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The Dick Cheney Code: A Parody
A bestselling, Harvard-bred humorist plans to knock out a slapdash, quick-buck parody of a wildly successful, head-spinning, clue-laden thriller in a flagrant attempt to cash in on the publishing sensation of the decade, but the tousle-haired satirist's sleazy scheme goes awry when his two heroes -- beautiful, brilliant Sandra Damsel and brawny, brainy Professor William Franklin -- stumble on an explosive and frankly preposterous centuries-old secret that plunges them into a puzzle-packed, plot-crammed, prose-swollen Washington intrigue whose flabbergasting finale will determine the outcome of the 2004 presidential election.
Cryptic praise for The Dick Cheney Code
"1, 1!" (highest rating) -- The Fibonacci Report
"Hysterical! Lacey shirt!" -- Anagram Monthly
"I laughed so hard I xxxxxx in my pants!" -- Redacter's Digest
"I bend over double! I hold my sides! I tickle my ribs! I slap my thighs!" -- Mime Magazine
"Three syllables, sounds Upper arm? Broken arm? Broken bone? Radius? Humerus? HUMOROUS!" -- Charade Magazine
"Too funny for words!" (9 letters, starting with P, ending in S) -- Acrostic Review
Cryptic praise for The Dick Cheney Code
"1, 1!" (highest rating) -- The Fibonacci Report
"Hysterical! Lacey shirt!" -- Anagram Monthly
"I laughed so hard I xxxxxx in my pants!" -- Redacter's Digest
"I bend over double! I hold my sides! I tickle my ribs! I slap my thighs!" -- Mime Magazine
"Three syllables, sounds Upper arm? Broken arm? Broken bone? Radius? Humerus? HUMOROUS!" -- Charade Magazine
"Too funny for words!" (9 letters, starting with P, ending in S) -- Acrostic Review
208 pages, Paperback
First published August 31, 2004
18 people want to read
About the author
Henry N. Beard
61 books38 followersHenry N. Beard (born ca. 1945) is an American humorist, one of the founders of the magazine National Lampoon and the author of several best-selling books.
Beard, a great-grandson of Vice President John C. Breckinridge, was born into a well-to-do family and grew up at the Westbury Hotel on East 69th Street in Manhattan. His relationship with his parents was cool, to judge by his quip "I never saw my mother up close."
He attended the Taft School, where he was a leader at the humor magazine, and he decided to become a humorous writer after reading Catch-22.
He then went to Harvard University from which he graduated in 1967 and joined its humor magazine, the Harvard Lampoon, which circulated nationally. Much of the credit for the Lampoon's success during the mid 1960s is given to Beard and Douglas Kenney, who was in the class a year after Beard's. In 1968, Beard and Kenney wrote the successful parody Bored of the Rings.
In 1969, Beard, Kenney and Rob Hoffman became the founding editors of the National Lampoon, which reached a monthly circulation of over 830,000 in 1974 (and the October issue of that year topped a million sales). One of Beard's short stories published there, "The Last Recall", was included in the 1973 Best Detective Stories of the Year. During the early 1970s, Beard was also in the Army Reserve, which he hated.
In 1975 the three founders cashed in on a buy-out agreement for National Lampoon; and Beard left the magazine. After an "unhappy" attempt at screenwriting, he turned to writing humorous books.
Beard, a great-grandson of Vice President John C. Breckinridge, was born into a well-to-do family and grew up at the Westbury Hotel on East 69th Street in Manhattan. His relationship with his parents was cool, to judge by his quip "I never saw my mother up close."
He attended the Taft School, where he was a leader at the humor magazine, and he decided to become a humorous writer after reading Catch-22.
He then went to Harvard University from which he graduated in 1967 and joined its humor magazine, the Harvard Lampoon, which circulated nationally. Much of the credit for the Lampoon's success during the mid 1960s is given to Beard and Douglas Kenney, who was in the class a year after Beard's. In 1968, Beard and Kenney wrote the successful parody Bored of the Rings.
In 1969, Beard, Kenney and Rob Hoffman became the founding editors of the National Lampoon, which reached a monthly circulation of over 830,000 in 1974 (and the October issue of that year topped a million sales). One of Beard's short stories published there, "The Last Recall", was included in the 1973 Best Detective Stories of the Year. During the early 1970s, Beard was also in the Army Reserve, which he hated.
In 1975 the three founders cashed in on a buy-out agreement for National Lampoon; and Beard left the magazine. After an "unhappy" attempt at screenwriting, he turned to writing humorous books.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 23, 2015
Henry Beard has to be the funniest author I've come across! After pissing myself reading "Bored of the Rings" I knew this book wasn't going to disappointed! This book is nothing short of hilarious and I enjoyed ever page of this parody!
December 7, 2020
It was funny enough at the time, assuming you appreciate low-brow humor that it at least aware that it's low-brow which makes it okay in a meta sort of way, but rather topical, relying as it does on the popularity of Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code and the 2004 elections. Probably not worth reading today, though.
August 31, 2010
The best parts of this book were when President Bush and his cabinet members were being parodied. The didn't make a whole lot of sense, but I guess that is what they were getting at.
September 8, 2016
Amusing. Unfortunately the author wandered so far from the plot of the book he was doing a parody of (The Da Vinci Code), after a while it wasn't as entertaining. Irreverent as well!
October 20, 2023
Typical intelligent cheeky style. Funny if you are an intense reader privy to all the jokes. Being a little out of date I've forgotten names and incidents but it is true to style and on point.
Henry Beard is a genius at his trade but for a specific audience.
Henry Beard is a genius at his trade but for a specific audience.
November 4, 2025
Was reminded of this after his death today.
Was a collegiate secret society behind all the evils of the Republican Party from Nixon through Bush Jr.? Probably not, but it's a more entertaining read than the book it parodies.
Was a collegiate secret society behind all the evils of the Republican Party from Nixon through Bush Jr.? Probably not, but it's a more entertaining read than the book it parodies.
June 1, 2017
Parody of The DaVinci Code. Written in 2004, so topical. Silly but fun.
July 8, 2008
Spectacularly fun political parody/satire modeled after the DaVinci Code. Laughed so hard I cried!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews