In Zero by Al Schnupp, Zero is a grossly overweight “muck-truck” driver for his father’s expansive porta-potty business in the city of Groad, the nation of Orb. Zero is fond of stuffing himself with pork rinds as he watches the Dazzle Box (TV). His wife Maxie knits furiously. The current Icon (president) of Orb is Rodney Richochet, and Horace Hickbone, a political consultant, thinks Zero will make a good candidate because Zero’s dad is the richest man in the country. The only problem: they will have to get Pa out of the way. The plan is to assassinate Pa by asphyxiating him with porta-potty fumes while he’s asleep. They will have to get by Kippy, Pa’s two-legged chihuahua (his rear end is in a cart). But if they manage to pull off the murder, Zero will inherit Pa’s fortune, and as Orb’s richest man, Zero will be a logical candidate to become the Icon of Orb. All this is just the beginning of Mr. Schnupp’s brilliant political farce.

The plot of Zero by Al Schnupp, however, is not what carries this fast-moving circus. What carries it is Mr. Schnupp’s mind-boggling comedic use of language, which starts in the first sentence and doesn’t end until the final period. It soon enveloped me in outbursts of laughter. For one thing, there’s the English spoken in the nation of Orb. I was flooded with malapropisms: coffins for coffers; immorality for immortality. Also, blatant misnomers: a violent salami hit the west coast; I’ll see that your carcass is treated with utmost abrasion. Substitutions, too: ding dongs for money; poohs and pahs for applause; ink splotch for a newspaper; de-fizz for kill. And the characters’ names: Inspector Oodles; Miss Greede. Mr. Schnupp never lets up with his hilarious mutilation of the English language. I laughed with tears in my eyes.

Maxie desires that her husband, Zero, has a higher ambition than to drive a Muck Truck. Consequently, she pushes him to commit a crime to campaign politically for the position of "Icon" and leader of "the most pugnacious country in the orb." Horace Hickborne, Chairman of the Ratchet Party, agrees to manage Zero's campaign. Eventually, the three embark on a campaign, alongside other parties, and go on to participate in debates, give speeches, plot and play dirty political games, and more. At the same time, a couple consisting of private detective Oodles—the mastermind of cheap disguises—and his assistant, Minnie, aims to expose Zero's crimes. Inspired by political shenanigans and cultural idiosyncrasies and narrated with colorful, bubbly words, Zero by Al Schnupp combines playfulness and preposterousness to reveal several hidden truths.

From the most absurd campaign slogans to the funniest words I've seen from one source, Zero had me gasping with shock, laughing hysterically, and at the same time, discovering some deep meanings in the many hidden messages included in the book. I appreciated the attention to detail; though Zero is humble at the beginning, he becomes egotistic as the story progresses and his campaign grows. The satirical work is delivered with irony, unpredictable twists and turns, and a greatly enthralling, fast moving pace and includes deceit, betrayal, murder (nothing graphic), flattery, and power. Besides the humor, I found many parts quite brilliant and satisfying to unravel. Additionally, several words in the book are entertaining on their own. Even words that are normally uninteresting are used amusingly. Readers who love to make light of serious situations and laugh to release tension should read this unique book by Al Schnupp.