A Pagan's Nightmare: A Novel

There are dreams and there are nightmares. In the case of Blackston's writing, this nightmare is a dream. How often do Christians show a willingness to laugh at themselves? How often, in any sphere, do humor and intelligence mix? "A Pagan's Nightmare" follows Lanny Hooch and Ned Neutral, two men on the run from the religious zealots who have been left to rule the earth. Lanny and Ned are the minority, while disciples of Marvin the Apostle are everywhere. Eventually, only the faithful will be able to buy and sell products with special currency, while the unbelievers will be forced into conversion by sheer survival instincts. As the story continues, Lanny is focused on finding his missing girlfriend (has she been brainwashed, captured, or taken from the earth?). This search leads him to strange friends, stranger enemies, and a stint aboard Fidel Castro's yacht--don't ask, just read the book! Although there are some jumps in logic regarding Lanny's and Ned's freedom of movement in their fugitive state, this is fun reading. I expected to laugh out loud more than I did--simply because Blackston has had me belly-laughing in previous books--but I did find myself wearing a wry grin through this entire story. I was reminded more than once of Maxx Barry's decidely non-Christian, but brilliantly pointed "Jennifer Government." This is religious satire, masquerading as a post-apocalyptic comedy, disguised as social commentary. And it offers a thought-provoking possibility as to the truth behind its neo-pagan scenario. Blackston, in final analysis, pokes fun at all sorts of sacred cows, serving up some of the best satirical beef I've ever tasted.

I am currently in a love affair with the hilarious, witty, scandalous and sometimes downright outrageous writings of Ray Blackston. Therefore it comes as no great suprise to you that I am about to highly reccomend his latest offering on the altar of instant classics, a rather short page turner called "A Pagan's Nightmare." Complete with deliciously nose-thumbing reccomendations on the back cover ("Riveting! Gripping!! Fabulous!!! Exclaimation Points!!!!" from "Today's Religious Fanatic", and "Thou has made much mockery, therefore, ye shall recieve not our vehement condemnation, but our esteem. For thou hast brought great mirth unto us." from the King James Fiction Review to name a couple). The book gives a simultaneously amusing, thought provoking and chilling view of what a world full of Christians... but devoid of Jesus would look like to an "outsider". A framed story, a non-Christian named Larry submits a novel-cum-movie script to his Agent, Ned. Ned eats the novel up, but his wife a devout Southern Baptist named Annie is less than amused. And by less than amused, I mean a full fledged deep south, sign waving, picnicing protest in his front yard. Meanwhile, Larry hides from his newly accquired girlfriend that she is the love interest in his latest, greatest attempt at the box office. As Ned pedals the manuscript from studio to studio, a wide range of people (from barbers to baptists to crossdressers to college students) read the script and hungrily ask for more. In the same manner, the reader is slowly paced through the novel within the novel. Lanny Hooch is the last Pagan on earth. Well, or one of the last. Deffinitely in the last five. Teaming up with an equally confused Disc Jockey who can't understand why he's now playing songs like "I Wanna Hold Your Tithe" and "Dancing's Wrong;" they seek safe haven from a world that seems determined slather them with doctrine in return for a seat on the giant purple couch next to the apostle Marvin. Lanny doggedly searches for his girlfriend, Miranda, who dissapeared when Delta Airlines switched to Detour Airlines (earthly flights for the heavenly bound). Encoutering such obstacles as $6.66 gas, secret catchphrases, poorly dubbed movies, Cuba and McScriptures, the unlikely pair navigates their way around the globe (in private airplanes, a green Xterra, and Fidel Castro's Yacht), trying to figure out where Miranda is, what in the world is going on, and why King-James-Only-Speaking Marvin alternates between gold and purple robes. :) The resolution of the novel and whether or not they escape or find Miranda or the movie makes it to completion, is, of course, for the reader to find out, but the implications of the novel are much larger than that. A clear thumbing-of-the-nose at "Christianese", legalism and consumerism that dots the horizon in American churches and floods the American "religious right", Blackston paints a 1984-esque picture of what happens in a world where the Church is given absolute p

This book surprised me. After reading all three of Ray Blackston's novels the minute they came out (and finishing them within the 24 hours after purchasing them), I was a little upset when it took me longer than usual to get into the novel. I felt like I was reading two stories at once and I didn't know how I felt about it. But, as I got into it, I found myself just as involved in this one as I have been with Blackston's past three novels. I know, I know. You shouldn't compare, but I couldn't help it. This novel surprised me though as I found myself totally emersed in both Lanny and Larry's stories. I was laughing out loud at their calamities and thinking about the book when I was at work. I even took the book to work and tried to sneak in chapters while no one was lurking around. The ending is NOT what I predicted but I am extremely happy with the turn out. I am pretty sure I fell in love with Lanny and Larry and Ned and Angie just as easily as I fell in love with Jay, Allie and Darcy and the lime green convertible. Ray: is this another fabulous trilogy? I need to know so I can impatiently await the publishing of the next books.

If you are a fan of Ray Blackston and the Flabbergasted trilogy you will need a chapter or two to adjust to this story. It's a dual story line that is easy to follow and once it gets rolling you won't want to put it down. Larry, a screen writer, has written a screenplay about a reverse rapture that leaves the world inhabited by Christian zealots chasing down the last remaining pagans on earth and trying to convert them. Ray Blackston takes the reader back and forth between reading Larry's screenplay and the interaction between Larry, his agent Ned, and other characters in the book struggling with their own faith and beliefs. Contrary to the review by Publishers Weekly, I was NOT hard pressed to find the humor in A PAGANS NIGHTMARE. I was laughing out loud! I disagree with the PW reviewer that says "But the humor falls flat..." and ..."an attempt to persuade the reader that this is good stuff." The humor DOESN'T fall flat and the book is very good stuff. I highly recommend it to anyone whether or not you have read any of Ray Balckston's other books. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I'm looking forward to the sequel AND the Broadway musical!

I was a little skeptical as I started to read this book. I didn't know if I would like the story within the story plot, and one of the main character's (Lanny's) reactions seemed a little unrealistic. But I kept reading, and the stories and the colorful characters pulled me in and wouldn't let me put the book down. The ending is great, a wonderful twist, and reminds us that we should think more as we read; that there could always be more beneath the surface. How the author connected the two running stories was very creative. I would highly recommend reading this book, and then re-reading it. I can't wait for the sequel!