Forever After: A Dark Comedy

by David Jester

Overview

Michael Holland is a grim reaper working the worst beat in the worst town. Michael’s best friend is a pot-smoking tooth fairy, his boss is the angel of death, his psychiatrist can read his mind, and he counts bogeymen, demons, and clones as his acquaintances.

His nine-to-five is a succession of stupidity, clearing up the remains of the latest Darwin Award winner or dealing with the detritus of some apocalyptic clerical error, and it only seems to be getting worse. Michael is as equally disillusioned with death as he was with life, but at least life made more sense.

In Forever After, Michael starts to question whether his immortality is really worth having. He sees clueless souls cross over every day, and battling confused succubi, tormented psychopaths, evil henchmen, and even a demon who thinks he’s Santa Claus is getting boring. Is there something more exciting for this grim reaper to do in this sad little town? This darkly humorous novel is set in a fantasy world that exists parallel to ours—a world where anything is possible, very little makes sense, and nothing is as it seems.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781510704367
Publisher:	Skyhorse
Publication date:	08/01/2017
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.20(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

David Jester lives in the northeast of England with his wife and their pets. When he is not working on his next novel or short story, he works as a freelance writer. He has been writing for as long as he can remember, with his first short story published when he was eighteen and his first novel published a decade later. He lives in Newcastle, England, United Kingdom.

Editorial Reviews

07/03/2017
Jester (An Idiot in Marriage) makes an unsuccessful foray into dark comedy that simply tries too hard. For the 30 years since Michael Holland’s untimely death, he’s worked as a reaper who collects the souls of the dead and turns them in for credits, like an Uber driver of the afterlife. He has the worst beat in his anonymous town: Brittleside, the home of the dregs of society. The series of interconnected vignettes, many told through Michael’s conversations with his psychiatrist, details Michael’s metamorphosis from a simple bystander in his own existence to an active but very annoying participant who’s fueled by self-righteous indignation. The catalyst for his change is an unknown force who has taken great offense at the reaper’s side assignment of sleuthing. Along with his friends Chip (who exists to be a source for toilet humor) and Naff (a record keeper whose characterization is paper-thin), Michael stumbles through cases involving mysterious werewolf deaths, clones, Santa Claus, and a serial killer. The novel’s rapid vacillation among graphic horror, psychological thriller, and Michael’s agitated musings ensures that it’s light on comedy but heavy on lowbrow jokes. Most readers won’t last to the thoroughly unsatisfying cliffhanger ending. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

"Forever After at its heart is the story of one individual—who happens to be immortal—struggling to find meaning and purpose in a seemingly indifferent universe. The tale is an unflinching witness to the beauty and ugliness of the human condition, all the while cycling rapidly between the wickedly funny, melancholia, acerbic satire, and the occasional touching moment." —Mark Cain, Circles in Hell

"Jester has pulled off rare thing here. He’s crafted a fantasy tale drenched in biting satire, fun, darkness, but also gives us a nice touch of the feels. Open this one up, dig in, and let it swallow you whole.” —Mike McCrary author of Genuinely Dangerous and Remo Went Rogue

"As far as I know, Christopher Moore is not terminally ill. However, if he happens to be, it seems like David Jester would be a natural heir to the throne of his darkly comedic brand of fiction. Charged with a cynically philosophical look at mortality and often touching insights into the bumbling emotions of humans, Forever After blends squalid realism with a playful sense of bizarre fantasy to create a wildly appealing and entertaining book." —Andersen Prunty, author of This Town Needs a Monster

"Forever After at its heart is the story of one individual—who happens to be immortal—struggling to find meaning and purpose in a seemingly indifferent universe. The tale is an unflinching witness to the beauty and ugliness of the human condition, all the while cycling rapidly between the wickedly funny, melancholia, acerbic satire, and the occasional touching moment." —Mark Cain, Circles in Hell

"Jester has pulled off rare thing here. He’s crafted a fantasy tale drenched in biting satire, fun, darkness, but also gives us a nice touch of the feels. Open this one up, dig in, and let it swallow you whole.” —Mike McCrary author of Genuinely Dangerous and Remo Went Rogue

"As far as I know, Christopher Moore is not terminally ill. However, if he happens to be, it seems like David Jester would be a natural heir to the throne of his darkly comedic brand of fiction. Charged with a cynically philosophical look at mortality and often touching insights into the bumbling emotions of humans, Forever After blends squalid realism with a playful sense of bizarre fantasy to create a wildly appealing and entertaining book." —Andersen Prunty, author of This Town Needs a Monster

From the Publisher