The best books on absurdity (to help you deal with an absurdist world)

Why am I passionate about this?

It is said that Michelangelo could see a statue inside of a block of marble. I believe I have a similar gift – I can find the most idiotic angle to any given story or event and free it into the world. Okay, so some gifts are better than others but this “talent” has afforded me the ability to stay relatively sane in a completely nutso era. Relatively. And to underscore my qualifications, I would ask the reader to take a gander at my sample title below. I rest my case.


I wrote...

Zombies for Zombies: Advice and Etiquette for the Living Dead

By David P. Murphy, Daniel Heard (illustrator),

Book cover of Zombies for Zombies: Advice and Etiquette for the Living Dead

What is my book about?

Published in 2009, Z4Z was my first book. The far-fetched premise of this jaunty number involves a global out-of-control virus that wreaks havoc on people and economies (Uhhhh – scratch that far-fetched part…) Anyway, this is a self-help book/system for the recently bitten, offering numerous cheerful products and activities to help slow down the spread of infection. It also features some mighty brilliant artwork by Mr. Daniel Heard. Absurd? Yup, but not as much as, say, Matt Gaetz’s hair. Woof! 

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Welcome to the Monkey House

David P. Murphy Why did I love this book?

Talk about standing the test of time. Good grief, I could lead with any number of Vonnegut books but this one gets the vote because I’m a true believer in the art of the short story. And maybe it’s because I’m a songwriter first -- I love telling a story in a short amount of time. Vonnegut was a master at that. And if you’re looking for absurdity, the classic tale, “Harrison Bergeron,” knocks it out of the park. Here’s the thing, though, about great absurdity: it’s always got an element of truth to it. Like satire, it needs to be rooted in a level of believability. This book will be at the top of my list forever.

By Kurt Vonnegut,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Welcome to the Monkey House as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A MASTERFUL COLLECTION OF TWENTY-FIVE SHORT STORIES FROM THE INIMITABLE AUTHOR OF SLAUGHTERHOUSE 5, KURT VONNEGUT

'Vonnegut is George Orwell, Dr Caligari and Flash Gordon compounded into one writer...a zany but moral mad scientist' Time

A diabolical government asserts control by eliminating orgasms. A scientist discovers the secret to unlocking instant happiness, with unexpected consequences. In an America where everyone is equal every which way, a tennage boy plans to overthrow the system.

Welcome to the Monkey House gathers together twenty-five of Kurt Vonnegut's short stories from the 1950s and 1960s. Shot through with Vonnegut's singular humour, wit and bewilderment…


Book cover of The ACME Catalog: Quality is Our #1 Dream

David P. Murphy Why did I love this book?

The original Looney Tunes should be required viewing for children and adults alike. When I’m King of the World (cue the ominous cellos – wait, we’ve only got one cello? What the hell?), that will be one of my first mandates. Seriously, this book has every beautifully dopey invention from the Wile E. Coyote/Road Runner series, along with a few extras, and the design of the book is stellar.  As the cover says so succinctly: “Quality is our #1 dream.”

By Charles Carney, Scott Grass (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The ACME Catalog as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This hilarious catalogue from Acme Products features loads of useless items - many of which were used by Wile E. Coyote himself in pursuit of the Roadrunner. Starting with a letter to the consumer from Acme President, Canteerya Winan, the book then goes on to showcase page after page of Acme products in all their glory - including both the classics and a whole slew of new and untested products.


Book cover of The Onion Book of Known Knowledge: A Definitive Encyclopaedia of Existing Information

David P. Murphy Why did I love this book?

This is one of those books you can open to any page and immediately start laughing. It resembles an encyclopedia but every given subject is shredded with wit and insight. Personally, I’m eternally grateful to the folks at The Onion for trying to keep up with the organically occurring absurdity in modern life that now has rendered most satire obsolete. It must be a whole lot like dogpaddling. In Jell-O. In the dead of winter.

By The Onion,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Onion Book of Known Knowledge as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Are you a witless cretin with no reason to live? Would you like to know more about every piece of knowledge ever? Do you have cash? Then congratulations, because just in time for the death of the print industry as we know it comes the final book ever published, and the only one you will ever need: The Onion's compendium of all things known. Replete with an astonishing assemblage of facts, illustrations, maps, charts, threats, blood, and additional fees to edify even the most simple-minded book-buyer, THE ONION BOOK OF KNOWN KNOWLEDGE is packed with valuable information-such as the life…


Book cover of National Lampoon's 1964 High School Yearbook

David P. Murphy Why did I love this book?

This hard-to-find book is a masterpiece and I’m not using the term loosely. Doug Kenney and P.J. O’Rourke were responsible for much of this whip-smart gem. The writers perfectly mock every mundane aspect of much of high school life. (For what it’s worth, I genuinely enjoyed high school, but was aslo painfully aware of the deep-seated screwiness of much of the atmosphere.) If you can find this, snap it up. You won’t regret it.

By P. J. O'Rourke (editor), Douglas C. Kenney (editor),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked National Lampoon's 1964 High School Yearbook as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In honor of the thirty-ninth reunion of the class of 1964 of C. Estes Kefauver High School in Dacron, Ohio, a new edition of their hilarious yearbook brings back such zany characters as Chuck U. Farley, Maria Teresa Spermatozoa, Purdy "Psycho" Lee Spackle, and Larry Kroger, accompanied by a "Where are they now?" addendum and a DVD of the popular film Animal House. 100,000 first printing.


Book cover of Flywheel, Shyster and Flywheel: The Marx Brothers' Lost Radio Show

David P. Murphy Why did I love this book?

From 1932-33, Groucho and Chico (two of my role models) appeared on a radio show aired on NBC. It was about a shady law firm (Groucho is Waldorf T. Flywheel – a fine lawyerly name) and you can imagine how that goes. This book contains the scripts of about two dozen episodes, I think. If you’re a Marx Brothers fan, this is a ton of fun. And if you’re not, then I must believe you’re some variety of filthy lout and I would ask you to stand away from me. 

By Michael Barson (editor),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Flywheel, Shyster and Flywheel as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This is a collection of radio scripts of the comedy series starring Groucho, Waldorf and Chico Marx which ran for six months from November 1932. They have recently been discovered and are published here for the first time.


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A Theory of Expanded Love

By Caitlin Hicks,

Book cover of A Theory of Expanded Love

Caitlin Hicks Author Of A Theory of Expanded Love

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

My life and work have been profoundly affected by the central circumstance of my existence: I was born into a very large military Catholic family in the United States of America. As a child surrounded by many others in the 60s, I wrote, performed, and directed family plays with my numerous brothers and sisters. Although I fell in love with a Canadian and moved to Canada, my family of origin still exerts considerable personal influence. My central struggle, coming from that place of chaos, order, and conformity, is to have the courage to live an authentic life based on my own experience of connectedness and individuality, to speak and be heard. 

Caitlin's book list on coming-of-age books that explore belonging, identity, family, and beat with an emotional and/or humorous pulse

What is my book about?

Trapped in her enormous, devout Catholic family in 1963, Annie creates a hilarious campaign of lies when the pope dies and their family friend, Cardinal Stefanucci, is unexpectedly on the shortlist to be elected the first American pope.

Driven to elevate her family to the holiest of holy rollers in the parish, Annie is tortured by her own dishonesty. But when “The Hands” visits her in her bed and when her sister finds herself facing a scandal, Annie discovers her parents will do almost anything to uphold their reputation and keep their secrets safe. 

Questioning all she has believed and torn between her own gut instinct and years of Catholic guilt, Annie takes courageous risks to wrest salvation from the tragic sequence of events set in motion by her parents’ betrayal.

A Theory of Expanded Love

By Caitlin Hicks,


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