Pataphysics, at once a literary trope and a branch of philosophy (and science), has influenced an array of prominent artists, writers, and musicians since the early 20th century. Members of the Paris-based Collège de 'Pataphysique have included Marcel Duchamp, Raymond Queneau, Man Ray, Max Ernst, Fe...

Pataphysics, at once a literary trope and a branch of philosophy (and science), has influenced an array of prominent artists, writers, and musicians since the early 20th century. Members of the Paris-based Collège de 'Pataphysique have included Marcel Duchamp, Raymond Queneau, Man Ray, Max Ernst, Fernando Arrabal, and the Marx Brothers. "Apocryphal Pataphysics" brings the study of pataphysics into the modern age, stripping off the arcane baggage, fleshing out new dimensions, and serving up a quasi-guidebook for pataphysicians