The Real Fake Book

Rick Snare materializes on a school bus and arrives at The Brane Institute, where an unruly band of personified brain cells, in collaboration with author Will Sonnet, are expected to conjure characters for a "so-called novel" which Rick will eventually penetrate himself.
First fruits of their efforts are reunited friends Stosh Haddock and Hospice Power, struggling writers transported back to a gladder time by shared memories and a jug of Jumping Jack.
Followed by Ralph Camden, resurrected from a vintage TV comedy, now claiming to have finally reached success as a post-post modern artist.
Merlin Moth, the "Self-Reflective Modern Messenger," inordinately fond of an onion.
Virginia Regent, hailing from the planet Klorocks but, according to Hospice, "out of this world, even were she arrived from next door to borrow sugar."
"New Type" ambassadors Jonni Hastoria, son of King Kullen on Kellog... Demon Boy, a Dryp from Sponge... Jef, a standard push broom from Abuckanawa... and Druid, a freeloading ethereal wizard.
Hillbilly ventriloquist George Davis and his dadaist dummy Original.
G.O.A.T. cult leader Snod Syriack, plotting to "hypnotize some sheep at mass 'n take over the holy vorld," according to Davis.
Wrestler Hercules Berserk, who would have liked to be a "bug doctor" but gets "stuck on the wheel."
Comedian Frank Del Monte, second banana on The Morty London Show, who "traded in twenty years of pickin' up trash with a needle for twenty more of gettin' needled by trash."
Skitch Skiffington, obituary critic for the Post Mortem and nemesis father-in-law Nathan Plate, "not in his right mind."
And Morty London, host of an obscure UHF talk show, where our characters eventually convene before celebrating at the post-show blowout until Citizen Kane reporter Jerry Thompson summons Rick for a nostalgic stroll along the sidewalks of Merrick, Long Island.
Was Modernism ever this much fun?

Born in 1957, Keay grew up in Long Island NY and Pittsburgh PA. Moving to New York City in 1978, he played drums with Harry Toledo, Elodie Lauten, Richard Lloyd, The Vipers, The Coachmen, Sonic Youth and many others. In 1999, he published the novel Fake Book, included by Richard Kostelanetz in his A Dictionary of the Avant-Gardes, Volume 3. He returned to writing with two short novels: Power Park (2021) and Detour Dimension (2024). He has since produced a greatly revised version of Fake Book, now called The Real Fake Book.