Blankety Blank: A Memoir of Vulgaria
D.Harlan Wilson
Raw Dog Screaming Press
183 pages
The first book I read by D.Harlan Wilson was Dr. Identity and it sold me on the man’s brilliance in the first few pages. While I described the book as Monty Python meets Phillip K Dick I was unsure how his aburdist style would work outside of Science Fiction.
While Blankety Blank is not exactly horror it is a darker take on Wilson’s absurdist style that is every bit as zaney. With more laugh out loud parts than Douglas Adams books it’s pretty hard not to enjoy this Blankety Blank. While the complete absurd nature of the world created sometimes gets a bit old for me the lightning speed that the pages flip makes this book a fun and light read.
The story is of Rutger Von Trout who lives in a Wilsonish absurd vision of his home town Grand Rapids. Characters throw sausages at each other and explode into bouts of hulkamania after a serial killer begins to stalk their “perfect neighborhood.” Wilson also detours into hilarious mini-chapters on the subject ranging from the film careers of Patrick Swayze to the history of Ferris wheels.
Does this advance the plot? I’m not sure but I enjoyed it just the same. Wilson is a master of absurdist humor and if that is your cup of tea. Have a drink!
