SHE CAME FROM BEYOND!

A sci-fi television personality has an affair that soon spirals out of control in this strange, funny debut.

Easy Hardwick plays the “much put-upon eye candy role” on a science-fiction parody show (think Mystery Science Theater 3000). She’s a local celebrity in her small Oregon town, and she spends her free time posting on a message board called Cool News. It’s there that she meets Harrison, and their online arguing turns into online flirting. Their affair begins in earnest when they meet in person at a convention, but things get more complicated when Harrison admits that he’s married. Soon, Easy ends up pregnant with twins, and if that isn’t enough, Harrison’s soon-to-be-ex-wife shows up and brings with her some drama that Easy couldn’t even have imagined. Add in her complicated relationships with her gay fathers, and it’s clear that Easy has a bit too much on her plate. While the circumstances around Easy spin wildly out of control, it’s her grounded-yet-comical narration that makes the book stand out. Her snarky asides and darkly funny quips will make readers laugh out loud, even in the face of death, divorce, mental illness, and heartbreak. Darling crafts a debut novel that’s truly like nothing else.

Unexpected comedy and an unusual plot make this a weirdly delightful read.