''The Million-Year Centipede, or, Liquid Structures'' (2007) is the sixth novel by American author

Eckhard Gerdes Eckhard Gerdes (born 1959) is an American novelist and editor. Life Eckhard Gerdes was born in 1959 in Atlanta, Georgia, and has lived in Switzerland, Germany, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Katanga, the Republic of South Africa, as wel ...

. Set in an apocalyptic world in which a giant centipede comes to collect all of the true rock ‘n’ roll fans, Gerdes’ book is built of text fragments, drawings and songs that deal with themes like hero worship and

fundamentalism Fundamentalism is a tendency among certain groups and individuals that is characterized by the application of a strict literal interpretation to scriptures, dogmas, or ideologies, along with a strong belief in the importance of distinguishing ...

. Like much of Gerdes’ work, ''The Million-Year Centipede'' is non-linear in structure, but is distinguished by its use of

allegory As a literary device or artistic form, an allegory is a narrative or visual representation in which a character, place, or event can be interpreted to represent a hidden meaning with moral or political significance. Authors have used allegory th ...

Cover description

“Wakelin, frontman of seminal rock group The Hinge, once wrote a poem so prophetic that to ignore its wisdom is to doom yourself to drown in blood. After realizing the power of his words he faked his own death. Now one obsessed fan is tracking Wakelin down…can he be found before it’s too late?”

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Million-Year Centipede 2007 American novels