Comedian Chris Elliott's Novel The Shroud of the Thwacker

Guys of a certain age and temperament can't help but smile when they hear the name Chris Elliott. Being securely fastened inside the rollercoaster ride that is middle-age, I first discovered the comic….genius, shall we say…of Mr. Elliott courtesy of his hilarious characters on Late Night with David Letterman.

Back when Dave would interview big stars while wearing athletic shoes and jeans, back when his show was truly surreal, the highlight of many shows revolved around Chris Elliott's surly realization of such instant classic characters as The Guy Under the Seats, The Regulator Guy and, of course, The Fugitive Guy. At times it almost actually seemed as Dave and Chris maybe deep down inside really didn't care much about each other. It was classic comedy.

It also paved the way for Chris Elliott to get his own show, the late lamented Get a Life. Get a Life suffered on two fronts: One it was on the still fledgling Fox Network before The Simpsons ensured that it would have staying power. And two, it was just too far out and surreal for a nation that embraced Twin Peaks when it was a murder mystery, but rejected it when it became a postmodern exemplar of meta-television.

Although there are some episodes available on DVD, as of this date there are no season boxed sets. When they do come out, make sure to get Season 1 and then afterward make up your mind on Season 2. The first season is classic, especially the submarine episode.

Chris Elliott next hit the big screen in Cabin Boy. As much as Get a Life was ignored by television audiences, Cabin Boy was avoided even more extremely by movie audiences. Which is a terrible shame because if Cabin Boy came out today, it would qualify as the one of the top five comedies of the decade. Again, however, Elliott's quirky and off-kilter sense of humor made it almost impossible for the movie to generate mass appeal.

Which brings us to Chris Elliott's latest salvo against expectations. He has written a novel! The title alone almost ensures that Chris will now become a cult celebrity in three different media. The Shroud of the Thwacker is a kind of comic take on such books as Caleb Carr's The Alienist, with a little bit of The DaVinci Code and even Gangs of New York thrown in.

The main characters are the NCNYPD Police Chief (you'll have to find out for yourself what the NC in front of NYPD stands for), a reporter named Liz Smith (no, not that Liz Smith) and the flatulent Mayor of New York, Teddy Roosevelt (yes, THAT Teddy Roosevelt.) Elliott himself is also a major character in the book as he relates with stunning accuracy not only the events that took place in 1880s Gotham, but also the thoughts and, yes, even the dreams of the characters.

The plot involves the chase for a Jack the Ripper type named, well, Jack the Thwacker. It is labyrinthine, as these kinds of novels should be, involving men without jawbones, a toddler crime gang and Yoko Ono. Elliott's effusively eccentric writing style reminds me of the writing of MST3K writer/actor Michael J. Nelson.

If you've ever read any of Nelson's ironic movie reviews, you'll feel right at home among Elliott's bizarre novel. For instance, the Thwacker part of the story takes place in the 1880s, but several times Teddy Roosevelt's charge up San Juan Hill is mentioned, followed quickly by the mention that this event won't take place for another decade or so.

This kind of writing can get old fast if not handled well. Fortunately, Elliott places it within the context of interesting characters engaged in a good story. Even if you aren't a Chris Elliott fan, or if you have no idea who he is, if you enjoy comic novels or suspense novels, there is something to be found inside these pages to entertain you. Chris Elliott has now managed to produce cult hits in television, film and book form. What's next?

Chris Elliott has yet to conquer the world of the internet. But perhaps that isn't far away.