Joe

In the "Atrophied Preface" that serves as an epilogue, Burroughs (stepping outside of presenting himself as his alter ego, William Lee) claims not to be an entertainer. This showcases that he's a fucking liar because he just spent this book doing vaudeville routines! Genuinely hysterical, horrifying, and obscene, a delirious hard boiled sci-fi haze.

Feels reductive to say since we're dealing with a genuinely off the map and overwhelming piece of writing here, but: this guy was writing gay cyberpunk body horror shit in 1961! Absolutely insane.

Read the novelette. Really cool stuff!