and totally adaptable into a miniseries!!
10:19Just finished it!!! I loved it!!! Congratulations from the ❤️
13:08Hi, I've finished your book and I loved it, for the dialogues with yourself, for the irony and for that magnificent epilogue.
19:42From today I declare myself addicted to survival chronicles. A hug, and don't take too long with the second book
19:43
A novel that breaks a little with quite a few established rules, and for that reason it deserves our attention.
That first-person voice of Chema, narrating the torment he lives through and his attempts not to die, is very well rendered, especially when it blends with the memories of the life he left behind.
The brutal conditions, the bodily and mental degradation, are also told with force and precision.
A positive balance that keeps us on edge page after page.
If a certain castaway had his Wilson, our Chema has Paco.
Lucía Hernández interviews the author on the show Tarde Abierta on regional public radio. José María Palazón talks about his second novel, the writing process and why a forty-something programmer ends up stranded for 23 days in the Namib Desert.
Paco Galera devotes a slot on the Radio Sintonía news to PIZZA, TWITTER y 23 días en el INFIERNO, with a brief comment from the author himself. Alcantarilla talking about one of its own.
An interview on Radio Sintonía where José María Palazón presents PIZZA, TWITTER y 23 días en el INFIERNO, talks about the writing process and explains why a forty-something programmer is the perfect protagonist for a survival novel.
Listen on iVoox →@shinobionline already has it in store
Find out whether Chema makes it. Out now on Amazon in eBook and paperback.
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