Pocket Kings

Heller's novel about a failed writer offers an unlikable protagonist, vivid writing and a comic depiction of our most disgraceful inner states. --The New York Times Book Review, Editor's Choice list

Highly entertaining . . . Pocket Kings is, in spirit, the comical sequel to Frederick Exley's Fan's Notes, the classic and psychologically tragic depiction of machismo mediocrity. --The New York Times Book Review

Ted Heller's brazen, often hilarious and always disturbing new novel, Pocket Kings, is a hybrid love letter and suicide note to 21st-century publishing . . . What seemed at first to be a smart if limited satire about publishing and online gambling becomes an illuminating and fully realized story about identity and reputation in the digital age. At its best, Pocket Kings explores authentic existence and the desperate extremes to which a man will go to be recognized in an industry that he, like so many others, despises and loves. --The Washington Post

[A] recklessly funny, sparky satire of our obsession with the virtual world. --Vanity Fair

Pocket Kings is the kind of reading fun that offers nutritional value and not just empty calories. Ted Heller's third novel is a satirical, charming literary ride. --Buffalo News

A poignant, funny satire ... Heller's prose is razor sharp and his cultural reference points are spot on. In fact it's all so believable that you have to wonder about Mr. Heller's own online poker credentials. Watch out for him at the virtual tables. --CultureMob

Heller (Slab Rat, Funnymen) seems to have inherited the satire gene from his father, Joseph. --New York Post

The pace is fast, the plot twisty, and the satire bites viciously. --Library Journal

Laugh-out-loud funny . . . There is a certain Everyman quality to Frank, whose hopes gradually fade away but whose self-deprecating humor helps carry him through his midlife angst and denial of addiction; you want to wish him well. --Booklist

A well-crafted and entertaining satire. --Publishers Weekly