The title story features a chilling, amoral, American Psycho-esque narrator whose account of his outing to a jazz concert with his drug addled punk friends is by turns horrifying, perversely comic and, momentarily, shockingly touching. Each story in this collection is a daring exploration of voice, perspective and form. When such real life figures such Alex Trebek, Merv Griffin and David Letterman appear in secondary or peripheral roles, it adds intriguing dimensions rather than gimmickry to those stories. The portrait of Lyndon B. Johnson in “Lyndon” is moving and revelatory. “Westward the Course of Empire Takes Its Way” is a dense, intricate journey and pop culture pastiche featuring, amongst others, former child stars of McDonald’s commercials. Somehow, the topical references feel like they will accrue historical heft rather than feeling dated as time goes on.

David Foster Wallace was a fearless experimentalist and humanist, and is so dearly and immensely missed.