Book Review: Daft Mejora’s Infinite Madness

Reviewed by Elizabeth Zender

A thought-provoking alien’s-eye view of a tumultuous United States

Daft Mejora, also known as “The Daft One,” is the alien leader of an Earth expedition disguised as a teenage boy. Daft Mejora’s knowledge of humanity comes from the Internet, seemingly using the dark web as a primary source. 

It is there that he meets DJ, a high school senior whose father is a state senator obsessed with QAnon. Through the Daft One’s eyes, readers explore life in Florida during a pandemic-era United States. At DJ’s school, teachers are armed and ready to take down any threat posed by a student. Follow Daft Mejora and DJ as they experience the world descending into political madness and try to find a way to survive.

The Daft One’s narration can be overwhelming; it is obscene, verbose, and, at times, disjointed. He speaks in run-on sentences and lengthy paragraphs. His voice makes for  difficult moments but intriguing characterization; it is realistic of someone absorbing the culture of an unknown world trying to make sense of it through a narrow lens of understanding. Daft Mejora’s thoughts are unedited and rarely filtered, save for the censoring of a slur with the stereotypical asterisk of the Internet. His narrative is accompanied by the words of The Wise Owl: a living, anthropomorphic owl who speaks solely in rhyme. This only adds to the absurdity of the Daft One’s adventures. 

Even with the satirical nature of the novel, it is easy to get lost in the cacophony of alt-right commentary. The analysis of the anti-vaxxers, the conspiracy theorists, and their peers comes through in the Daft One’s description of the people around him. For example, DJ, the Daft One, and DJ’s father get onto an airplane in the beginning of the novel. Through the Daft One’s description, we are hit with a description of a family of three whose very appearance disgusts Daft Mejora. In addition to this, they stir up trouble on the flight, citing that they feel oppressed on the plane because of mask mandates, seatbelt signs, and the poor flight attendants who are trying to do their job. The pace of the incident is fast, as if it is happening as you are reading it, and Dehmelt’s writing uses the ludicrous situation to poke fun at the hysterical logic of those involved in QAnon and the like. 

This book is not for the faint of heart or the easily offended. If you like political satire, science fiction, and owls who wax poetic, you’ll find your next favorite with Daft Mejora’s Infinite Madness (Or, How to Travel Near America with Friends).

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