Sepultura | Guy Portman's Blog

7 Transgressive Fiction Reading Recommendations

Jul 12 2019

It’s been a while since I wrote a Transgressive Fiction related post. Here are seven works of Transgressive Fiction that I have read. Click on the links to read the reviews.

Definition: Transgressive Fiction is a genre that focuses on characters who feel confined by the norms and expectations of society and who break free of those confines in unusual and/or illicit ways.

In Wolves’ Clothing by Greg Levin

This first-person transgressive work features a troubled member of an anti child trafficking organisation.

My Review: Zero Slade is a member of an anti-child sex trafficking organisation. The role entails infiltrating the industry by masquerading as
high-rolling sex …(more)

Marabou Stork Nightmares by Irvine Welsh

This is an inventive book, boasting parallel stories and different levels of awareness.

My Review: Roy Strang narrates this story from the hospital in which he is lying in a coma. It begins in South Africa, where he and his friend Sandy Jamieson are hunting the …(more)

Between the Shadow and Lo by Lauren Sapala

This first-person work of Transgressive Fiction is written by a female author, and it boasts an alcoholic female protagonist.

Review: Twenty-something Seattleite Leah is an emotionally damaged alcoholic with a penchant for drugs, sleeping around and books. She has an alter ego, a dark …(more)

Women by Charles Bukowski

The story follows the exploits of ageing lowlife and Bukowski alter ego, Henry Chinaski.

My Review: Fat, ugly fifty-something Henry Chinaski is a degenerate drinker, gambler and womaniser residing in downtrodden East Hollywood.
After a lifetime spent toiling in …(more)

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

Based on Heller’s own experiences as a bombardier in WWII, this satirical anti-war novel is brimming with absurdist humour.

My Review: Set on the Mediterranean island of Pianosa during WWII, Catch-22 is about the exploits of the fictitious 256th Squadron. We follow protagonist Yossarian and his comrades’ farcical attempts to …(more)

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)

The Blade Artist by Irvine Welsh

The complex and manipulative protagonist, sordid characters and squalid descriptions will appeal to fans of the Transgressive genre.

My Review: Reformed Scottish ex-con Jim Francis (formerly Franco Begbie) is now a successful sculptor living the dream in sunny California with his former prison art therapist now trophy wife …(more)

English Summers, Black Comedy & A Reading Bender

Jun 07 2019

I woke up today to the wettest and most miserable June morning in living memory. To compound matters I was suffering from a wretched hangover. Having downed two Nurofen I headed out with my dog for our customary morning walk. No sooner had I exited my garden than I came across this deer with her two fawns.

When I got back I ate ‘The Breakfast of Kings’ otherwise known as a Bakewell Tart. It was the only readily eatable item in the house.

Now, partially recuperated I slumped down in front of my computer and commenced my working day. Meanwhile, Trigga took a morning nap.

My email was the bearer of good news. The last of my beta readers had got back to me. The feedback on Golgotha, the final instalment in The Necropolis Trilogy, is very promising. The black comedy series features sociopath and sometime public sector worker, Dyson Devereux. I will be releasing more information about Golgotha in due course.

While I was waiting for my beta readers to send me their reports, I indulged in a reading frenzy consisting of 7 books. They were good, bad and ugly. These were the good ones. Click on the links to read my reviews. The Elephant Vanishes by Haruki Murakami, The Road by Cormac McCarthy & Women by Charles Bukowski.

I’m not sure if any of you are MMA fans. If you are then you might be interested in these short pieces I was commissioned to write in the build-up to the big UFC event in Chicago on Saturday.

Five Things You Might Not Know About Tony Ferguson, Jessica Eye and Tatiana Suarez.

Have a good weekend.

Floods, Felling Trees, Black Comedies and Comfort Food

May 10 2019

Yesterday afternoon, I finished the second draft of my forthcoming novel, the black comedy Golgotha. It is the final instalment in the Necropolis Trilogy, featuring darkly humorous sociopath Dyson Devereux. It is now in the hands of beta readers.

Having polished off the draft, I woke up in a cheery mood this morning, but a flood in my kitchen put an end to it. The dishwasher pipe is leaking, again. Last time I was able to stop it, this time I can’t. There is water everywhere, and only the plumber can save me now.

The best approach on failing to rectify a problem is to make a tactical retreat. After abandoning my efforts to hold back the flood, I sojourned to my study to drink coffee and eat Maltesers.

Here is a shot of some other indulgences from the week gone by.

It is quite noisy here today what with tree surgeons removing a tree in my garden. It was a case of nice tree, wrong place. Hopefully its demise will result in my house getting way more light.

The Council have permitted me to fell a couple of trees on the condition that I plant two new ones to replace them. I take my carbon footprint seriously, but I do not want more trees. The whole idea of getting rid of the trees was to have a less congested garden. I plan to get around the issue by planting bonsai trees.

There is the sound of crunching gravel. Someone is approaching. It better be the plumber and not another Jehovah’s Witness … Yes, I am in luck. It is time to go. Have a good weekend.

If you are looking for something to read, check out my soon to be completed Necropolis Trilogy. If you love dark humour, you’ll love Necropolis. And if you don’t, you probably won’t.

Click here to see the 155 ratings & reviews for #1 Necropolis and #2 Sepultura on Goodreads.

#1: What is a sociopath to do?

#2
A sociopath can only keep up a façade for so long.

‘The book is full of razor-sharp satire’ – Crime Fiction Lover

5 Dark Humour Reading Recommendations

Mar 01 2019

Here are five ‘dark humour’ books that I have read and would recommend.

Survivor by Chuck Palahniuk

Survivor is an innovative and erudite social commentary, brimming with satirical observations and irreverent humour.

My Review: Tender Branson, the last survivor of the Creedish Church cult, has hijacked an aeroplane, which is now flying on autopilot. His objective: to dictate his life story onto …(more)

Spencer’s Risk by Andy Greenhalgh

Spencer’s Risk is a third person, thespian-themed work that offers an authentic insight into the mind of a compulsive gambler.

My Review: Spencer Leyton’s life is spiralling downhill. He has split from his wife, is virtually estranged from his kids, his career is in tatters, and he has a serious …(more)

Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach

Fortunately for the author she has a sense of humour, and she needed it for this book.

My Review: This non-fiction work investigates the more unfamiliar scenarios involving our dead bodies. Topics include human crash test cadavers, bullet-testing cadavers, and … (more)

Rashōmon and Seventeen Other Stories by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa

A sense of doom and despair permeates this somewhat disparate and at times darkly humorous assemblage.

My Review: The book, which is divided into four parts, begins with the sinister tale Rashōmon. Set during the Heian era (11th century) it sees a confrontation between …(more)

The Voyeur’s Motel by Gay Talese

The Voyeur’s Motel is comprised of the confessions of Gerald Foos, a former Colorado motel owner and voyeur.

My Review: Foos’s lifelong obsession began in childhood, spying on his aunt through the window of her bedroom. It was his purchase in the 1960s of the Manor Park Motel in …(more)

My Plans For 2019

Jan 04 2019

Happy New Year everyone.

‘May all your troubles last as long as your New Year’s resolutions.’ – Joey Adams

This, my first blog post of 2019, is about my plans for this year. With regards writing, I plan to release my sixth book later this year. I released two in 2018 (Sepultura & Tomorrow’s World). Golgotha will be the third and final instalment in the Necropolis Trilogy. It will feature suave sociopath Dyson Devereux. The first part, Necropolis, has 100+ reviews on Goodreads. Part two, Sepultura, was released last year. If you like dark humour you’ll love the Necropolis trilogy.

A sociopath can only keep up a façade for so long.

Sepultura Goodreads link.

As for other plans, I have some freelance writing work to get on with, and then there’s the reading. Here are a couple of books I want to read this year.

If you are looking for some more reading recommendations and you haven’t seen it already, check out – The 20 books I read in 2018. I have written a review of each. Happy New Year.

6 Recommended Humour Books

Aug 31 2018

This week’s post is devoted to six humour books – five that I have read and one that I have written. Click on the links to read the reviews.

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

The Metamorphosis is a bleak, existential nihilistic tale that comments on the human condition and the futility of life. This reader appreciated its dark humour.

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 explanation for his non-attendance at work …(more)

Damned by Chuck Palahniuk

Damned is a a light-hearted satire of hell, punctuated with comical details, pop-culture references and Theological irony.

My Review: The protagonist is thirteen-year-old Madison, the daughter of wealthy alternative parents. The privileged Madison studies at an exclusive Swiss boarding school and spends her holidays alternating …(more)

Candide by Voltaire

Candide

Candide is an eighteenth-century satirical classic that evaluates optimism; the prevailing philosophical ideology of The Enlightenment.

My Review: Brought up in the household of a German baron, cheerful protagonist Candide has been instilled with the philosophy of Leibniz, notably – That all is for the best in this, the best of all possible worlds …(more)

Fear And Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson

Fear And Loathing in Las Vegas is a humorous, ludicrous and on occasion repellent social commentary about the demise of the psychedelic, free loving dream of the sixties.

My Review: Hunter S. Thompson’s alter ego, journalist Raoul Duke, and his gargantuan Samoan attorney, Dr Gonzo, are on a drug-fuelled road trip through the desert, destination Las Vegas …(more)

Sepultura (#2 Necropolis Trilogy) by Guy Portman

Sepultura is a satirical black comedy featuring unforgettable sociopath, Dyson Devereux. Click here to get #1 for FREE. (800+ Ratings for Necropolis Trilogy on Goodreads)

Dyson Devereux is a busy man, with a challenging new job at Paleham Council and a young son. He would be coping just fine were it not for crass colleagues, banal bureaucracy and contemptible clothes. He is not going to take it lying down …(more)

The Squirrel that Dreamt of Madness by Craig Stone

The Squirrel that Dreamt of Madness is a bizarre and humorous novel about the author’s time spent living homeless in a park. Craig has to deal with a multitude of issues that are alien to us home dwellers.

My Review: The author Craig Stone is becoming increasingly disillusioned with the predictability and banality of his everyday existence. Deciding that it is better to live dreaming than to …(more)

My Works In Progress

Aug 03 2018

This week’s post is about my works in progress. Presently, I am working on two projects, both of which are of the satirical, dark humour variety.

Tomorrow’s World will be my fifth book. It is a satirical book of vignettes about the future. It consists of concise, sardonic scenes that take the reader year by year into a future characterised by manic capitalism, extreme celebrity worship, virtual reality, a grotesquely ageing population and an ever increasing mandatory retirement age. Tomorrow’s World will be released in November. This quick read will appeal to those who like humour and satire.

I am also currently writing the third instalment in the Necropolis Trilogy. Golgotha will be published next year.

What is a sociopath to do?

Necropolis is the first instalment in a trilogy featuring Dyson Devereux, the sociopathic head of Burials and Cemeteries at his local council.

I am offering a free copy of my black comedy Necropolis to everyone who signs up to my humorous, monthly book-related newsletter. If you like dark humour you’ll love Necropolis.

‘The book is full of razor-sharp satire’ – Crime Fiction Lover

‘… a mix between The Office and American Psycho’ – Amazon Reviewer

Click here to see the 85 ratings & reviews for Necropolis on Goodreads.

The second instalment, Sepultura, was released earlier this year.

A sociopath can only keep up a façade for so long.

‘A satirical gem’

Sepultura is available from all major retailers as a paperback and eBook.

Sepultura Goodreads link.

Writing, World Cup and More Besides

Jun 29 2018

I have been tempted away from my desk on a number of occasions this week. I blame the sunny weather and the World Cup.

It hasn’t rained here in the South of England for days on end, which is unusual. If it doesn’t rain soon my garden will start looking like the Sahel.

Last weekend I formed an ingenious plan to make a small fortune out of the World Cup. This was to be achieved by several cunningly-devised accumulator style bets. I was left seething when the Germans laid waste to my plans by losing to South Korea. I am done with World Cup betting. I said that last World Cup and the one before that.

Work continues on my next book. Tomorrow’s World is a darkly humorous, satirical book of vignettes about the future. Themes include hyper capitalism, virtual reality, extreme celebrity worship, a grotesquely ageing population and an ever-increasing mandatory retirement age. I will be releasing more information in due course.

I am continuing to offer everyone a free copy of my satirical black comedy, Necropolis. Necropolis is the first part in a proposed trilogy featuring punctilious sociopath Dyson Devereux. Click here to claim your Free copy (Mobi, Epub & PDF). Part Two: Sepultura, was released earlier this year.

Click here to see the 82 ratings & reviews for Necropolis on Goodreads.

What is a sociopath to do?

A sociopath can only keep up a façade for so long.

Tomorrow’s World

Jun 08 2018

Doomsayers have been predicting the death of the novel for years. Recently, author Zadie Smith talked of novel-nausea, and journalist and novelist Will Self has even gone so far as to say that the novel is ‘absolutely doomed’. Whether the novel is set to go the way of the dinosaurs is debateable, but literary ennui does appear to be on the rise. Reasons for this include the digitalisation of print culture, ever increasing pressures on our time and social media.

‘We’re in an era of ever-shortening attention spans. For example, I just checked Twitter 12 times while writing that sentence.’ — Adam Riley, comedian

As for me, I want to write more novels (4 to date) but I also want to experiment with shorter, attention grabbing literary forms, hence my decision to pen a darkly humorous, satirical book of vignettes about the future. It will take the form of short, sardonic scenes that take the reader year by year into a future characterised by manic capitalism, virtual reality, extreme celebrity worship, hyper-branding, a grotesquely ageing population and an ever increasing mandatory retirement age. Tomorrow’s World will be released late this year.

In the interim you might enjoy my satirical black comedy, Necropolis. Click here to sign up to my humorous, monthly book-related newsletter and to claim your free copy. You can unsubscribe at any time. Necropolis is the first part in a proposed trilogy. Part Two: Sepultura, was released earlier this year.

What is a sociopath to do?

‘The book is full of razor-sharp satire’

A sociopath can only keep up a façade for so long.

‘A satirical gem’

6 Dark Humour Books

May 25 2018

This week sees the second instalment in my dark humour book series. Here are five darkly humorous books that I have read and one that I have written. Click on the links to read my reviews.

Damned by Chuck Palahniuk

Damned is a light-hearted satire of hell, punctuated with comical details, pop-culture references and Theological irony.

Lunar Park by Bret Easton Ellis

Lunar Park is a self-indulgent suburban horror that forces the reader to travel back through Easton Ellis’s old books.

My Review: Lunar Park is a mock memoir that begins with a parodic account of Bret Easton Ellis’s early fame. The young New York resident’s existence consists of endless parties, casual relationships, spiralling drug use, embarrassing book tours and …(more)

Skagboys by Irvine Welsh

Skagboys is a work of Transgressive Fiction whose main focus is many of its characters increasing obsession with heroin.

My Review: Skagboys is the prequel to Trainspotting. Its colourful, mostly young characters hail from the Edinburgh port suburb of Leith. There is the bookish, unambitious Mark ‘Rents’ Renton, and his best friend, the verbose, predatory womaniser Sick Boy …(more)

Rant by Chuck Palahniuk

Rant

Rant challenges our own traditions by demonstrating how we contort our recollection of events in accordance with our desires, motives and beliefs.

My Review: Rant is the oral history of Buster ‘Rant’ Casey, recounted by an array of people including his relations, friends, enemies and lovers. Rant’s childhood companions from the small rural town where …(more)

An Ice-Cream War by William Boyd

An Ice-Cream War’s motif is the absurdness of war. This unpredictable serio-comedy’s blend of tragedy and black humour appealed to this reader.

My Review: After much tension and speculation, World War I begins. The main campaign is contended on the Western Front, but there is also a less well-known offensive in colonial East Africa, where the British and their native conscripts are …(more)

Sepultura (#2 Necropolis Trilogy) by Guy Portman

Sepultura is a caustic black comedy featuring an unforgettable sociopath. Click here to get #1 for FREE. 800+ Ratings for Necropolis Trilogy on Goodreads.

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7 Transgressive Fiction Reading Recommendations

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English Summers, Black Comedy & A Reading Bender

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Floods, Felling Trees, Black Comedies and Comfort Food

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5 Dark Humour Reading Recommendations

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My Plans For 2019

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6 Recommended Humour Books

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My Works In Progress

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Writing, World Cup and More Besides

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Tomorrow’s World

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6 Dark Humour Books

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