A Camp Classic -- For Adults Only!

I stumbled across The Fickle Finger of Fate when I immersed in reading about cryptids last summer. In my searches for other books by John Keel, the author of a number of books, mostly on subjects classified as paranormal, I discovered this little gem. It's a time capsule of pop culture, specifically the moments in 1966 when the world went wild for all things Batman on the success of that TV show. Superheroes were all the rage and Keel decided to take a dive. But this is not just a pastiche of a superhero novel, it's a blend of those tropes along with some exceedingly saucy material of the sexual persuasion. And given that our hero's name is "Satyr-Man" how could it be any different. But while I was already attracted to this book, it was not Keel's writing which pushed me over the edge to pick it up, but rather the illustrations of Al Jaffee. His cover is pretty typical of the kind of art which is featured in the book. 

Satyr-Man is in reality Parker Potter the Third who seems to have been a rich playboy at one time, but now is down on his luck and aside from his nagging maid Sadie works alone. Bonita Grant, daughter of daffy inventor Professor Gilroy, is his first conquest in the book, though hardly the last one. In a battle against the criminal activities of Mr. Big of the outfit G.Y.P. (Global Yokel Put-on) who has an array of henchmen and henchwomen. There is quite a bit of running around and the women seem weirdly attracted to Potter despite his lack of poise and wealth. Clearly, he has something they like. Whatever it is, they take off their clothes for him throughout the novel. 

This is dumb novel, of its era but a successful selling by some reports 600,000 copies or thereabouts. This is also about the time that Keel got into UFOlogy which led him to write the supremely successful The Mothman Prophecies a little over a decade later.  The Fickle Finger of Fate could only have been produced exactly when it was and frankly only someone of my exact generation is going to get many of the rather lame jokes and jabs. I only recommend it for Batman completists and for the Jaffee artwork which is pretty dang good. 

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