Those of you who live in LA, take note: I’ll be in town for the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books this weekend, participating in a panel called “Fiction: The Post-Modern World” on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. in Franz Hall on the UCLA campus. With me on the panel: Todd Hasak-Lowy, Fiona Maazel, and Jerry Stahl, with Jim Ruland as moderator.
One thing I can promise is that the word “postmodern” is unlikely to come up. The writers involved (myself included) all seem to be more interested in creating fiction about near-future (or present day) gonzo apocalypses than in waxing philosophical about some sort of postmodern condition or any such thing. Which isn’t to say that gonzo apocalypses have nothing to do with what is called postmodernism–as any Pynchonite will quickly inform you–but don’t be put off by that.
The panel’ll be fun, apocalypses and all. Really. I’ll be signing copies of Pop Apocalypse afterward.