Even the cover of the book says different. A photo of a stoplight sprouts a red patch of shag carpet. Expect to see ripped book jackets in your local book store. Not all the pieces work, of course. These miss-steps, however, are one of the consequences of experimentation.
Mistakes show that an author is brave enough to try something new.
Stein's day job is in comedy development for ABC television. But don't hold that against him. A serious writer has somehow slipped into the system.