Slapstick

A darkly comic, deeply humane novel about loneliness in a fragmented America, this late work by the celebrated American satirist best known for blending science fiction with social critique follows Wilbur Swain, an improbably ugly child who grows up to become the last President of the United States. Alongside his brilliant twin sister, he hatches a plan to cure national alienation by inventing vast artificial families built around shared middle names. By turns absurd and tender, the story explores identity, kinship, and the aching need to belong. Readers drawn to offbeat dystopias, bittersweet humor, and sharp cultural commentary will find much to savor here.