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).