Charlie Human‘s APOCALYPSE NOW NOW and KILL BAXTER are due to be published in Germany by Tor! The first novel should hit shelves later this month (on 24th), while the sequel is scheduled for May 2017.

Here’s the synopsis for APOCALYPSE NOW NOW: SCHATTEN ÜBER CAPE TOWN…

Eigentlich läuft für den 16-jährigen Baxter gerade alles rund. Sein kleines Pornobusiness an der Highschool boomt, die Eltern lassen ihn in Frieden, und er ist über beide Ohren in die zauberhafte Kleptomanin Esmé verliebt. Doch als diese von einem wahnsinnigen Serienmörder entführt wird, laufen die Dinge aus dem Ruder. Zusammen mit dem Kopfgeldjäger Jackie Ronin macht Baxter sich auf die Suche nach ihr und entdeckt hinter dem gewöhnlichen Alltag von Kapstadt eine Schattenwelt der Ungeheuer und Magie.

Ein anarchisches, übersteuertes und verdammt witziges Fantasy-Debüt mit Kultbuchpotenzial.

And for KILL BAXTER: SHOWDOWN IN CAPE TOWN…

Als Nachfahre südafrikanischer Mystiker hat Baxter die Kräfte seiner Ahnen geerbt. Um zu lernen, wie man damit umgeht, wird er nach Hexpoort verfrachtet, einer Schule für magisch begabte Teenager in der Nähe von Kapstadt, die verdächtig an Hogwarts erinnert (allerdings mit mehr Sex, Drugs, Rock ‘n’ Roll und schnellerem W-Lan). Doch das Leben als Zauberschüler ist alles andere als einfach. Dass er vom hiesigen Auserwählten schikaniert wird und es im Unterricht einfach nicht bringt, gehört noch zu seinen kleineren Problemen: Richtig schlimm wird es erst, als die Schule angegriffen wird und sein alter Freund Ronin auftaucht, um ihm aus der Patsche zu helfen…

APOCALYPSE NOW NOW and KILL BAXTER are published in the UK by Arrow, and in the US by Titan Books (pictured below). Here’s the English-language synopsis…

I LOVE THE SMELL OF PARALLEL DIMENSIONS IN THE MORNING

Baxter Zevcenko’s life is pretty sweet. As the 16-year-old kingpin of the Spider, his smut-peddling schoolyard syndicate, he’s making a name for himself as an up-and-coming entrepreneur. Profits are on the rise, the other gangs are staying out of his business, and he’s going out with Esme, the girl of his dreams.

But when Esme gets kidnapped, and all the clues point towards strange forces at work, things start to get seriously weird. The only man drunk enough to help is a bearded, booze-soaked, supernatural bounty hunter that goes by the name of Jackson ‘Jackie’ Ronin.

Plunged into the increasingly bizarre landscape of Cape Town’s supernatural underworld, Baxter and Ronin team up to save Esme. On a journey that takes them through the realms of impossibility, they must face every conceivable nightmare to get her back, including the odd brush with the Apocalypse.

And, finally, here is a sample from the review coverage…

‘It’s mad, dark, irreverent and wonderfully twisted in all the right ways.’ — Lauren Beukes, author of The Shining Girls, on APOCALYPSE NOW NOW

‘Brilliantly entertaining.’ — British Fantasy Society on APOCALYPSE NOW NOW

‘A riot — a firebomb of a novel, exploding with sick humour, violence and depravity… it’s never less than very funny, and the ongoing question of Baxter’s sanity adds a degree of mystery. There’s warmth here, too – you’ll likely feel sympathy for Bax by the end.’ — SFX Magazine on APOCALYPSE NOW NOW

‘If you want the dark imaginative wonder of Gaiman injected with the reckless, carefree abandon of a Tarantino flick, you’d be a fool not to hitch a ride into the mysterious world of Charlie Human’s South Africa.’ — Starburst on APOCALYPSE NOW NOW

‘Like its predecessor, KILL BAXTER is laugh out loud funny and fiendishly creative. The anti-Hogwarts of Hexpoort gives Human the opportunity to riff more directly on pop culture, but so do the porn addict support groups, pretentious fashion shows and possessed nerds. The further we delve into the supernatural world and its politics, with its psychotic fairies and violent luckdragons, the more engrossing the book becomes… tighter and more focused, and just as gloriously insane. Dark, mad, imaginative, and hilarious; KILL BAXTER is a joy.’ — SciFiNow

‘Just as the author punctures holes in the twee/charming class system of magical boarding schools, Human also goes after many of the other traditions of epic fantasy. The warrior-mages of KILL BAXTER struggle with PTSD. The “rescued” girlfriends don’t feel particularly swoony or appreciative. The quest to master “the power within” involves a funk band. Baxter himself sees himself as the center of the universe (saviour for all, chosen one, etc. etc.) – but is also wise enough to seek out professional therapy for that sensation. APOCALYPSE NOW NOW was a very clever, extremely dark book with an underpinning of real insight into the teenage mind. KILL BAXTER is a step beyond – a viciously sharp adventure that combines explosive entertainment with cutting satire; the best traditions of contemporary fantasy with the truth of what it actually means to be contemporary. The odd book that should appeal to those who love fantasy and those that hate it. And I would heartily recommend it either way.’ — Pornokitsch

‘Full of humour… a brash and ballsy read that doesn’t pull any punches and as such it is for the most part an incredibly fun read but it is the characters and the over the top nature of the story that make it so much fun.’ — The Book Bag on KILL BAXTER