Idiots in the Machine, 15th Anniversary Edition

Filled with an unforgettable array of characters, Idiots in the Machine is the off-beat, hilarious and occasionally heartbreaking tale of Noel "Satan" Dorobek, an eccentric near-genius at odds with just about every aspect of society. Given his nickname because he believes that deep beneath the Earth's surface a highly-evolved civilization happily flourishes under the warmth and glow of the planet's molten core without cell phones, postal workers, or Must-See-TV, Satan must, unfortunately, bide his time on the surface until he can discover a passage to this Utopia.

This deliciously dark and comic novel chronicles Satan's vain attempt to find some measure of peace in his miserable life, only to become unexpectedly famous for extolling the health benefits of wearing aluminum foil in an increasingly ozone depleted world. Gathering a cult-like following, this unlikely hero is coerced into leading these disciples by the ultimate trendsetter--a beautiful, charismatic, yet emotionally bankrupt young woman--on an adventure that takes him from the depths of anonymity to the roof of America's tallest building.

Outrageous, provocative, bitingly funny, surprisingly poignant, Edward Savio's literary debut is still striking more than a decade and a half later for its wit, originality, and rather skewed insight into contemporary pop culture.