A Mayonnaise Murders Primer...
Before you read, prepare thyself.
Special Edition Mayonnaise Murders Thursday, May 11, 2023
In the summer of 2023, Keith Owens will be publishing the final volume of the Mayonnaise Murders trilogy, a work which he began more than two decades ago before being forced to take a lengthy break until nearly a decade later when the first volume was finally completed in 2012, followed a couple years later by the second volume in 2014.
Let’s just say this up front: The Mayonnaise Murders is a weird piece of scifi/fantasy. I mean it really is. Trust me. I wrote it, so I oughta know. So I will confess right up front this is not a ride that everyone should take. But if you’ve read this far, then you probably should take the ride.
OK, now I can go back to speaking in the third person.
Keith Owens is an award-winning journalist based in Detroit, Michigan. Over the course of his nearly 40-year career he has worked for the Denver Post, the Los Angeles Times, the Ann Arbor News, the Detroit Free Press, the Michigan Chronicle (Michigan’s oldest African American newspaper where he served two stints as editor), and the alternative newsweekly the Detroit Metro Times where he wrote a bi-weekly socio-cultural commentary column entitled “Free Your Mind” for five years. Mr. Owens also wrote a nationally syndicated op-ed column distributed by Universal Press Syndicate for three years.
Born and raised in Denver, Colorado, Mr. Owens has lived in Detroit since January, 1993, and is the author of four self-published works of fiction: The Mayonnaise Murders, Part 1, The Mayonnaise Murders Part 2, Fire and Wanda, and the children’s book, Who Stole the Zmulobeast?
He is also co-founder of Detroit Stories Quarterly, a magazine focusing exclusively on Detroit through the lens of science fiction, fantasy, alternative fiction, horror, and just plain fiction. Detroit Stories Quarterly received the Black Authors Matter Award for 2022 in the category of mystery, thriller and suspense.
On Planet 10, mayonnaise is illegal. Used as an essential ingredient in the highly addictive drug MayoMadd, mayonnaise has long been banned for the safety of the colonies which has been free of the MayoMadd craze for years. So then where did the mayonnaise come from? And who had enough pull to sneak it back in? Or is somebody manufacturing it, and if so where are they getting the ingredients? And who is behind the new drug Roscoe 21? Why is this happening?
That’s what Vid, a dry-witted detective from Planet 10’s wretched Vivacious 5 sector, has to find out together with his partner Vee, the former star news reporter from The Daily Screamer. Vee comes fully equipped with no shortage of attitude and an arsenal of quick comebacks wrapped in as much barbed wire as humor. What they eventually uncover could have been the biggest story of Vee’s career. Unfortunately it could also pose one of the biggest threats to Earth’s purebred population whose hated existence is being targeted by a revenge-obsessed army of freakish chicken/human hybrids originally created for experimental purposes by purebred scientists and then disposed of – except for those who managed to survive the purge.
A chicken’s revenge can be a terrible thing.
Here's what an Amazon reviewer had to say about the first volume of the trilogy:
“Super zany sci-fi that had me thinking at times of Men in Black. Very offbeat, very surreal humor, images, and plot points. The hardboiled detective flavor of the storytelling is part of the mashup of the sci-fi and mystery genres. The author’s greatest strong suit is his ability to bring characters to life using dialects and the vernacular. While this is for the discerning palate, meaning, not for everyone, if you are the target audience, I’d say still resist the urge to read the book too fast. That’s difficult because the energy behind the writing really propels you along. But if you don’t pay attention and struggle to orient yourself to this madcap world you’re likely to get lost fast. Even so, not everything will make sense at first. The reader is ultimately rewarded for his patience with some deep themes lending gravity to a tale that might otherwise be straight out of Mad Comics.”
Still here? OK, look. You really need to read this thing. Listen to what this really handsome author has to say about it if you don’t believe me. And you can disregard the clothes hanging in the background. Space is tight for us artist types.
Just focus on that handsome face…