These are the first two books in John Swartzwelder's Frank Burly series. They're Swartzwelder's first and third books, sandwiched around the cowboy story Double Wonderful. He's up to 8 as of 2011, each as great as these two, I'm imagining.
Frank Burly is a private detective who's real name is never revealed in these first two books, and who chose "Frank" and "Burly" as names because that was how he aspired to act.
John Swarztwelder is the most prolific writer of The Simpsons, having penned--according to the cover--59 episodes. I've heard him described as a first draft machine. The tone of many of the most beloved early episodes can be attributed to his world vision. That all becomes clear after reading these books.
These are two of the funniest books I've ever read. Well, make that the two funniest books I've ever read. They are really full of laugh-out-loud material, which, for someone who reads Gilbert Ryle and Thomas Pynchon for pleasure, has to mean something.
After hearing about the books while listening to the commentaries on the Simpson DVDs, I found them on Amazon.com and ordered them one at a time from there.
If you like The Simpsons, you must read these books, and frankly, everything by John Swartzwelder. You'll be better for it.
Humor writing is difficult, very difficult, and there are a few of the "famous" humor writers that are pretty good and show up in the New Yorker's "Shouts and Murmurs" feature. They're all right. The two best for my money are John Swartzwelder and an old friend of mine (who's material is very hard to come by) named Pat Yamamoto.
These are two of my favorite books ever.
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