The Man of Maybe Half-a-Dozen Faces
That's what the letters on the cloudy glass of the door say. But Skylight himself isn't too clear on who he is or what he's doing when a beautiful woman walks in and asks him to help. Her brother is missing.
Skylight confers at once with his colleagues: Dennis, Dieter, Lulu, Scarface, and the Average Guy. Then he makes up their mind, and we're off on one of the wildest P.I. novels in years.
You see, Skylight isn't always himself. In fact, he has a number of distinct modes, all of whom are helping him catch the madman who's killing off "documentalists" (being the people who write computer manuals).
But the killer might not be the biggest problem for Skylight. Nor is it liable to be the two obstructing officers representing the finest in law enforcement that Eugene, Oregon, has to offer. No, Skylight's biggest danger is himself.
He has a problem.
A tap-dancing problem, to be exact.
Skylight Howells is a problem dancer. And it's going to take some fancy footwork for this gumshoe to solve the case.
The Man of Maybe Half-a-Dozen Faces is a wonderfully inventive mystery novel that seems to be tailor-made for enthusiasts of the work of Jonathan Lethem, Richard Brautigan, Neal Stephenson, Russell Greenan, Thomas Berger, and Arthur Murray. It's also great for anyone looking for a good read. Kick up your heels and enjoy!
Ray Vukcevich
Ray Vukcevich (born 1946) is a writer of fantasy and literary fiction. His loopy, sometimes surreal stories have been compared to the works of R. A. Lafferty, George Saunders, and David Sedaris. Some seventy-five stories, with titles such as "White Guys in Space," have appeared in science fiction and literary magazines. His online novelette The Wages of Syntax was on the Nebula Award final ballot.
Vukcevich's novel The Man of Maybe Half a Dozen Faces was published by Minotaur Books in 2000. A collection of short stories — Meet Me in the Moon Room — was published in 2001 by Small Beer Press.
Originally from Arizona, he now lives in Eugene, Oregon. He is a member of the Wordos writers' group.