January | 2020 | Guy Portman's Blog

Culinary Delights & Reading Plans

Jan 31 2020

I’ve read two books so far this year. The first was a pleasure, the second a chore. Here are the next books on the list. The genres will come as no surprise to those familiar with this blog. The first is dark fiction, the second Transgressive fiction. I am a big fan of McCormac and Welsh (the majority of his stuff).

And now for the culinary delights. Sunday roasts are something of a staple for us English. This beef was exceptional.

And here is a French staple I had at a café. Croque monsieur proved to be an inspired choice.

Green tea and chocolate brownies – the perfect combination for reading time.

If our world has a better dessert on offer than baklava, I am yet to try it.

Thank you America. Our nation is all the better for the introduction of Five Guys.

Vegetable samosas – my all-time favourite starter. And this is coming from a carnivore.

See you next Friday …

Necropolis: New Front Cover and Blurb Reveal

Jan 24 2020

Today, I am pleased to unveil the new front cover and blurb for Necropolis – part one in the recently completed Necropolis Trilogy. Initially, when the darkly humorous crime novel was released back in 2014, I was satisfied with the front cover the designer came up with. But, I recently came to the conclusion that not enough was going on with it and that it was too simple to draw readers in; in the droves at any rate. My feeling is the new cover better encapsulates the book’s content especially when viewed as a thumbnail, which is how prospective buyers will generally view the thing. Here is the new cover:

Necropolis’ blurb also required a makeover. Fortunately, friend, stand-up comedian and sometime copywriter Adam Riley came up with a much improved version. With any luck readers will approve.

The new blurb:

Have a good weekend.

The Great Outdoors

Jan 17 2020

It’s been a very warm winter here in the UK. Maybe Greta Thunberg is on to something with this global warming thing. Yesterday, snow drops appeared in my garden. These augurs of spring should not be emerging for quite some time yet.

And there was a mosquito in my house last night. I squashed it before I thought of taking a photo. And as I didn’t fancy having a squashed mosquito on my blog, you’ll have to take my word for it.

Despite the warm weather, it’s been cool enough in the evening to enjoy a fire. And there’ll be more what with colder weather on the way.

Last weekend I went up to the Fens in East Anglia. Even with the advent of Netflix and iTunes, nothing compares to the great outdoors. Below are swans in flight during the late afternoon.

A full moon followed.

Below is a Japanese-themed tea I enjoyed yesterday.

My first book of the year was The Rapture. It is about a cult. Not my typical reading fare, but I got it for Christmas. I would not hesitate in recommending this intriguing mix of fiction and non-fiction.

2020 has to date found me procrastinating, faffing around and not getting a great deal done. However, I have a new blurb and front cover on the way for Necropolis (#1 Necropolis Trilogy). I look forward to sharing them with you next Friday. Have a good weekend.

6 Recommended Dark Fiction Books

Jan 10 2020

This week sees the return of my ‘Dark Fiction’ series. The following six dark fiction books made quite an impression on me. Admittedly, I might be a bit biased about one of them. Click on the links to read my reviews.

Child of God by Cormac McCarthy

Child of God is a tautly written and concise work of ‘country noir’. Themes include loneliness and necrophilia.

My Review: Having been dispossessed of his land, Lester Ballard is now homeless and eking out an existence in the backwoods of Sevier County, East Tennessee. For food, he steals and forages. For …(more)

Junky by William S. Burroughs

Junky is a record of its protagonist’s drug abuse that in addition to heroin includes a plethora of other substances.

My Review: Set in 1950s America and Mexico, Junky is a confessional novella about drug addiction. Its protagonist Bill Lee chronicles his drug-centred existence, which entails searching for his daily fix, scoring, and intravenous …(more)

American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis

This satire of the yuppies phenomenon of the 1980s adroitly explores the mind of a psychopath and questions the very essence of capitalist culture.

My Review: American Psycho is a highly controversial novel that brought its author Bret Easton Ellis instant fame. The book is written from the perspective of a young Wall Street financier …(more)

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

The Metamorphosis is a bleak, existential nihilistic tale that comments on the human condition and the futility of life.

My Review: Protagonist Gregor Samsa wakes up one morning to find that he has been transformed into a beetle. This awkward situation is exacerbated when Gregor’s boss turns up at his house seeking an …(more)

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

This dark psychological thriller’s suspense, unpalatable subject matter and reprehensible characters intrigued this reader.

My Review: Libby Day was only seven when she witnessed her family being brutally murdered in their Kansas farmhouse. It was Libby’s testimony that saw her then teenage brother Ben sentenced to life …(more)

Tomorrow’s World: Darkly Humorous Tales by Guy Portman

The book’s subjects encompass manic capitalism, extreme celebrity worship, virtual reality and a grotesquely ageing population.

Daily Squib Review: There’s something about the future that scares the shit out of people a lot, maybe it’s simply the thought of the unknown that affects us with such fear. What possible delights await us in …(more)

A New Decade

Jan 03 2020

Happy New Year. Some of you will have over-indulged on turkey, alcohol and/or mince pies this Christmas. For me, my poison was Stilton. Never thought I’d say it, but I am sick to death of the stuff.

Most of us have plans and resolutions for the forthcoming year, and I am no exception. With regards my writing, I am planning to have my recently completed darkly humorous Necropolis Trilogy turned into a bundle (3 books in 1) – paperback and kindle. There will also be a new front cover for part 1: Necropolis. Sales have picked up slightly of late, and I am hoping 2020 will be a bumper year.

As for new books, I am planning to release three novella length, darkly humorous satires this year. Ambitious but certainly doable. I look forward to revealing more in due course.

And as for reading, I have some books lined up that I can’t wait to read. Although an eclectic reader, my primary staple is dark humour and Transgressive fiction; the genres I write in.

This book doesn’t fit in those categories, but I got it for Christmas and it looks intriguing. The Rapture is about a cult.