I just finished a phenomenal book I had to come on here and share. It's called "Kockroach" and its the debut novel from Tyler Knox, (not sure if that's a pen name, but it's pretty catchy). I picked up this book on something of a whim for a very good price at my local Indigo. Not only was I attracted to the cool cover art, I was also intrigued by the Kafka-esqe premise of a cockroach who wakes up one day as a man.
I've mentioned here before how I'm working on a series of stand-alone pulp novels, which collectively tell a larger, more existential story. The series is called The Mantra and I've only just recently finished my first draft of Book #2, entitled Impetus. Anyway, Kockroach, while nothing like Impetus in terms of plot, takes place in the world of American Existential Pulp, a genre aptly coined by Mr. Knox himself. At the end of the book, there's an entertaining Q&A with the author in which he cites various inspirations and influences for the book--the Kafka story, Metamorphasis, being the most apparent. Also, there's a brief essay on the genre of American Existential Pulp, (AEP), which I found truly facinating. I might add, The sensational 100 Bullets series of graphic novels to his already-extensive list of classic and contemporary works. If you haven't heard of it, I highly recommend it. But start from issue one, otherwise you're robbing yourself of a truly rich storytelling experience.
I've been searching for a more succint way to pitch my other The Mantra book, Minutemark, and AEP fits to a tee. Thank you, Tyler Knox.
Check out Tyler Knox's website at www.kochroach.com for more info
D.A.
