Snotty Saves the Day: The History of Arcadia

Fairy tales and Biblical stories come true in this amusing debut mash-up of folklore and Christian allegory. Snotty, a young hustler from a poor district of Megalopolis, falls down the rabbit hole into a world where unicorns are hunted and giant garden gnomes rule over sheep. Proclaimed Sun God, Snotty is offered the temptation of ruling the world, as long as he signs the customary contract with the sweet-talking Luc (a.k.a. Mr Big). Filled with regret, Snotty refuses, rediscovers his true self, recovers lost friends, and in the process, remakes a slice of Megalopolis into the small-town refuge of Arcadia. Readers with a fantasy bent will note the traditional fairy tale elements (there are teddy bears and they do picnic), as those with Christian sensibilities will know to pronounce "Luc" with a soft %E2%80%98c'. Dressed up with footnotes, scholarly introductions and a bibliography, as well as lovely line drawings by Gary Zaboly, Snotty's story seeks to prove that fairy tales rank with quantum mechanics in their ability to establish parallel worlds where Small is Beautiful and Powerful but must also be constantly defended against False Ideas. (May)