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Codename Prague
Since he assassinated the Nowhere Man, Vincent Prague hasn't been the same, haunted by the ontological impossibility of the kill. His celebrity status has skyrocketed, however, and everybody wants a piece of him. The MAP (Ministry of Applied Pressure) promotes him to Anvil-in-Chief, the catbird's seat of special agents. Under the so-stupid-it's-genius alias of "Vincent Codename Prague," he works a case that leads him to the Former Czech Republik's Prague, a dark cirque du city where androids run wild, femme fatales chronically manhandle him, and a mad chef named Doktor Teufelsdröckh has created a Hitler/Keats/Daikaiju hybrid that would make Frankenstein's monster sing like a Von Trapp ... In an overtechnologized world of constant reckoning, all Vincent has are his wits, his weapons, and a briefcase full of replaceable extremities to crack a mysterious code that, he soon discovers, resides within himself."This novel is from the wild edge of science fiction, in the tradition of Philip K. Dick's Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch--fast, smart, funny, and full of a scarily plausible vision of just how weird things could get if we take our biological fate into our own hands."--Kim Stanley Robinson, Nebula, Hugo, Locus, BSFA and John W. Campbell Award-winning author"This intense mixture of giddy activity, cyberpunk essences, avant fusion and social satire may make your head spin at an accelerated rate. Actual brain damage is unlikely, in most cases."--John Shirley, Bram Stoker Award-winning author"Codename Prague is a thrill-a-minute combination of James Bond, Robert Ludlum, and cyberpunk, set in a dangerous, erotic, and not-as-distant-as-you'd-wish future."--Mike Resnick, Nebula and Hugo Award-winning author of 100+ novels, collections, anothologies and nonfiction books"Who IS this guy?"--Pat Cadigan, Arthur C. Clarke Award-winning author
201 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2011
5 people are currently reading
165 people want to read
About the author
D. Harlan Wilson
71 books346 followersD. 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).
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
July 10, 2011
After killing the Nowhere Man on his last mission, Vincent Prague was promoted to Anvil-in-Chief of the Ministry of Applied Pressure. Now, he's tasked with going to Prague in the former Czech Republic, going to the Hotel Prague on Prague street where he will meet Henri Prague, who will introduce him to his sister Madchen "The Prague" Prague, who will take him to the Delova Prague. Prague, Prague, Prague, Prague, Prague. There's also a monster that's a clone of John Keats and Hitler that looks like Jean Claude Van Damme with a mustache.
Codename Prague is an absurdist cyberpunk spy thriller, emphasis on the absurd. I'm kind of at a loss to describe what actually happened and I'm not sure whether I liked it or not. There were parts where the wordplay made me snicker like a psychopath and I loved all the obscure pulp culture references. The idea of people crossing the Atlantic via catapult was nicely done. The technology was so over the top that it was awesome.
So what wasn't I crazy about? Most of the characters were incredibly flat. I think Dr. Teufeldrockh was the only one I had any attachment to. About halfway through the book, the wordplay and absurdity became so thick that the whole book threatened to go off the rails at any moment. There were a few times that I wondered if I'd gone insane and the book was completely normal.
To sum up, Codename Prague had its moments and I loved parts of it but it was no Dr. Identity and not my cup of tea.
Codename Prague is an absurdist cyberpunk spy thriller, emphasis on the absurd. I'm kind of at a loss to describe what actually happened and I'm not sure whether I liked it or not. There were parts where the wordplay made me snicker like a psychopath and I loved all the obscure pulp culture references. The idea of people crossing the Atlantic via catapult was nicely done. The technology was so over the top that it was awesome.
So what wasn't I crazy about? Most of the characters were incredibly flat. I think Dr. Teufeldrockh was the only one I had any attachment to. About halfway through the book, the wordplay and absurdity became so thick that the whole book threatened to go off the rails at any moment. There were a few times that I wondered if I'd gone insane and the book was completely normal.
To sum up, Codename Prague had its moments and I loved parts of it but it was no Dr. Identity and not my cup of tea.
February 12, 2011
An old Vulcan proverb states that "having is not so good a thing as wanting". I've waited in wanting quite a while for the release of this novel, and it was well worth the wait. Having, in this case, is much better than wanting.
For those just tuning in: "Codename Prague" is the second novel in D. Harlan Wilson's Scikungfi Trilogy, the follow up to 2008's Wonderland Award-winning "Dr. Identity, or Farewell to Plaquedemia". It is not so much a sequel though, as much as it is a continuation of the "post-real" universe Wilson developed in "Dr. Identity..." and his collection "Psuedo-City".
We are introduced to Vincent Prague, Anvil-in-Chief for the Ministry of Applied Pressure. He killed the Nowhere Man, a task of such irreal and improbable impossibility that his employers believe him capable of anything. We begin in Prague's conapt, where two MAP agents have snuck in to give him his new assignment and/or kill him. One gets the impression from his first scikungfi fight that he is as far removed from "Identity['s]" Dr. Blah Blah Blah and titular doppleganger as pineapples are from elephant testicles. Imagine for a moment one part James Bond, two parts Zaphod Beeblebrox, and a healthy dollop of Bruce Lee; shaken, stirred, sent to a Shaolin monastery for a few years, annihilated, and reconstituted. He is as charismatic and skilled an asshole as you are ever likely to find in fiction.
Moving along, the narrative takes us from the comfortable insanity of USAmerika to the industrial playground of Prague, Former Czech Republik. There is a seventeen-year gap in between, but the novel explains that far better than I can, and besides that it would spoil all the fun. We also meet Doktor Teufelsdrockh, who in a parallel plotline is trying very hard to realize his vision of the ultimate celebrity hybrid/daikaiju monster. Where these plots meet, ultraviolence ensues and a grand chase across the globe.
For those who may be new to or unfamiliar with Wilson's work, I highly recommend this title. Because of the schized nature and post/post?/post++/modern logic of the trilogy, one can jump into his novels anywhere. The references to the first book are few (in fact I only remember one blatant use of the name "Dr. Identity") and each stands alone as a self-contained narrative. One could argue that due to the irreal nature of Wilson's narrative, "Codename Prague" is both continuation and prequel, yet completely independent. It's a wild ride by any measure, regardless of timeline [dis]continuity. Is my recommendation not good enough? Well, how about giant monsters, mad scientists, bdsm-flavored Cold War seduction, and a Hitler/John Keats hybrid? That should get you interested.
For those returning to the Scikungfi Trilogy, I must say this: this novel has a completely different tone from "Dr. Identity". Where I feel "Identity" was manic, "Prague" is more sedate. "Dr. Identity" is more of a social criticism, while "Codename Prague" is a good story interspersed with strange humor and micro-criticism. Wilson takes a great deal of time developing Prague, as well as his nemesis. Don't take that as a bad thing. It works well with the character of Vincent Prague and his irreal tale of global espionage-cum-douchebaggery, and there is plenty of scikungfi action to keep you tuned in.
In all, another quality yarn from D. Harlan Wilson. Characters you can hate as much as identify with, a story that leaves even the protagonist asking "what was that all about?", and a smooth full-bodied finish. "Codename Prague" is quality bizarro from one of the masters.
Now I must wait some more for the third installment "The Kyoto Man". Where did I put that fasttime button...
For those just tuning in: "Codename Prague" is the second novel in D. Harlan Wilson's Scikungfi Trilogy, the follow up to 2008's Wonderland Award-winning "Dr. Identity, or Farewell to Plaquedemia". It is not so much a sequel though, as much as it is a continuation of the "post-real" universe Wilson developed in "Dr. Identity..." and his collection "Psuedo-City".
We are introduced to Vincent Prague, Anvil-in-Chief for the Ministry of Applied Pressure. He killed the Nowhere Man, a task of such irreal and improbable impossibility that his employers believe him capable of anything. We begin in Prague's conapt, where two MAP agents have snuck in to give him his new assignment and/or kill him. One gets the impression from his first scikungfi fight that he is as far removed from "Identity['s]" Dr. Blah Blah Blah and titular doppleganger as pineapples are from elephant testicles. Imagine for a moment one part James Bond, two parts Zaphod Beeblebrox, and a healthy dollop of Bruce Lee; shaken, stirred, sent to a Shaolin monastery for a few years, annihilated, and reconstituted. He is as charismatic and skilled an asshole as you are ever likely to find in fiction.
Moving along, the narrative takes us from the comfortable insanity of USAmerika to the industrial playground of Prague, Former Czech Republik. There is a seventeen-year gap in between, but the novel explains that far better than I can, and besides that it would spoil all the fun. We also meet Doktor Teufelsdrockh, who in a parallel plotline is trying very hard to realize his vision of the ultimate celebrity hybrid/daikaiju monster. Where these plots meet, ultraviolence ensues and a grand chase across the globe.
For those who may be new to or unfamiliar with Wilson's work, I highly recommend this title. Because of the schized nature and post/post?/post++/modern logic of the trilogy, one can jump into his novels anywhere. The references to the first book are few (in fact I only remember one blatant use of the name "Dr. Identity") and each stands alone as a self-contained narrative. One could argue that due to the irreal nature of Wilson's narrative, "Codename Prague" is both continuation and prequel, yet completely independent. It's a wild ride by any measure, regardless of timeline [dis]continuity. Is my recommendation not good enough? Well, how about giant monsters, mad scientists, bdsm-flavored Cold War seduction, and a Hitler/John Keats hybrid? That should get you interested.
For those returning to the Scikungfi Trilogy, I must say this: this novel has a completely different tone from "Dr. Identity". Where I feel "Identity" was manic, "Prague" is more sedate. "Dr. Identity" is more of a social criticism, while "Codename Prague" is a good story interspersed with strange humor and micro-criticism. Wilson takes a great deal of time developing Prague, as well as his nemesis. Don't take that as a bad thing. It works well with the character of Vincent Prague and his irreal tale of global espionage-cum-douchebaggery, and there is plenty of scikungfi action to keep you tuned in.
In all, another quality yarn from D. Harlan Wilson. Characters you can hate as much as identify with, a story that leaves even the protagonist asking "what was that all about?", and a smooth full-bodied finish. "Codename Prague" is quality bizarro from one of the masters.
Now I must wait some more for the third installment "The Kyoto Man". Where did I put that fasttime button...
July 21, 2012
After reading Dr. Identity I was very excited to read the second book in D Harlan Wilson's SciKungFi trilogy.
He did not disappoint.
Taking meta-fiction to its limit, D Harlan Wilson has created a masterpiece in self-aware literature. Mixing in absurd humour, splatter-gore, existential metaphysics, meta-fictional narrative, and plagiarism, Wilson somehow creates gold from a collection of tin cans and cheese.
The plot... Why does the plot happen? So the book can be written. literally. Nothing happens, and yet enough happens that the book never feels pointless. One chapter is exactly the same as an earlier one, but with different background music.
Characters... Absurd, stupid, Over the top, violent, and yet lovable. For example: A doktor that realises he can't create the monster he wishes to create, and so creates a monster that creates a monster to create the monster he wishes to create.
SciKungFi - Wilson knows how to write interesting fight scenes, and also kknows when to just write [Fight happens here] to great comic effect. He really is a top notch writer.
In closing, this novel is really hard to summarise, just read it. You won't regret it. It's hilarious.
He did not disappoint.
Taking meta-fiction to its limit, D Harlan Wilson has created a masterpiece in self-aware literature. Mixing in absurd humour, splatter-gore, existential metaphysics, meta-fictional narrative, and plagiarism, Wilson somehow creates gold from a collection of tin cans and cheese.
The plot... Why does the plot happen? So the book can be written. literally. Nothing happens, and yet enough happens that the book never feels pointless. One chapter is exactly the same as an earlier one, but with different background music.
Characters... Absurd, stupid, Over the top, violent, and yet lovable. For example: A doktor that realises he can't create the monster he wishes to create, and so creates a monster that creates a monster to create the monster he wishes to create.
SciKungFi - Wilson knows how to write interesting fight scenes, and also kknows when to just write [Fight happens here] to great comic effect. He really is a top notch writer.
In closing, this novel is really hard to summarise, just read it. You won't regret it. It's hilarious.
April 21, 2016
This book fits within the utopian ideal the 80s scifi genre so hard fought for.
The best thing about reading a book is being able to experience things and places that are not only beyond you physically but beyond your imagination all together and that's what makes Wilson a great storyteller; he can write what you would never otherwise have the opportunity to experience. Codename Pague has a hyper-cool universe of technologies, intrigue, culture, language and characters that is just enough off the end to make it unforgettable.
Wilson has a great talent for writing action, adventure, universe and characters but the attempts at humor fell short, sometimes so much so that I felt embarrassed for him and can, at times, cut the story’s legs out from under it.
The best thing about reading a book is being able to experience things and places that are not only beyond you physically but beyond your imagination all together and that's what makes Wilson a great storyteller; he can write what you would never otherwise have the opportunity to experience. Codename Pague has a hyper-cool universe of technologies, intrigue, culture, language and characters that is just enough off the end to make it unforgettable.
Wilson has a great talent for writing action, adventure, universe and characters but the attempts at humor fell short, sometimes so much so that I felt embarrassed for him and can, at times, cut the story’s legs out from under it.
July 29, 2011
D. Harlan Wilson has a vision of our future. It's a place where life and death mean nothing in the face of science and entertainment. It's a place where culture and media are so advanced as to be profoundly stupid. A place where society and technology have mutated beyond our wildest nightmares. It's the same world as Wilson's previous "scikungfi" novel, Dr. Identity, but this weird world is so gigantic and diverse that the two stories have little in common. It's the vision that's the same.
Codename Prague is a spy story about the greatest agent living in this world, Vincent "Codename" Prague. He's such a great secret agent that he's completely famous, thus negating the need for secrecy. And since this is a spy story, he has to be sent on a dangerous mission, and so it is that Prague is sent via transcontinental slingshot to the city of Prague and surrounded by people also named Prague. As if that weren't absurd enough, the mission itself is to basically see what happens. It's an ultra-important assignment that exposes Codename Prague to high levels of danger, systematic torture, revolting levels of bureaucracy, and a potential arch-nemesis in the form of a mad scientist with a newborn monster.
Wilson's writing doesn't just have a grasp of language. It has a death grip on it, and combined with his ideas of future society, what you're left with is an action packed skewering of culture, capitalism, and technology. There's a futuristic rendition of "Cats". There are fight scenes with Bruce Lee clones. Hell, there are clones of EVERYBODY. Like all of Wilson's fiction, this one's a trippy exercise in strangeness and style, written by a sociopath who's read a metric ton of cyberpunk. It's an amusement park of ultraviolent insanity that, much like the ideas behind cyberpunk, might just come true someday.
Codename Prague is a spy story about the greatest agent living in this world, Vincent "Codename" Prague. He's such a great secret agent that he's completely famous, thus negating the need for secrecy. And since this is a spy story, he has to be sent on a dangerous mission, and so it is that Prague is sent via transcontinental slingshot to the city of Prague and surrounded by people also named Prague. As if that weren't absurd enough, the mission itself is to basically see what happens. It's an ultra-important assignment that exposes Codename Prague to high levels of danger, systematic torture, revolting levels of bureaucracy, and a potential arch-nemesis in the form of a mad scientist with a newborn monster.
Wilson's writing doesn't just have a grasp of language. It has a death grip on it, and combined with his ideas of future society, what you're left with is an action packed skewering of culture, capitalism, and technology. There's a futuristic rendition of "Cats". There are fight scenes with Bruce Lee clones. Hell, there are clones of EVERYBODY. Like all of Wilson's fiction, this one's a trippy exercise in strangeness and style, written by a sociopath who's read a metric ton of cyberpunk. It's an amusement park of ultraviolent insanity that, much like the ideas behind cyberpunk, might just come true someday.
December 19, 2019
There is no doubt I've mentioned in a prior review or three that the worst part of this gig is when you really like something, but you have no idea in hell how to convey that passion to the reader...especially when you are stuck in how to describe what the heck you just experienced (be it a book, film, music, whatever).That's the struggle I'm having with D. Harlan Wilson's Codename Prague.
To put it in perspective, for those that have seen Doomsday (and liked it, as I did), how do you describe it to your friends? Is it Mad Max? Is it 28 Days Later? Is it Excalibur? In reality, it's all of those and more. But to describe it other than something along the lines of "a 35-year-old got a shit ton of money and made the movie he has wanted to see since he was 13" is a pretty tall order.
You can read Steve's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
To put it in perspective, for those that have seen Doomsday (and liked it, as I did), how do you describe it to your friends? Is it Mad Max? Is it 28 Days Later? Is it Excalibur? In reality, it's all of those and more. But to describe it other than something along the lines of "a 35-year-old got a shit ton of money and made the movie he has wanted to see since he was 13" is a pretty tall order.
You can read Steve's full review at Horror DNA by clicking here.
July 14, 2014
I would definitely watch this as a movie, for what its worth, but I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't understand what was going on for most of it. The ultra-violence and scenes of ridiculous technocolor torture were pretty awesome. I loved the characterization even though they were as characters that were really really bizarre in their activities and traits throughout. The codes provided and citations really added to the perplexity of it as did the out of order chapters and breaking of the fourth wall. I'm not really sure what else to say, but it was pretty awesome and reading it in one sitting right before sleep is definitely going to help induce some pretty bizarre dreams. At least I hope :D.
June 22, 2015
D. Harlan Wilson is the sort of writer who’s either terrifyingly intelligent and shrouded in shocking imagery, or a nightmarish Andy Warhol - creating meaningless artifacts out of the wildest parts of pop culture. Either way, Codename Prague isn’t for everyone, and it definitely isn’t his most accessible work. He used to be my favourite writer, but as time’s gone by I’ve fallen out of love with him in favour of other, arguably more measured writers, but ones who see writing as a human project rather than a metafictional exercise.
February 1, 2011
A great follow up to DR. IDENTITY. I think the reviewers at Library Journal said it best, "Wilson ups his creative ante with new bursts of stream of cyber consciousness prose to rival Gilbert Sorrentino ('Mulligan Stew') and William Burroughs ('Naked Lunch'). With the cinematic feel of 'Pulp Fiction' and a sound slap at modern culture, this should attract a select audience that appreciates metafiction and pulp action."
July 24, 2014
I'm a little lost on what was going on but definitely had some laughs. Absurdity level through the roof.
After killing Nowhere Man Prague gets promoted and goes on a mission where he sees body doubles of famous people I really got lost a lot but kept on reading for laughs that Wilson always dishes out.
After killing Nowhere Man Prague gets promoted and goes on a mission where he sees body doubles of famous people I really got lost a lot but kept on reading for laughs that Wilson always dishes out.
February 17, 2016
This book somehow manages to be slapstick, existentialist and academically self aware genre fiction all at the same time. Wilson's style is sophisticated in a way that no other Bizarro author can touch. (I'm sorry, but they just can't. He has his work cut out for him. More in depth review to come after I've processed the whole thing and reflected on it.
February 23, 2011
This book was an absolute pleasure to read. To paraphrase a conversation I had about it, it's a book people should read, especially anyone interested in different styles of writing. It's a little more challenging than the average grocery store thriller, but absurdly entertaining.
September 12, 2011
I can not say much about this yet but I will have to say that the Language is her is a lot more colorful than I thought it would be and some of the graphic details in here may scare some with it but I will have to finish reading it to give you a more better version on it
January 6, 2014
I would give it 1/2 stars if possible! I do not think my opinion of the book is because I don't 'appreciate' or understand the genre; I genuinely think that this is a poorly written book. Members of my bookclub felt the same. I would not waste your time reading this!
November 30, 2010
Perhaps this is just not my kind of book, but I really felt it was a waste of a read.
May 20, 2012
Full review at HorrorTalk.com.
March 27, 2012
continues the madness of DR. IDENTITY with a new story. Part of a triology, however, this work can easily be read on its own with the first book.
April 27, 2015
Tiene una cita de las Spice Girls. 10/10
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews