I'm not sure if anyone here is familiar with the author David Wong/Jason Pargin. (What the Hell Did I Just Read?, John Dies at the End) As a lover of weird fiction, I've been enjoying his books for some time now. He's also the author of the Zoey Ashe series (Zoey Punches the Future in the Dck*), a series that featured a likable heroine and a cast of absurd characters pitted in equally absurd circumstances with delicious dark humor.

Not anymore. His latest book in the Zoey Ashe series functions as less a novel and more a vehicle for the author to spout his neo-liberal political ideology, complete with buzzwords, with Zoey serving as his mouthpiece. It is unashamedly pro-prostitution and sex pozzi. Zoey claims that the only thing that makes "sex work" dangerous are religious fundies who shame people (men) from visiting brothels and who lobby for prostitution, I'm sorry, "sex work" to remain illegal. I can't tell you how AMAZINGLY tone-deaf this take is. No, Jason, it's not religious zealots who pose a danger to prostitutes. Or not the main danger. It's men on BOTH sides of the political field. It's always men. It always WILL be men. It's the pimps, the johns, the trafficking, the drug addictions, the exploitation, and the ever-present threat of violence. THAT'S what makes prostitution dangerous. How are you this much of an idiot?

Tellingly, there is no mention of feminism anywhere in the book, nor its part in helping women exit prostitution. Porn is mentioned, but no commentary is made on it. (GEE I WONDER WHY?)

The villain is a cartoonishly one-note religious fundie who wants to release an app that "cleanses the filth" from society through removing prostitution and criminalizing abortion, and adultery. So there's no room for argument or nuance. You're either on Zoey's side or the villain's side. That's it. Just like real life.

You know, when I read a book, it's usually to GET AWAY from this shit. I want a story I can get lost in and tune out the world for a while. But now, apparently, we can't have that in modern publishing. Every piece of work that comes out MUST proclaim some sort of allegiance to the woke overlords. I guess it was only a matter of time before Pargin succumbed, probably to keep his writing career.

I can't tell you how incredibly disappointed I am. I'll always love the two previous installments in the series, but Pargin has lost me as a reader. I'd advise anyone to steer clear if they're thinking of reading Zoey Is Too Drunk For This Apocalypse.

PS--The book is also full of ant-white racism and refers to prostitutes of "all genders", just to twist the knife a little deeper.