Literature has historically been the great changer and influencer in world history. From Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels to Voltaire's Candide, John Wilmot (the 2nd Earl of Rochester) getting exiled repeatedly for mocking the King in his poems and plays, Marquise De Sade, Lord Byron, Salman Rushdie, William S Burrough's Naked Lunch as the last book in American history to be banned for obscenity, the Written Word has been the greatest arbiter of change in society and culture. Martin Luther's 95 Thesis were the precursor to the Reformation which in it's wake gave birth to the first printing press.
Literature has also always evolved, grown, and produced innovation. The last couple decades have lain insolvent. Pop fiction took over the market. Boring writers like John Grisham, Michael Crichton, Mary Higgins Clark, Tami Hoag, Tom Clancy etc...monopolized reader's attention. Prose fell out of importance.
But recently a publishing press named 'Sagging Meniscus' has broken fertile new ground. And from this seed bloomed a kaleidoscope of wild talent.
M.J. Nicholls has taken metafiction to the next level. If you want to read brilliant, lyrical prose (by an author with an astonishing command of the English language), frequently hilarious verbal jousting and an obvious love of the written word, this guy is for you. I recommend 'A Postmodern Belch' or 'The House of Writers' in the strongest possible terms.
Stephen Moles has a mind like no other. And from what I can tell several government agencies are engaged in trying to capture him or shut him down. Maybe they waterboarded him too many times, maybe he was born with an imagination that picks up on the outer fringes of sanity. But he has written some truly unique, very enjoyable, very provocative books. 'The Most Wretched Thing Imaginable' is refreshingly original. There was a time when I feared that there really was 'Nothing new under the sun'. But Stephen Moles proved me wrong. This little novella is so much fun, it's got funny non-sequiters galore, pop culture jokes and a humorous take on the different ideologies and religions of the world. He's taken the typical idea of a novel which is: you have a story and there's various themes running as current under the story. Well, in 'The Most Wretched Thing Imaginable' it's the THEME which is supreme and the story is glimpsed at in brief hilarious flashes so you get little snapshots of what's going on thru this lovely barrage of silly philosophy and metaphysical jokes.
Pick up a GOOD BOOK. In fact, I'd love to start an actual book club. But in our's each member will read one important/ controversial/ banned book a month.
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As always, have an open mind and buckle up buckaroos!
