This Book is for:
- Readers searching for a hilarious joyride through America’s dystopian internet culture
- Fans of Pargin’s previous books who craved more structure
This Book is Not for:
- Fascist ass hats not looking to do some self-examination
- Anyone who can’t handle brief but detailed asides about anime pornography
A Brief Review With Minor Spoilers
For simplicity’s sake, I will refer to the book as Black Box, so we don’t waste too much precious digital ink. I first encountered Jason Pargin through the film John Dies at the End, an adaptation of his first novel. It wasn’t until years later that I finally read the book, but when I did, I was entranced by Pargin’s frenetic style and blistering pace. In the 18 years since that release, Pargin has continued to hone his craft, and his latest book is my favorite yet. John Dies at the End was brilliant, but lacked structure and cohesion, often making it feel like I was being pulled along for a ride at the end of a rope attached to a truck driven by a stimulant-fueled raccoon. Black Box retains Pargin’s signature chaotic style but has a clear point to make, a focused story, and characters that reflect internet-age America with pinpoint accuracy.
The set-up of Black Box is simple: A low-level Twitch streamer/Lyft driver, Abbot, picks up a mysterious woman, Ether, with an even more mysterious black box and agrees to drive her across America for a large sum of money. In the first ten pages, Pargin tells you exactly where the story will go, but still manages to subvert expectations. Abbot and Ether represent a youth poisoned by always-online culture but from polar opposite perspectives. Ether recognizes the dangers in the echo chamber we’ve all found ourselves in, and Abbot is firmly mired in it. Their conversations as they traverse the United States reflect the experience of growing up with a greater attachment to digital personas than face-to-face interaction.
Many books shy away from depicting real-life social media usage—it’s boring to read about people on their phones, a point a character in this book makes—but Pargin leans in and makes that his focal point. While the main characters don’t have their phones on them for secrecy reasons, the rest of the world does, and it’s through the lens of the internet that the whackiest plot points unfold. While at times, Pargin’s portrayal of internet culture might feel hyperbolic, as someone who has been on one too many Subreddits that devolved into hatred-fueled comment wars, I think he’s spot on. Some chapters play out entirely in the confines of a Twitch chat or a Reddit post, and they all felt familiar. Pargin, starting his career as a writer for Cracked.com is clearly, for better or worse, a student of the internet.
All of this insanity is fueled further by Pargin’s dedication to details. Every character is lived in, and every sentence they speak is steeped in someone’s real-world experience. Even when conversation topics veer into absurdist anime porn, the characters were interesting and held my attention. Several times while reading, a character would spout some insane fact that I thought couldn’t possibly be true, but then upon a quick Google search—yes I recognize the irony of putting down this book to Google something—I found that almost every single one of these crazy things were true. These facts and small asides create an immersive reality in Pargin’s version of America.
I thoroughly enjoyed Black Box and it’s easily my favorite of Pargin’s work. This caffeine-fueled road trip across modern-day America hooked into the internet’s IV drip is one of my favorite books in years. The action is ridiculous, chaotic, and somehow still grounded in reality. While the characters might appear tropey initially, I found them all highly believable. Pargin has demonstrated an understanding of our culture that is equal parts masterful and terrifying. Still, if we’re going to lemming ourselves off the cliff provided by our social media overlords, at least there’s good reading along the way.
“The contagion mindset of internet America has been bound in paper form, quick bind its spirit before it consumes us!”
This Fall, the crew of Nana’s Hog—everyone’s favorite swine-shaped space vessel—are headed out on a brand new adventure. Pre-orders are live here, and if you can’t wait for a hit of the comedic sci-fi gold, you can read the prequel novella, The First Ambassador to Crustacea, available everywhere books are sold.
Here’s a teaser for the cover of One Night at Kedasi. Damn, that is a fine looking hog ship.
Ashton Macaulay 