So You Wanna Run a Country?: A Novel (ePub)

"Holohan's prose pops and crackles as he combines an outlandish yet convincing vision of a tech-dominated future reminiscent of William Gibson with the wry wit of Neil Gaiman, and the result proves exceedingly funny . . . Holohan's silly dystopia, replete with ridiculous place names ("Newer York" and "Grander Central Station") and winking acronyms ("Consumer-Responsive Unscripted Drama"), strikes an utterly enjoyable medium between Futurama and Infinite Jest . . . A raucous, engrossing, unsettling whirlwind of a story that is as disarmingly novel as it is disturbingly familiar." —Kirkus Reviews

So You Wanna Run a Country? is a satirical parable of the perils of authoritarianism, nationalism, and device-dependent group-think. After almost a century of being shut off from the rest of the world in self-imposed isolation, the neo-medieval statelet of Inner Azhuur suddenly volunteers to host the next season of the global streaming sensation So You Wanna Run a Country? The producers must now assemble the next crew of unqualified misfits whose ineptitude as they attempt to run the country will entertain millions across the globe.

From Newer York, where homelessness has been rebranded as a lifestyle choice, come our two heroes: Mooney, a vagabond who has pledged his fate to Captain Dude, a mysterious statue attached to a skateboard; and Wendy, a Wall Street rebel on the run. Cast as Regent of Inner Azhuur and Consort to the Regent respectively, they are joined by Skid, a failed Dubliner musician eager to escape his job as a staged street gang member in a fake Glasgow tourist site.

Arriving to Inner Azhuur, these three encounter a world of antiquated and indecipherable customs, all meant to return Inner Azhuur to some perceived former glory. As the reality show unfolds, our misfits become enmeshed in a mad power grab of overweening global ambition and find themselves in a struggle against the all-too-real, ruthless, and sinister power brokers of Inner Azhuur. Holohan's mischievous literary voice is sure to please fans of cyberpunk greats like Philip K. Dick and William Gibson.