Going Native
So many hyperbolic statements have been made about this novel--fromDon DeLillocalling it a "slasher classic," toThe Village Voicecalling it a "mescaline Slurpee," toThe New Yorkercomparing it to Orson Welles's "deliciously sleazy"Touch of Evil--that it can be hard to sort out the truth from the hype. The bottom line is that this is a postmodern road novel about mass media, with multiple allusions to horror movies. As the rave review in the premiere horror critique rag,Necrofile, puts it,Going Nativeis about the "round-the-clock bombardment of inanity and violence that has so thoroughly invaded mundane existence as to render it cartoon-like." If you care about how horror imagery affects modern culture, and you want to have a great time thinking about it, then read this book.