Absolute Zero Cool
A fictional version of writer Burke is confronted by a character from an unfinished novel. Karlsson, the now-corporeal character, is irked at the limbo he has been left in. Burke is under pressure from his publisher to submit his next manuscript, but Karlsson is alternately charming and cheeky, and Burke agrees to let him write his own story, the tale of a poorly paid Irish hospital orderly who euthanizes terminal patients and is planning to blow up the sprawling hospital. Ultimately, Burke is forced to thwart Billy’s (Karlsson renames himself) plan to destroy the hospital. Metafiction? Postmodern noir? These and other labels will be applied to Burke’s newest; any might be apt, but none is sufficient. Absolute Zero Cool is largely a literary novel that draws on history, mythology, and literature to insightfully discuss writing, books, parenting, relationships, health care, and dying with dignity. Bits of Burke’s comic noir (The Big O, 2008) appear, but they serve to subvert the form. Noir fans may not care for this one, but lovers of literary fiction will find much to savor. --Thomas Gaughan