Dr. Identity is the latest creation of D. Harlan Wilson, the man behind the Irreal fiction movement. It is set in a surreal future where everybody who's anybody has an android doppelganger - 'ganger for short - to perform their daily duties for them. Everyone lives in cities; life is too dangerous outside these urban zones: rainforests are filled with dinosaurs, yetis and king kong. The action starts in a university English department, where the plaquedemics rename themselves in honour of their favourite authors. The students are only interested in sex and ultraviolence, and the trouble begins when a 'ganger accidentally kills one - the son of a major funder. More murders follow, then more and more, and soon Dr. Blah Blah Blah and his murderous 'ganger Dr. Identity are on the run, pursued by police (who are actual pigs) and papanazzi. After finding disguises and weapons, they endure battles, daring aerial chases, escape bounty hunters... and kill a whole load more people. But this high life of crime can't go on forever, with outrage and the body count growing...

Drs. Blah and Identity take turns in narrating the story, along with various 3rd person interludes - some interesting, others which seem to have been added simply to show off one idea or other, and are relatively pointless in terms of moving the story forward.

But then, Dr. Identity is a book filled with interesting ideas. I've no doubt that other reviewers will mention subtexts concerning the value of academia, the cult of fame, and obsession with technology - but I'm a fan of story. I liked the idea of the extreme fashion statements (cosmetic love handle implants, suits that morph to blend in with surrounding fashion), cowpigeons, Kevin Bacon clones, TV ads that directly target the unconscious, and a pogoing president in a Texarkana suit. The experience of reading the book, with all these ideas (and many more) dropped in, in an offhand manner, is illuminating. Some ideas strike me as being pretty good, others as funny, and others as alarmingly likely to occur at some point.

It's a humorous book. Entertaining. Weird (of course). It's certainly a caricature of life today - perhaps we should be worried...

Dr. Identity is available now from Raw Dog Screaming Press, and from other outlets - links are at D. Harlan Wilson's website.