Jeff Jackson: Destroy All Monsters

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Charlotte author Jeff Jackson’s newest novel paints a local music scene mired in uncertainty, fear, and dread. But the anxious musicians, aspiring managers, obsessive collectors, and ravenous fans in Jackson’s FSG Originals title aren’t just grappling with shuttering clubs or scene infighting. Instead, someone—or someones—is gunning down musicians mid-set for reasons unknown, beginning in the fictional town of Arcadia and then spreading across the nation. Like an album, Destroy All Monsters has two sides, leaving the reader to choose which to read first. Side A follows a disillusioned singer and a stubborn guitarist as they wander through a music scene in tatters, while Side B takes a macro view of the national epidemic. One part modern noir, one part angsty post-teen rock novel, one part allegory about the cast-off nature of music in the age of streaming, this propulsive and uber-stylized novel probes music’s place in an ever-faster world. Jackson reads at Crank Arm Brewing for free, though purchasing the book from sponsor Quail Ridge is required to meet him. —Michael Venutolo-Mantovani