Elvissey

Elvissey is a science fiction novel set in 2033, where the powerful Dryco corporation dominates a world plagued by climate disasters and rising seas. The story centers on a corporate mission to extract a young Elvis Presley from an alternate timeline to counter a religious movement that worships Elvis as a divine figure. The narrative follows Iz and John, married Dryco operatives tasked with traveling to a parallel universe to retrieve Elvis. Their target timeline diverged from known history when Lincoln was assassinated early, resulting in a world where the Civil War never happened and racial segregation persisted well into the 20th century. Corporate power, religious fanaticism, and time travel mechanics interweave in a world where Dryco maintains control through manipulation of both present and past. The mission unfolds against the backdrop of a drastically altered New York, where the original city lies threatened by rising waters while a new metropolis stands on higher ground. The novel explores themes of identity, historical determinism, and the commodification of cultural icons in a corporate-dominated future. Through its parallel universe premise, it raises questions about how small changes in history can create profound societal differences.

Readers note this is the most challenging and complex book in Womack's Dryco series. Many struggle with the dense, fragmented writing style and heavy use of future slang. Readers praise: - The noir atmosphere and dystopian world-building - Creative handling of time travel concepts - Dark humor scattered throughout - The unique linguistic style (for those who can parse it) Common criticisms: - Nearly impenetrable prose requires multiple readings - Hard to follow the plot through the experimental language - Some find it pretentious and unnecessarily difficult - Character motivations remain unclear Ratings: Goodreads: 3.7/5 (200+ ratings) Amazon: 3.5/5 (15 ratings) Reader quote: "Like A Clockwork Orange crossed with an Elvis biography written in future-speak." - Goodreads reviewer Several readers recommend starting with earlier Dryco books before attempting Elvissey, as the writing style is less extreme in those entries.

The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick The alternate history premise explores a world where small historical changes led to drastically different societal outcomes, similar to Elvissey's parallel timeline concept.

Company Town by Madeline Ashby Set in a future where corporations control society, this story follows a security operative working for a powerful company that dominates a resource-depleted world.

Pattern Recognition by William Gibson The narrative deals with the commodification of cultural icons and corporate manipulation in a near-future setting, reflecting Elvissey's themes of corporate control and cultural exploitation.

Anathem by Neal Stephenson This book incorporates parallel universe theory and the manipulation of time-space, expanding on the multiverse concepts present in Elvissey.

The Light Ages by Ian R. MacLeod The story presents an alternate industrial revolution where corporations wield immense power through control of supernatural resources, mirroring Elvissey's corporate-dominated dystopia.

🎸 The novel won the Philip K. Dick Award in 1994, placing it among notable works that explore reality-bending themes similar to Dick's own writing 🌍 "Elvissey" is part of Womack's "Dryco" series, set in the same dystopian universe as his other novels including "Random Acts of Senseless Violence" and "Heathern" 👑 The book's exploration of Elvis as a religious figure mirrors real-world phenomena, as there are actual Elvis-based religions, including the 24 Hour Church of Elvis and the First Presleyterian Church ⌛ The novel's alternate timeline concept where the Civil War never happened reflects a popular subgenre of science fiction called "alternate history," pioneered by works like Philip K. Dick's "The Man in the High Castle" 🏢 Womack's portrayal of corporate dominance in 2033 was influenced by his experiences working in the publishing industry during the massive corporate consolidations of the 1980s and early 1990s