Jackanape and the Fingermen
2021
First Published
4.50
Average Rating
96
Number of Pages
Audiences were immediately outraged by D. Harlan Wilson’s first play, "The Dark Hypotenuse," when it opened in Copenhagen in 2012. Not only did it bear the weird, estranging aesthetic that distinguishes his novels and short fiction, the play contained scenes in which viewers were attacked by actors as well as a variety of endangered animals, among them an African elephant that was euthanized onstage. "The Dark Hypotenuse" appeared in Wilson’s first collection of dramatic entertainments. This second collection includes his latest work in the field. In "Jackanape," a murderous dinner jacket wreaks havoc on a community of innocent narcissists who struggle to stay alive while negotiating the rigors of the School of Life. "The Fingermen" focuses on a support group whose members have each lost an index finger; their stories reveal their insecurities and anxieties as much as the nonsense that typifies contemporary existence. In both cases, Wilson satirizes with a hammer, oscillating between hilarity and solemnity as he invites us to think about the relatinship between self-delusion and (in)sanity.
Avg Rating
4.50
Number of Ratings
4
5 STARS
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4 STARS
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3 STARS
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Author
D. Harlan Wilson
Author · 25 books
D. Harlan Wilson is an American novelist, critic, editor, playwright, and college professor. His body of work bridges the aesthetics of literary and film theory with various genres of speculative fiction. Recent books include Alfred Bester's The Stars My Destination: A Critical Companion (2022), Minority Report (2022), Jackanape and the Fingermen (2021), Outré (2020), The Psychotic Dr. Schreber (2019), Natural Complexions (2018), and J.G. Ballard (2017).
