The Wall of America

September 22, 2008
Decrying but not despairing, this collection of 19 later short pieces by author and poet Disch (1940–2008) lovingly tears into the realities and fantasies of American life. Belief and delusion walk side by side as primal fears of vampirism overtake so-called civilized society (“The White Man”) and alien abduction hoaxes are used to rescue abused children (“The Abduction of Bunny Steiner, or, A Shameless Lie”). Art is commerce in “Canned Goods” and it's transcendence in “The Wall of America,” and Disch offers delicious revenge on those who exploit art as mere entertainment (“One Night, or, Scheherazade's Bare Minimum”) or treat it condescendingly as a charity case (“The First Annual Performance Art Festival at the Slaughter Rock Battlefield”). Though sometimes light and slight, these tales show Disch at his masterful, acerbic best.

November 15, 2008
Disch, who died in July 2008, leaves a legacy of brilliantly written poetry, essays, and fiction, including such classic sf novels as Camp Concentration (1968) and 334 (1974). His final story collection offers 19 satiric and often surreal stories that showcase his legendarily versatile imagination and keen eye for the absurd. In the title story, the NEA and the Department of Homeland Security team up to offer itinerant artists space to create their masterpieces on the 2,000-mile wall separating Canada from the U.S. In the postapocalyptic society depicted in Canned Goods, an art connoisseur barters away his cherished paintings for a handful of food supplies. The protagonist of Ringtime is a criminal trafficking in memories, illicit and otherwise, recorded on small metal rings. Whether Disch is eavesdropping on the conversations of geriatric serial killers or dissecting the literary ambitions of a UFO abductee, his subtle wit and provocative ideas are irresistibly captivating. His distinctive voice in sf will be sorely missed.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)