Puff Love by John Sladek

Release date: August 16, 2020
Subgenre: Humorous mystery

About Puff Love:

 

Puff Love is John Sladek’s final novel, completed just before his early death in 2000. A mystery story with the traditional elements of a discovered corpse, a crowd of suspects and a reluctant sleuth with an unusual sidekick, Puff Love has all the qualities associated with John Sladek's best work: a gentle parodic wit, inventive ideas and a wholly original way of looking at modern life.

 

Excerpt:

 

A presentation at the board meeting of General Snuff & Tobacco Company:

But of all target markets, there is one large, unexploited market, completely ignored by our competitors, but ready for us. This is –”
The music became bright and up-tempo. “The youth market.”
There were a few gasps from those junior executives who weren’t in on the planning. They, like everyone else, looked intently at the screen, which now showed a cartoon playground full of cute cartoon kids.
Yes, I said the youth market. A place where we can sell MORE than tobacco. We can sell the GST concept, the entire GST family of friendly products.” Cartoon kids bounced around the screen, swinging, sliding, seesawing, now and then pausing to light up.
Ask yourself: Why does the idea of kids smoking have such a negative image today? After all, kids have always smoked. Many of you probably smoked as a kid. It did you no harm.”
The music became somber. “Who says smoking is bad for kids?” The screen showed a parade of cartoon villains – a bloated, corrupt senator with dollar-sign bribes sticking out of his pockets, a skinny, mean-faced bearded man in sandals clutching a BAN SMOKING sign, a sinister doctor brandishing a glittering hypodermic. “Yes, the same people who stop us smoking on airplanes and at work are also busy stopping kids from smoking at school. Well now, we’ve had enough do-gooding. We’ve had enough political correctness. We’re fighting back, RIGHT NOW!”
Light spilled in as the doors at the end of the room opened, and a woman from the Swallow & Swift agency began wheeling in a tall, three-tier cart. Every tier of the cart was filled with bright-colored boxes and gadgets. The people at the table were craning in the dim light to see what they were.
“The youth market,” said Swifty, “is ours. Ladies and gentlemen, Denise is bringing in our samples of – what the hell?”
It was going wrong. The woman screamed and lurched sideways. She seemed to be struggling with some hideous furry animal on her back. Then she fell over sideways, taking the top heavy cart with her. They could hear her thrashing in the semi-darkness. She screamed again. The animal was screaming too, and they could see glimpses of glittering teeth.
The panicky executives could see a stranger silhouetted in the doorway. He was shouting, “Bingo! Bingo!”
Then the wild thing began leaping and bounding about the room, with the stranger stumbling after it. It scrambled up a wall, clinging to a portrait of the company founder. When the portrait crashed down, it leapt to the top of a credenza, scattering coffee flasks and china, flinging doughnuts. It hopped up on the conference table, where it began kicking over cups. And still it screamed.
“Eeeeeee!”

 

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About John Sladek:

Born in Iowa in 1937, Sladek lived and worked in Britain for many years, and became a key member of the New Wave movement. He wrote many science fiction and mystery novels, as well as scores of short stories (many of which are included in the Ansible Editions collections Maps and New Maps). He also produced some deeply amusing works of sceptical non-fiction, debunking cults, astrology and anti-Stratfordians. Sladek returned to the USA in 1986 and, sad to say, died there in 2000.

 

Wikipedia | ISFDB

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