Status
Available
Genres
Publication
Vicious Galoot Books Co. (2012), Edition: 1, 282 pages
Description
John the Revelator awakens in a cave with no memory of his prior life. He is guided along by a demented madman and a philosophical giant and sets out on a quest to fill in his blank slate and slough off the rot of his soul. Part dark comedy road trip, part spiritual quest, and part horror story, this is John's transformation from repugnant wretch to reluctant hero.
User reviews
LibraryThing member HenriMoreaux
Where to begin...
The blurb about this book sounded unique and intriguing, and sweet baby jesus it certainly is unique. For the purposes of this review the rating will be based on creativity, originality and writing quality.
The story is that of the road to redemption - a man wakes up in a strange
If you've ever felt your books lacked homosexual gang rape, anal fisting, beach ball like organisms covered in supple breasts & vaginas which characters copulate with whilst drinking milk from the lactating breasts, or just all over general weirdness then you're in luck this book will solve that issue for you!
The author certainly has spun a creative and unique image of the fictitious realm, however I found myself wondering if he kept burning the envelope of good taste out of a need to be edgy, artistic or just because he could.
It's well written, certainly original, but personally not my cup of tea.
The blurb about this book sounded unique and intriguing, and sweet baby jesus it certainly is unique. For the purposes of this review the rating will be based on creativity, originality and writing quality.
The story is that of the road to redemption - a man wakes up in a strange
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place and has to cross a strange land filled with strange things in order to absolve himself of past deeds whilst overcoming present adversity. If you've ever felt your books lacked homosexual gang rape, anal fisting, beach ball like organisms covered in supple breasts & vaginas which characters copulate with whilst drinking milk from the lactating breasts, or just all over general weirdness then you're in luck this book will solve that issue for you!
The author certainly has spun a creative and unique image of the fictitious realm, however I found myself wondering if he kept burning the envelope of good taste out of a need to be edgy, artistic or just because he could.
It's well written, certainly original, but personally not my cup of tea.
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LibraryThing member needtoreadgottowatch
Sloughing Off the Rot by Lance Carbuncle is a story with an odd mix of genres.
First Paragraph:
"And that night John went to bed without eating his dinner. Zonked on zolpidem and single malt scotch, wrapped tightly in his super-special 1,000 thread counts sheets and nestled comfortably on his
PLOT
John wakes up one morning to discover himself no longer in any recognisable place. His comfy bed replaced by hard ground and his soft pillow by a rock. He is pondering how he woke up in a cave, and the strange, dark hole a few feet away when a voice comes to him. The voice tells him he is "John the Revelator", followed by some Proclaimers' lyrics and some very ambiguous, unhelpful comments.
The voice tells John he needs redemption. To reach it, he must follow the path, never straying lest he lose the path and become lost to it forever.
The moment John exits the cave, he is met by a strange 'prophet-like' being, in the form of an almost naked hippie, who calls himself Santiago. Santiago is there to guide John, to walk beside him on the journey. However, Santiago is not the most stable of people, and John is now thoroughly confused. He can remember nothing of himself or his past, and he certainly wants nothing to do with this crazy, little man or his plans.
Lost in a desert, John just wants to find his way home. A burning bush tells him that he must follow the path to do so. This is John's second chance. He must follow the red-brick road of El Camino de la Muerte (The Way of Death) and never stray, if he wants to return. What happens on it and where it takes him is up to John.
With little choice, John sets off with the 'wise' Santiago at his side. Along the way they meet a vast assortment of characters. They are hunted by the zombie-like 'lunkheads'- who are men stripped down to nothing but their base desires. They are not the only wants hunting him.
REVIEW
A very weird, sometimes off-putting story. The best way to get through it is to not question it and follows John's example- just go with the flow. There's an odd mix of humour, fantasy and disturbing, adult horror. There are graphic scenes that may not be for the weak of heart, but there is also plenty of warmth to offset it. Though there are horror aspects, the character' reactions makes them seem less threatening and sickening. In fact, the characters just brush them off like nothing. They're almost horror without the horror.
Reading this book is like entering one of Salvador Dali's paintings- it's bleak, beautifully grotesque and utterly beyond description. Freud would have a field day. It's a bizarre mesh of adult versions of Alice in Wonderland and the Wizard of Oz. Especially the latter. It can be hard to know what's going on, and there's a confusion to match John's own.
There are also a lot of Christian undertones (even John's name), all added in in a playful, semi-mocking manner. Not in a offensive way (though I'm sure some would disagree), more in a misplaced, I-think-there's-some-relevance-to-this-but-I-can't-find-it kind of way. Pop culture references are also blended into the mix, adding to the complete acid trip that is this book.
The characters themselves are synonymous with the many different sides of people. The ego, the superego and the id. I'll leave it at that, so as not to spoil, but suffice to say they are a look into the human psyche. Though I will add that Santiago reminds me a little of a more explicit Zaphod Beeblebrox, minus the snazzy outfits, spaceship and extra head. He's quite charming in his own psychotic way.
Overall, I enjoyed this story. If this review got you interested, why not check it out? Though one tip? Don't overthink it too much, just let it be. Let it wash you through the pages, and only once you've finished the book should you think back and wonder what on Earth you just read.
Disclaimer: I received this book from the author. This is not a sponsored review. All opinions are 100% my own.
First Paragraph:
"And that night John went to bed without eating his dinner. Zonked on zolpidem and single malt scotch, wrapped tightly in his super-special 1,000 thread counts sheets and nestled comfortably on his
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newfangled memory foam-reclining- adjustable king-sized bed, John blacked out just after lying down. Peaceful nothingness swirled around him, tossing off flecks of gold and strands of cool blue. The ten thousand things fled and left in their place a cozy void."PLOT
John wakes up one morning to discover himself no longer in any recognisable place. His comfy bed replaced by hard ground and his soft pillow by a rock. He is pondering how he woke up in a cave, and the strange, dark hole a few feet away when a voice comes to him. The voice tells him he is "John the Revelator", followed by some Proclaimers' lyrics and some very ambiguous, unhelpful comments.
The voice tells John he needs redemption. To reach it, he must follow the path, never straying lest he lose the path and become lost to it forever.
The moment John exits the cave, he is met by a strange 'prophet-like' being, in the form of an almost naked hippie, who calls himself Santiago. Santiago is there to guide John, to walk beside him on the journey. However, Santiago is not the most stable of people, and John is now thoroughly confused. He can remember nothing of himself or his past, and he certainly wants nothing to do with this crazy, little man or his plans.
Lost in a desert, John just wants to find his way home. A burning bush tells him that he must follow the path to do so. This is John's second chance. He must follow the red-brick road of El Camino de la Muerte (The Way of Death) and never stray, if he wants to return. What happens on it and where it takes him is up to John.
With little choice, John sets off with the 'wise' Santiago at his side. Along the way they meet a vast assortment of characters. They are hunted by the zombie-like 'lunkheads'- who are men stripped down to nothing but their base desires. They are not the only wants hunting him.
REVIEW
A very weird, sometimes off-putting story. The best way to get through it is to not question it and follows John's example- just go with the flow. There's an odd mix of humour, fantasy and disturbing, adult horror. There are graphic scenes that may not be for the weak of heart, but there is also plenty of warmth to offset it. Though there are horror aspects, the character' reactions makes them seem less threatening and sickening. In fact, the characters just brush them off like nothing. They're almost horror without the horror.
Reading this book is like entering one of Salvador Dali's paintings- it's bleak, beautifully grotesque and utterly beyond description. Freud would have a field day. It's a bizarre mesh of adult versions of Alice in Wonderland and the Wizard of Oz. Especially the latter. It can be hard to know what's going on, and there's a confusion to match John's own.
There are also a lot of Christian undertones (even John's name), all added in in a playful, semi-mocking manner. Not in a offensive way (though I'm sure some would disagree), more in a misplaced, I-think-there's-some-relevance-to-this-but-I-can't-find-it kind of way. Pop culture references are also blended into the mix, adding to the complete acid trip that is this book.
The characters themselves are synonymous with the many different sides of people. The ego, the superego and the id. I'll leave it at that, so as not to spoil, but suffice to say they are a look into the human psyche. Though I will add that Santiago reminds me a little of a more explicit Zaphod Beeblebrox, minus the snazzy outfits, spaceship and extra head. He's quite charming in his own psychotic way.
Overall, I enjoyed this story. If this review got you interested, why not check it out? Though one tip? Don't overthink it too much, just let it be. Let it wash you through the pages, and only once you've finished the book should you think back and wonder what on Earth you just read.
Disclaimer: I received this book from the author. This is not a sponsored review. All opinions are 100% my own.
Show Less
LibraryThing member jwood652
If you like strange, bizarre, fantastical tales involving various creatures of combined animal types that arise from jism (jizz-critters), sex creatures that are basically round balls containing several female orifices for your pleasure and various other absurdities this is your book. I admit that
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I found this bawdy romp quite entertaining and it kept my interest wondering what was next. It is basically a weird battle of good versus evil waged in a strange other world that our protagonist finds himself in. A lot of it seemed to be contrived mainly for shock value although that is part of the appeal. I'm sure that there are many rabid fans of this book but it is not for everybody. Show Less
LibraryThing member kat610
I won this ebook in the Member Giveaways. I really tried to like this book, but I just couldn't do it. I love horror, and some sci-fi and fantasy, and was hoping this would be something like Christopher Moore or Terry Pratchett, but it seems to me like he's trying too hard to be quirky and weird
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and totally disgusting. I have no problem with sexual references or a little gore, but this takes it beyond my limits. I couldn't read more than 20% of this ebook before I finally gave up. As one reviewer put it, it must be an acquired taste. I gave it one star for creativity, and because I felt bad giving it only half a star. Show Less
LibraryThing member David_David_Katzman
I read Lance's pre-release manuscript. He writes what he wants and doesn't give a shit what anyone thinks. I stand by my blurb, as follows:
Carbuncle is a writer who gets you in the gut. He writes with a raw energy that tells it like it is, warts and all. In Sloughing Off the Rot, Carbuncle has
Carbuncle is a writer who gets you in the gut. He writes with a raw energy that tells it like it is, warts and all. In Sloughing Off the Rot, Carbuncle has
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conjured a fascinating vision, an epic, Biblical quest for identity and meaning. His books are obsessed with our physical, bodily nature, but here he’s managed to fuse the physical with the spiritual, seeking out answers to the big questions. His journey is worth taking. Show Less
LibraryThing member rayneofdarkness
I wasn't sure if I was going to like this book at first but after reading it and finally getting into the story, I had some difficulties getting into the novel as it seemed a bit confusing at first. But I think the novel is good with lots of good twists and turn and kept me reading well past I
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should have. Show Less
LibraryThing member chutchi
This book was extremely difficult for me to read. I wanted to give up on this book several times. It has zero appeal for a 30 something female reader. It is a bit of a testosterone laden novel that includes masturbation, self-infliction, bugs-rats-and other creepy crawlies, cannibalism, and so many
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other topics that is not enticing to a female. The imagery while reading this book is similar to an LSD trip. It's not appropriate for youth or females. I do believe the male readers will get a kick out of this book, and the language is quite eloquent... at times. I was disappointed. I do not believe I am the target audience. It is possible that the correct audience will appreciate this book more. Show Less
LibraryThing member star95011
great book
LibraryThing member ragwaine
Of Carbuncle's books this is probably my least favorite, but still a whole helluvalota fun. If you're into the absurd, if you find characters quoting song lyrics as if they're mystical wisdom hilarious, and if you're not easily made queasy, you need to hop on the icky train, just remember to bring
This was a crazy, almost fantasy story, some of the jokes got a little repetitious, but for some reason I laughed every time. I was a little confused by the ending, but not enough to ruin the story. Also very curious where the name Android Lovethorn came from.
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a towel.This was a crazy, almost fantasy story, some of the jokes got a little repetitious, but for some reason I laughed every time. I was a little confused by the ending, but not enough to ruin the story. Also very curious where the name Android Lovethorn came from.
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Language
Original publication date
2013