Alpha Max: An Existential Romp through an Absurd Multiverse (The Tundraverse)

"Snarky as Pratchet, insightful as Stephenson, as full of scathing social commentary as Swift or Voltaire, and weirdly reminiscent of LeGuin, Alpha Max is the only multiverse novel you need this month, or maybe ever." –Amazing Stories

Maximilian Tundra is about to have an existential crisis of cosmic proportions.

When a physical duplicate of him appears in his living room, wearing a tight-fitting silver lamé unitard and speaking with an English accent, Max knows something bad is about to happen. Bad doesn’t cover it. Max discovers he’s the only human being who can prevent the end of the world, and not just on his planet! In the multiverse, infinite Earths will be destroyed.

Personally, Max thinks the multiverse is in big trouble, because he can’t even keep his toenails clipped on the regular, let alone stop the apocalypse. His only “allies” are a race of manic pixie aliens and dozens of other versions of himself; and let’s face it, both groups are annoying as heck!

From award-winning author Mark A. Rayner, Alpha Max is a silly and serious spoof of the science fiction and superhero movie trope of multiple realities. Fans of the humorous science fiction of Douglas Adams and the black humor and satire of Kurt Vonnegut will love this dark comedy that will make you think as well as laugh.

Early Reviews

"Funny, yet deep, this is definitely worth venturing into the multiverse for." –Nisha Ward, Reedsy Discovery

"Mark A. Rayner writes in gorgeous prose and has a unique gift for plot ... and creating characters that are rock-solid and relatable." –Matthew Novak, The Book Commentary

"Rayner is brilliant! His writing is a strange and exhilarating mixture of the cerebral and the entertaining ... Alpha Max is a crazy and wild ride. I enjoyed it very much. –Karen Molenaar Terrell, author of Cosmic Connections: Sharing the Joy

"Not only is the story hilarious, but true to Mark Rayner's style, it makes crafty insights into such topics as gender identification among other issues that create a completely satisfying reading experience! Highly recommended." –Grady Harp, Amazon Top 100 Reviewer

"Rayner's signature humor, absurdity, dark comedy, and satire, all wrapped into a great story." –Scott Fabirkiewicz, Reedsy Discover Reader