Ashtray

Thomas Mammoth’s first novel, ASHTRAY, is a darkly comedic look at a dystopian future that’s not all that much of a stretch. Isaac slept through the apocalypse and wakes up to maybe being the last human on the planet. Fortunately, his cat is still there, and since the world is run by AI, he can still get food delivery and find clothes and even new houses, at least until the power runs out or he dies of toxins. The voice of the book is strong, the comedy keeps escalating, and there’s even more than one cat. The absurdity of AI, hold music and technology in general is exploited for humor with a more serious undertone.