In his novel Time Crumbling Like a Wet Cracker, Ryan Dilbert fuses together seemingly mismatched eras, characters and locales. A time-traveling heroine aims to rid the world of infamous evildoers like Osama bin Laden, Hitler and Stalin, only time doesn’t move in the rational way she expects, resulting in humorously muddled scenes and encounters. Picture Beethoven and Lil’ Wayne conjured up in 1990s New Orleans. “I was just having fun,” says Dilbert. “I try to take everyday things and transform them in some way.” Dilbert will read excerpts from his novel at Kaboom Bookstore, along with Irene Keliher, for the store’s final 2010 reading. 7:30 p.m. 3116 Houston Avenue. For information, call 713-869-7600 or visit kaboombooks.com. Free.

Tue., Dec. 14, 2010

This article appears in Dec 9-15, 2010.