The Cardboard Universe: A Guide to the World of Phoebus K. Dank

by Christopher Miller

Genius or fraud? Hack or Hemingway? The life and work of obese, obsessive, logorrheic pulp novelist Phoebus K. Dank have long enflamed bitter controversy—and numerous drunken rants often culminating in vomiting, unconsciousness, or both. In this uproarious novel, Christopher Miller pulls back the curtain on two unforgettable critics—fawning scholar William Boswell (the world's leading Dankian) and his mortal enemy, the murderously snarky Owen Hirt. No stone is left unturned—and no gooey mess unstepped in—in this essential study of Dank's all-too-brief existence and all-too-extensive oeuvre.

Genres: Fiction, Literary Fiction, Science Fiction

560 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Aimee · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not like this book. Really, really, did not like it. I disliked it enough that I feel compelled to write this review warning other people away from it.

It's a clever concept but is in desperate need of editing. The 500+ pages would benefit by slimming down to 250 or so.

The idea is that it's an encyclopedia (& biography) of the works of a prolific science fiction writer, written in alphabetical order. As the book goes on, it becomes more and more about the narrator.

I was hoping for a big pay-off at the end (since it's revealed at the beginning that one of the main characters is murdered) but it was too predictable for that. I didn't hate the ending - I'd give it a C grade - but it was definitely not worth the long slog to get there.

I know it was supposed to be funny, but I never laughed. Mostly, it lulled me to sleep. Ug.

[Kathrina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just wrote a great review (yes, it WAS great) of this less than mediocre book and goodreads gave me a "bad gateway" and lost my review. I am not invested enough in this book to write it again, so let me just say, I am sorry the alphabet has so many letters, and that the author felt compelled to include them all. Someone blurbs on the back of the book about how this book changes midway into something you didn't expect, and THAT IS A LIE. It is the same brand of vaguely amusing the whole long, long way through. I recommend a pass.

[Erica]

A few months ago, I read an excerpt from this book, a fake biographical encyclopedia of a hack sci-fi writer modeled on Philip K. Dick written by warring friends of his, and thought it was hilarious. And maybe, if this book hadn't been 522 pages long, it could have sustained that one joke the entire time. Then again, maybe if I were a sci-fi person, I would have caught more references and different nuances and jokes. I would recommend if you are a Dick or sci-fi fan.

[Ian Hrabe · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's basically the same book as "Sudden Noises from Inanimate Objects," just refined to the point where Christopher Miller basically shows you how funny he is. There's a sort of inexhaustible wit here, the problem is it's way too long. You can pretty much deduce what's going on by page 400 and some trimming might have been nice. However, I still thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. I do hope his next novel veers though. I love the idea of telling a story via another medium, but here he's simply replaced liner notes for an encyclopedia of an author's work. The story, and the whole thing about the narrator being a self-absorbed "author in his own right" is a little too repetitive.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastically entertaining book, very funny and kept me guessing to the end who the culprit was, although that’s not nearly what the novel was about so much as the humour and the details of the endlessly dreck books the two bickering co-authors discussed and argued over. I’m just not sure if I enjoyed it so much because of the fact that I’m a big P.K.D. fan, but I’m sure it can be enjoyed without any fore knowledge of his life and works. Highly recommended, by me anyway!

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second time reading this book, and it was definitely more rewarding this time around. The book is very cleverly constructed, and the hints are timed perfectly.

[Stop]

Read the STOP SMILING Two-Takes Review of The Cardboard Universe.

In our monthly column, we ask two reviewers to offer their perspective on the same book. The latest entry focuses on Christopher Miller's The Cardboard Universe.


Reviewer Nathan Martin writes:

[The book's:] purposeful nerdishness is playfully kitschy when it doesn’t work and endearing when it does. But, beneath the myriad layers of deft quips and sincere wit, it is a story of the sad lives of sad men who barely, if at all, survive to tell their tales. ... [Miller's:] outstanding imagination and deftness for creating compelling sentences that approach pitiful people at lighthearted angles make The Cardboard Universe an intricate and enjoyable book.

Read the full review here


And Jessica Herman agrees, in part:

While Miller's out-of-the-box structure provides an interesting hook, the novelty fades over the course of 500-plus pages of failed marriages, suicide attempts and absurd book ideas. ... The book doesn't necessarily provoke as much as it merely entertains.

Read the full review here

[Luther · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't be fooled by the innovative form into thinking this is a one-note novel that is meant simply to "challenge notions of the modern novel," as they say. It is, rather, one of the most complex and hilarious books I've read this year and what's most astounding is how fresh it all feels right to the end. Just when you think that the author must have finally exhausted the potential of the material, he comes up with an entry that seems even more funny and surprising that the rest. As important, Cardboard Universe hangs together perfectly as a unified piece -- that is, it's not just a collection of funny insights, but a masterful bit of story telling with characters as engaging and enchanting as Quixote and Castorp.

[Jeremy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know how to talk about this book without spoiling it; it's essentially an encylopedia about a science fiction author, Phoebus K. Dank, co-written by Dank's biographer and Dank's oldest friend. It reminds me a little bit of my favorite footnote in Infinite Jest, that of James Incandenza's filmography - it ostensibly is about the man's works, but it's also a biography of the man himself. It also reminds me a lot of Nabakov's "Pale Fire", in which the biographer's personal life intrudes upon the life of his subject. What I'll say is that this book is absolutely amazing, by turns hilarious and (eventually) seriously fucked up, and I highly recommend it to anybody who would enjoy this sort of metafictional tomfoolery.

[Jason Boog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun & surreal look at the fictional life of an author very much like Philip K. Dick--will make you glad to be a writer or reader.

Quote: Dank’s delusion of being just another author’s creature was the kind of folly not susceptible to refutation (what would have counted as evidence against it?), but like most of his delusions it subsided of its own accord, after a month and two hundred pages of frenzied exegesis. The readiness with which he relinquished such delusions makes me think that Dank never really fully embraced them in the first place—even if he thought he did, even if he never understood the difference between owning a conviction and taking one for a joyride."

[Suzanne M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would like my english to be better but it is not good enough to write all the good things i'd like to say about this absolutly orgasmic book. I love it so much, i try to make it last as long as possible. In french, it has about 800 pages, so i'm good.
Miller has the most extravagant imagination. Every sentences is a delight. My head explodes at least twice a page. Being a writer myself, using humour, irony, sarcasm and cynism, i am in heaven, with Miller's spirited writing.
God, i'd like to write directly to him, in french, and in an ideal world, he would understant how much i am in love with him (i mean, his book).
Suzanne Myre
Montréal, Québec, Canada
suzonmyre@gmail.com

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

This may be the pinnacle of self-referential fiction. Not really a novel but a reference work to a fictional author's work, this book contains all of the devices academics love in a literary work. From literary allusion to a deceptive narrator to a mocking of genres, the book is one of the few fully realized works of fiction that reflects what has been taught in literature and creative writing classes over the last 20 years. I enjoyed the book more than I thought and realized it may be one of those works that you need to read twice to catch everything.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was an interesting format, and the characters were intriguing. Watching Boswell's descent into insanity is incredibly interesting, and the final reveal that it's him all along makes you want to immediately reread earlier sections of the novel and Dirk's reviews. It also makes you think about Boswell's psyche and delusions and how he feels about himself, which is spooky. His frank accounts of his crimes is chilling.
My only complaint is that the book was probably a little too long once we find out that he killed Dirk.
Overall, though, absorbing and one that makes you think.

[Jeremy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. It was parodic with Nabokovian flair, and engaged wonderfully with the legend of Philip K. Dick. The only thing that keeps me from giving The Cardboard Universe a full five stars is that it fell short of making me actually care about the characters. The humor was best when imagining the fictional world of Pheobus K. Dank.

[Matthew · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very funny but way too long. It started getting old around the half way mark.
I found myself skipping over whole passages just get to the end. I like this guy’s style though and will keep on my radar.

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun read, though out of control as it ends. Picked it up when I was 3/4 novels into the American Library - Philip K. Dick. Now that I've entirely finished the latter collection, I wish I had read its chronology of Dick's life before reading Cardboard Universe. Still, pretty entertaining.

[Motke Dapp]

This was a very original idea and was well done, but there were several other books I was more interested in, so I didn't have the chance to finish it before I had to return it to the library. Don't know that I'll check it out again.

[Jude]

his ma is the sweetest neighbor i have & my dog is obsessed with her dog. can't think of better motivation to read it ;->!

[Andrew · Rating 1 out of 5]

Another weak attempt to innovate of the traditional narrative, resulting (like all of them do) in English professor cum writer pornography.

[Lynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall enjoyable and easy to read, though it dragged on too long in places. The last 150 pages were definitely worth getting to.

[Nathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots to like in here.