Overview

Brooks Landon, a writing professor from the University of Iowa, expresses an idea that aligns with one of the driving forces behind Dave’s novel: "Words should do more than just convey information. Language is itself an experience worth considering quite apart from its reference."

The plot of Is There Another Name for The? is fairly simple: It’s the absurd and funny journey of a robot named Calhoun Snake Tongue who’s jilted by his android girlfriend, Helvetica; disillusioned and humiliated — he blames a rival suitor, an ape named Ron Sansjoy, as well as the company Ron works for (Scientists Have Discovered, Inc.) for his personal suffering. What unfolds is Cal’s twisted attempt at revenge and a quest for meaning in a loveless robot existence.

Whereas many novels are underpinned by plot — Is There Another Name for The? is an experimental work of absurd humor, where the characters, fantasy world (it takes place on a planet named Qwonk in New Jerk City), absurd ideas, and inventive language are the heroes.