This time, it starts with an alien bug eating a man's brain. Then there's a specter that manifests inside of John's wall and gets sliced up. So begins an ouroboros of a tale involving cults, alternate time lines, the end of the world, and a possessed plastic toy. This fourth entry in Pargin's John Dies at the End series is less frenetic than its predecessor, What the Hell Did I Just Read (2017, as David Wong). Within the snarky humor is an incisive commentary on social media and the state of our connected world, and a story about trauma and how people lash out when they're hurt. It's a story about love and how people can be better. It's rewarding to witness how Pargin has grown as a writer. He's less interested in the gimmick and more focused on his characters. His compassion runs deep. This isn't just a funny tale of inept supernatural investigators; it's a story of people struggling through pain to find a better path. Pargin offers us a welcome note of hope.

Reintroducing readers to catchers of cosmic chaos Dave, John, and Amy, Pargin (Zoe Punches the Future in the Dick) once again delights with scathing social commentary thinly disguised as an outrageous action novel. The trio of heroes have been keeping busyish in their work as investigators and streamers of the possibly paranormal phenomena in the American city of Undisclosed. Their latest job leads them to the Galveston family, whose nine-year-old daughter, Gracie, is being strangely affected by her trendy new toy, Magpie, an egg players have to feed, via app, until it "hatches" into a stuffed animal. Of course, things go sideways, fast, as the intrepid heroes begin experiencing déjà vu and missing time in the search for the demonic suspect, Xarcrax. Pargin delivers his signature bizarre and vivid visuals ("Into view stepped a man playing a guitar that was covered in thick black fur, wearing a mask of chiseled black stone, a vest of human foreskins, a winged speedo like the one Sting wore in Dune, thigh-high leather boots, and nothing else") alongside a bold, frank examination of societal norms that perpetuate cycles of poverty, helplessness, and generational trauma. This is a feast. Agent: Scott Miller, Trident Media. (Oct.)