Belly, Doc, KUDZU
Date
2022-09-23
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
ORCID
0000-0002-8223-6265
Type
Thesis
Degree Level
Masters
Abstract
Belly, Doc, KUDZU is a magical-realist adventure novel whose setting alternates between the contemporary United States and the realms of Heaven and Hell. The novel's protagonist is Dr. Belvin Turner, a terminally ill molecular biologist tasked by the United States government to discover a means by which human mortality may be extended indefinitely. The novel's title refers to the three different versions of Belvin created over the course of the novel: "Belly" (his liberated soul), "Doc" (his reanimated body), and "KUDZU" (a digitized approximation of his intellect). These various incarnations of Belvin allow the novel to address anxieties such as death and regret from multiple perspectives. The novel employs a humorous satirical lens to explore its subject matter. By highlighting the fallibility of religious figures and institutions, the novel continues a grand literary tradition of religious critique as enjoyed by the authors of its primary influences, specifically Mark Twain, Mikhail Bulgakov, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, and, more recently, Garth Ennis.
Description
Keywords
magical-realism, fantasy
Citation
Degree
Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.)
Department
English
Program
Writing