Until the Last Dog Dies

(Paperback)

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A young stand-up comedian must adapt to an apocalyptic virus affecting peoples sense of humor in this darkly satirical debut novel.

What happens when all humor is wiped off the face of the Earth

Around the world, an unusual viral plague is striking the population. The virus attacks only one particular section of the brain. It isnt fatal, but it results in the victims sense of humor being obliterated. No one is immune.

Elliot Greeley, a young stand-up comedian starving his way through alternative comedy clubs in Los Angeles, isnt even certain the virus is real at first. But as the pandemic begins to eat away at the very heart of civilization itself, the virus affects Elliot and his close knit group of comedian friends in increasingly personal ways. What would you consider the end of the world

Until the Last Dog Dies is a sharp, cutting satire, both a clever twist on apocalyptic fiction and a poignant look at the things that make us human.

Reviews

By turns mystical and ashcan-real, insanely funny and grimly ghastly, Guffeys novel cuts a zigzag trail through conventionality as it follows Elliot Greeley in his half-serious, half jesting quest for some deeper meaning to existence. If you build your life on laughs, what happens when the laughs disappear Kissing cousin to Max Barrys novel Lexicon, about killer language, and to Ben Marcuss The Flame Alphabet, about language killed, Guffeys standup debut is standout speculative fiction. Paul DiFilippo, Locus

Taps into the cultural zeitgeist . . . A nihilistic satire that takes the idea that death is easy and comedy is hard to a whole new level.Kirkus Reviews

Guffeys debut takes full advantage of an absurd, unexpected premise, delivering one of the strangest dystopian novels in a year filled with them.B&N Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog

Guffeys sardonic, cleverly written comedic debut relies heavily on absurd synchronicity, bold characterization, and heavy irony to make its points about the apocalyptic nature of American humorlessness.Publishers Weekly

Not only a novel unique to this [political] moment, but one that is to comedy what Catch-22 was to war. One of the great books of the year. Adam-Troy Castro, Sci Fi Magazine

A playful amalgam of Andy Kaufman and Philip K. Dick by way of Shaun of the Dead. Damien Lincoln Ober, author of Doctor Benjamin Franklin's Dream America

This satirical tale explores the role of comedy in maintaining a healthy democracy. . . . A clever concept.Kirkus Reviews
By turns mystical and ashcan-real, insanely funny and grimly ghastly, Guffeys novel cuts a zigzag trail through conventionality as it follows Elliot Greeley in his half-serious, half jesting quest for some deeper meaning to existence. If you build your life on laughs, what happens when the laughs disappear Kissing cousin to Max Barrys novel Lexicon, about killer language, and to Ben Marcuss The Flame Alphabet, about language killed, Guffeys standup debut is standout speculative fiction. Paul DiFilippo, Locus

Taps into the cultural zeitgeist . . . A nihilistic satire that takes the idea that death is easy and comedy is hard to a whole new level.Kirkus Reviews

Guffeys debut takes full advantage of an absurd, unexpected premise, delivering one of the strangest dystopian novels in a year filled with them.B&N Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog

Guffeys sardonic, cleverly written comedic debut relies heavily on absurd synchronicity, bold characterization, and heavy irony to make its points about the apocalyptic nature of American humorlessness.Publishers Weekly

Not only a novel unique to this [political] moment, but one that is to comedy what Catch-22 was to war. One of the great books of the year. Adam-Troy Castro, Sci Fi Magazine

A playful amalgam of Andy Kaufman and Philip K. Dick by way of Shaun of the Dead. Damien Lincoln Ober, author of Doctor Benjamin Franklin's Dream America

This satirical tale explores the role of comedy in maintaining a healthy democracy. . . . A clever concept.Kirkus Reviews

Author Bio

Robert Guffey is the author of Chameleo: A Strange but True Story of Invisible Spies, Heroin Addiction, and Homeland Security, a collection of novellas entitled Spies & Saucers, and Cryptoscatology: Conspiracy Theory as Art Form. Hes also published short stories in such publications as The Mailer Review, Pearl, Postscripts, and The Third Alternative.