Should I Tell You How This Book Works?

‘How The Moon Works’ by Matt Rowan

How the Moon Works by Matt Rowan

How the Moon Works is a collection of surreal short stories by Matt Rowan, published by Cobalt Press last year.

Sometimes people who casually open an article about a specific book—an article, Dear Reader, very much like this one—want to be told exactly what the book is about, what to expect from it, and whether they ought to like it.

But readers who appreciate surrealism and satire may prefer to figure out a book for themselves. They may be upset if the book’s message is explained to them because then they would know How the Moon Works and it wouldn’t be a literary expedition to be had anymore, would it.

Part of me wants to tell you how this book works, and part of me is yelling NO ME SAY IT—

“No Me Say It”

Handle-Hands is the “horrifying host” of a TV infomercial called Welcome to Products That Will Scare You.

“The device was simple. Whenever you tried to say anything, it would caw, via its speakers: ‘NO, ME SAY IT!’ As time went on, and you continued your ownership of it, the noise would get progressively louder. And that might be fine, if it ever stopped getting louder.”

Really:

“You couldn’t listen to the…