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Charlie Human’s KILL BAXTER Out Tomorrow in US

Posted on Monday, November 2nd, 2015

Charlie Human‘s second novel, KILL BAXTER, is out tomorrow in the US! Published by Titan Books, 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.

The novel takes readers back to the urban fantastical South Africa of the author’s critically-acclaimed debut, APOCALYPSE NOW NOW. The novel is published in the UK by Arrow, and in South Africa by Random Struik/Umuzi. The first novel in the series is also available in Turkey, Italy and Japan; earlier this year, it was also recently optioned for the big screen.

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

‘Like its predecessor, KILL BAXTER is laugh out loud funny and fiendishly creative… Baxter himself is as entertaining a companion as ever… 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… 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

‘The antidote to Harry Potter is back… a lively elaboration of the mad as pants brand of South African urban fantasy advanced in APOCALYPSE NOW NOW… everything Human’s debut did well, KILL BAXTER does better… the setting, again, is superlative… the way in which South African folklore figures into the fiction is fantastic… and KILL BAXTER is a markedly more brutal book… more than a match for Charlie Human’s addictive debut. This, then, is urban fantasy on magical meth. You will want more.’ — Tor.com

Charlie Human’s APOCALYPSE NOW NOW Optioned for the Big Screen!

Posted on Monday, July 20th, 2015

As reported by Variety, the film rights for Charlie Human‘s debut urban fantasy novel, APOCALYPSE NOW NOW, have been acquired by the Canadian production house Redlab Digital, in collaboration with Los Angeles-based XYZ Films, and South Africa-based Be Phat Motel productions. Terri Tatchell, the Oscar-nominated screenwriter of District 9 and Chappie has been brought on board to pen the screenplay.

About the project, Tatchell said: ‘South Africa has always pushed through the usual limits of my imagination and APOCALYPSE NOW NOW is no exception. Charlie has actually upped the game and obliterated them all altogether. I am beyond excited!’

‘District 9 has been incredibly influential for South African speculative fiction writers,’ said Charlie Human, ‘so having Terri Tatchell on board to adapt APOCALYPSE NOW NOW is mind-blowing. XYZ, Redlab and Be Phat Motel make exactly the type of films that I’m into, and it’s incredibly gratifying to have them working on a story that was born out of my love for South African urban mythology.’

APOCALYPSE NOW NOW is the first in a two-book series, followed by 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 is published in the UK by Arrow, the US by Titan Books, and in South Africa by Umuzi/Random Struik (in both English and Afrikaans). It has also been published in translation in Turkey, Japan and Italy. Here are the covers (so far)…

KILL BAXTER is also published in the UK by Arrow, in South Africa by Umuzi/Random Struik, and is due to be published in the US in November 2015 by Titan Books.

The novel has been praised far and wide for its mad genius and gloriously twisted story, voice and world-building. Here’s just a small selection of reviews it 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)

‘Wonderfully detailed scenarios, it’s fantastic… APOCALYPSE NOW NOW is often hilarious and tremendous fun…’ — SciFi Now

‘Breakneck pace and mad imagination… 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 the Real World Influences for APOCALYPSE NOW NOW

Posted on Tuesday, May 12th, 2015

Charlie Human‘s critically-acclaimed debut novel, APOCALYPSE NOW NOW, was recently published in the US by Titan Books. To celebrate, Charlie was invited by Boing Boing to write a piece about the novel, and he chose to write about the real world influences behind the novel…

In South Africa the spam is hand-delivered. Pamphlet-flickers (guys handing out flyers for sidewalk magicians that offer everything from debt-clearing to penis enlargement) try to outmaneuver me on my commute every morning.

Bouncing on their heels they weave from side to side to intercept passers-by with their haphazardly printed offerings. Love spells, exorcisms, magic money purses. Diagon Alley with a bit more aggression, a bit more style, a little less polish.

Make no mistake, there’s an incredibly dark side to it… There’s also a darkly comic side to this urban reality fantasy. Our tabloids are in on the game, spinning an epic serial of monsters and magic in their headlines every morning…

You can read the rest of the article here.

APOCALYPSE NOW NOW and its sequel, KILL BAXTER are published in the UK by Arrow, and in South Africa by Random Struik/Umuzi. Titan are also due to publish KILL BAXTER in the US, in November 2015. Here’s the synopsis for the first novel…

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.

Charlie Human’s APOCALYPSE NOW NOW in Turkey

Posted on Tuesday, April 21st, 2015

Last week, we shared the news that Charlie Human‘s APOCALYPSE NOW NOW was published in the US by Titan Books. Today, we can share the news that İthaki Yayınları has published the novel in Turkey, as KIYAMET AZ SONRA.

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.

APOCALYPSE NOW NOW and its sequel, KILL BAXTER, are published in the UK by Arrow Books, and in South Africa by Umuzi/Random Struik. Here’s a selection of great reviews the novel has received, from peers and critics alike…

‘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

‘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

‘Brilliantly entertaining.’ — British Fantasy Society

‘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

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

‘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

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

Posted on Tuesday, April 14th, 2015

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…

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…

Out Today: New Books by Charlie Human & Tim Powers

Posted on Thursday, April 9th, 2015

The paperback edition of Charlie Human‘s second novel, KILL BAXTER, is released today. Published in the UK by Arrow Books, it is the sequel to the tremendously well-reviewed APOCALYPSE NOW NOW. 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.

Here are just a couple of reviews KILL BAXTER has received…

‘This detailed world is one all fans of urban fantasy or comedy will enjoy.’ — Sun

‘A hilarious, imaginative and gloriously insane treat…laugh out loud funny and fiendishly creative…Dark, mad, imaginative, and hilarious; Kill Baxter is a joy.’ — SciFi Now

Gollancz also publishes today the latest novel in the Fantasy Masterworks series: Tim Powers‘s EXPIRATION DATE. The second novel in the author’s Fault Lines sequence, here’s the synopsis…

Growing up in the L.A. of the 1990s, all young Koot Parganas wants is to be normal, but his weird parents won’t allow it. They venerate the spirits of dead Mahatmas. Feeling he has no alternative, Koot disobeys his parents and breaks into a bust of Dante and steals a small glass vial that was concealed inside the bust. The vial contains the preserved ghost of Thomas Edison. Now, aided by allies as strange as his enemies, Koot is pursued through the dark underside of the city.

Tim Powers is the award-winning author of many great fantasy and science fiction novels, including THE ANUBIS GATES, LAST CALL, ON STRANGER TIDES (an inspiration for the fourth Pirates of the Caribbean movie), and most recently HIDE ME AMONG THE GRAVES.

Zeno represents Tim Powers in the UK and Commonwealth, on behalf of Russell Galen at the Scovil Galen Ghosh Literary Agency.

Charlie Human’s APOCALYPSE NOW NOW Arrives Tomorrow in Japan

Posted on Friday, March 20th, 2015

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

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

Lauren Beukes helps launch Charlie Human’s KILL BAXTER!

Posted on Tuesday, November 4th, 2014

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:

UK Publication Day: Charlie Human’s KILL BAXTER

Posted on Thursday, July 17th, 2014

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…

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

Posted on Monday, July 14th, 2014

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…

Cover Reveal: KILL BAXTER by Charlie Human

Posted on Wednesday, May 28th, 2014

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

Charlie 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

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

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