Interviews With the Rauschmonstrum by Nick LaTorre

In the first of the novel’s three sections, readers follow the Rauschmonstrum as he shadows Jesus during the key moments of the Gospels, offering an effective, cynical counterpoint to well-known events. The Rauschmonstrum later becomes a strange kind of media star-living through the centuries and interacting with humans as a well-known but otherworldly celebrity. “Nothing is bigger than coming back from the dead”).

The monstrous protagonist then decides to turn Jesus’ death to his advantage, using his vast powers to convince people of Jesus’ resurrection (“If I do this, then the myths about him will never die,” he thinks. Much to the Rauschmonstrum’s surprise, Jesus is not in on the “ absurd joke that has been played on him,” up to and including the crucifixion. Humans want guidance, he observes, and a moral code set in stone the Rauschmonstrum is aware that there is no God and, as a result, humanity lacks a “divine master.” He volunteers himself for the job, and he quickly decides to inspire a human from Nazareth named Jesus to live a morally exemplary life and lay out a moral framework for humankind. For this reason-and for the sake of “a few chuckles” on his part-the Rauschmonstrum decides to intervene in human history in order to make some kind of mark. There’s no other entity like him, and he suffers from a profound lack of purpose and direction.

A supernatural being searches for meaning in the human world in this novel by LaTorre.Īs this story begins, an amorphous, inhuman being called the Rauschmonstrum has existed about as long as humanity has been on Earth-but all that time, he’s felt truly alone.

Interviews With the Rauschmonstrum by Nick LaTorre