Publishers Weekly
08/14/2023
Pargin’s wild and biting third Zoey Ashe romp (after Zoey Punches the Future in the Dick) continues the existential misadventures of the trailer park scamp turned reluctant heiress to a criminal empire as she navigates the dystopian city of Tabula Ra$a, Utah. The book begins with a news report of Zoey’s death, then flashes back 44 hours to show readers a Zoey who is decidedly not coping well with being The Boss. She’s forced to deal with The Suits, her underlings, as well as two equally horrible candidates for mayor vying for her support. Add in the complete lack of privacy afforded by her high-tech lair and random assassination attempts against her, and getting drunk seems to Zoey to be her best option. Unfortunately for her, she can’t resist doing what’s right. So when she learns of three missing women, all sex workers, she decides to investigate. Along the way she must deal with shady politicians, rabid pranksters, and other malcontents—and that’s just in her inner circle. Pargin’s signature fluid style keeps the gonzo action moving as he uses Zoey’s predicament to explore themes of social justice, political necessity, and the sometimes-adverse correlation of wealth to happiness. Readers will be just as taken with this unlikely antiheroine as ever. Agent: Scott Miller, Trident Media Group. (Oct.)
From the Publisher
Praise for ZOEY IS TOO DRUNK FOR THIS DYSTOPIA:
"Jason Pargin’s Zoey Ashe series is the dystopias of Margaret Atwood meets Parks and Recreation, a fast-paced, witty and much-needed shot in the arm to the genre. Funny without being flippant, cynical without being insincere, this is one of the best ongoing series out there today. —Lindsay Ellis, New York Times bestselling author of Axiom's End
"Pargin’s signature fluid style keeps the gonzo action moving as he uses Zoey’s predicament to explore themes of social justice, political necessity, and the sometimes-adverse correlation of wealth to happiness." —Publisher's Weekly
Praise for ZOEY PUNCHES THE FUTURE IN THE DICK:
"[Zoey Punches the Future] is at its best when [Pargin] explores the nature of wealth and power. In the character of Zoey, [Pargin] pushes against the fairy-tale cliché where the downtrodden (through supernatural means or otherwise) are rewarded a life of carefree prosperity." —Locus Magazine
"The future is simultaneously familiar and utterly ridiculous in Zoey Punches the Future in the Dick, the second Zoey Ashe thriller from [Jason Pargin]...a funhouse mirror of modern society viewed through a superhero comic or a James Bond movie...rich with commentary on celebrity culture, social media and toxic masculinity, readers will be laughing too hard for it to ever feel preachy." —Shelf Awareness (starred review)
"[Pargin] once again achieves the perfect balance between sardonic humor and satirical digs at the digital age..." —Library Journal (starred review)
"[Pargin] sneaks a nuanced examination of the surrealist nature of the digital age into the nonstop action, whipping technological, philosophical, and ethical questions into a wild romp that satirizes everything from the men’s rights movement to gaming culture to the cult of celebrity. This is a brilliant modern parable disguised as pop fiction." —Publishers Weekly
"[Pargin's] trademark imagination and humor remain but it's his grounded sense of humanity that elevates this work." —Booklist
Praise for FUTURISTIC VIOLENCE AND FANCY SUITS:
"With verve and velocity, the story moves...one cinematic set piece after another, strung together with twisty fun and wit." —The New York Times Book Review
"Like Jonathan Swift for the internet age, [Pargin's] novel offers an engrossing journey and razor-sharp wit inside of an uncanny prediction of an American future. His newest is only more proof that he will be remembered as one of today’s great satirists." —Nerdist
"All right, grab some popcorn and strap in. We're in for another profane and funny roller-coaster ride from [Pargin]." —Kirkus Reviews
"[Pargin] unabashedly trolls everyone and lampoons everything in this beautifully outrageous science fiction adventure...Biting humor and blatant digs at modern society overlay a subtly brilliant and thoughtful plot focused on one young woman’s growth and survival against all odds." —Publishers Weekly, starred review
"A sofa clutching read from beginning to end, and a great look at the constantly growing world of social networking." —Starbust, 9 out of 10 stars
