The Reluctant Journey of Manfred Bugsbee

by Michael Farfel

Manfred Bugsbee wants nothing more than to drink beer and take a nap on his couch. Unfortunately for him, he’s the most important person in an inter-dimensional battle for the fate of all reality. He’s dragged kicking and screaming from one hellish, apocalyptic landscape to the next. He and his companions must face down sun-eating lunatics, hive-minded dog beasts, and extratemporal gods along the way. In the end, Manfred either learns to wield a sword or watches all of existence get wiped out—maybe both. Enjoy the ride!

370 pages, Paperback

Published May 25, 2022

About the author

Michael Farfel's work joyfully unpacks the emergent realities we so often take for granted—be it the strange rituals of domestic life or the potential unreality of home appliance repair. In almost every situation Michael would rather be on a walk with his wife and dog. He currently has two novels out with Montag Press; The Reluctant Journey of Manfred Bugsbee and Glossy Eyed, Buzzy Fly. His short work and poetry has appeared in publications such as X-R-A-Y Lit, Juked, Trampset, and Dialogist. Those pieces and more can be found on his website, MichaelFarfel.com.

Reviews

[Kurtis Kraatz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading Bugsbee is like dreaming. It is a lucid dangerous adventure that the reader lives through, if only just.

Whacky and engrossing

This story is the perfect balance of familiar and ‘novel’.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Reluctant Journey of Manfred Bugsbee (which will be henceforth referred to as Bugsbee to save space) is an interesting novel to say the least, breaking the mold of traditional fantasy and delivering a psychedelic magical joyride that's fast-paced enough that even our hero can't fully follow the action. This is not a high fantasy, swords-and-sorcery, Dungeons & Dragons type adventure with elves and goblins, but the story of the titularly reluctant Manfred as he's forced into the role of "Chosen One" (despite being a doughy ad designer that spends most of the novel either sleeping or crying) in a dying world that he doesn't understand; it's gritty and real, and would be funny in a cosmic sort of way if Manfred wasn't so pathetic that you just feel bad for the guy. Characters and concepts are often introduced quickly and on a need-to-know basis, but in a way that's comprehensible and that allows one to better get into Manny's headspace, as the lack of context often leaves the reader just as lost as he is (I believe this was Farfel's intent), which is an interesting strategy in the show-not-tell school of storytelling. This being said though, I would have killed for a map of the setting; I'm a sucker for a good map in a fiction novel.

I've often compared Bugsbee to The Matrix over any other piece that exists within the fantasy genre, as its plot is more isekai in character, Manfred is a "Chosen One" that only some of his companions believe in, the world as the characters know it is at stake, and our hero inexplicably gains powers most of the way through the plot that help him save the day. Bugsbee 's magic system also sets it apart from other fantasy, seemingly drawing more on eastern mysticism and native shamanistic traditions for the basis of the magic in the story, with a splash of traditional arcane in there for flavor. I can truly say that I've never read something quite like Bugsbee , and likely never will again until a possible sequel comes out.

Bugsbee is overall a fun read for someone whose interested in cutting their teeth on non-traditional indie fantasy, and reading it is an experience I'd recommend. Prospective readers be warned though, the heavy magic sections can be confusing and hard to follow, especially if one is reading while distracted (as I often am). My copy also has a few typos, but it's of the first run, so they'll likely be caught in future printings.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this one last year and adored the hell out of it. A bored ad man selling pillows almost as soft as he is ends up roped into a interdimensional sword and sorcery adventure led by a mysterious jackass of a wizard. Mike goes wild on this one, giving you that joyous, pulpy goodness with reckless abandon, deep care and a wonderful sense of humor. You can tell he was having an amazing time writing these characters, creating these vivid worlds, spells and scenes, and it's deeply infectious to read. The world needs more adventure stories this deeply, weirdly fun.