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Lint by Steve Aylett
01/10/2005 . Source: Phil Jones 
pub: Thunder's Mouth Press. 223 page enlarged paperback. Price: $14.95 (US). ISBN: 1-56025-684-2. Buy from Amazon US - Buy from Amazon UK
nb: US titles may only be available from Amazon US, and UK titles from Amazon UK. check out website: www.avalonpub.com and www.jefflint.com
Jeff Lint. Now there's a name to conjure with. Never heard of him? A pulp fiction author that would very nearly become famous in his lifetime but not quite. Steve Aylett delves deep into the wallowy marshmallowness that was Lint's purported life.
He died almost straight after a near-death experience. Some would say suspiciously at the same time as Steve Aylett published his first book. The first emanation of Lint in the public eye, so to speak, was a short story in TTA's 'The Third Alternative' (soon to be 'Black Static'). Also, there is a comprehensive website on Lint at www.jefflint.com.
Anyway, Lint is probably the strangest satirical pulp fiction author to have ever been delineated. Making the likes of Ed Wood look tame. At the start of his career, writing under the pen name of Isaac Asimov, he published stories in 'Amazing Stories' magazine. One for practical jokes, he constantly fought with rival authors, his antics keeping him in the public eye and away from fame for his work. Some may describe him as obnoxious, others as just eccentric or just plain weird. Always playing on the outside edge of fame and popularity. We get uproarious snippets from his books such as 'Jelly Result', 'One Last Bastard' and the graphic novel 'Nose Furnace'. An outline of his books is gloriously presented by Aylett as well as Lint's deprecated attempts at a script for the first series of 'Star Trek' which is outstanding funny. Along with descriptions and development of the films 'Patton' and 'Funny Girl', we are also graced with pictures of book covers and excepts from Lint's comicbooks.
For some bizarre reason, this was a man though who would present manuscripts to his publisher attired as a woman. Lint still churned out pulp at an astounding rate. We are also graced with the familiar authors such as Kerouac and Burroughs raising their heads along with the likes of Gene Roddenbury. Lint's life is as weird as the worlds he creates.
So truth seekers, was Lint real or just a creation of Steve Aylett's crazed mind, a satirical hi-jinks aimed at the world of pulp Science Fiction. The trail is there for you to follow. Which ever way you deliberate it, this is a clever book. Sometimes a bit over-powering but when Aylett's firing on all valves, there are true moments of inspiration.
So if this is a satirical work of fiction then Aylett has produced an impressively presented work. You are bombarded from the first page with strange sentence form and a strange use of language. 'I seem to be outliving my ears' and 'Modern architecture is about endurance on all sides' are just a couple of examples. He seems to unnerve you just with language. There is also a barrage of satirical jokes with nearly ever line often going off in a multitude of angles. Almost going beyond surreal at times albeit I would say this is probably the most accessible of all his books. He weaves a wonderful tale of Lint's life along with truly imaginative books, comics, films and scripts in the world that is Lint.
If you are a fan of pulp writers you will love the humour in this book, some sections are a bit off the mark but altogether this is a really funny book that's well worth a read.
Phil Jones
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