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This Unhappy Planet
This Unhappy Planet
California: everyone is visualizing their own reality, and two guys are getting rich off it. Then one day a young marine decides to walk into the ocean, and everything changes. A twisted comedy of manners set in Southern California during the end of the George W. Bush years, where two friends create a business to exploit those around them who hunger to become masters of their own reality. As their "Spiritual Fitness Club" takes off, hardworking but naïve Jack is forced to deal with the dark, amoral tendencies of his wife and the mysterious past of their top guru.
Book Excerpt
ou could hear a kind of grumbling noise coming from her room, but it wasn't totally clear if it was her voice or just the sound of stuff being tossed around in the room. Either way, she was announcing to the people of the world that they should get ready to receive her.
Hannah knew she had at least five minutes before she was summoned so she opened up her organizer and checked her schedule. Couple of things lined up.
Violet came from her room with a mad brow on her. But she was still a treasure, full of surprises and bursts of deep joy. Hannah swept Violet up in her arms and for no reason that you could really put your finger on she felt her future as an old woman and the joy of a surprise visit from her daughter, all grown. As the spare key turned in the door, Old Lady Hannah looked out on a black field of cold soil full of skull-like tubers.
Ever since she was young, Hannah had occasionally flown to the future. Or maybe, ever since she became an old woman her mind had flown vividly back
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This Unhappy Planet is a satirical dramedy about two guys who hatch a scheme to open a chain of spiritual fitness clubs, hoping to get rich quick off of bored yoga moms and affluent New Age seekers. Its brilliance is in Marc's ability to lampoon both the main characters' cynicism as well as the distinctly SoCal brand of pseudo-spiritualism without veering into the realm of mean-spirited caricatures. The characters are imbued with such depth and shading, they are rendered so completely believable, that you can't help but empathize with them even while laughing at their foibles.
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