A review by davidbuchmann
Pym by Mat Johnson

4.0

Very clever satire around the conceit that the events of Poe's Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym actually happened. A critique of the novel's racial ideology and a homage which recapitulates its narrative arc in a way that inverts Poe's color scheme (read Poe first so you don't miss any jokes). I loved how Johnson played with various character types -- the Spelman soror love-interest, her Morehouse-alum entertainment lawyer, the embittered Civil Rights veteran (who gets the funniest scene), the YouTube self-promoting adventure-hound. One complaint, and I'm not going to get into it because of spoilers, but though the "Master of Light" business starts out promising it doesn't really deliver much of a satirical payload or connect satisfyingly with Poe (or else I just didn't get it). All right, one more complaint: at least two gags are repeated verbatim, apparently for the sake of readers who didn't pick them up the first time around -- c'mon, man, trust us a little more.

Smart, funny, and entertaining. Look forward to reading more by Mat Johnson!