Dystpopia!: Hero's Quest (Dystpopia! #1)

“Pirandello and Mel Brooks go YA in this hilarious meta-fictional fantasy.” – BookLife Reviews (Editor's Pick)

Who’s really in charge of this story? Murray the author, a 45-year-old recently divorced down-on-his-luck writer? Or Hero, his 17-year-old, tough-as-nails female protagonist? While Hero battles him for control over her own story, Murray is left wondering—is he going crazy? Or is there something else going on?

As Hero fights to save her own Kingdom of Dystpopia in its deadly war against the Queendom of Fant, the two biggest powers in the surrounding metropolitan area known as the Lands, a post-apocalyptic desert wasteland of misery, she suddenly hears the Author, the weaver of all things, in her head. Unfortunately, he’s about to throw out the story and go back to his paying job of writing technical manuals. Luckily, and true to her name, Hero convinces Murray to keep writing, er, weaving the story. But when something magical happens and she starts to control things in her very own story, Author and Hero, much like father and daughter, begin to fight between themselves. He even gave her an enemy-to-lover boyfriend who she despises! So, as she sets out on the desolate roads on her own, against Murray’s wishes, she meets a wild cast of characters. Oh, and Murray wants you to know there are flying zombies. But Hero wants you to know she killed them all. But Murray wants you to know it was an exciting scene. But Hero wants you to know she’s the one who did all the work. Oh, wait, it’s happening again.

Can they eventually work together to save her kingdom? Or will Fant’s evil magic take over the Lands? And there’s something about an Aunt Cordelia, who is also a serial killer. But this isn’t your typical mystery novel. Actually, it’s not a mystery novel at all. We really don’t know what it is [Shameless metadata plug: it’s the first book in a hilarious young adult sci-fi fantasy humor series, supposedly. Will you agree?].