The Pickup Artist

"A laugh-out-loud fantastic tale. Mordantly funny, fast-moving and sharp."
—Bookpage

"Science Fiction needs humor, and it is plentiful in this zany, seriocomic variation on Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451."
—Publishers Weekly

"Masterfully ironic!"
—Philadelphia Enquirer


There are too many books! Too much music, too much art. The job of the Bureau of Arts and Entertainment is to collect and destroy the old, so as to make room for the new.

Hank Shapiro is a dedicated BAE agent. Dependable. Uncorruptible. Pitiless.

Until he meets the girl in the bluebird sweater and bends the rules just once. And finds himself on a wild chase through the fleemarkets [sic] of America, from the towering landfills of New York City to the drive-thru crematoriums of Las Vegas.

There is also a talking dog.


About the Author: Best known for his short stories "macs," "They're Made out of Meat" and "Bears Discover Fire," Terry Bisson has won every major award in SF, including the Hugo, the Nebula, the Sturgeon and Locus awards, and France's Gran Prix de l'Imaginaire. He lives in California.