Gen X, please mark the calendars. January 20, 2026 is going down in history as a very important day, our day.* That’s when Bad Boy, the first episode of Chris Orcutt’s EPIC ’80s novel, Bodaciously True & Totally Awesome, hits the shelves. My short little pre-review:

For such an incredibly rich literary experience, Bodaciously True & Totally Awesome, Episode I: Bad Boy, reads easily and beautifully. The book isn’t just a glimpse of the 1980s; it IS the 1980s. Readers from all adult generations (Gen X, especially!) will love every word, scene, and thought.

There is something (well, many things) distinctive and remarkable about Chris Orcutt’s magnum opus. He reaches the heart and mind in a way so natural that the reading process comes off like seeing one’s own original thoughts and emotions in print—this is very rare territory. He does things with Bad Boy that I cannot recall any other author doing, or doing nearly so well. Many of the 1980s period references are presented in novel ways that both explain the referenced elements and add ultra-realistic life to the story. Orcutt’s use of music is mind-blowing. All of his techniques, and his utter mastery of imaginative writing, add a relatability and “cannot put it down” fondness to his already fantastic plot and theme.

The plot, an introduction to the life and times of young hero Avery “Ace” Craig, flows like a roller coaster with action, drama, romance, humor, suspense, thrills, and more. It is all bound together in a simply mesmerizing fashion. There is a deep philosophy at work, magnified by a grounded psychology, an understanding of how men and women relate to each other, and a resonating dose of faith. In the end, readers are left with several concurrent cliffhangers: adventurous, potentially dangerous, and frantically passionate. All of it will leave readers predicting, picking sides, hoping, fearing, laughing, and holding on tight. Hurry up, Episode II!

Bad Boy is a genuinely encompassing and immersive adventure, one that will have the mind and heart buzzing, on multiple levels, and for some time once the reading stops. The book is fun, engaging, and staggeringly impactful. I suspect it will cement Orcutt’s place in the echelons of timeless literature. I cannot recommend this book strongly enough.

My much more detailed review is coming along at the right time. And more! Just wait. In the meantime, kindly check out Goodreads and Orcutt’s Site (and Media Page) for more information.

Got that? 1/20/26. We’re going back to 1986!

(Cover image appropriated from Orcutt.net.)

*All other adult generations will be welcome too. (Yes, even “good” Boomers.)