The Land of Laughs

Jonathan Carroll

Overview

Thomas Abbey, a bored schoolteacher and son of a famous film actor, impulsively decides to write a biography of Marshall France, the mysterious author of the whimsical children’s books that shaped his youth. Together with an ambitious fellow fan, he travels to the small Missouri town where France lived and worked, only to discover that the magical worlds France created may be more real—and far darker—than anyone imagined. As the line between fiction and life blurs, Thomas must confront the unsettling power of storytelling itself.

Who it's for

• Readers who enjoy literary fantasy with metafictional twists
• Fans of Neil Gaiman and Gene Wolfe seeking a similar blend of wonder and unease
• Book lovers curious about the ethics of biography and author worship

Key features

• Standalone novel; first published in 1980
• Introduces themes and motifs that recur throughout Carroll’s later work