Let This Cup Pass From Me

Norman Spinrad’s 2002 He Walked Among Us is a science fiction messianic fable1 … or possibly an entirely mundane story about deranged people with overlapping manias and the people who exploit them. The novel’s protagonist, Hugo Award winner Dexter Lampkin, was certain that Transformations was his Big Novel. But Transformations didn’t even earn out its advance. On the advice of Harlan Ellison, Dexter turned to cracking out television scripts. This did not produce the accolades that Dexter was sure should be his, but it did deliver the income he and his family needed. Despite his Big Novel’s fate, Dexter does not turn his back on SF conventions. After all, SF conventions provide him with a steady stream of low-self-esteem unattractive fat women with whom he can cheat on his hot wife Ellie. Fate hands Dexter the chance to save the world.