THE DEADHEAD WIZARD

With the help of his late uncle’s possessions, a man may be going crazy or becoming a wizard in DuBay’s fantasy debut, the first installment of a series.

Quin Cunningham is a graphic designer for the Brain Jug ad agency in Los Angeles. His Great Uncle Emmet died recently and left him a trunk full of memorabilia from his time as a Deadhead, or devotee of the Grateful Dead band. For the last few weeks, Quin has been smoking the “bright green herb” from Emmet’s bong. Certain that Emmet was a wizard, Quin wants to activate his own “shamanic DNA.” The problem is, after all of his herb consumption, his wife, Laura, now looks like a “bulgy-eyed demon.” With the help of Imogen Gibbons, a local baker, Laura gets Quin to see a psychiatrist. After an evaluation by Nurse Jarvis, who has fuzzy bear ears, Quin is placed on a 72-hour hold, which is later extended to a two-week hospital stay. His hallucinations continue, and Dr. Hayes informs Quin he’s likely bipolar. Quin visits a parallel dimension called the “inner lair” where he finds Hayes teaching aikido and energy manipulation to acolytes and learns that he can wield White Magic (rare magic of the ether). Once he leaves the inner lair and the hospital, however, he discovers that someone doesn’t want him to master his newfound abilities. DuBay’s skill in deploying pop-culture references (he calls the 1985 film The Goonies“ the Citizen Kane of my generation”) makes his novel a delight for readers who grew up in the 1980s or anyone with a twisted taste in adventure and romance. The novel’s first line, in which Quin sees “a ghost fly out of [his] dog’s butt,” sets the pace for juvenile wackiness. Comic book fans especially will adore a hero who quotes The Amazing Spider-Man line, “With great power comes great responsibility.” Occasionally, the references feel like a comedic crutch, but once DuBay’s villain emerges, the narrative gains true momentum.

This raucous fantasy is a jubilant celebration of kid humor.