The Best-Known Man in the World & Other Misfits [Paperback]

Daniel Pearlman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2001

Twelve imaginative, fantastical stories from the author of BLACK FLAMES and THE FINAL DREAM & OTHER FICTIONS. With wit and wordplay and unforgettable characters, the tales will entrance you. As stated in the Providence Journal, Pearlman "writes with a fluid gracefulness and wit that frolics and riffs like a jazz musician taking off for the sheer linguistic pleasures of what words can be made to do." Cover art by Frank Wu.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Pearlman writes slices of ordinary life seen from strange angles and of strange life viewed as though they were ordinary. Events in them aren't always what they seem. The opening story, "The Best-Known Man in the World," follows a poet who records his life in increasingly minute detail, only to become known not for his poetry but for the life he has archived. The concluding story, "Zeno Evil," is a disturbing and clever take on the ancient Greek's famous paradox. The tales in between delve into everything from the secret treasures of the Vatican to the bizarre love life of a circus midget. As the title's ending suggests, the stories' characters all live on some fringe or other, whether it be a self-maintained fantasy world, as in "Death in the Des(s)ert," or a remote Jewish community in Russia, as in "The Colonel's Jeep." Whatever the situation, each tale's skewed perspective on a fictional identity provides insight into everyday life along with a surreal and fantastic reading experience. Regina Schroeder
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"A collection for thoughtful readers who want more than blazing blasters in their SF." -- Science Fiction Chronicle, January 2002

"A single story by Daniel Pearlman signals the world that here's a rare and wonderful talent." -- Joe R. Lansdale, Author of The Bottoms

"Dan Pearlman's intricately constructed stories are postmodern parables--as well as being plain damn funny" -- Paul DiFilippo, author of LOST PAGES

"Daniel Pearlman's stories are perfectly-crafted gems. They are stories I treasure." -- Jack Dann, Nebula and World Fantasy Award winner

"Each tale's skewed perspective on a fictional identity provides insight into everyday life...a surreal and fantastic reading experience." -- Booklist Magazine

A strong, albeit quirky use of the fantastic....Pearlman is a talented, sharp and entertaining writer. -- Rain Taxi, Winter, 2001-2002

Buy it. Tell your friends to buy it. Make it a best-selling classic. It's that good. -- Strange Horizons, April 15, 2002

It's a rich world of the fantastic that offers wares as fascinating as the gifts we've been afforded by Pearlman. -- The Washington Post

On the short list of the best story collections of 2001. -- Science Fiction Chronicle magazine, February, 2002

This witty, funny, intellectually clever and often mesmerizing collection of odd tales and odder folk is a sheer delight. -- The Providence (RI) Journal, November 11, 2001

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Aardwolf Pr; 1st edition (September 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0970622503
• ISBN-13: 978-0970622501
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,936,289 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

My academic books include the well-known writing textbook GUIDE TO RAPID REVISION (now in its 8th edition) and a book of literary criticism, THE BARB OF TIME: ON THE CANTOS OF EZRA POUND (Oxford U. P.).

Beginning with the 1980s, however, my writing interests switched entirely to fiction.

As of January, 2012,I have published about sixty short stories and novellas, most of which have been collected in three volumes: THE FINAL DREAM & OTHER FICTIONS (Permeable, 1995); THE BEST-KNOWN MAN IN THE WORLD & OTHER MISFITS (Aardwolf, 2001); and A GIANT IN THE HOUSE & OTHER EXCESSES (Merry Blacksmith, 2011). My two novels to date are BLACK FLAMES (White Pine Press, 1997); and MEMINI (Prime/Wildside, 2003). Details at my homepage: ddpearlman.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pearlman's Tales, December 7, 2001

By 

Sylvia B. Shaw (Sutton, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Best-Known Man in the World & Other Misfits (Paperback)

Pearlman's collection, The Best Known Man in the World & Other Misfits, will keep you on your toes. No two stories are alike. If you think you've got Pearlman's style pegged after the first story, a Borges-style intellectual entree, read on. There's a strongly bawdy, comedic style at work in many of the stories. Even when the conceit stretches into the far-fetched, as in "The Circus Hand's Desertion," the sheer virtuosity of word play is remarkable. " "The Vatican's Secret" is hilarious; it is sexy and witty; even when the sensuality is disturbing, as in "The Fall of the House," or "Death in the Des(s)ert," Pearlman captures the struggling soul with wonderful poignancy.
His characters are unforgettable: a comically self-centered writer; bungling conspirators in Cuba; a lovable Italian femme fatale who rescues her mild-mannered husband; a cardinal who wants fig leafs in the Vatican's stautary replaced with the original genitalia; a German WWII colonel who rides around in an American jeep and tangles with dark magic; a Vietnam veteran who returns to his home on the day it's slated for demolition; an man whose time is up and is expected to die meekly; a young Greek warrior who pursues the sensuous hetaira far beyond the battle field; all these and others await the reader.
Certainly you will like some stories better than others. All, however, are marvelously crafted. As a writer of literary nonfiction, I can appreciate the enormous research that has gone into these stories. I strongly recommend this collection for its sheer breadth and vigor.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Witty and Intelligent, October 10, 2001

By 

Jerry Wynne (Wisconsin, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Best-Known Man in the World & Other Misfits (Paperback)

The stories in this collection are just fantastic. Pearlman writes with great wit, and the stories are engaging and beautifully written. Some of the stories have a touch (or more) of science fiction, some have a touch of fantasy, and some are just plain eccentric, but they're all superb. Among the best are the title story, which is definitely good for a few laughs, and "Death in the Des(s)ert", which is dead serious and very disturbing. I highly recommend this book!