Tag: Apocalypse Now Now

Out Now in the US: APOCALYPSE NOW NOW by Charlie Human

Posted on Tuesday, April 14th, 2015

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The wait is finally over: today, Titan Books publish Charlie Human‘s debut, APOCALYPSE NOW NOW in the US. An incredibly well-received novel in the UK, here’s the 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.

Here’s just a small handful of the veritable tsunami of praise APOCALYPSE NOW NOW received from reviewers and peers alike…

‘It’s mad, dark, irreverent and wonderfully twisted in all the right ways.’ — Lauren Beukes

‘Billed as a mash-up between Neil Gaiman and Quinton Tarantino, this debut novel by Charlie Human draws on his South African background and pours on a crazy, twisted narrative that is brilliantly entertaining.’ — British Science Fiction Association

The sequel, KILL BAXTER, is due to be published in the US by Titan Books, in November 2015. We’ll bring you more details closer to then. In the meantime, here’s the US cover…

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Both APOCALYPSE NOW NOW and KILL BAXTER are published in the UK by Century/Arrow, and in South Africa by Umuzi/Random Struik. The first novel has also been published in translation in a number of countries (more to come). Here are the covers for APOCALYPSE NOW NOW, to date…

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Charlie Human’s APOCALYPSE NOW NOW Arrives Tomorrow in Japan

Posted on Friday, March 20th, 2015

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Tomorrow, Charlie Human‘s mind-bending, gonzo debut urban fantasy novel, APOCALYPSE NOW NOW, is released in Japan. Published by Tokyo Sogensha as 鋼鉄の黙示録, here’s the Japanese synopsis, followed by the English-language synopsis…

ケープタウンに住む高校生のバクスターは失踪した恋人を探すうちに、超常現象専門の賞金稼ぎローニンと出会う。どうやら恋人は、この街に実在する異形の怪物たちにさらわれたらしい。しかも事件にはバクスターの血筋に連なる異能者や、政府の秘密諜報機関までもが関わっているという。調査を進めるバクスターたちの行く先々で、銃弾と呪術が乱れ飛び、ゾンビやロボットが大暴れ……　イギリスＳＦ界を騒然とさせたデビュー作！

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.

APOCALYPSE NOW NOW is published in the UK by Century Books; South Africa by Umuzi/Random Struik; and is due to be published in the US by Titan Books soon (cover reveal next week). The sequel, KILL BAXTER, is also published or due to be published by the same publishers.

Here’s just a small selection of the incredible reviews APOCALYPSE NOW NOW has received…

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

‘Brilliantly entertaining.’ — British Fantasy Society

‘… 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

‘Think Lauren Beukes meets Neil Gaiman, with bounty hunters.’ — Wired (UK)

Charlie Human’s APOCALYPSE NOW NOW in Italian!

Posted on Monday, December 1st, 2014

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Charlie Human‘s critically-acclaimed debut novel, APOCALYPSE NOW NOW, has been translated into Italian and published by Gargoyle. The cover, above, is wonderfully creepy and matches the mood of the UK and South African covers rather nicely (below).

In case you’ve missed the series, here’s the novel’s 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.

APOCALYPSE NOW NOW and the sequel, KILL BAXTER, are published in the UK by Century and in South Africa by Random Struik. Here is just a small amount of the praise the novel has received…

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

‘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

‘A bowl of fireworks… It has porn-peddling adolescents, ginger bearded monk ninjas, killer crows and zombie-filled sex dungeons ruled over by parasitic mega-spiders. What’s not to love!?!’ — J For Jetpack

‘Breakneck pace and mad imagination… APOCALYPSE NOW NOW [is] such an addictive experience. As one of an associate of Ronin’s remarks: “There’s no pause button, you understand? … Once it starts you have to see it through.” All too true!’ — Tor.com

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Lauren Beukes helps launch Charlie Human’s KILL BAXTER!

Posted on Tuesday, November 4th, 2014

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Already available in the UK, Charlie Human‘s KILL BAXTER will be launched in the author’s native South Africa next week, on November 11th. Held at Cape Town’s Book Lounge, the event (poster above), will include Charlie in conversation with best-selling author Lauren Beukes. KILL BAXTER is the sequel to APOCALYPSE NOW NOW. Both novels are published in South Africa by Umuzi/Random Struik and in the UK by Century. Here’s the synopsis…

The world has been massively unappreciative of sixteen-year-old Baxter Zevcenko. His bloodline may be a combination of ancient Boer mystic and giant shape-shifting crow, and he may have won an inter-dimensional battle and saved the world, but does anyone care? Frankly, no.  

Instead he’s packed off to Hexpoort, a magical training school that’s part reformatory, part military school. It’s just like Hogwarts – except with sex, drugs, and much better internet access. The problem is that Baxter sucks at magic. He’s also desperately attempting to control his new ability to dreamwalk, all the while being singled out by the school’s resident bully, who just so happens to be the Chosen One.

But when Hexpoort comes under attack, Baxter needs to forget all that and step into action. The only way to do this is to join forces with his favourite recovering alcoholic of a supernatural bounty hunter, Ronin, to try to save the world from the apocalypse. Again.

Check out the great covers for KILL BAXTER, both by the ever-so-talented Joey Hi-Fi:

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UK Publication Day: Charlie Human’s KILL BAXTER

Posted on Thursday, July 17th, 2014

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The wait is finally over! KILL BAXTER, the sequel to Charlie Human‘s critically-acclaimed debut novel APOCALYPSE NOW NOW, is out today in the UK! Published by Century, the novel offers everything we loved about APOCALYPSE NOW NOW and throws Baxter into an even deadlier environment: a school populated by back-stabbing and ambitious wannabe wizards! Here’s the synopsis…

AND HE THOUGHT THE HARD PART WAS OVER…

The world has been massively unappreciative of sixteen-year-old Baxter Zevcenko. His bloodline may be a combination of ancient Boer mystic and giant shape-shifting crow, and he may have won an inter-dimensional battle and saved the world, but does anyone care? No.

Instead he’s packed off to Hexpoort, a magical training school that’s part reformatory, part military school, and just like Hogwarts (except with sex, drugs, and better internet access). The problem is that Baxter sucks at magic. He’s also desperately attempting to control his new ability to dreamwalk, all the while being singled out by the school’s resident bully, who just so happens to be the Chosen One.

But when the school comes under attack, Baxter needs to forget all that and step into action. The only way is joining forces with his favourite recovering alcoholic of a supernatural bounty hunter, Ronin, to try and save the world from the apocalypse. Again.

It’s still a bit early for many reviews to have surfaced, but we’ll be sure to share notable quotes on here, and also on Charlie’s author page. The first review, from SciFi Now encapsulated things rather nicely: ‘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. Baxter himself is as entertaining a companion as ever, struggling with heartbreak and desperately trying to go against his own nature and be a good person, even as he travels through his own psyche with his psychosexual development funk band guides to fulfil his potential… tighter and more focused, and just as gloriously insane. Dark, mad, imaginative, and hilarious; KILL BAXTER is a joy.’

The novel will be published in the US by Titan Books, and in South Africa by Umuzi/Random Struik. We’ll be sure to keep you informed of publication dates. And finally, because we love this cover as well, here’s the South African artwork, which we unveiled on Monday…

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Cover Reveal: KILL BAXTER by Charlie Human, South African Edition

Posted on Monday, July 14th, 2014

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We unveiled Joey Hi-Fi’s superb cover for the UK edition of Charlie Human‘s second novel, KILL BAXTER, a little while ago. Today, we share with you the equally stunning cover that will grace the South African edition of the novel, which is due to be published by Random Struik/Umuzi. This cover is also done by the insanely talented Joey Hi-Fi.

KILL BAXTER is due to be published in the UK by Century, later this week. It is the sequel to the critically-acclaimed APOCALYPSE NOW NOW.

Here are the two covers for the novel side-by-side…

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Cover Reveal: KILL BAXTER by Charlie Human

Posted on Wednesday, May 28th, 2014

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We are very happy indeed to be able to share with you the superb cover for Charlie Human‘s second novel, KILL BAXTER. We think you can agree, Joey Hi-Fi has once again knocked it right out of the park! KILL BAXTER is the sequel to APOCALYPSE NOW NOW, Charlie’s critically-acclaimed debut. Here’s the synopsis for the new novel…

And he thought the hard part was over…

The world been massively unappreciative of sixteen-year-old Baxter Zevcenko. His bloodline may be a combination of ancient Boer mystic and giant shape-shifting crow, and he may have won an inter-dimensional battle and saved the world, but does anyone care? No.

Instead he’s packed off to Hexpoort, a magical training school that’s part reformatory, part military school, and just like Hogwarts (except with sex, drugs, and better internet access). Th problem is that Baxter sucks at magic. He’s also desperately attempting to control his new ability to dreamwalk, all the while being singled out by the school’s resident bully, who just so happens to be the Chosen One.

But when the school comes under attack, Baxter needs to forget all that and step into action. The only way is joining forces with his favourite recovering alcoholic of a supernatural bounty hunter, Ronin, to try and save the world from the apocalypse. Again.

Here’s just a small selection of that aforementioned critical praise for APOCALYPSE NOW NOW…

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

‘With a wild imagination and savage glee, Charlie Human throws us into a school yard battle zone that’s part teenage wasteland, part Lovecraft fever dream. Rock and Roll High School meets the apocalypse.’ — Richard Kadrey, author of Sandman Slim

‘… a bowl of fireworks… It has porn-peddling adolescents, ginger bearded monk ninjas, killer crows and zombie-filled sex dungeons ruled over by parasitic mega-spiders. What’s not to love!?!’ — J For Jetpack

‘… 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

‘Think Lauren Beukes meets Neil Gaiman, with bounty hunters.’ — Wired (UK)

KILL BAXTER is due to be published by Century in the UK in July 2014. As for APOCALYPSE NOW NOW, Joey Hi-Fi is working on a separate cover for Charlie’s home South African edition, and we’ll be sure to share that will you as soon as we can.

Charlie Human’s APOCALYPSE NOW NOW available in MMPB (UK)

Posted on Tuesday, April 8th, 2014

Human-ApocalypseNowNow-BlogCharlie Human‘s critically acclaimed debut novel, APOCALYPSE NOW NOW, was published at the beginning of this month in mass market paperback. The novel is published by Century in the UK, Umuzi/Random Struik in South Africa, and is due to be published in the US by Titan Books.

If you haven’t checked it out, yet, we strongly urge that you do! It’s a smorgasbord of fantastical, bizarre, and humorous elements, set in the South African supernatural underground. Here’s the 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.

The novel has been praised far and wide by fans, reviewers and Charlie’s peers. Here’s just a small slice of what has been said…

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

‘With a wild imagination and savage glee, Charlie Human throws us into a school yard battle zone that’s part teenage wasteland, part Lovecraft fever dream. Rock and Roll High School meets the apocalypse.’  —  Richard Kadrey, author of Sandman Slim

‘… 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

‘… a bowl of fireworks… It has porn-peddling adolescents, ginger bearded monk ninjas, killer crows and zombie-filled sex dungeons ruled over by parasitic mega-spiders. What’s not to love!?!’  —  J For Jetpack

Charlie recently turned in a draft of his follow-up novel, KILL BAXTER, which is due to be published in the UK in July 2014. More news anon!

New US Deal for Charlie Human’s APOCALYPSE NOW NOW!

Posted on Friday, January 24th, 2014

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We are very happy to report that those across the pond in the US will not have to wait much longer to get their hands on Charlie Human‘s bombastic and twisted APOCALYPSE NOW NOW! Titan Books have picked up the US rights for Charlie’s debut and its forthcoming sequel, KILL BAXTER. Here’s the 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.

APOCALYPSE NOW NOW was published in the UK by Century and Umuzi/Random Struik in South Africa, to rave reviews. Here is just a small sample of the praise that has been justifiably heaped on the novel…

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

‘I don’t even know how to describe reading this book, so just look at my wide eyes and my silently mumbling mouth and take my shell-shock as a good sign that you need to read this book right now.’  —  Chuck Wendig, author of Blackbirds

‘With a wild imagination and savage glee, Charlie Human throws us into a school yard battle zone that’s part teenage wasteland, part Lovecraft fever dream. Rock and Roll High School meets the apocalypse.’  —  Richard Kadrey, author of Sandman Slim

‘… 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

‘… wonderfully detailed scenarios, it’s fantastic… APOCALYPSE NOW NOW is often hilarious and tremendous fun… its target audience will have a blast.’  —  SciFi Now

‘Human effortlessly mixes Baxter’s psychiatrist’s comments on him with lurid scenes of Cape Town’s supernatural clubland. It’s quick, amusing and widely referenced, and the reader gets no help on which reality to take seriously.’  —  Mail & Guardian

‘… a bowl of fireworks… It has porn-peddling adolescents, ginger bearded monk ninjas, killer crows and zombie-filled sex dungeons ruled over by parasitic mega-spiders. What’s not to love!?!’  —  J For Jetpack

‘Cruel and unusual as it is, APOCALYPSE NOW NOW‘s setting is pitch perfect for the wicked fun forthcoming…  [A] breakneck pace and mad imagination… make APOCALYPSE NOW NOW such an addictive experience.’  —  Speculative Scotsman

An Award Nod for APOCALYPSE NOW NOW Artist!

Posted on Friday, January 24th, 2014

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We are very pleased to share the news that Joey Hi-Fi‘s wonderful art that graces the cover of Charlie Human‘s APOCALYPSE NOW NOW has been chosen as a finalist in The Kitschies‘ Inky Tentacle (Cover Art) category! Selected from over 230 covers, it’s great to hear that Joey’s work has made the final short list!

As for Charlie’s novel, it continues to receive rave reviews from far and wide! As a result, anticipation for the sequel, KILL BAXTER, just keeps on growing. APOCALYPSE NOW NOW was published by Century in the UK, and Umuzi/Random Struik in South Africa. Here’s a reminder of the novel’s synopsis…

Baxter Zevcenko is your average sixteen-year-old-boy — if by average you mean kingpin of a schoolyard porn syndicate and possible serial killer who suffers from surreal  nightmares. Which may very well be what counts as average these days. Baxter is the first to admit that he’s not a nice guy. After all, if the guy below you falls, dragging you down into an icy abyss you have to cut him loose — even in high school.

That is until his girlfriend, Esmé, is kidnapped and Baxter is forced to confront a disturbing fact about himself — that he has a heart, and the damn thing is forcing him to abandon high-school politics and set out on a quest to find her. The clues point to supernatural forces at work and Baxter is must admit that he can’t do it alone. Enter Jackie Ronin, supernatural bounty hunter, Border War veteran, and all-round lunatic, who takes him on a chaotic tour of Cape Town’s sweaty, occult underbelly.

What do glowing men, transsexual African valkyries, and zombie-creating arachnids have to do with Esmé’s disappearance? That’s what Baxter really, really needs to find out.

And some of the aforementioned critical praise…

‘… 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

‘Think Lauren Beukes meets Neil Gaiman, with bounty hunters.’  —  Wired (UK)

‘… wonderfully detailed scenarios, it’s fantastic… APOCALYPSE NOW NOW is often hilarious and tremendous fun… its target audience will have a blast.’  —  SciFi Now

‘Human effortlessly mixes Baxter’s psychiatrist’s comments on him with lurid scenes of Cape Town’s supernatural clubland. It’s quick, amusing and widely referenced, and the reader gets no help on which reality to take seriously.’  —  Mail & Guardian

‘… a bowl of fireworks… It has porn-peddling adolescents, ginger bearded monk ninjas, killer crows and zombie-filled sex dungeons ruled over by parasitic mega-spiders. What’s not to love!?!’  —  J For Jetpack

‘… breakneck pace and mad imagination… APOCALYPSE NOW NOW [is] such an addictive experience. As one of an associate of Ronin’s remarks: “There’s no pause button, you understand? … Once it starts you have to see it through.” All too true!’  —  Tor.com

Charlie Human on Letting Go of APOCALYPSE NOW NOW

Posted on Monday, January 13th, 2014

Last week, Charlie Human was interviewed by Channel 24 in South Africa about his novel APOCALYPSE NOW NOW. During the interview, Charlie spoke about writing the novel, the possibility of a screen adaptation…

And also the amusing mix-up that occurred after Charlie Hunnam was selected to star in the film adaptation of 50 Shades of Grey…

APOCALYPSE NOW NOW is published by Century in the UK and Umuzi/Struik in South Africa.

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50 Shades of A Simple Typo…

Posted on Friday, September 13th, 2013

Back in July, Zeno client Charlie Human decided that he was going to go along with the frequent instances of a particular mistaken identity – a lot of people confuse his Twitter account with that of British actor Charlie Hunnam (Sons of Anarchy, Pacific Rim, etc.). In Zeno Charlie’s own words, he was ‘Kicking off my new strategy of taking credit for everything Charlie Hunnam does. I get enough tweets directed at him.’

Last week, however, Charlie woke up to the following, surprising Tweet…: ‘My dreams are coming true.. @charliehuman will be Christian [G]rey!!!’

This followed the news that Charlie Hunnam had been cast as the lead male character in the movie adaptation of 50 Shades of Grey. Much amusement ensued, and we suggest you head over to South Africa publisher Umuzi’s Books Live, where the exchanges have been collated for your reading pleasure.

Do be sure to pick up Charlie Human‘s APOCALYPSE NOW NOW, which was published last month by Century in the UK, to great (and growing) acclaim.

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Photo Credit: Deni Archer

Praise Keeps Pouring in for Charlie Human’s APOCALYPSE NOW NOW!

Posted on Tuesday, August 27th, 2013

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Charlie Human‘s brilliant debut novel, APOCALYPSE NOW NOW, has been out in the UK for a couple of weeks, now, and great reviews just keep flooding in. We shared with you some of the responses from other authors a little while back. Now, we’re happy to share some reviewer comments, just in case you still need convincing to check out the novel (and whet your appetite for it’s forthcoming sequel)…

‘Brilliantly entertaining.’  —  British Fantasy Society

‘… 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

‘… gloriously twisted… Imaginative, slightly demented and wonderfully odd, it’s a striking debut that delivers a dark monster-filled tale at a frenetically enjoyable pace… run[s] rampant with brutal violence, freaky nightmare creatures and African mythology… flamboyant characters, jolly gung-ho violence and a perverse sense of humour… 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

‘Think Lauren Beukes meets Neil Gaiman, with bounty hunters.’  —  Wired (UK)

‘… pure, unbridled joy… absolutely none of it is paint by numbers… a fever dream of an urban fantasy, something where everything’s been flung against the wall and, against all odds, it sticks… Mr. Human has built a ridiculously infectious world… It is hard not to be swept up by the joy of it all… Unbridled, unhinged joy and a bit of thoughtful characterisation? APOCALYPSE NOW NOW may truly signify the end of days.’  —  Pornokitsch

‘… wonderfully detailed scenarios, it’s fantastic… APOCALYPSE NOW NOW is often hilarious and tremendous fun… its target audience will have a blast.’  —  SciFi Now

‘Charlie Human, a native South African who has the writing ability of a seasoned pro… From start to finish this just kept getting better and better… The book has everything from giant crows to dwarfs to mind controlling spiders… I would definitely recommend this to all. If you’re a fan of fantasy adventure you are going to love this…’  —  PopBucket

‘Human blends a lot of the staples of the genre together and gives the resultant mix more than a few twists of his own (playing on reader expectations very neatly) to create a story that will appeal to fans of very dark urban fantasy… Not for the weak of stomach, this is hopefully just the first adventure for Baxter and Jackson Ronin… Recommended.’  —  Sci-Fi Bulletin

‘… a bowl of fireworks… It has porn-peddling adolescents, ginger bearded monk ninjas, killer crows and zombie-filled sex dungeons ruled over by parasitic mega-spiders. What’s not to love!?!’  —  J For Jetpack

‘… an extremely strong debut novel, from an author who exhibits a great deal of talent and potential. APOCALYPSE NOW NOW is bonkers, twisted, very funny, and utterly engaging… Human’s writing is immediate, addictive, funny, and expertly crafted… original, very well-written, funny, dark, and genre-blending. Charlie is definitely an author to watch.’  —  Civilian Reader

‘… breakneck pace and mad imagination… APOCALYPSE NOW NOW [is] such an addictive experience. As one of an associate of Ronin’s remarks: “There’s no pause button, you understand? … Once it starts you have to see it through.” All too true!’  —  Tor.com

‘… Charlie Human’s formidable imagination… is splattered over every page…. In much the same way as Paul Cornell did in London Falling, APOCALYPSE NOW NOW shows the supernatural living uneasily in the city shadows. But Cape Town is given a far more jaundiced view through the eyes of this disillusioned South African 21st century Holden Caulfield, and Human’s use of African superstition and his own bizarre creatures makes it a far more exotic and dangerous place… an attention-grabbing debut novel… certainly one you won’t forget reading in a hurry.’  —  Cultbox

‘… weirdly and gruesomely awesome! …  I laughed (a lot), I got drawn in to the action… Not your run of the mill scifi or fantasy novel and defo not one for the easily offended or feint of heart… if you want a book that blurs the genre lines, delves into South African mythology and has a whole heap of weird eroticism in it then this is defo one for you. Go forth and envelop this crazy arsed book!’  —  Book Geek Says

‘Like Gaiman and Tarantino, Charlie Human plays with different genres and their cliches… It is fast-paced, laugh-out-loud funny… Baxter’s voice is brilliant… Baxter’s commentary, with its irony and awareness, also helps keep the book from being overwhelmed by weirdness… This is [Charlie’s] debut novel and a very impressive one at that.’  —  Magic Realism

‘Mr. Human’s insane brain rips the carpet that you think you know from underneath you, rolls you up in it and transports you into a strange, twisted world… It’s stupendous… The supporting cast is written well, with the important players given enough back story and hints of motives to flesh them out. Honestly, read this book… it’s written beautifully. I can’t wait to read his next. 9/10’  —  Fantasy Opinion

Be sure to keep checking Charlie’s author page, which we will update as-and-when new reviews come in. APOCALYPSE NOW NOW is published in the UK by Century, and in South Africa by Random House/Struik (in English and Afrikaans – BOKVELD BINNEKORT).