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Monkey See
Buy directly from ENC $11.00 When asthma research accidentally leads to creation of talking animals, Man must finally confront the question avoided for How will this affect dinner parties? Ed the Talking Monkey is stuck between two worlds, with only one good pair of pants, living in a world he never made. Who isn’t?
When Ed moves out of his cage at the lab and finds an apartment convenient to public transportation, he has to face not only the stares of confused humans but the snobbiness of the more advanced experiments that follow him into the new social scene.
In the space of a few days, he must decide if his best interests lie with the humans, or with a group of the enhanced apes who think the humans are hogging all the best parking spaces at the malls. Meanwhile, he falls in love with a new young monkey at the lab, both of them unaware that one of the researchers has brought her in for an enhancement that is far beyond what any of them can imagine . . . or want.
This hilarious novel sprawls across the social landscape, trips over the moral ottoman, bangs its knee on the political hutch, and knocks over some cultural knickknacks on its way to a gargantuan climax that reassembles the known world into a map of life in all its forms, from the ridiculous to the broken, from monkey to ape to human and back again, from the selfish to the sacrificing, from sea to shining, lonely, moonlit sea.
It also offers a plethora of helpful, practical advice and how-to instructions on throwing inter-species dinner parties, parenting do’s and don’ts, conducting your own fiendish experiments, taunting caged monsters, and effective last words after the taunting turns out to be a mistake.
When Ed moves out of his cage at the lab and finds an apartment convenient to public transportation, he has to face not only the stares of confused humans but the snobbiness of the more advanced experiments that follow him into the new social scene.
In the space of a few days, he must decide if his best interests lie with the humans, or with a group of the enhanced apes who think the humans are hogging all the best parking spaces at the malls. Meanwhile, he falls in love with a new young monkey at the lab, both of them unaware that one of the researchers has brought her in for an enhancement that is far beyond what any of them can imagine . . . or want.
This hilarious novel sprawls across the social landscape, trips over the moral ottoman, bangs its knee on the political hutch, and knocks over some cultural knickknacks on its way to a gargantuan climax that reassembles the known world into a map of life in all its forms, from the ridiculous to the broken, from monkey to ape to human and back again, from the selfish to the sacrificing, from sea to shining, lonely, moonlit sea.
It also offers a plethora of helpful, practical advice and how-to instructions on throwing inter-species dinner parties, parenting do’s and don’ts, conducting your own fiendish experiments, taunting caged monsters, and effective last words after the taunting turns out to be a mistake.
170 pages, Paperback
First published July 15, 2009
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36 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
August 16, 2009
First off, this book is worth reading. The style reminds me of Dave Barry and Richard Armor. It's a funny book. I've seen reviews calling it a novel, but I'm not sure about that. It's more of a long humorous essay, some of it satire on mores and sensibilities, modern society, science, and relationships, with a SF B movie plot underlying it all. I enjoyed the humor and the unconventional construction (it's part story, part manual, with illustrations and tables, too!). It certainly is different from most of the books I've been reading :-).
July 31, 2009
The rare combination of humorous and thought provoking, Maguire has penned a novel that engages the heart and the mind while simultaneously tickling the funny bone. Populating his world with some of the most common sci-fi tropes - mad scientists, taking apes - Maguire is nevertheless able to use these clichés without becoming a cliché. More works by this author will be eagerly anticipated.
June 22, 2009
MONKEY SEE is a charming and satirical examination of the question: "what would happen if monkeys could talk, and they had their own 401(k)s?"
It is also a love story, an etiquette manual for talking apes, parenting help for said primates, and a demented "how-to" guide for the aspiring evil scientist.
You'll notice I used the words "evil scientist", not "mad scientist", because really, you can't explain anything to mad scientists. They spend most of their time frothing at the mouth or terrorizing the village after drinking/injecting/inserting/stepping into/ or otherwise using the newly minted insane formula/device they have created to solve the problem of "what should I do this afternoon after I've finished eating bugs?"
Evil scientists, on the other hand, have a plan.
So it is with Dr. Harold Cogitomni, who is hatching a diabolical (evil) plan, to turn a Spider Monkey (Gigi), into a 60-foot, poison-breathing (to be clear, breath that is poisonous to others), crystal-spike-tailed behemoth capable of crushing houses and tanks. (Always a useful ability in a behemoth, or even your run-of-the-mill leviathan.)
The only force working against the unluckly-in-love Cogitomni is Ed the Talking Monkey. Now, it should be noted that Ed is actually a Bonobo, and therefore, an ape, not a monkey. Much is made of this distinction between ape and monkey, but I think it's fair to say we can all agree that we're primates. Let's face it, whether you're a gigantic Spider Monkey compelled by an evil scientist to destroy Congress, an angry chimp with your own spear-wielding army (General Chekchek in MONKEY SEE) or a human novel reader finding yourself unhinged by an instruction manual on how best to taunt your evil scientific creation into raining terror on other puny humans, we all still have to face the question: "what should I have for lunch?" (Unless you're the Spider Monkey, in which case the answer is irradiated bananas.)
Is this the craziest book I've ever read? Well, I'd be lying if I said I didn't find it challenging at times, but I've read much more wacky, less plot-oriented stuff -- John Hodgman's THE AREAS OF MY EXPERTISE, for example, which I also enjoyed. What I liked about MONKEY SEE is the voice of the writer Walt Maguire, which is conversational and sardonic at times, pointed and humorous at others. Don't be fooled by the easy tone and off-the-wall plot, though. Like other ENC Press books, MONKEY SEE is assuredly about something, and it will make you think.
At the heart of this novel is the question of technology. Just because we can do something doesn't necessarily mean we should do something. Now, this is taken to extremes in the case of Gigi the Spider Monkey, who eventually becomes Giga-Spide (the aforementioned 60-foot behemoth), but it brings the issue into focus. At times I'm afraid that we don't question this enough. It seems as though every new advance is de facto something that we must adopt. It's just not true -- talk to the Amish.
I don't think this book will be for everyone, which is not surprising, given ENC's credo, to be: "the intelligent alternative to fiction publishers who target the broadest possible audience." It is a jarring and entertaining read -- especially if you are in love with the idea of talking monkeys -- and who knows, you might even discover why apes get so testy if you call them a monkey.
Personally, I don't care (just think about how cool it would be if your significant other called you a "love monkey") but boy, does it enrage General Kang.
At the very least, it will make you think about science (evil, and otherwise), how we should be treating our primate cousins, and laugh along the way.
Available from ENC Press. You can also get it as an e-book on Scribd. (In the interests of full disclosure, I should probably mention that ENC is the publisher of my first book, THE AMADEUS NET.) You can check out an excerpt at the ENC site.
It is also a love story, an etiquette manual for talking apes, parenting help for said primates, and a demented "how-to" guide for the aspiring evil scientist.
You'll notice I used the words "evil scientist", not "mad scientist", because really, you can't explain anything to mad scientists. They spend most of their time frothing at the mouth or terrorizing the village after drinking/injecting/inserting/stepping into/ or otherwise using the newly minted insane formula/device they have created to solve the problem of "what should I do this afternoon after I've finished eating bugs?"
Evil scientists, on the other hand, have a plan.
So it is with Dr. Harold Cogitomni, who is hatching a diabolical (evil) plan, to turn a Spider Monkey (Gigi), into a 60-foot, poison-breathing (to be clear, breath that is poisonous to others), crystal-spike-tailed behemoth capable of crushing houses and tanks. (Always a useful ability in a behemoth, or even your run-of-the-mill leviathan.)
The only force working against the unluckly-in-love Cogitomni is Ed the Talking Monkey. Now, it should be noted that Ed is actually a Bonobo, and therefore, an ape, not a monkey. Much is made of this distinction between ape and monkey, but I think it's fair to say we can all agree that we're primates. Let's face it, whether you're a gigantic Spider Monkey compelled by an evil scientist to destroy Congress, an angry chimp with your own spear-wielding army (General Chekchek in MONKEY SEE) or a human novel reader finding yourself unhinged by an instruction manual on how best to taunt your evil scientific creation into raining terror on other puny humans, we all still have to face the question: "what should I have for lunch?" (Unless you're the Spider Monkey, in which case the answer is irradiated bananas.)
Is this the craziest book I've ever read? Well, I'd be lying if I said I didn't find it challenging at times, but I've read much more wacky, less plot-oriented stuff -- John Hodgman's THE AREAS OF MY EXPERTISE, for example, which I also enjoyed. What I liked about MONKEY SEE is the voice of the writer Walt Maguire, which is conversational and sardonic at times, pointed and humorous at others. Don't be fooled by the easy tone and off-the-wall plot, though. Like other ENC Press books, MONKEY SEE is assuredly about something, and it will make you think.
At the heart of this novel is the question of technology. Just because we can do something doesn't necessarily mean we should do something. Now, this is taken to extremes in the case of Gigi the Spider Monkey, who eventually becomes Giga-Spide (the aforementioned 60-foot behemoth), but it brings the issue into focus. At times I'm afraid that we don't question this enough. It seems as though every new advance is de facto something that we must adopt. It's just not true -- talk to the Amish.
I don't think this book will be for everyone, which is not surprising, given ENC's credo, to be: "the intelligent alternative to fiction publishers who target the broadest possible audience." It is a jarring and entertaining read -- especially if you are in love with the idea of talking monkeys -- and who knows, you might even discover why apes get so testy if you call them a monkey.
Personally, I don't care (just think about how cool it would be if your significant other called you a "love monkey") but boy, does it enrage General Kang.
At the very least, it will make you think about science (evil, and otherwise), how we should be treating our primate cousins, and laugh along the way.
Available from ENC Press. You can also get it as an e-book on Scribd. (In the interests of full disclosure, I should probably mention that ENC is the publisher of my first book, THE AMADEUS NET.) You can check out an excerpt at the ENC site.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 21, 2009
What author Walt Maguire has created cannot justifiably be called a novel. “Monkey See” is an evaluation of human life, a social satire, a how-to guide for creating talking monkey children, an advice column for dealing with teenagers, an analysis of cultural values, and a collection of recipes all bound together. Whether your interests lie in learning the proper etiquette for a job interview with an ape overlord, or if you were really only searching for a user-friendly chart to help you find the perfect name for your newly created monkey mutant, “Monkey See” is a highly informative and a truly laugh-out-loud read.
Mixed in with guidelines to follow for your own fiendish at-home lab experiment is the story of Ed the Talking Monkey, created accidentally by power-obsessed scientist Dr. Cogitomni, and Gigi, the Doctor’s newest experimental plan for world domination. Ed attempts to find a suitable place for himself in a society, which is either human, or evil monkey army. He is also confused by his romantic attachment to Gigi, the soon-to-be sixty foot tall monster with spikes and killer breath.
Being the first stage of talking ape, Ed is neither equipped to understand the social world of humans, nor is he of the same intellectual capacity as other talking ape spawn. It seems he is truly the only one of his kind, and must therefore struggle with his place among primates. A similar situation exists also for Gigi, who is designed to be the ultimate diabolical monster, and yet cannot get on board with the idea.
Reading “Monkey See,” I laughed from start to finish. This “novel” is full of scientific information regarding primates, ridiculous footnotes that keep surprising you with their absurdity, and genuinely witty writing. It’s impossible not to laugh after reading parenting advice for your ape child’s proper development that urges you to hire a trained professional to do the job: “…if you are the sort of person who had taken the time and effort to create a talking ape, you are unlikely to have the parenting skills necessary to do anything except emotionally cripple those around you.”
Don’t let your new life as mad scientist, parent to mutant apes, and prospective dominator of the world overwhelm you. Let Walt Maguire walk you through it.
Mixed in with guidelines to follow for your own fiendish at-home lab experiment is the story of Ed the Talking Monkey, created accidentally by power-obsessed scientist Dr. Cogitomni, and Gigi, the Doctor’s newest experimental plan for world domination. Ed attempts to find a suitable place for himself in a society, which is either human, or evil monkey army. He is also confused by his romantic attachment to Gigi, the soon-to-be sixty foot tall monster with spikes and killer breath.
Being the first stage of talking ape, Ed is neither equipped to understand the social world of humans, nor is he of the same intellectual capacity as other talking ape spawn. It seems he is truly the only one of his kind, and must therefore struggle with his place among primates. A similar situation exists also for Gigi, who is designed to be the ultimate diabolical monster, and yet cannot get on board with the idea.
Reading “Monkey See,” I laughed from start to finish. This “novel” is full of scientific information regarding primates, ridiculous footnotes that keep surprising you with their absurdity, and genuinely witty writing. It’s impossible not to laugh after reading parenting advice for your ape child’s proper development that urges you to hire a trained professional to do the job: “…if you are the sort of person who had taken the time and effort to create a talking ape, you are unlikely to have the parenting skills necessary to do anything except emotionally cripple those around you.”
Don’t let your new life as mad scientist, parent to mutant apes, and prospective dominator of the world overwhelm you. Let Walt Maguire walk you through it.
September 30, 2009
If the movies “King Kong” and “Young Frankenstein” had a book for a child, Monkey See would be that book. It is a wildly schemed, crazy literary experiment involving monkeys, which is, not surprisingly, inventive and unpredictable and completely hilarious. The protagonist (if you will), Ed the talking monkey, is created accidentally by a mad scientist and know it all, Dr. Cogitomni.
Although there is a plot of sorts in Monkey See and we find ourselves reading about Ed and Dr. Cogitomni in a world that has seen the appearance of business savvy apes and war mongering orangutans, it’s what author Walt Maguire does once he has created this world scenario that makes the book stand out. It’s part recipe book for monkey meals, has chapters that answer important questions concerning how to throw successful parties with monkey, ape, and human guests, is fifteen percent “Mad Scientist: for Idiots”, and just for flavor it’s a parenting guide when you’re having trouble raising that evil genetically engineered teenage girl spider monkey.
Don’t be surprised if at some point during the reading of Monkey See you turn it over to examine the front cover, making sure you didn’t pick up the wrong book and continue reading on the same page by mistake. Each chapter leads to an even weirder chapter, the weirder the funnier, the funnier the better, nonstop.
Read it, you’ll see.
Walt Maguire has written (and illustrated) something here that is so very different from an everyday novel, and if he has to subject his characters to cataclysmic property damage, broken monkey hearts, and (purposefully) poorly chosen last words, inhumane or not, damn the ethics and let him work!
Although there is a plot of sorts in Monkey See and we find ourselves reading about Ed and Dr. Cogitomni in a world that has seen the appearance of business savvy apes and war mongering orangutans, it’s what author Walt Maguire does once he has created this world scenario that makes the book stand out. It’s part recipe book for monkey meals, has chapters that answer important questions concerning how to throw successful parties with monkey, ape, and human guests, is fifteen percent “Mad Scientist: for Idiots”, and just for flavor it’s a parenting guide when you’re having trouble raising that evil genetically engineered teenage girl spider monkey.
Don’t be surprised if at some point during the reading of Monkey See you turn it over to examine the front cover, making sure you didn’t pick up the wrong book and continue reading on the same page by mistake. Each chapter leads to an even weirder chapter, the weirder the funnier, the funnier the better, nonstop.
Read it, you’ll see.
Walt Maguire has written (and illustrated) something here that is so very different from an everyday novel, and if he has to subject his characters to cataclysmic property damage, broken monkey hearts, and (purposefully) poorly chosen last words, inhumane or not, damn the ethics and let him work!
October 26, 2010
In Walt Maguire’s novel Monkey See, readers are thrown into this fantastical journey that is part how-to guide, part humorous essay.
The story revolves around Ed the Talking Monkey, an accidental creation of Dr. Cogitomni, a rather power-obsessed scientist. After being approached by General Chekchek, Ed is forced to choose between two worlds: humans and primates.
To avoid hanging too heavily on readers, Maguire mixes up the flow of the story by incorporating elements such as guidelines to create your own home lab experiment and how to throw dinner parties for multiple species. Not only are these distinctive additions hilarious, but they also show that Maguire doesn’t take himself too seriously as an author, which I appreciated the most.
While reading Money See, it is also easy to see that Maguire’s work was developmental rather than structural. It seems as though there were no set characters set at the beginning of the story yet with each page that was turned, these characters seemed to develop into unique individuals that had their own personalities.
Monkey See is a must-read for any person wanting to escape the world of knowns and travel into a world where species co-exist as one and anything can happen.
The story revolves around Ed the Talking Monkey, an accidental creation of Dr. Cogitomni, a rather power-obsessed scientist. After being approached by General Chekchek, Ed is forced to choose between two worlds: humans and primates.
To avoid hanging too heavily on readers, Maguire mixes up the flow of the story by incorporating elements such as guidelines to create your own home lab experiment and how to throw dinner parties for multiple species. Not only are these distinctive additions hilarious, but they also show that Maguire doesn’t take himself too seriously as an author, which I appreciated the most.
While reading Money See, it is also easy to see that Maguire’s work was developmental rather than structural. It seems as though there were no set characters set at the beginning of the story yet with each page that was turned, these characters seemed to develop into unique individuals that had their own personalities.
Monkey See is a must-read for any person wanting to escape the world of knowns and travel into a world where species co-exist as one and anything can happen.
August 23, 2011
When I read the comment:”A jarring and entertaining read—especially if you are in love with the idea of talking monkeys” by The Skwib, I knew I had to read Monkey See. When research on asthma goes ary and accidentally leads to the creation of monkeys, you know you are in for a awesome book. Ed the Talking Monkey is trapped between two words: humans and the group of scientifically advanced monkeys. While dealing with this situation, Ed falls in love with a young monkey. What they don’t know is that the researcher who brought her in for enhancement has more in mind than the usual. The idea for the book came from a friend of the author’s who falls apart at the mention of talking monkeys. Maguire was motivated to write a talking monkey book that was actually funny. Maguire successfully gave us a funny talking monkey book with thought provoking ideas. An excellent read for anyone who loves talking monkeys.
July 29, 2009
Centainly this is not my kind of book, im not much of a sci-fi fan or stuff like that, but even though i laugh at the idea of the monkey situation..
This book is a very rich reading because it is so well written , it has everything from laugh, love, what-if... even has talking mokeys! so even though it wasn't exactly what i would look for in a bookstore im very glad i read it and i would recommend to read this book to anyone who is thinking baout it but hasn't decide yet.
This book is a very rich reading because it is so well written , it has everything from laugh, love, what-if... even has talking mokeys! so even though it wasn't exactly what i would look for in a bookstore im very glad i read it and i would recommend to read this book to anyone who is thinking baout it but hasn't decide yet.
June 13, 2012
On its surface, Monkey See by Walt Maguire is an absurdly funny novel about genetic experimentation, and a parody of the Planet of the Apes. Below the silly exterior, however, is a thoughtful meditation on humanity’s lust for power and the unintended consequences of our actions.
Monkey See tells the story of Ed the Talking Monkey, who is actually a talking Bonobo. Ed was genetically engineered by Dr. Cogitomni, an archetypal mad scientist. After he creates Ed, Dr. Cogitomni, who is on an irrational quest for unfettered power, decides to create a monstrous spider monkey to do his bidding. Ed, meanwhile, gets involved with a group of talking apes who are plotting the overthrow of humanity.
By giving apes language and self-awareness, scientists have inadvertently made them aware of their emotions and experiences. Maguire often narrates from the perspective of the apes, and as readers, we sympathize with them. And as we sympathize with the subjects of human experimentation, we become aware of humanity’s cruelty – and our inability to fully understand the impact of our actions.
Monkey See is a very entertaining novel. It is full of sci-fi parody, quirky illustrations, and deadpan humor. I really enjoyed it, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys sci-fi and satire.
Monkey See tells the story of Ed the Talking Monkey, who is actually a talking Bonobo. Ed was genetically engineered by Dr. Cogitomni, an archetypal mad scientist. After he creates Ed, Dr. Cogitomni, who is on an irrational quest for unfettered power, decides to create a monstrous spider monkey to do his bidding. Ed, meanwhile, gets involved with a group of talking apes who are plotting the overthrow of humanity.
By giving apes language and self-awareness, scientists have inadvertently made them aware of their emotions and experiences. Maguire often narrates from the perspective of the apes, and as readers, we sympathize with them. And as we sympathize with the subjects of human experimentation, we become aware of humanity’s cruelty – and our inability to fully understand the impact of our actions.
Monkey See is a very entertaining novel. It is full of sci-fi parody, quirky illustrations, and deadpan humor. I really enjoyed it, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys sci-fi and satire.
August 5, 2009
First I must say this book was really funny! It had some great parts, esp when the author describes the qualifications for being a mad scientist. It was also quite unique, as I've never read anything quite like it. Kind of a creepy concept--monkeys and gorillas more or less taking over.
I think what prevented me from giving this a 3-star rating was that I got tripped up a lot by all the footnotes. It just made it difficult to focus on the story.
Although the footnotes WERE funny! If you like and appreciate unique ideas and off-beat humor, pick this one up!
I think what prevented me from giving this a 3-star rating was that I got tripped up a lot by all the footnotes. It just made it difficult to focus on the story.
Although the footnotes WERE funny! If you like and appreciate unique ideas and off-beat humor, pick this one up!
April 21, 2013
I read this in two sittings on a commuter train. I'm normally a four, silent reader. I laughed out loud enough to annoy my fellow passengers.
I want to take a roofie and read the whole thing again for the first time.
I want to take a roofie and read the whole thing again for the first time.
Want to read
September 6, 2009Received this after entering a First Reads giveaway. The first time I started, I couldn't really get into it past page 30 or so. Will give it another go in a few weeks.
September 25, 2009
This book was way to weird for me. It talked about monkeys taking over the world and talking, I just did not like this book.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews