I’m Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom

Strident and timely, the dark humor of this wild standalone adventure from Pargin (Zoe Is Too Drunk for This Dystopia) evokes satirists like Kurt Vonnegut and Douglas Adams for a new age. Abbott Coburn, 26, is a product of his generation: his anxiety levels are through the roof; he finds solace online; and he feels disconnected from the father with whom he still lives. Then he has a chance encounter with an oddly dressed woman, Ether, who offers him a life-changing amount of money in exchange for driving her and her mysterious black box from California to Washington, D.C., in four days. The rules are simple: no phones or other devices, no questions about the box, and no looking inside. Their headlong flight is complicated by several pursuers: a mysterious, tattooed man; a retired FBI agent; and a wave of internet rumors represented by chat room messages interspersed throughout. The biggest impediment to success, however, is Abbott himself. The plot consists of a chaotic string of misadventures that feels even more out-there than Pargin’s typical fare, but ultimately leads to some harsh truths about life in the digital age and offers a surprising amount of hope for the future. It’s a raucous roller-coaster ride. Agent: Scott Miller, Trident Media Group. (Sept.)