Monolith: or The Greatest Joke the Universe Ever Told by Travis Nguyen

by Austin Allen

The universe told a joke. Travis Nguyen doesn't get it. NOT YET. Commissioned to write the first book printed on paper in over a century, Nguyen sets out to uncover what really happened aboard the USCC Meno, a well-worn ship left over from the early days of space colonization when humanity sought to save themselves from a horrible pandemic. Cast as the reluctant author, Nguyen hopes to answer one of the greatest mysteries of his What really happened to the crew aboard the Meno, and what is so funny about it all? He discovers a tale that is at the same time chilling and hilarious. Part science fiction horror, part philosophical musings, Austin Allen’s MONOLITH is a novel that calls into question the nature of morality, the fabric of society, and what it truly means to be insane, all at an intellectual scope seldom encountered in a work of fiction. Suspended in the relationship between its two-part narrative and Nguyen’s extensive appendices, it is a sweeping tale that not only speaks creatively to its readers’ minds, but also strikes deep at their moral core. Fans of Frank Herbert or Mark Z. Danielewski will rejoice in how once aboard the USCC Meno, readers will find themselves challenged to question everything they think they know about goodness, humanity, horror and humor, and everyone who finishes MONOLITH’s wild ride will find themselves asking the same question of every person they meet… “Want to hear a joke?”

434 pages, Paperback

First published May 5, 2013