Cranial Fracking

by Ian Frazier

Dispatches from the front lines of American culture by the great humorist

Ian Frazier, the two-time winner of the Thurber Prize for American Humor, has gathered his insights on the most urgent issues of today in Cranial Fracking . From musings on climate change (what did Al Gore say at his colloquium on the rising temperatures in Hell?) to the state of culture (what do you do when you’re afflicted with Loss of Funding?) to Texas (what should we do with Texas?), he has all the answers. Or, at the very least, a lot of questions.

Frazier is endlessly curious and perpetually delighted, and seeing the absurdity of the world through his eyes is irresistible. Once more, the author of Hogs Wild and Travels in Siberia has struck oil.

Genres: Essays, Humor

192 pages, Paperback

First published September 7, 2021

About the author

Ian Frazier (b.1951) is an American writer and humorist. He is the author of Travels in Siberia, Great Plains, On the Rez, Lamentations of the Father and Coyote V. Acme, among other works, all published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. He graduated from Harvard University. A frequent contributor to The New Yorker, he lives in Montclair, New Jersey.

http://us.macmillan.com/author/ianfra...

Reviews

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cranial Fracking is a delightful collection of satirical, absurdist, just downright funny takes on modern life. Ian Frazier writes of so many aspects of daily existence I doubt any reader could make it through this volume without at least a few chuckles and some outright laughs. I have many favorites and there weren’t many misses.

I don’t really like discussing story premises too much because it could deprive you, a future reader, of future enjoyment. But I will try a few brief ideas. In “Deniers,” the confluence of worsening climate change and flying sharks is addressed, as are threats to the public. Another essay discusses what should be done with the state of Texas?, a major question concerning the American people. For sheer pleasure, there’s “Enough to Make a Dog Laugh,” a treatise on the human/dog relationship (as opposed to cat).

I recommend this collection as a relaxing, enjoyable read with a spark of “aha” moments. My rating is 4.5* rounded to 5*

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

[Pop Bop · Rating 4 out of 5]

World's Funniest Straight Man

These are not "humorous essays" in any traditional sense. That is, these are not commentaries on current events or cultural issues that have been spiced up with a few clever one-liners and a couple of edgy zingers. Rather, Frazier starts with an odd or absurd framework/premise and then spins off all of the logical and illogical consequences or implications of that initial antic premise. It is straight faced and deadpan, and frequently hilarious.

So, in "By the Foot" a mega-billionaire describes how he's going to redecorate Wyoming, now that he's bought the entire state. The article is written straight, and manages to mock entitled billionaires, home redecorating puff pieces, and wealth inequality. The title piece, "Cranial Fracking" is a description of the complications that arise when one leases one's cranium to an oil company to allow for brain fracking for natural gas. It is as odd and yet on point as you would expect.

Lots of other goodies - a man of 64 giving advice to his 63 year old self, a brutal takedown of making time to talk to your kids, the indignity of artificial unintelligence.

There are some other pieces that are more in the classic style. Frazier's signature piece, which has circulated everywhere for years, is "Lamentations of the Father". In this collection we get a companion piece, "Walking Normally: The Facts",which is a sort of call and response dialogue between an exasperated father and a young child about all of the ridiculous childish things the child is doing in public. It's another potential classic, but at a bare minimum I would hazard that there's not a single parent reader who won't be tickled by it.

So, I love deadpan humor, and admire writers who can set it up and consistently pull it off in an essay form. While not everything here is gold there are way, way more hits than misses, and the whole collection was a satisfying hoot.

(Please note that I had a chance to read a free advance ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

[Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think Ian Frazier is simply the funniest writer alive. Plus the writing itself is simply excellent, and that combination is hard to beat. It's amazing that someone who has written such brilliant long non-fiction like "Travels in Siberia" and "Family" could also be a great humorist, but there you go.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delirious and at times hilarious. For instance, try getting out of being a scoutmaster (In My Defense) when you suddenly realize you are an atheist, but do believe in dinosaurs. If you love the laughter of dogs, who put up with us distracted humans, there's a piece on that lucky arrangement for us too.

[Tom Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hilarious.