THE SECRET HISTORY OF TWIN PEAKS

An exquisitely curated gift to superfans of the TV cult classic Twin Peaks.

Novelist and acclaimed television producer Frost (Rogue, 2015, etc.) offers readers the most elaborate fan fiction ever in this obsessive relational artifact from the show. The novel takes the form of a dossier, complete with a memo from the deputy director of the FBI to an unnamed special agent. The dossier is reported to have been recovered from an active crime scene. And it is incredibly dense, superweird, and bound to be satisfying to those who remember the show warmly. There are numerous layers of content here, but it’s presented through three perspectives. The first is a running commentary from a character (named later in the book) who identifies himself as “The Archivist.” Alongside this commentary are annotations from an active FBI analyst, who pops up to explain things from time to time. Finally, there is the content of the dossier itself, which is a sprawling subterranean history of Twin Peaks from the first explorations of Lewis and Clark to the fate of Agent Dale Cooper. In between, Frost treats readers to a mass conspiracy theory that makes Welcome to Night Vale look like a school for rational thought. Seriously—UFOs, Bigfoot, the Freemasons, President Richard Nixon, and L. Ron Hubbard all make substantial appearances. Believe it or not, there is a running plot through the narrative, and Frost delivers on his revelations before a cliffhanger ending that offers a bridge to the upcoming revival of the show on Showtime next year. That said, there are certainly treats for more casual viewers, including a medical report on the Log Lady, the menu from the Double R Diner, and nods to various characters from the show.

Like The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer (1990) and The Autobiography of F.B.I. Special Agent Dale Cooper (1991), this ambitious project will be less-than-essential for newbies but better than a damn good cup of coffee to members of the cult.