Oh happy day! New books arrived for review, including one unexpected.

Thanks to a tip from writing coach, author, and blogger Marylee MacDonald and literary website Dactyl Review I find myself in possession of not one but TWO books courtesy of author U.R. Bowie. The first looks like a novel of the most ridiculous order for our most ridiculous times.

The second is a collection of short stories.

Imagine how I’ll feel at 30,000 feet traveling to Delhi from Mumbai next week with my nose deep in a pile of this:

A wild, rollicking satire, written in the key of “Dr. Strangelove,” One Ton satirizes the modern fat world of America as well as politics in the U.S. and worldwide.

The hero of the tale is Leland (The Blob) Lebeau, the first modern hunger artist in the world, putting on performances in non-eating, as he strives to make himself the first man ever to lose nine-tenths of himself.

After a series of setbacks and comic pratfalls, Leland later turns around and becomes NUMBER ONE ARTIST OF THE EAT—on a quest to be the first human being ever to attain to two thousand pounds.

My copy even came with the following endorsements:

I couldn’t put it down. Showbiz. TERRIFIC.                                                                                                          -Trumpster Tweet

Everybody takes a few pokes in the snout, me maybe most of all. But it’s FUNNY.                                           -Vladimir Vladimirovich the Impaler

The author is a three-legged dog dotard lackey of imperialism!                                                       -The Boy Leader, Sun of All Suns

It is said of this book that ‘There are laughs—not just tiny teehees or gentle guffaws, but huge rumbling belly laughs—on practically every page.’ I believe it.

Close scrutiny of the cover reveals a hot dog in the hands of our chubby anti-hero, for me a swift reminder of Ignatius J. Reilly and his misfortunes hocking Lucky Dogs around New Orleans.

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