Arcade

June 13, 2016
The debut novel by Smith is the incredibly detailed yet meandering story of an unnamed narratorâwho occasionally goes by Sam with the men he meets for sexâand his indoctrination into the gay cruising culture of a triple-X arcade outside the small present-day Texas town where he lives. Sam harbors intense same-sex desires but is ignorant about and generally dismissive of gay culture as a whole. He becomes addicted to the instant gratification of anonymous sex at the arcade while also continuing to stalk a former lover who spurned him in favor of a more conventional relationship that Sam wasn't at the time willing to offer. While deeply and believably entrenched in the inner life of a closeted man whose circumstances don't allow for a more open relationship with his sexuality, the novel's persistent aimlessness distracts from its occasional beauty. A moving final chapter celebrates cruising places not as scenes of perversion but as sites free of judgment where men with identity struggles can truly be themselves. Though multiple scenes are repeated with little variation (phone calls discussing the exact same things, sex acts in booths, etc.), this is a sharply observed and sometimes witty novel.

A Texas-based debut novel about a man controlled by his sexuality.When Sam finally realizes that his sexual orientation might be different from what society expects of him, he resorts to the internet to find satisfaction. But the Missed Connections vertical on Craigslist is not enough for him. To his surprise, he happens upon a roadside arcade that guarantees anonymity to its customers, that allows for a quick release, and that carries the potential for a connection. For all intents and purposes a XXX video store, the arcade is where the confused Sam soon spends most of his days and nights. There, he meets a cast of men, ranging from a "tweaker" to "a big bull of man," and engages in a variety of activities--most of which will elicit chills and a raised eyebrow. "I could have something like an encounter [at the arcade], a vicarious experience completely free of any fears of infection or the face-to-face intimacy I didn't know how to process," Sam says. The novel oscillates between telling Sam's story outside of the arcade and framing it only in terms of his homosexuality ("I had seen porn magazines before...I remember shaking all over and coming in my pants....I kept shaking after that, searching my room for a hiding spot where no one would look....That was the moment when I knew...I might really be the kind of person you weren't supposed to be"). Smith has created a narrative that entrances its readers, constantly giving us excitement and depicting with audacity the rawness of sexuality. However, the text rarely explores the complexity of coming out in a contemporary environment, reverting to hypersexualized stereotypes of gay men. Smith offers few glimpses into Sam's life outside the arcade, with brief appearances by the genuine love interests and connections Sam has made, but quickly returns to the arcade--as if sex was the only thing on his mind or the only thing he was capable of. Nevertheless, Smith has crafted a daring and compelling debut that sheds light on a rather unusual lifestyle.A sexy and poignant novel that could have done well with a more original exploration of gay mores. COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.