Amputation: A Novel [Hardcover]

AMPUTATIONis the first novel to be written about the inferno that obliterated two Los Angeles cities in January of 2025. Major characters are comedian Stephen Colbert; Karen Bass; a Timothée Chalamet stunt double; a fiercely pro-Palestinian heiress and her Zionist father; disgracedGrey’s Anatomywriter Elisabeth Finch and a failed indie film producer——along with an assorted battalion of ordinary people, opportunists, and looters.

A fable drenched in hyperrealism,AMPUTATION is a burnt jewel box showcasing Wagner's transcendent, scabrously poetic powers as he explores the lives (and deaths) of the fire victims, and the consequences of dereliction, delusion, incompetence——and impermanence. 
 Bruce Wagner has written fourteen novels, including the famous “Cellphone Trilogy,”—I’m Losing You (PEN USA finalist), I’ll Let You Go, andStill Holding—and the PEN/Faulkner-finalist Chrysanthemum Palace. His more recent titles includeROAR: American Master andThe Met Gala & Tales of Saints and Seekers. He wrote the screenplay for David Cronenberg’sMaps to the Stars, for which Julianne Moore won Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival in 2014. He lives in Los Angeles.
 PRAISE FORAMPUTATION

“Amputationis laugh-out-loud funny, casually profound, beautifully written. I think he’s the best prose writer working now—I really do.”—BRET EASTON ELLIS

“A blistering triumph, this novel showcases Wagner's rare and unforgettable voice.”—Booklist, Starred Review 

“Marked by Wagner's immitable with, spot-on caricatures, and chatty discursive style, this is on par with his best.”—Publishers Weekly