The Bend of the World

Peter Morrison, the narrator of Bacharach’s debut, lives an untaxing life. He’s just shy of 30, and is a manager at Pittsburgh, Pa.–based Global Solutions where he surfs the Web all day from his cube. He’s dating Lauren Sara, a disaffected art student whose sculptures mostly resemble chairs. But then Peter’s idle world is shaken up. UFO sightings crop up all over Pittsburgh, and Peter sees one too, though he may have just been wasted. A shadowy Danish company may take over Global Solutions, leaving Peter’s cushy gig in question. And then there’s Johnny, Peter’s lifelong friend, who is spiraling out of control, with drug addictions and a fondness for conspiracy theories threatening to drive him into the arms of a local cult leader. To these tensions, Bacharach adds a playful satire of the Pittsburgh art scene, as well as recurrent references to Nazism, bigotry, and bigfoot. In the midst of all this chaos, Peter occasionally sneaks time to consider forging a more meaningful life for himself, though seldom makes much progress before getting dragged somewhere new—strip clubs, camping—all of which results in a fast-moving, scattered read. (Apr.)