You Bright and Risen Angels

by William Vollmann · 1987

You Bright and Risen Angels is the debut novel by National Book Award-winning author William T. Vollmann. This free-wheeling, epic satire blends history, technology, politics, and surrealism, framed as a computer-generated cartoon. The narrative depicts a global conflict between insects seeking revenge on humanity and the malevolent forces of electricity and modern civilization. Spanning locations from South American jungles to the streets of San Francisco, the story follows characters like Bug, a young man who rebels against his own kind to join the insects, and Wayne, a thug allied with the forces of electricity. The work is noted for its dense, metafictional style and includes illustrations by the author.