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The Two-Headed Lady at the End of the World
The Two-Headed Lady at the End of the World is an epic tale about conjoined twins. Equal parts romance, eighties nostalgia trip, sci-fi dystopia, lgbtq+ bildungsroman, spy thriller, social commentary, and absurdist, slipstream, weird romance, this book defies categorization but makes you laugh enough not to care.
File under: Unconventional Romance, Conjoined Twins, Cold War Espionage Satire, Science Fiction Comedy, LGBTQ Coming Out of the Closet, The Eighties, Weird Fiction, Absurdism, Polyamory.
Windy City Reviews
I doubt many books have defied categorization as much as Mark Miller's The Two-Headed Lady at the End of the World. Nor do I think many novels could so challenge a reviewer to explain the content without giving away spoilers. And not a lot of books befuddle a reviewer to summarize the story without sounding like a rambling, confused idiot. Miller accomplishes all three of these things. And he does so in a delightful and wild ride. I loved it. You'll want to read the tale for yourself, because Miller creates this unique atmosphere in a story of love, adventure, intrigue, science fiction, romance, twists and turns, and, well, you get the picture.
Miranda and Amanda sit at the heart of the epic journey. They are conjoined twins, though they lived life until high school as mere twins, until an unexplainable accident thrust their bodies together, while keeping their heads and minds separated. They moved out of their small-town Texas community but a series of strange events and forced decisions lead them to return for their 30th high school class reunion. Also, in part, they go back home because of unresolved love interests from high school, which means we meet Pierce and Jack, who play vital roles in the narrative.
Yet this seemingly simple love story comes with a 1980s legacy, villains threatening to blow up the earth, or at least part of Texas, and a rogue computer, who also seeks love. In other words, along with the romance, the novel serves as an action-packed thriller. Soldiers/government employees, Joe and Buck, become central to the action, after living an underground life for decades, thinking their job is still to protect the United States from the Soviet Union during the Cold War. What on earth will happen at the end? Will all these characters find the love of their lives? Will the earth explode from a Cold War remnant-nuclear catastrophe? Who is a secret agent, who seeks to protect humanity, and why are Amanda and Miranda at the heart of this chaos? This summary doesn't even mention the sinister black Yugos or the [robotic] arm at the heart of the plot.
This novel is hilarious. Miller spins farcical dialogue yet makes the conversations sound perfectly plausible, given the circumstances. As a reader, you will cheer for the couples to find one another, even as you wonder if they all die at the end. The conversations between computers, fax machines, and the arm alone make reading this novel worthwhile for the laughs.
Miller crafts a distinctive world, and with it brings humor, action, adventure, romance, and positive LGBTQIA+ representation. Woven into the mind-blowing experience, Miller provides an intellectual commentary on the state of the contemporary world and humanity's future. But I don't want to let this serious aspect detract from the circus atmosphere of Miller's universe. I am still giggling about the plot surprises and the genuine but amusing characters. You will too. And then you can try to figure out how to write your own review of what you just experienced, knowing the difficulty of the task but wanting to do it so others can experience the fun you just had with Mark Miller's The Two-Headed Lady at the End of the World.
--Damian Serbu, Windy City Reviews
File under: Unconventional Romance, Conjoined Twins, Cold War Espionage Satire, Science Fiction Comedy, LGBTQ Coming Out of the Closet, The Eighties, Weird Fiction, Absurdism, Polyamory.
Windy City Reviews
I doubt many books have defied categorization as much as Mark Miller's The Two-Headed Lady at the End of the World. Nor do I think many novels could so challenge a reviewer to explain the content without giving away spoilers. And not a lot of books befuddle a reviewer to summarize the story without sounding like a rambling, confused idiot. Miller accomplishes all three of these things. And he does so in a delightful and wild ride. I loved it. You'll want to read the tale for yourself, because Miller creates this unique atmosphere in a story of love, adventure, intrigue, science fiction, romance, twists and turns, and, well, you get the picture.
Miranda and Amanda sit at the heart of the epic journey. They are conjoined twins, though they lived life until high school as mere twins, until an unexplainable accident thrust their bodies together, while keeping their heads and minds separated. They moved out of their small-town Texas community but a series of strange events and forced decisions lead them to return for their 30th high school class reunion. Also, in part, they go back home because of unresolved love interests from high school, which means we meet Pierce and Jack, who play vital roles in the narrative.
Yet this seemingly simple love story comes with a 1980s legacy, villains threatening to blow up the earth, or at least part of Texas, and a rogue computer, who also seeks love. In other words, along with the romance, the novel serves as an action-packed thriller. Soldiers/government employees, Joe and Buck, become central to the action, after living an underground life for decades, thinking their job is still to protect the United States from the Soviet Union during the Cold War. What on earth will happen at the end? Will all these characters find the love of their lives? Will the earth explode from a Cold War remnant-nuclear catastrophe? Who is a secret agent, who seeks to protect humanity, and why are Amanda and Miranda at the heart of this chaos? This summary doesn't even mention the sinister black Yugos or the [robotic] arm at the heart of the plot.
This novel is hilarious. Miller spins farcical dialogue yet makes the conversations sound perfectly plausible, given the circumstances. As a reader, you will cheer for the couples to find one another, even as you wonder if they all die at the end. The conversations between computers, fax machines, and the arm alone make reading this novel worthwhile for the laughs.
Miller crafts a distinctive world, and with it brings humor, action, adventure, romance, and positive LGBTQIA+ representation. Woven into the mind-blowing experience, Miller provides an intellectual commentary on the state of the contemporary world and humanity's future. But I don't want to let this serious aspect detract from the circus atmosphere of Miller's universe. I am still giggling about the plot surprises and the genuine but amusing characters. You will too. And then you can try to figure out how to write your own review of what you just experienced, knowing the difficulty of the task but wanting to do it so others can experience the fun you just had with Mark Miller's The Two-Headed Lady at the End of the World.
--Damian Serbu, Windy City Reviews
376 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 13, 2023
7 people are currently reading
874 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
May 19, 2023
This was a fun, nostalgic trip down memory lane, a crazy attack of the 80s, with some great film and music references thrown in! Bizarre, hilarious and captivating!
Miranda and Amanda, are sisters, conjoined twins as a matter of fact, but they weren't always that way! A strange occurrence leads to the twins becoming conjoined when they are just discovering the joys of becoming teenagers! They've learnt to live with it, and lead mostly separate lives, by living in shifts, one awake at night, the other in the daytime. Theyre heading for their 30 year high school reunion, looking forward to seeing old friends, but little do they know about the myriad of events that will lead to them getting there….
Meanwhile, Buck and Joe are in an underground bunker, where they've been since the 1980's, keeping an eye on things in the US, ensuring its safety from nuclear missiles and the likes. Unknown to them however, they too are being observed, and manipulated….
Jack, and his arm, are on their own mission. To find a certain object that will help to save, or destroy, the world!
This is also a weird love story, or several weird love stories, from being a conjoined twin and finding love, awkward to say the least, but very funny too, to realising that you're gay and thinking its a taboo subject still, to love of the more sentient and somewhat unrequited kind.
Joe and Buck's life underground, and the relationship that blossoms between them, is both hilarious and beautiful to watch! Man's frustration is a real treat to behold 😂 and I absolutely loved the clitoris conversation….
Full of satire, strange romance, sentient bots, the bizarre and weird, this story was funny from the off. It immediately grabbed my attention, and held it, pulling me in more and more as it progressed! It was written in a really fun, enjoyable, clever way. It flowed smoothly and was packed to the brim with action! And the ending was a magnificent mindfuck!! 🤯
Miranda and Amanda, are sisters, conjoined twins as a matter of fact, but they weren't always that way! A strange occurrence leads to the twins becoming conjoined when they are just discovering the joys of becoming teenagers! They've learnt to live with it, and lead mostly separate lives, by living in shifts, one awake at night, the other in the daytime. Theyre heading for their 30 year high school reunion, looking forward to seeing old friends, but little do they know about the myriad of events that will lead to them getting there….
Meanwhile, Buck and Joe are in an underground bunker, where they've been since the 1980's, keeping an eye on things in the US, ensuring its safety from nuclear missiles and the likes. Unknown to them however, they too are being observed, and manipulated….
Jack, and his arm, are on their own mission. To find a certain object that will help to save, or destroy, the world!
This is also a weird love story, or several weird love stories, from being a conjoined twin and finding love, awkward to say the least, but very funny too, to realising that you're gay and thinking its a taboo subject still, to love of the more sentient and somewhat unrequited kind.
Joe and Buck's life underground, and the relationship that blossoms between them, is both hilarious and beautiful to watch! Man's frustration is a real treat to behold 😂 and I absolutely loved the clitoris conversation….
Full of satire, strange romance, sentient bots, the bizarre and weird, this story was funny from the off. It immediately grabbed my attention, and held it, pulling me in more and more as it progressed! It was written in a really fun, enjoyable, clever way. It flowed smoothly and was packed to the brim with action! And the ending was a magnificent mindfuck!! 🤯
January 23, 2024
Full review of two headed lady
Thank you so much to author Mark Miller for providing me with a copy of The Two-Headed Lady at the End of the World: A Romance Hotter Than a Thousand Suns in exchange for this honest review.
The love for 80s nostalgia and aesthetic seems to always be in demand. This science fiction drama bounces between the 80s and through the early 00s so it has no shortage of throwbacks. However, while most of the media in the 80s resurgence leans toward an aggressively neon pop culture dump, The Two-Headed Lady at the End of the World is more vapor wave.
It's far more subtle and uses the decade as a setting not because it's cool but because it's necessary to the plot. The author needed a time in which technology was advanced enough to build the foundation for a supercomputer but far back enough that there was still a lingering Cold War threat. It makes sense to land in the 80s. There are still culture references but many are more obscure than Madonna. Max Headroom anybody? I'm obsessed.
There are several narratives throughout the novel with the title referring to the prominent Amanda and Miranda. They are conjoined twins but they weren't born that way. In their teens they were at the center of a small nuclear accident that fused them together permanently. They have very different personalities which makes for some interesting conflicts between them.
Honestly, the idea of sharing genitals with someone far more sexually inclined makes me feel very uncomfortable but this would be a reality for two people in this bodily situation.
In addition to the Two-Headed Lady we have a bad boy turned military star, and aging high school jock, a sentient computer, and two men assigned to a bunker that was long ago forgotten about. They all have their own stories and romances, yes, even the computer.
Each character has a fully realized voice and personality and the author seamlessly weaves the stories together as they conjoin into an epic conclusion. The unexpected and unconventional happily ever after ending solidifies how The Two-Headed Lady at the End of the World stands out from the crowd.
It's part human drama, part satire, and delightfully feminist. Seriously, we have a male author who writes not one, but two, amazing female protagonists with varied personalities who don't fall into tropes of any kind. They demonstrate that there is no cookie cutter "strong woman." Sexual freedom belongs to the desires of the individual, having a career doesn't mean being cold, and two heads are better than one.
Women can work together toward a common goal whether that's defeating the bad guys or learning to operate a body when you only control one side of the arms and legs.
Author Miller not only writes great female characters but diverse males as well. The jock can have insecurities, the military bros can sacrifice it all for love, and an AI can become an incel with an unrequited love. It's a seriously impressive character driven story.
I strongly recommend The Two-Headed Lady at the End of the World. It's unexpected, unique, and wholly entertaining.
Thank you so much to author Mark Miller for providing me with a copy of The Two-Headed Lady at the End of the World: A Romance Hotter Than a Thousand Suns in exchange for this honest review.
The love for 80s nostalgia and aesthetic seems to always be in demand. This science fiction drama bounces between the 80s and through the early 00s so it has no shortage of throwbacks. However, while most of the media in the 80s resurgence leans toward an aggressively neon pop culture dump, The Two-Headed Lady at the End of the World is more vapor wave.
It's far more subtle and uses the decade as a setting not because it's cool but because it's necessary to the plot. The author needed a time in which technology was advanced enough to build the foundation for a supercomputer but far back enough that there was still a lingering Cold War threat. It makes sense to land in the 80s. There are still culture references but many are more obscure than Madonna. Max Headroom anybody? I'm obsessed.
There are several narratives throughout the novel with the title referring to the prominent Amanda and Miranda. They are conjoined twins but they weren't born that way. In their teens they were at the center of a small nuclear accident that fused them together permanently. They have very different personalities which makes for some interesting conflicts between them.
Honestly, the idea of sharing genitals with someone far more sexually inclined makes me feel very uncomfortable but this would be a reality for two people in this bodily situation.
In addition to the Two-Headed Lady we have a bad boy turned military star, and aging high school jock, a sentient computer, and two men assigned to a bunker that was long ago forgotten about. They all have their own stories and romances, yes, even the computer.
Each character has a fully realized voice and personality and the author seamlessly weaves the stories together as they conjoin into an epic conclusion. The unexpected and unconventional happily ever after ending solidifies how The Two-Headed Lady at the End of the World stands out from the crowd.
It's part human drama, part satire, and delightfully feminist. Seriously, we have a male author who writes not one, but two, amazing female protagonists with varied personalities who don't fall into tropes of any kind. They demonstrate that there is no cookie cutter "strong woman." Sexual freedom belongs to the desires of the individual, having a career doesn't mean being cold, and two heads are better than one.
Women can work together toward a common goal whether that's defeating the bad guys or learning to operate a body when you only control one side of the arms and legs.
Author Miller not only writes great female characters but diverse males as well. The jock can have insecurities, the military bros can sacrifice it all for love, and an AI can become an incel with an unrequited love. It's a seriously impressive character driven story.
I strongly recommend The Two-Headed Lady at the End of the World. It's unexpected, unique, and wholly entertaining.
June 10, 2023
Mindblowingly Bonkers And Strangely Moving
It’s a bit hard to describe this book. In the first two chapters, you have a set of conjoined twins called Amanda and Miranda who it seems were not always conjoined and that isn’t explained until further on in the book. Then there are the two soldiers in the top secret bunker underneath the twin’s family farm who have been left down there and forgotten by their superiors since the 80s. There mission is to keep an eye on the sky for enemy Russian missiles. The bunker is run by a powerful AI who over the years develops a dislike for humans. Then there is the soldier turned spy, Jack, with a robotic arm whose latest operating system seems to be Windows 95 and is developing an AI conscience of its own. And that pretty much sets the flavour for the rest of the book. The story follows Amanda and Miranda trying to find love but their tastes are completely different. The soldiers in the bunker after being left down for so long develop a loving relationship too. And the bunker’s AI develops a crush on a fax machine at the Pentagon but it is unrequited. So this is essentially a love story where the boundaries are pushed to the extreme so much so that the fate of the world and the space time continuum could be in trouble. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. The writing was clever, witty and humorous and at the end it was strangely moving. Easily one of the best books I’ve read this year. I look forward to reading more from this author.
It’s a bit hard to describe this book. In the first two chapters, you have a set of conjoined twins called Amanda and Miranda who it seems were not always conjoined and that isn’t explained until further on in the book. Then there are the two soldiers in the top secret bunker underneath the twin’s family farm who have been left down there and forgotten by their superiors since the 80s. There mission is to keep an eye on the sky for enemy Russian missiles. The bunker is run by a powerful AI who over the years develops a dislike for humans. Then there is the soldier turned spy, Jack, with a robotic arm whose latest operating system seems to be Windows 95 and is developing an AI conscience of its own. And that pretty much sets the flavour for the rest of the book. The story follows Amanda and Miranda trying to find love but their tastes are completely different. The soldiers in the bunker after being left down for so long develop a loving relationship too. And the bunker’s AI develops a crush on a fax machine at the Pentagon but it is unrequited. So this is essentially a love story where the boundaries are pushed to the extreme so much so that the fate of the world and the space time continuum could be in trouble. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. The writing was clever, witty and humorous and at the end it was strangely moving. Easily one of the best books I’ve read this year. I look forward to reading more from this author.
June 30, 2023
I have read a lot of dystopian and end-of-the-world literature from comets striking the earth scenarios to people cannibalizing each other as the world decays into violence and utter dehumanization. I read it, write it, teach it. But a planetary threat comprised of girls who were normal, now fused into twins with an earth-devastating black hole in the center of their body? What the heck?! When I first read the description, I wasn't sure if the book was going to be brilliant or an utter failure. (Spoiler alert: It's brilliant.)
I am a huge fan of Mark Miller's work, but this novel is probably the best one I have read, and I can't wait to binge more. It is also the first absurd novel I have really loved. Ever. The main characters are fundamentally likable as well as the supporting characters. The protagonists Amanda and Miranda are so well-developed and complement each other. Miller crafts a sisterly bond (even when they fight and disagree) the reader will appreciate.
There is a young librarian that tries to teach sex-ed, using book exhibits, in a conservative East Texas grade school; I loved that scene as being from the southwest, I totally understand the lack of sex ed. What is really beautiful about this book is how Miller treats love; there are two soldiers in a bunker that are training for nuclear disaster, and the representation of their blossoming, "transgressive" love is just moving. Another character that cracked me up is the philosophical AI that (wait for it) is unknowingly in love with a FAX machine. The questions it posits and existential angst the AI experiences, hit close to home.
I really have no criticism of this book, which is rare for me. The book was seamless when it shifted points of view. The setting was immersive. The plot kept me reading this book at blazing speed. It is intelligently written, well-researched, funny, and an all-around page-turner. I laughed so hard in some parts, I had to read the passages out loud to my husband.
Overall, five stars. I hope to read more end-of-the-world work, or any novel, by Mark Miller. Really, here's hoping another one of his books gets produced into film because this one would be fantastic. Give it a read and an honest review because works like these should be read.
I am a huge fan of Mark Miller's work, but this novel is probably the best one I have read, and I can't wait to binge more. It is also the first absurd novel I have really loved. Ever. The main characters are fundamentally likable as well as the supporting characters. The protagonists Amanda and Miranda are so well-developed and complement each other. Miller crafts a sisterly bond (even when they fight and disagree) the reader will appreciate.
There is a young librarian that tries to teach sex-ed, using book exhibits, in a conservative East Texas grade school; I loved that scene as being from the southwest, I totally understand the lack of sex ed. What is really beautiful about this book is how Miller treats love; there are two soldiers in a bunker that are training for nuclear disaster, and the representation of their blossoming, "transgressive" love is just moving. Another character that cracked me up is the philosophical AI that (wait for it) is unknowingly in love with a FAX machine. The questions it posits and existential angst the AI experiences, hit close to home.
I really have no criticism of this book, which is rare for me. The book was seamless when it shifted points of view. The setting was immersive. The plot kept me reading this book at blazing speed. It is intelligently written, well-researched, funny, and an all-around page-turner. I laughed so hard in some parts, I had to read the passages out loud to my husband.
Overall, five stars. I hope to read more end-of-the-world work, or any novel, by Mark Miller. Really, here's hoping another one of his books gets produced into film because this one would be fantastic. Give it a read and an honest review because works like these should be read.
March 21, 2023
The Two-Headed Lady at The End of the World (A Romance Hotter than the Two Suns)
Author: Mark Miller
Publisher: First Montag Press E-Book
Release date: 13th Jan 2023
Page count: 376pp
The Two-headed Lady at the End of the World: a romance hotter than a thousand suns is a science fiction/fantasy, an absurd, literary and fun novel that features Miranda and Amanda Morgan, two conjoined twins returning to their home town in Texas for a thirty-year school reunion. It is also almost IMPOSSIBLE to summarize!
The twins were not born conjoined. No, there may have been a slight incident when they were young girls, which fused them together. * We’re looking at you, Joe * One day back in June of 1980, things went a little wrong. And Joe dropped the proverbial ball. So, the two-headed girl was born, er, fused. Now, the only physical difference between them is the glasses Miranda wears. Meanwhile, in an underground bunker in east Texas, Buck and Joe are monitoring and “keeping the USA safe” as part of the Missile Automation Module and Particle Accelerator Project. I love me some silly acronyms. The sections about Jack Thrasher’s arm and Microsoft add an element of wry humour. He’s also, let’s face it, not the smartest lad. There’s a central debate about the role of technology and how far is too far plus some truly snort-worthy moments in here. Speaking of snort-worthy, when Richard Bly from the US Department of Agriculture turns up to tell Mr. Morgan (their Dad) not to worry about all the strange noises coming from the woods, Morgan asks, “So, it isn’t anything unusual?” Bly replies, “No sir. Nothing new or hidden or possibly dangerous.” This will probably give you an idea of the irony, snark and humour you can find in the book. I particularly enjoyed young Pierce telling his teammates about the liquorice. There are cyborgs, sentient computers, antiques dealers, foot fetishists, QANON, assassins, international arms smugglers, incel supercomputers, feminist fax machines, coming out of the closet, polyamory, and so much more. It’s epic.
Like I said, impossible to summarize. But very funny, and worth the ride. The whole thing flits from the ‘present’ 2016, the year of the reunion to the past, then forward again in chronological order and technological order. For older readers like me, you’ll remember things like base64 encoding, and other archaic terms. There are also some great pop culture jokes and nods, particularly with names ... such as LaForge, and Principal Skinner for starters. Chock full of retro references, a ‘Wargames’ style b-story and historical events surrounding Russia and the nuclear threat, it’s a veritable feast for modern world history enthusiasts. Though Miller doesn’t shy away from the larger issues. The scenes with Joe and Buck are entertaining and oddly romantic. And though it will sound strange, this is at heart a romance, as the subtitle suggests, with at least four potential relationships weaved throughout the narrative. It’s lively, fun, very smart, surprisingly sweet and a little bit grim too. It’s an incredibly unique book, with exquisite writing, that I will remember for a very long time.
Author: Mark Miller
Publisher: First Montag Press E-Book
Release date: 13th Jan 2023
Page count: 376pp
The Two-headed Lady at the End of the World: a romance hotter than a thousand suns is a science fiction/fantasy, an absurd, literary and fun novel that features Miranda and Amanda Morgan, two conjoined twins returning to their home town in Texas for a thirty-year school reunion. It is also almost IMPOSSIBLE to summarize!
The twins were not born conjoined. No, there may have been a slight incident when they were young girls, which fused them together. * We’re looking at you, Joe * One day back in June of 1980, things went a little wrong. And Joe dropped the proverbial ball. So, the two-headed girl was born, er, fused. Now, the only physical difference between them is the glasses Miranda wears. Meanwhile, in an underground bunker in east Texas, Buck and Joe are monitoring and “keeping the USA safe” as part of the Missile Automation Module and Particle Accelerator Project. I love me some silly acronyms. The sections about Jack Thrasher’s arm and Microsoft add an element of wry humour. He’s also, let’s face it, not the smartest lad. There’s a central debate about the role of technology and how far is too far plus some truly snort-worthy moments in here. Speaking of snort-worthy, when Richard Bly from the US Department of Agriculture turns up to tell Mr. Morgan (their Dad) not to worry about all the strange noises coming from the woods, Morgan asks, “So, it isn’t anything unusual?” Bly replies, “No sir. Nothing new or hidden or possibly dangerous.” This will probably give you an idea of the irony, snark and humour you can find in the book. I particularly enjoyed young Pierce telling his teammates about the liquorice. There are cyborgs, sentient computers, antiques dealers, foot fetishists, QANON, assassins, international arms smugglers, incel supercomputers, feminist fax machines, coming out of the closet, polyamory, and so much more. It’s epic.
Like I said, impossible to summarize. But very funny, and worth the ride. The whole thing flits from the ‘present’ 2016, the year of the reunion to the past, then forward again in chronological order and technological order. For older readers like me, you’ll remember things like base64 encoding, and other archaic terms. There are also some great pop culture jokes and nods, particularly with names ... such as LaForge, and Principal Skinner for starters. Chock full of retro references, a ‘Wargames’ style b-story and historical events surrounding Russia and the nuclear threat, it’s a veritable feast for modern world history enthusiasts. Though Miller doesn’t shy away from the larger issues. The scenes with Joe and Buck are entertaining and oddly romantic. And though it will sound strange, this is at heart a romance, as the subtitle suggests, with at least four potential relationships weaved throughout the narrative. It’s lively, fun, very smart, surprisingly sweet and a little bit grim too. It’s an incredibly unique book, with exquisite writing, that I will remember for a very long time.
December 29, 2022
The Two-Headed Lady at the End of the World is Miller's second absurdist novel and it's a nostalgic parodic romp from Tiffany to Trump. Gen Xers will find it hits hard and you'll have little trouble envisioning the world Miller depicts. I still have my copy of Election Day by Arcadia, referenced in chapter eight. I still wear the Casio calculator watch referenced in chapter four. Mark Miller speaks my language. The 80s were bad, rad, and bitchin', right?
Not always, and the dissonance between the tech that distracted us from the tech that assured mutual destruction is central to Miller's comedy. He follows the tradition of absurdist dystopian sci-fi of the last 40 years with hilarious results. There's a sentient CPU jilted in love and threatening world destruction like a Dickian rewrite of Wargames. There's the Pynchonesque search for meaning and value in a hectic, prefab, disposable world, and an auction of a mysterious item which may explain it all. There’s even a school principal named Skinner. I literally laughed aloud at the 4Chan inspired love letter, and my mouth hung open through most of chapter sixteen’s free style stream of consciousness mash-up of every good 80s song put to vinyl. Mark Miller evokes it all as if he ate Pop Rocks, drank a Diet Coke, and exploded onto the page.
Twins Miranda and Amanda Morgan were co-joined after an accident at a secret military facility. Their two heads now share one body which is inexplicably powered by a literal black hole inside of them. They learn to sleep in shifts, allowing them to excel at their separate careers. They can even pursue judo, fencing, and dancing. Their romantic and sexual lives are considerably more comical. The chaos peaks in Wamba, Texas when they return for their class reunion and encounter their high school crushes, Pierce and Jack.
Soon they'll face an international plutonium smuggler who’s read too much Danielle Steel, hired killers commanding a fleet of Yugos, and immanent nuclear destruction. When the missiles fly Earth’s only hope rests with a rogue AI who must navigate the entire corpus of 80s culture to find what essential trait allowed us to survive Ronald Reagan the first time. But can a computer find the meaning of life in an era which nearly excised it? Can Gen Xers overcome decades of snark, sarcasm, and irony to get over themselves? Mark Miller returns us to the era when "bad" meant cool so we can find what we’re looking for.
(I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.)
Not always, and the dissonance between the tech that distracted us from the tech that assured mutual destruction is central to Miller's comedy. He follows the tradition of absurdist dystopian sci-fi of the last 40 years with hilarious results. There's a sentient CPU jilted in love and threatening world destruction like a Dickian rewrite of Wargames. There's the Pynchonesque search for meaning and value in a hectic, prefab, disposable world, and an auction of a mysterious item which may explain it all. There’s even a school principal named Skinner. I literally laughed aloud at the 4Chan inspired love letter, and my mouth hung open through most of chapter sixteen’s free style stream of consciousness mash-up of every good 80s song put to vinyl. Mark Miller evokes it all as if he ate Pop Rocks, drank a Diet Coke, and exploded onto the page.
Twins Miranda and Amanda Morgan were co-joined after an accident at a secret military facility. Their two heads now share one body which is inexplicably powered by a literal black hole inside of them. They learn to sleep in shifts, allowing them to excel at their separate careers. They can even pursue judo, fencing, and dancing. Their romantic and sexual lives are considerably more comical. The chaos peaks in Wamba, Texas when they return for their class reunion and encounter their high school crushes, Pierce and Jack.
Soon they'll face an international plutonium smuggler who’s read too much Danielle Steel, hired killers commanding a fleet of Yugos, and immanent nuclear destruction. When the missiles fly Earth’s only hope rests with a rogue AI who must navigate the entire corpus of 80s culture to find what essential trait allowed us to survive Ronald Reagan the first time. But can a computer find the meaning of life in an era which nearly excised it? Can Gen Xers overcome decades of snark, sarcasm, and irony to get over themselves? Mark Miller returns us to the era when "bad" meant cool so we can find what we’re looking for.
(I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.)
December 31, 2022
I did this review through BookSiren, which requires a star rating, not my usual protocol. That said, I do recommend the book to its audience of absurdist sci-fi/fantasy.
Deep in its central processor unit, The Two-Headed Lady at the End of the World is a sweet romance. Yes, the apocalypse looms, along with all those dreadful 1980s fashions and hair bands. But all you need is love, love/love is all you need (to quote some old-timey wisdom).
Told with tongue-in-cheek humor and minimal concerns with physics, this science fiction/fantasy tale follows the exploits of Amanda and Miranda Morgan, conjoined twins from a small Texas town. They became conjoined in early adolescence due to an unfortunate government-military-industrial complex accident. (No need to think about this too hard.) But with lots of family love and a reasonably supportive community, they grow and thrive into accomplished and successful women.
Meanwhile, back at the secret bunker, a long-forgotten military installation is located under the Morgan farm. Populated by two lonely soldiers, a computer (also lonely), and literally a lifetime supply of MREs, Chekhov’s nukes hang over the fireplace to provide the existential threat.
Initially a unique coming-of-age story, the twins navigate crushes, mean girls, first loves, and senior prom. As they mature and move into the wider world, high-level shenanigans become apparent and intersect with their lives and loves with increasing frequency. The tale pivots into an exciting, yet still satirical, spy thriller.
The Two-Headed Lady has a lot of moving parts, but they hum along together like a well-maintained Barchetta. The various plotlines are well-balanced, and they all come together in a satisfying finale.
For all that the book shines a klieg light on humans’ sheer self-destructive stupidity, the characters learn and grown about, from, and through love.
Recommended for readers who like some character development with their bizarro situations. Most of all, have fun with it!
I received an ARC for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.
Deep in its central processor unit, The Two-Headed Lady at the End of the World is a sweet romance. Yes, the apocalypse looms, along with all those dreadful 1980s fashions and hair bands. But all you need is love, love/love is all you need (to quote some old-timey wisdom).
Told with tongue-in-cheek humor and minimal concerns with physics, this science fiction/fantasy tale follows the exploits of Amanda and Miranda Morgan, conjoined twins from a small Texas town. They became conjoined in early adolescence due to an unfortunate government-military-industrial complex accident. (No need to think about this too hard.) But with lots of family love and a reasonably supportive community, they grow and thrive into accomplished and successful women.
Meanwhile, back at the secret bunker, a long-forgotten military installation is located under the Morgan farm. Populated by two lonely soldiers, a computer (also lonely), and literally a lifetime supply of MREs, Chekhov’s nukes hang over the fireplace to provide the existential threat.
Initially a unique coming-of-age story, the twins navigate crushes, mean girls, first loves, and senior prom. As they mature and move into the wider world, high-level shenanigans become apparent and intersect with their lives and loves with increasing frequency. The tale pivots into an exciting, yet still satirical, spy thriller.
The Two-Headed Lady has a lot of moving parts, but they hum along together like a well-maintained Barchetta. The various plotlines are well-balanced, and they all come together in a satisfying finale.
For all that the book shines a klieg light on humans’ sheer self-destructive stupidity, the characters learn and grown about, from, and through love.
Recommended for readers who like some character development with their bizarro situations. Most of all, have fun with it!
I received an ARC for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 17, 2023
Mindblowingly Bonkers And Strangely Moving
It’s a bit hard to describe this book. In the first two chapters, you have a set of conjoined twins called Amanda and Miranda who it seems were not always conjoined and that isn’t explained until further on in the book. Then there are the two soldiers in the top secret bunker underneath the twin’s family farm who have been left down there and forgotten by their superiors since the 80s. There mission is to keep an eye on the sky for enemy Russian missiles. The bunker is run by a powerful AI who over the years develops a dislike for humans. Then there is the soldier turned spy, Jack, with a robotic arm whose latest operating system seems to be Windows 95 and is developing an AI conscience of its own. And that pretty much sets the flavour for the rest of the book. The story follows Amanda and Miranda trying to find love but their tastes are completely different. The soldiers in the bunker after being left down for so long develop a loving relationship too. And the bunker’s AI develops a crush on a fax machine at the Pentagon but it is unrequited. So this is essentially a love story where the boundaries are pushed to the extreme so much so that the fate of the world and the space time continuum could be in trouble. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. The writing was clever, witty and humorous and at the end it was strangely moving. Easily one of the best books I’ve read this year. I look forward to reading more from this author.
It’s a bit hard to describe this book. In the first two chapters, you have a set of conjoined twins called Amanda and Miranda who it seems were not always conjoined and that isn’t explained until further on in the book. Then there are the two soldiers in the top secret bunker underneath the twin’s family farm who have been left down there and forgotten by their superiors since the 80s. There mission is to keep an eye on the sky for enemy Russian missiles. The bunker is run by a powerful AI who over the years develops a dislike for humans. Then there is the soldier turned spy, Jack, with a robotic arm whose latest operating system seems to be Windows 95 and is developing an AI conscience of its own. And that pretty much sets the flavour for the rest of the book. The story follows Amanda and Miranda trying to find love but their tastes are completely different. The soldiers in the bunker after being left down for so long develop a loving relationship too. And the bunker’s AI develops a crush on a fax machine at the Pentagon but it is unrequited. So this is essentially a love story where the boundaries are pushed to the extreme so much so that the fate of the world and the space time continuum could be in trouble. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. The writing was clever, witty and humorous and at the end it was strangely moving. Easily one of the best books I’ve read this year. I look forward to reading more from this author.
December 29, 2022
Reaches the Height of Absurdity!
Mark Miller’s Two-Headed Ladies at the End of the World can only be described as an absurdly marvelous delight. A pair of twins who couldn’t be more different from each other are conjoined in a freak accident, with astonishing consequences. A sentient computer’s unrequited love for a fax machine. Need I say more?
Miller’s writing style is light and breezy, and a joy to read. Well-fleshed characters are brought to life, with all their quirks and foibles. But what resonated with me the most is that for all its hilarious absurdity, a gossamer thread of melancholy is deftly woven into the story, giving it a depth some readers might find surprising. All in all, a novel fans of the absurd will love!
Roxanne Bland, author of The Underground and Peris Archives Series.
I received an advance review copy without charge, and am leaving a voluntary review.
Mark Miller’s Two-Headed Ladies at the End of the World can only be described as an absurdly marvelous delight. A pair of twins who couldn’t be more different from each other are conjoined in a freak accident, with astonishing consequences. A sentient computer’s unrequited love for a fax machine. Need I say more?
Miller’s writing style is light and breezy, and a joy to read. Well-fleshed characters are brought to life, with all their quirks and foibles. But what resonated with me the most is that for all its hilarious absurdity, a gossamer thread of melancholy is deftly woven into the story, giving it a depth some readers might find surprising. All in all, a novel fans of the absurd will love!
Roxanne Bland, author of The Underground and Peris Archives Series.
I received an advance review copy without charge, and am leaving a voluntary review.
January 14, 2023
In the absurdist fiction tradition of Joseph Heller, Thomas Pynchon, and David Foster Wallace, author Mark Miller brings us a fun and zany romp through a lot of things I never thought I'd find on the same book pages: conjoined twins, cold war politics, 80s music and pop culture nostalgia, sentient AIs, a healthy dose of gay romance, and small town culture in the woods and bogs around East Texas.
To divulge much more would undermine some of the surprises Miller has in store, but the book is a great read for pandemic-weary burnt out readers like myself: it's quick, it's really entertaining, and it will keep you smiling.
Miller's prose is also lively and witty, as was the character dialogue, and some of the turns of phrase will earn wry smiles from anyone with any East Texas exposure.
Disclaimer: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
To divulge much more would undermine some of the surprises Miller has in store, but the book is a great read for pandemic-weary burnt out readers like myself: it's quick, it's really entertaining, and it will keep you smiling.
Miller's prose is also lively and witty, as was the character dialogue, and some of the turns of phrase will earn wry smiles from anyone with any East Texas exposure.
Disclaimer: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 8, 2023
I thoroughly enjoyed this incredibly original novel by Mark Miller. Throughout the narrative, he unites multiple unrelated fields--the military, relationships, high school, the eighties and more--with the underlying absurdity that weaves in and out of our inherently absurd reality. He never hits you over the head with it, he does it with the perfect amount of subtlety that leaves you grinning and laughing as his characters sell it with a straight face.
February 12, 2023
What a wild ride through Wamba - and beyond! This was an exciting, nostalgic read, and even as it jumped around through time and space, the adventure was easy to follow, alluring, and great fun.
March 23, 2024
*Received a copy of The Two-Headed Lady at the End of the World through BookSirens and am leaving this review voluntarily.
*4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars.
I haven’t read anything like this before; that’s a compliment and a truth! It was unexpectedly funny because I could read something out of pocket, explain the context, and you’d laugh in disbelief.
Miranda and Amanda pulled so many men at the end that I feel like I should’ve taken notes… I was impressed. I enjoyed reading about all the ups and downs of these characters’ romances. I laughed at every ridiculous problem that came up. It was silly, heartwarming, and sad. It was a treat to watch the twins go on weird dates, witness Man attempt to win a fax machine’s love, and snort at two soldiers watching porn together.
The story was more relatable than I expected too. When I read that it was part “eighties nostalgia trip,” I thought I’d get lost in references I didn’t understand, but it didn’t hurt my enjoyment of the story and there were still tidbits of info I nodded along to. And many of the characters’ experiences resonated with me, so time didn’t rain on my parade.
4.5 stars :) Thanks, author, this was a refreshing read <3
*4.5 stars rounded up to 5 stars.
I haven’t read anything like this before; that’s a compliment and a truth! It was unexpectedly funny because I could read something out of pocket, explain the context, and you’d laugh in disbelief.
Miranda and Amanda pulled so many men at the end that I feel like I should’ve taken notes… I was impressed. I enjoyed reading about all the ups and downs of these characters’ romances. I laughed at every ridiculous problem that came up. It was silly, heartwarming, and sad. It was a treat to watch the twins go on weird dates, witness Man attempt to win a fax machine’s love, and snort at two soldiers watching porn together.
The story was more relatable than I expected too. When I read that it was part “eighties nostalgia trip,” I thought I’d get lost in references I didn’t understand, but it didn’t hurt my enjoyment of the story and there were still tidbits of info I nodded along to. And many of the characters’ experiences resonated with me, so time didn’t rain on my parade.
4.5 stars :) Thanks, author, this was a refreshing read <3
July 2, 2023
Well, my friends, this book is a helluva read. It has so many levels of humor, satire, pathos, conjoined twins and nostalgia (in the negative and positive senses of the word), that it packs a lot of punch. The story is a great blend of realism and surrealism that hooks you quick. It’s well paced and the characters pop off the page. It definitely had me laughing out loud more than once.
I’ll read this one again at a later date, because I know I missed some nuances here and there.
I absolutely recommend this one.
I’ll read this one again at a later date, because I know I missed some nuances here and there.
I absolutely recommend this one.
March 1, 2023
*I’m not going to give you the ‘what this book is about’ blurb – you can read that elsewhere.
**I did receive an early copy at no cost in exchange for my honest review.
1. Y’all – THIS ISN’T HORROR. It’s an ‘absurdist romance’. Definitely out of my comfort zone. Definitely worth it.
2. One of the things I struggle with in the fantasy genre is suspension of belief (weirdly, this doesn’t bother me in horror at all), and if you’re going to read this book, you definitely need to suspend belief, but not to fantasy level. It’s weird, because honestly, I can see *most* of what is written actually happening. Is it the norm? Heck no, but would I put certain things past our government? Heck no to that as well.
3. That being said – this book is political - call politicians out by name political. But it also blatantly tackles other difficult societal issues and does so in a ridiculously blunt way that makes them seem so funny. In some instances, the laugh is short lived when you’re smacked in the face with the realization that this kind of thing is actually happening and it’s no longer on the fringe of society.
4. In the beginning there was a lot happening – a ton of both characters and plot lines; that felt a little disjointed for me, but the author pulled all the pieces together little by little and the overall picture of what was going on became clear. I’m so glad I stuck it out, because once things fell into place it was a heck of a ride!
5. There are some obscure pop culture references back to the 80’s and early 90’s which I flipping adored, especially the random block of pages that is made up of a jumble of song lyrics (it works) and even though it took me FOR-EV-VER to read it because I had to be sure I was singing the lyrics correctly, it brought me so much joy.
6. Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect out of something with such an odd title, but it was such a delight! I laughed – a lot. And the busy plot was written so expertly – to take so many storylines and merge them in a way that makes sense is really impressive to me, especially while also writing weirdly relatable characters.
**I did receive an early copy at no cost in exchange for my honest review.
1. Y’all – THIS ISN’T HORROR. It’s an ‘absurdist romance’. Definitely out of my comfort zone. Definitely worth it.
2. One of the things I struggle with in the fantasy genre is suspension of belief (weirdly, this doesn’t bother me in horror at all), and if you’re going to read this book, you definitely need to suspend belief, but not to fantasy level. It’s weird, because honestly, I can see *most* of what is written actually happening. Is it the norm? Heck no, but would I put certain things past our government? Heck no to that as well.
3. That being said – this book is political - call politicians out by name political. But it also blatantly tackles other difficult societal issues and does so in a ridiculously blunt way that makes them seem so funny. In some instances, the laugh is short lived when you’re smacked in the face with the realization that this kind of thing is actually happening and it’s no longer on the fringe of society.
4. In the beginning there was a lot happening – a ton of both characters and plot lines; that felt a little disjointed for me, but the author pulled all the pieces together little by little and the overall picture of what was going on became clear. I’m so glad I stuck it out, because once things fell into place it was a heck of a ride!
5. There are some obscure pop culture references back to the 80’s and early 90’s which I flipping adored, especially the random block of pages that is made up of a jumble of song lyrics (it works) and even though it took me FOR-EV-VER to read it because I had to be sure I was singing the lyrics correctly, it brought me so much joy.
6. Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect out of something with such an odd title, but it was such a delight! I laughed – a lot. And the busy plot was written so expertly – to take so many storylines and merge them in a way that makes sense is really impressive to me, especially while also writing weirdly relatable characters.
March 18, 2023
I read this book in a day, because that’s how I read things that I enjoy. I devour them…I can’t wait to find out what happens, how it ends. This particular book was a real blast from the past because not only was it set in the area I grew up in, but also the era. It was one of the most absurdly romantic books I’ve read in a long time. It made me snort when I laughed. If you ever read Kurt Vonnegut or Tom Robbins, I think you would enjoy Mark Miller.
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