Tag - Transgressive Fiction

1
Launch of Golgotha
2
Golgotha: Only 4 Days To Go
3
Sepultura Has A New Blurb
4
7 Transgressive Fiction Reading Recommendations
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The 10 Books I’ve Read In 2019
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6 Books for 6 Moods
7
My Plans For 2019
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The 20 Books I Read In 2018
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Books, The Crayfish and Me
10
The 10 Books I’ve Read This Year

Launch of Golgotha

Dec 06 2019
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Golgotha had its launch earlier this week. The reviews for my darkly humorous crime novel have been glowing so far. There are already eight on Goodreads, and they are starting to filter through to Amazon too. If you like dark humour, you’ll love Golgotha.

Here are some of the retailer links (eBook & paperback): Amazon UK, Amazon US, Amazon Ca, Kobo UK, & Goodreads

And here is a reminder about the book.

You can’t keep a good sociopath down.

Dyson Devereux is languishing in prison awaiting trial for murder. Languishing wouldn’t be so bad were it not for the irksome inmates, crowded conditions and distinct lack of haute cuisine.

Only Alegra, his sometime paramour and frequent visitor, shares his desire to see him released. The problem is, she wants Dyson freed so they can start a new life together. But all Dyson desires is to get back home to his treasured mementos.

As judgement day draws ever closer, can Dyson keep up appearances long enough to win his freedom? And at what cost? For hell hath no fury like a sociopath scorned.

Golgotha is a funny, fast-paced crime comedy novel, boasting a sardonic and sinister sociopath at its helm.

“Sociopathic comedy at its best” — Adam Riley, Comedian

“Deeply dark and irresistibly funny. If you like dark humour, you’ll love watching Dyson unravel” — Sandra Seymour, Author

‘A devilishly wry read …’ – Goodreads Reviewer

 ‘A brilliant unpredictable end’ – Goodreads Reviewer

Golgotha is the final instalment in the Necropolis Trilogy (#1 Necropolis & #2 Sepultura). As is the case with its predecessors, Golgotha can be read as a standalone novel.

Here is a short (467 word) extract, which I feel encapsulates the book’s dark tone. Click here to read it. Have a great weekend.

Golgotha: Only 4 Days To Go

Nov 29 2019
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There are only four days to go until the release of my darkly humorous crime novel, Golgotha. The big day is next Tuesday (Dec. 03). Here is a short (467 word) extract, which I feel encapsulates the book’s dark tone. Click here to read it. The first reviews have now appeared on Goodreads, and they’re good. Click here to see the reviews.

You can’t keep a good sociopath down.

Dyson Devereux is languishing in prison awaiting trial for murder. Languishing wouldn’t be so bad were it not for the irksome inmates, crowded conditions and distinct lack of haute cuisine.

Only Alegra, his sometime paramour and frequent visitor, shares his desire to see him released. The problem is, she wants Dyson freed so they can start a new life together. But all Dyson desires is to get back home to his treasured mementos.

As judgement day draws ever closer, can Dyson keep up appearances long enough to win his freedom? And at what cost? For hell hath no fury like a sociopath scorned.

Golgotha is a funny, fast-paced crime comedy novel, boasting a sardonic and sinister sociopath at its helm.

“Sociopathic comedy at its best” — Adam Riley, Comedian

“Deeply dark and irresistibly funny. If you like dark humour, you’ll love watching Dyson unravel” — Sandra Seymour, Author

Golgotha is the final instalment in the Necropolis Trilogy (#1 Necropolis & #2 Sepultura). As is the case with its predecessors, Golgotha can be read as a standalone novel. It will be available as an eBook and paperback.

‘A devilishly wry read …’ – Goodreads Reviewer

‘I’m very pleased to be the first person to review this book, because I’ve all good things to say about it’ – Goodreads Reviewer

‘A brilliant unpredictable end’ – Goodreads Reviewer

Click here to see Golgotha on Goodreads.

Click here to read the extract. Have a great weekend.

Sepultura Has A New Blurb

Sep 06 2019
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As many of you are aware, the third instalment in the Necropolis Trilogy will be unleished on the world late this year (date to follow). The darkly humorous Golgotha will see the return of sociopath Dyson Devereux. I look forward to releasing more information in due course.

Today, I am pleased to unveil the new blurb for the second part in the trilogy. Those who have helped me modify the blurb for Sepultura are of the opinion that the new version better describes the book, particularly the conflict which lurks at the heart of it. And I agree with them. Here it is.

A sociopath’s work is never done.

Dyson Devereux is a busy man, with a challenging new job in the council’s Burials and Cemeteries department and a young son. Life should be fine.

But amid the mindless minutiae of his workplace, Dyson is fast losing patience with his crass colleagues and their contemptible clothes. Something’s got to give, and it’s not going to be Dyson.

Because unbeknown to those around him, beneath Dyson’s charming, Italian-delicacy-consuming veneer lurks something sinister. As his personal and professional lives threaten to spiral out of control, how long can Dyson keep his true nature under wraps?   

Sepultura is a hilarious black comedy exposing the banality of public-sector bureaucracy.  

“Hysterical. Takes dark humour to a whole new level” — Martin Allen, Author of Weed.

“A satirical gem” — Adam Riley, Comedian

Necropolis Trilogy retailer links – Amazon US, Amazon UK, Kobo US, Kobo UK, Kobo Ca

I know comments and likes aren’t functioning properly on this blog presently. I plan to rectify this soon. Have a good weekend.

7 Transgressive Fiction Reading Recommendations

Jul 12 2019
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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

Catch-22

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)

The 10 Books I’ve Read In 2019

Jun 28 2019
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As is my custom at the halfway point of the year, I am devoting this post to the books that I have read so far in 2019. You will notice a preponderance of dark and Transgressive Fiction. This is because they are my favourite genres.

I hope you find something that is of interest to you. Click on the links to read my reviews.

Spencer’s Risk by Andy Greenhalgh

Genre: Black Comedy

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 gambling problem …(more)

My Opinion: Humorous but turgid

Survivor by Chuck Palahniuk

Genre: Transgressive Fiction

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

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)

My Opinion: A satirical extravaganza

Neon Empire by Drew Minh

Genre: Dystopian/Sci-Fi

The author may well have created an accurate reflection of where we are invariably heading as a society, but it comes at a heavy price.

My Review: Set in the near future, Neon Empire is a dystopian sci-fi novel based in a high-tech city called Eutopia. The place is a latter-day combination of …(more)

My Opinion: Convoluted and confusing

Child of God by Cormac McCarthy

Genre: Southern Gothic

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)

My Opinion: Excellent

Job by Joseph Roth

Genre: European Literature

This fableesque story with its obvious parallels to the Biblical character by the same name will appeal to fans of the Austro-Hungarian author. 

My Review: Biblical teacher Mendel and his family are Jews residing in the town of Zuchnow, in Tsarist Russia. Mendel has a wife called Deborah, three sons and …(more)

My Opinion: Okay

The Elephant Vanishes by Haruki Murakami

Genre: Short Stories

This curious and comical Kafkaesque hotchpotch of a collection encompasses a variety of themes including relationships and loneliness.

My Review: This compilation of seventeen first-person short stories are set for the most part in Japan during the economic boom of the eighties. These tales, which blend banal …(more)

My Opinion: Bizarre and amusing

American Pastoral by Philip Roth

Genre: Historical Fiction

This tome is in essence an elegy to the death of The American Dream. Much of it is devoted to detailed character exploration.

My Review: ‘The Swede’ Seymour Levov is a towering, athletic blond-haired Jew with striking good looks. The affable high school baseball phenom seems destined for …(more)

My Opinion: Arduous but rewarding

Women by Charles Bukowski

Genre: Dirty Realism/Transgressive Fiction

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)

My Opinion: Good

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Genre: Post Apocalyptic/Dark Fiction

The Road is a near unrelentingly bleak novel about a father and his young son travelling south in search of something better.

My Review: A cataclysmic event has left the world in ruins, and almost everything and everyone is dead. In the absence of food, the remaining humans are reduced to…(more)

My Opinion: Depressing but good

The Wolf of Wall Street by Jordan Belfort

Genre: Biography

This five hundred plus page tome is teeming with escapades that entail stock manipulation, brushes with the law, prostitutes and more besides.

My Review: In 1989 Jordan Belfort and two of his friends founded a brokerage house on Long Island by the name of Stratton Oakmont. The company was in essence a ‘boiler room’ …(more)

My Opinion: Entertaining for the most part


6 Books for 6 Moods

Mar 22 2019
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This week sees the latest instalment in my books for different moods series. Here are 6 books for 6 moods/different states of mind. Click on the links to read my reviews.

In the mood for something shocking? If so then your search is over:

Newspaper Diapers

This compilation of vignettes about child abuse and group homes left an indelible mark on this reader’s mind. What it lacks in length, it more than compensates for in disturbing content. Click here to read my review.

In the mood for a Transgressive classic? If the answer is yes, you can’t do much better than this:

Survivor

Survivor is an innovative and erudite social commentary, brimming with satirical observations and irreverent humour. It is without doubt one of the author’s best efforts. Click here to read my review.

In the mood for something heavy and intellectual? This tome has the added benefit that it can also be used as a doorstop.

The Brothers Karamazov

This philosophical tome, Dostoyevsky’s last novel, is widely regarded as one of the great literary works of the last century. Click here to read my review.

Feeling like escaping from reality? Then you might like this dystopian classic:

The Man In The High Castle

This alternative history dystopia is set in a world in which the allies lost The War. It is a somewhat chaotic work, containing many intrigues. Click here to read my review.

Requiring something sleep-inducing? If so, then forget the pills and read this instead:

Go Set A Watchman

Set in the 1950s, Go Set A Watchman is essentially about a young woman maturing mentally, and very little else. It compares unfavourably to the author’s seminal work, To Kill A Mockingbird. Click here to read my review.

In the mood for something satirical?

Candide

Candide is an eighteenth-century satirical classic that evaluates optimism; the prevailing philosophical ideology of The Enlightenment. Click here to read my review.

My Plans For 2019

Jan 04 2019
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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.

The 20 Books I Read In 2018

Dec 28 2018
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As is my custom at year end, I am dedicating this blog post to the books I read this year. I have been pretty busy in 2018, what with releasing two books (Sepultura & Tomorrow’s World) and various writing gigs. However, I did find time to read 20 books. Click on the links to read my reviews. They are presented in the order in which I read them:

Skagboys by Irvine Welsh (2012) – This is the prequel to Trainspotting. It is set in the 1980s against a backdrop of Thatcherism, the rise of dance music and HIV.

The Carrot Man by Theo E. Gerken (2017) – This existential comedy is replete with jokes. Some are offensive, few are amusing.

An Ice-Cream War by William Boyd (1982) – An Ice-Cream War’s motif is the absurdness of war. The book’s grave content is laced with humour of the dark variety.

The Trumpassic Period – Year One by David Belisle (2018) – This sleep-inducing politics-meets-palaeontology work purports to be a satire, of the lampooning variety.

Last Exit To Brooklyn by Hubert Selby Jr. (1964) – This is a controversial and ground-breaking transgressive work consisting of six inter-related short stories.

Vile Bodies by Evelyn Waugh (1930) – This satirical novel’s primary purpose is satirising decadent 1920s London society.

Hotel Scarface by Roben Farzad (2017) – Named after iconic film Scarface, Hotel Scarface is an account of the rise and fall of Hotel Mutiny; a Miami-based hotel and club.

Not Exactly Shakespeare by Martin Freznell (2017) – Not Exactly Shakespeare purports to be the shortest book you’ll ever be forced to pretend to have to read.

The Raw Shark Texts by Steven Hall (2007) – This analytical and abstract book’s motif is mental health. Its contents include drawings and computer code.

Marabao Stork Nightmares by Irvine Welsh (1995) – An inventive, transgressive work, boasting parallel stories and different levels of awareness.

American Gods by Neil Gaiman (2001) – This dark, unusual blend of fantasy and mythology explores the tribalistic nature of America’s various beliefs.

Knockemstiff by Donald Ray Pollock (2008) – This excellent transgressive compilation of interlinked short stories is set in a real-life Ohioan backwater.

Discontents by James Wallace Birch (2011) – This rather uncompelling work of Transgressive Fiction contains considerable theorising.

The Journey of Crazy Horse by J.M. Marshall III (2004) – A biographical narrative about the legendary Lakota Sioux chief, Crazy Horse.

Between the Shadow and Lo by Lauren Sapala (2017) – A first-person work of Transgressive Fiction written by a female author and boasting an alcoholic female protagonist.

The Willow Tree by Hubert Selby Jr. (1998) – A fable about hate and its ramifications. Themes include hope, forgiveness and love.

The Blade Artist by Irvine Welsh (2016) – This memorable work of Transgressive Fiction boasts a complex and manipulative protagonist.

The Bad Boys of Bokaro Jail by Chetan Mahajan (2014) – This quick and easy read consists of a first-person account of the author’s short stint in an Indian local jail.

The Butcher by Nathan Burrows (2018) – This aptly named book is set in the English county of Norfolk. Topics encompass swine, illegal migrants, potential Brexit ramifications and cannibalism.

In Wolves’ Clothing by Greg Levin (2017) – A first-person transgressive work about a troubled member of an anti child trafficking organisation.

Books, The Crayfish and Me

Oct 05 2018
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I am not a sociable person and I do not receive many visitors, so I was surprised when this one turned up, unannounced at my front door.

He is an American Crayfish. I’m assuming it’s a he, I don’t get female visitors. His visit was all the more surprising considering that there is very little water around here. Initially, I wasn’t aware that he was an American Crayfish, but then the postman arrived and informed me that ‘it’ was, and that American Crayfish are a clear and present danger to our native fauna. Rather like grey squirrels.

On another note, after years of using social media, I have finally decided to include a bio pic of myself, rather than an image from one of my front covers. It feels a bit like being naked in public. Anyway, here it is:

I will be rolling it out to my social media profiles in due course. Now, for a reading update. What with all the writing I have been doing, I haven’t been reading that much of late, but I am poised to embark on two books. The Blade Artist (Transgressive Fiction) and The Butcher (Black Comedy). I will be posting my reviews of them here and on Goodreads.

Just a reminder that my next book, Tomorrow’s World: Darkly Humorous Tales From The Future is being released next month (November 22nd). Click here to view its Goodreads page. Have a good weekend.

 

 

The 10 Books I’ve Read This Year

Jun 22 2018
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As is my custom at the halfway point of the year, I am devoting this post to the books that I have read so far in 2018. Well, there is over a week to go until the halfway point, but anyway … Here are the ten books that I have read in 2018. They are presented in the order in which I read them. Click on the links to read my reviews.

 

Skaboys by Irvine Welsh

Genre: Transgressive Fiction

Skagboys is set in the 1980s against a backdrop of Thatcherism, the rise of dance of music and HIV.

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 …(more)

My Opinion: Excellent

 

An Ice-Cream War by William Boyd

Genre: Dark Humour

An Ice-Cream War’s motif is the absurdness of war. The book’s grave content is laced with humour of the dark variety.

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 …(more)

My Opinion: Good

 

The Carrot Man by Theo A. Gerken

Genre: Humour

This existential comedy is replete with jokes. Some are offensive, few are amusing.

My Review: The Carrot Man is a novelette about a manic Swede who is revolted by his new flatmate; an unhygienic, unindustrious, unsociable specimen whom …(more)

My Opinion: Poor

 

The Trumpassic Period by David Belisle

Genre: Humour?

This politics-meets-palaeontology work purports to be a satire, of the lampooning variety.

My Review: The Trumpassic Period is a rehash of President Trump’s first year in office, but with dinosaurs substituting for the controversial leader and his cohorts …(more)

My Opinion: Sleep-inducing drivel

 

Last Exit to Brooklyn by Hubert Selby Jr.

Genre: Transgressive Fiction

Last Exit to Brooklyn is a controversial and ground-breaking transgressive work.

My Review: This inter-related collection of six stories are set in 1950s Brooklyn, New York. One revolves around a Benzedrine-scoffing transvestite’s …(more)

My Opinion: Memorable

 

Vile Bodies by Evelyn Waugh

Genre: Humour/Satire

Vile Bodies is a satirical novel whose primary purpose is satirising decadent 1920s London society.

My Review: Author Adam plans to marry his fiancé Nina Blount, but he does not have enough money to convince his disinterested, aristocratic beau to tie the knot. Every time Adam …(more)

My Opinion: Curious and somewhat dated

 

Hotel Scarface by Roben Farzad

Genre: Non Fiction

Named after iconic film Scarface, Hotel Scarface captures the zeitgeist of 1980s Miami.

My Review: This is an account of the rise and fall of Hotel Mutiny; a Coconut Grove, Miami-based hotel and club founded in the 1970s. It became the haunt of rising cocaine …(more)

My Opinion: Okay

 

The Raw Shark Texts by Steven Hall

Genre: General Fiction?

This analytical and abstract book’s motif is mental health. Its contents include drawings and computer code.

My Review:Eric Sanderson is suffering from a form of amnesia called fugue, at least according to his psychologist. Eric is aware that his girlfriend Cleo died whilst …(more)

My Opinion: Pretentious and onerous

 

Not Exactly Shakespeare by Martin Freznell

Genre: Humour

Not Exactly Shakespeare purports to be the shortest book you’ll ever be forced to pretend to have to read.

My Review: There is not much to like or loath about this meagre and mildly comical offering …(more)

My Opinion: Not enough content to form one

 

Marabou Stork Nightmares by Irvine Welsh

Genre: Transgressive Fiction

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 …(more)

My Opinion: Bleak and quite good

 

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