In Dan Chaon's new dystopian thriller, Sleepwalk, his narrator/protagonist draws on a roster of similar but different names, reacting to the shifting existential requirements of his ever-precarious situation. There's Will Bear, Billy Bayer, Barry Billingsly, and Liam Bahr among his dozen-odd aliases, and each serves a (usually devious) purpose. As Chaon's spooky tale unfurls, we learn that many in his supporting cast have aliases, too. Their own survival would seem to depend on their ability to "be" someone else when necessary.
Chaon is an ingenious writer, and his latest novel reminds me of the essential properties of a name - of our own names (sometimes a pseudonym itself) and the names we give our fictional creations. But as Chaon's people rely on a name or names to mislead and protect, all of us, as fiction writers, more commonly use names to designate, characterize, enlighten, arouse, frighten, or amuse.
