Strange Boat - Softcover

Jon Methven’s Strange Boat is the story of Danders Wake, a man raising money to build a new planet. The current world is evolving him outof his home, his job, his religion, his marriage, his sexuality, even his dream of inventing the world’s first pay-for-toilet business, known as Swanktrines. As a member of Manhattan’s high society culture, at first the planet fundraiser is conceived by Wake as a means for him to get his hands on his rightful inheritance, which is stuck in escrow so that he does not sink it into his toilet business. But the planet fundraiser is very literally a bigger project, and becomes the grander goal of a man fighting for hope over hopelessness, and a dream for a civilization that refuses to put aside its differences and distractions in order to save itself from . . . well, itself, or perhaps a really big rock heading its way.

The story is told in the first person plural, by the we” members of a government agency known only as Division:Homeland meets The Office. Their job is to sit in vans outside of supposed fraudulent charities that are raising money for dubious activities, like building a planet.

Strange Boat is a literary and comic take on a growing fascination that our culture has for space travel, the space industry, trips to Mars, survival, and escapism. The novel deals with the insanity, speed and ferocity of modern life and the desperate attempts that we all may make to get away. (Note on the title: It comes from a song, Strange Boat” by The Waterboys. The lyrics: We’re sailing on a strange boat. Heading for a strange shore. Carrying the strangest cargo that was ever hauled aboard.”)

Danders Wake is raising money to build a new planet. After all the current world is evolving him out?out of his home, his job, his religion, his marriage, and even his dream of inventing the world's first pay-for-toilet business, Swanktrines. At first the fundraiser is just a farce. Now that his wife has gone missing and there's no one left to tend to her charities or the Sinks, a near-mythical tribe of traveling do-gooders, Wake just wants to get his hands on his rightful inheritance, which is stuck in escrow to ensure he doesn't sink it into his toilet business. Yet, amidst cults masquerading as charities and a growing paranoia about the safety of this strange new society, suddenly a new planet doesn't seem like such a bad idea. Here unravels the grander goal of a man fighting over civilization that refuses to set aside its differences and distractions in order to save itself from, well, itself, or perhaps, a really big rock heading its way.

While wading through the delusions and fantasies that send us hurtling through modern life, Methven explores the desperate attempts that we all may make to get away. Told by the wry members of a government agency known only as Division, Strange Boat offers a literary and comic take on our culture's growing fascination for space travel, survival, and escapism.