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Birth or The Exquisite Sound of One Hand Falling Off a Turnip Truck
Maxwell Quick hates life, the world, and everything in it. All he wants is to sit in front of his TV and let waves of alcohol cleanse the shore of his mind. Unfortunately, that’s no longer an option.
After defending himself against a group of mutant terrorists, Max is caught in a web of global conspiracies, terrorist networks and esoteric gibberish at the heart of an underground war for global domination. He knows the Iiite shadow-government is a family-pack of dicks, but should he side with the hyper-intelligent, yet socially retarded Riot Nrrds or the secret cabal within the Iiites that’s out to destroy them both? To find the truth, he’ll have to navigate backrooms and battlefields while dodging sexy double-agents, cultists, and aliens with agendas of their own. To stay alive, he’ll have to win a game of four-way chess where he’s the only pawn, and to regain his freedom he’ll have to save the world—all before he runs out of space on his DVR.
“Birth…” is an epic genre-bending roller-coaster plunging into an ocean of fun filled bonanzas of horror. This first novel of the Chakra Kong trilogy has people, places, and things. Stuff happens! Perfect for fans of money, sex, or food! Explosions! Tender cuddling with bizarre creatures! More explosions!
After defending himself against a group of mutant terrorists, Max is caught in a web of global conspiracies, terrorist networks and esoteric gibberish at the heart of an underground war for global domination. He knows the Iiite shadow-government is a family-pack of dicks, but should he side with the hyper-intelligent, yet socially retarded Riot Nrrds or the secret cabal within the Iiites that’s out to destroy them both? To find the truth, he’ll have to navigate backrooms and battlefields while dodging sexy double-agents, cultists, and aliens with agendas of their own. To stay alive, he’ll have to win a game of four-way chess where he’s the only pawn, and to regain his freedom he’ll have to save the world—all before he runs out of space on his DVR.
“Birth…” is an epic genre-bending roller-coaster plunging into an ocean of fun filled bonanzas of horror. This first novel of the Chakra Kong trilogy has people, places, and things. Stuff happens! Perfect for fans of money, sex, or food! Explosions! Tender cuddling with bizarre creatures! More explosions!
238 pages, Paperback
Published December 27, 2016
About the author
S.T. Gulik
5 books23 followersS.T. Gulik is a magical cockroach.
He started life as a common wood roach in 1681, living in a small castle outside of Dublin. One day, a human alchemist blew himself up while trying to brew the elixir of life. S.T. survived the blast, but the fumes cursed him with self-awareness and immortality. A lot has happened in three-hundred-thirty-five years. Everyone he knew and loved has died. Vampire movies make him cry.
On the up side, he’s had countless adventures and learned many things. He worked for the goddess of chaos for one-hundred-twenty-three years. About thirty years ago, she turned him human and disappeared, which is fine because humans are smart and likable.
Oh, and he writes absurdist fiction. That’s important. Gotta mention that.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
February 7, 2017
(Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com]. I am the original author of this essay, as well as the owner of CCLaP; it is not being reprinted illegally.)
Although I'm generally a fan of bizarro literature (as in "I don't actively hate it"), there's one big problem with this genre that prevents me from being a big fan or a fervent fan; namely, every bizarro novel in existence tends to sound exactly like every other bizarro novel in existence, a genre that can quite literally be defined as "a cartoon written out in narrative form," and therefore has a sort of randomly nonsensical "throw everything at the wall and see what sticks" nature that makes every book in the genre sort of bleed into one giant absurdist fairytale without a beginning or an end. Take S.T. Gulik's Birth: or The Exquisite Sound of One Hand Falling Off a Turnip Truck for a good example; not badly written at all, its post-apocalyptic tale of an everyman stumbling through a series of comically disgusting situations nonetheless feels like a book I've already read a hundred times before, precisely because I really have read books exactly like this a hundred times before. The genre in general is sort of the ultimate example of a book type that can only be loved by hardcore fans of that book type, but who will then read a book every single day of this type exactly so they can get their daily dose of exactly what they were expecting; and although crime and romance are genres of this type that get a lot more attention, bizarro is one of the more pure examples of this phenomenon, with Birth being a perfect example of one of those throwaway books that a bizarro fan might start at 10 in the morning on a Wednesday, be done with by 8:00 that night, then be ready to start another one exactly like it at 10:00 Thursday morning. It should all be kept in mind when deciding whether to pick it up yourself, or even whether to be a fan of bizarro lit in the first place.
Out of 10: 7.5, or 9.0 for fans of bizarro literature
Although I'm generally a fan of bizarro literature (as in "I don't actively hate it"), there's one big problem with this genre that prevents me from being a big fan or a fervent fan; namely, every bizarro novel in existence tends to sound exactly like every other bizarro novel in existence, a genre that can quite literally be defined as "a cartoon written out in narrative form," and therefore has a sort of randomly nonsensical "throw everything at the wall and see what sticks" nature that makes every book in the genre sort of bleed into one giant absurdist fairytale without a beginning or an end. Take S.T. Gulik's Birth: or The Exquisite Sound of One Hand Falling Off a Turnip Truck for a good example; not badly written at all, its post-apocalyptic tale of an everyman stumbling through a series of comically disgusting situations nonetheless feels like a book I've already read a hundred times before, precisely because I really have read books exactly like this a hundred times before. The genre in general is sort of the ultimate example of a book type that can only be loved by hardcore fans of that book type, but who will then read a book every single day of this type exactly so they can get their daily dose of exactly what they were expecting; and although crime and romance are genres of this type that get a lot more attention, bizarro is one of the more pure examples of this phenomenon, with Birth being a perfect example of one of those throwaway books that a bizarro fan might start at 10 in the morning on a Wednesday, be done with by 8:00 that night, then be ready to start another one exactly like it at 10:00 Thursday morning. It should all be kept in mind when deciding whether to pick it up yourself, or even whether to be a fan of bizarro lit in the first place.
Out of 10: 7.5, or 9.0 for fans of bizarro literature
May 26, 2017
Years ago I reviewed S.T. Gulik’s book, Muffy. It was a truly disturbing, ultra violent story of sex and gore that was a bit much even for me, and I’m pretty sick sometimes. But even through all of the disturbing imagery and situations, and even though Muffy wasn’t my bag, I saw that Gulik definitely had writing talent. Years later, I pick up Birth… and see that he has been working hard. Birth… is the literary equivalent of Gulik pulling back his trenchcoat and revealing his throbbing erection to a group of shocked onlookers who discover, much to their despair, that they are surprisingly aroused.
Birth… is a full on mishmash of deviant fuckery, involving sewer-dwelling lobster mutants hell bent on world domination, fabulously fucked up and vicious creatures called cakeworms, socially awkward psychonaut nerds, random sexual encounters, and giant Jenga structures. Gulik has crafted a densely packed tale of violence, sex, treachery, and cakeworm cuddling. I look forward to checking out the second book of the Chakra Kong trilogy.
Birth… is a full on mishmash of deviant fuckery, involving sewer-dwelling lobster mutants hell bent on world domination, fabulously fucked up and vicious creatures called cakeworms, socially awkward psychonaut nerds, random sexual encounters, and giant Jenga structures. Gulik has crafted a densely packed tale of violence, sex, treachery, and cakeworm cuddling. I look forward to checking out the second book of the Chakra Kong trilogy.
September 13, 2020
You're never quite sure what to expect with the start of each chapter. Max's life is like a pinball machine, with him as one of the balls in a multi-ball game, there are a lot of things happening. It is a crazy life and a crazy world he is navigating as he heads into the bumpers and drop targets. But the exit gates are closed and Max keeps getting batted back up into the workings of the game.
There are many references, puns, and insights pulled from our present and past. Max's world, though different in many ways, is strongly grounded in our present. This is not a book to be looking for heavy meaning, but you might find some connection to the crazy stuff happening in your own life.
You can read the complete review at https://guildmastergaming.blogspot.co...
There are many references, puns, and insights pulled from our present and past. Max's world, though different in many ways, is strongly grounded in our present. This is not a book to be looking for heavy meaning, but you might find some connection to the crazy stuff happening in your own life.
You can read the complete review at https://guildmastergaming.blogspot.co...
December 18, 2017
Birth or The Exquisite Sound of One Hand Falling Off a Turnip Truck is quite a challenging mouthful, but still within the scope of anyone who’s dated Brazilian. What is the name of this freak style anyway? One of the reviewers here calls it Bizarro, so I’ve looked that up and learned something. I would have previously associated it with gonzo journalism (unobjective experiences and emotions, overlapping with the hallucinogenic) but it isn’t first person author or set in a real enough place for a travelogue. Bizarro it is then. So, what the heck is that?
A diligent fourteen seconds of research tells me that Eraserhead Press, Raw Dog Screaming Press and Afterbirth Books started the genre off in 2005, with Eraserhead since 2008 hosting the BizzaroCon (convention). Wikipedia (don’t trust this source) says the genre typically includes “elements of absurdism, satire and the grotesque, along with pop-surrealism … to create subversive, weird and entertaining works”. It also says “the first Bizarro Starter Kit describes it as literature's equivalent to the cult section at the video store" and Rose O'Keefe of Eraserhead Press says "Basically, if an audience enjoys a book or film primarily because of its weirdness, then it is Bizarro”. There is a Mondo Bizarro Forum for the fans of the style.
That’s enough quoting – what did I think of it? Well, there’s a surreal setting to it but I’m into that because Spike, Monty Python and their million funny impersonators were all surrealists. Death is much easier in this place though, with plenty of splat and no fussy investigations or legal nuisances afterwards, so most of the characters and species seem only in this game to be killed in ever more entertaining ways. There are some set-piece battles for clearing out swathes of people at a time, along with the paying audience, then individual little bijou deaths when the hero’s pet gets possessive. Let’s avoid discussing Cakey. He’s very mucked up, with a capital F. Very strange things happen all the time in this, of course, and the author forms what can only be described as spectacularly bizarre connections of mental imagery, so must have an inventive brain with very few working brakes in that skull-thing of his. Yes, the blatant shambolic weirdness is entertaining.
The protagonist is a dislikeable, shallow hog of a man who doesn’t care about other people unless he has to, changes sides on a whim and doesn’t feel a lot of shame even when naked, covered in splashed guts or forced to wear baggy rapper trousers (please, no). The grotesque horror of sudden, messy deaths doesn’t upset him, even when they’re together in a confined space and the munched-up victim is his current squeeze. The most strikingly unlikely thing of all is the ease with which he pulls women – more accurately, he doesn’t even try. They just seem to meet him and unpack the inflatable mattress. From the repressed librarian who knocks on his door to the dominant cyber-punkette* and then the wily princess of espionage, they all seem much too attractive, easy to access, unrealistically disposable and their mindset that the whole gambit of human relationship culture can just be reduced to giving it up to this particular dropout is, frankly, a purely male fetish fantasy way of approaching the world which the author has flipped onto his female characters because he thinks a future where that happens would be nice, like a fast food delivery to save learning to cook. I mean, with this low-achieving layabout protagonist, what exactly is the incentive? Why do the girls in this make all the running? Ok, I remember – because that’s convenient to the man. Even if he were the only realistic offer in town and the women of the world had intimate cobwebs, I’m pretty sure none of us would ever need a cheap run through with a hoodie that badly.
He’s got me over a barrel here because all the weird random stuff, casual abdominal infiltration and cartoon horror in this book is officially supposed to be in this genre, which makes it an authentic example of its type – which, in turn, is the core criterion I’m meant to be assessing it on. The male, female and mutant characters behave more like expendable action figures though and the zombies have no character at all, so I’m docking a star for that two dimensionality, but otherwise it conforms to the gore and garbage spunk splatter plan that defines this foolishly entertaining genre and it is an undeniably entertaining road crash of the imagination. It isn’t Lewis Carroll’s idea of a dream and I want to say three stars out of five for literature but if it is supposed to be fun, bizarre and shocking – it obviously and intentionally is, that’s four stars. I also haven’t read anything else like this with which to compare it, so I’m still confused, wide-eyed, backing away and recommending that single young women don’t go anywhere near that convention.
*My spell checker tried to change this to pancetta.
A diligent fourteen seconds of research tells me that Eraserhead Press, Raw Dog Screaming Press and Afterbirth Books started the genre off in 2005, with Eraserhead since 2008 hosting the BizzaroCon (convention). Wikipedia (don’t trust this source) says the genre typically includes “elements of absurdism, satire and the grotesque, along with pop-surrealism … to create subversive, weird and entertaining works”. It also says “the first Bizarro Starter Kit describes it as literature's equivalent to the cult section at the video store" and Rose O'Keefe of Eraserhead Press says "Basically, if an audience enjoys a book or film primarily because of its weirdness, then it is Bizarro”. There is a Mondo Bizarro Forum for the fans of the style.
That’s enough quoting – what did I think of it? Well, there’s a surreal setting to it but I’m into that because Spike, Monty Python and their million funny impersonators were all surrealists. Death is much easier in this place though, with plenty of splat and no fussy investigations or legal nuisances afterwards, so most of the characters and species seem only in this game to be killed in ever more entertaining ways. There are some set-piece battles for clearing out swathes of people at a time, along with the paying audience, then individual little bijou deaths when the hero’s pet gets possessive. Let’s avoid discussing Cakey. He’s very mucked up, with a capital F. Very strange things happen all the time in this, of course, and the author forms what can only be described as spectacularly bizarre connections of mental imagery, so must have an inventive brain with very few working brakes in that skull-thing of his. Yes, the blatant shambolic weirdness is entertaining.
The protagonist is a dislikeable, shallow hog of a man who doesn’t care about other people unless he has to, changes sides on a whim and doesn’t feel a lot of shame even when naked, covered in splashed guts or forced to wear baggy rapper trousers (please, no). The grotesque horror of sudden, messy deaths doesn’t upset him, even when they’re together in a confined space and the munched-up victim is his current squeeze. The most strikingly unlikely thing of all is the ease with which he pulls women – more accurately, he doesn’t even try. They just seem to meet him and unpack the inflatable mattress. From the repressed librarian who knocks on his door to the dominant cyber-punkette* and then the wily princess of espionage, they all seem much too attractive, easy to access, unrealistically disposable and their mindset that the whole gambit of human relationship culture can just be reduced to giving it up to this particular dropout is, frankly, a purely male fetish fantasy way of approaching the world which the author has flipped onto his female characters because he thinks a future where that happens would be nice, like a fast food delivery to save learning to cook. I mean, with this low-achieving layabout protagonist, what exactly is the incentive? Why do the girls in this make all the running? Ok, I remember – because that’s convenient to the man. Even if he were the only realistic offer in town and the women of the world had intimate cobwebs, I’m pretty sure none of us would ever need a cheap run through with a hoodie that badly.
He’s got me over a barrel here because all the weird random stuff, casual abdominal infiltration and cartoon horror in this book is officially supposed to be in this genre, which makes it an authentic example of its type – which, in turn, is the core criterion I’m meant to be assessing it on. The male, female and mutant characters behave more like expendable action figures though and the zombies have no character at all, so I’m docking a star for that two dimensionality, but otherwise it conforms to the gore and garbage spunk splatter plan that defines this foolishly entertaining genre and it is an undeniably entertaining road crash of the imagination. It isn’t Lewis Carroll’s idea of a dream and I want to say three stars out of five for literature but if it is supposed to be fun, bizarre and shocking – it obviously and intentionally is, that’s four stars. I also haven’t read anything else like this with which to compare it, so I’m still confused, wide-eyed, backing away and recommending that single young women don’t go anywhere near that convention.
*My spell checker tried to change this to pancetta.
September 15, 2017
Birth: The Exquisite Sound of One Hand Falling Off a Turnip Truck (Chakra Kong Book 1) by S. T. Gulik, 290 pages, Sausage Press, November 26th 2016, Genre: Satire/Dark Humor/Science Fiction/Adventure. Warning: May Contain Spoilers.
Review by Leigh Holland.
This is not a book, but a prophecy, written no more than one hundred years prior to the events it will inevitably depict. This is important because quite frankly, I’m getting tired of all the old, rehashed prophecies of ages past. Yes, yes, who can forget the words of Jeremiah, “I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Inspirational, straightforward. Come to think of it, I rather like that. At any rate, this book depicts our absurd future in the most absurd manner possible. What else should we expect from a prophetic magical cockroach?
This is a gospel of Max, a highly unlikely, unheroic hero. He awakens in the (not so) distant future in a tub of ice, wounds on his sides sewn up with dental floss, and his kidneys removed. How can he survive such a thing? Well, for that explanation, you can click the link to the appendix where you can learn about The Divine Disturbance, an event that transformed human consciousness for ten minutes, rose zombies from the grave, and made people who were dying able to live without vital organs. This event stems from the hair metal band Poison Candy getting irritated that they were underappreciated. There’s more to the explanation, feel free to read the appendix to find out. I did. At length. It was hilarious and absurd.
Max has a nymphomaniac girlfriend and a pet cheek worm named Cakey made from his DNA. The cheek worm, not the nympho, is made from Max’s DNA. He’s called Cakey because he’s addicted to snack cakes, which are FUD. FUD is what we eat in America now. It’s not real food and the folks of the future differentiate between the two. Max and Cakey go to buy Halloween costumes. The store is attacked by a group of Iites (see Appendix for more info, basically mutants who live in the sewers and leave nobody alive). Somehow, Max and Cakey kill all the Iites and survive, placing a giant target on their heads. The Media wants him to do speaking shows to cash in on his fifteen minutes of fame while the Riot Nrrds, enemies of the Iites, want him to help take down their foes and the entire government. What does Max want? Well, Max just wants everyone to leave him alone and to go back to his normal, boring, self-interested life. Unfortunately for Max, with a target on him, he has no choice but to choose to be a hero. Well, sort of.
By the time I reached the end, I reflected on how this, at times, presents a completely inconceivable future. At other points, I realized how true some aspects could be. FUD exists now, it’s just not labeled as such. Even if it were, it wouldn’t change a thing. People would still eat it in large enough quantities for its producers to remain profitable. The Media is not one conglomerate out for money and to distract the populace, it’s six, but one day it could meld into one. Will anyone stop it? No, probably not. None of the rival factions and parties presented in the book are any better or worse than the others, just different, and equally corrupt and after power. That’s always been true and always will, despite our very human tendency to label such parties and factions as “good” or “bad” depending on our own views.
I loved this. If you love Absurdist literature, you’ll love it too. This is a roller-coaster ride of utter oddness that begs to be ridden. The author uses a lot of surprising, ridiculous similes and metaphors.
Some of my favorite lines from the book:
The air hit his face like a fat hooker’s cleavage.
Pope’s eyes burned with grandiose delusion you could light a cigar on.
Max wasn’t sure if it was her tone or the pricy alcohol, but his nervousness left as fast as a conservative grandmother at a John Waters film.
Review by Leigh Holland.
This is not a book, but a prophecy, written no more than one hundred years prior to the events it will inevitably depict. This is important because quite frankly, I’m getting tired of all the old, rehashed prophecies of ages past. Yes, yes, who can forget the words of Jeremiah, “I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Inspirational, straightforward. Come to think of it, I rather like that. At any rate, this book depicts our absurd future in the most absurd manner possible. What else should we expect from a prophetic magical cockroach?
This is a gospel of Max, a highly unlikely, unheroic hero. He awakens in the (not so) distant future in a tub of ice, wounds on his sides sewn up with dental floss, and his kidneys removed. How can he survive such a thing? Well, for that explanation, you can click the link to the appendix where you can learn about The Divine Disturbance, an event that transformed human consciousness for ten minutes, rose zombies from the grave, and made people who were dying able to live without vital organs. This event stems from the hair metal band Poison Candy getting irritated that they were underappreciated. There’s more to the explanation, feel free to read the appendix to find out. I did. At length. It was hilarious and absurd.
Max has a nymphomaniac girlfriend and a pet cheek worm named Cakey made from his DNA. The cheek worm, not the nympho, is made from Max’s DNA. He’s called Cakey because he’s addicted to snack cakes, which are FUD. FUD is what we eat in America now. It’s not real food and the folks of the future differentiate between the two. Max and Cakey go to buy Halloween costumes. The store is attacked by a group of Iites (see Appendix for more info, basically mutants who live in the sewers and leave nobody alive). Somehow, Max and Cakey kill all the Iites and survive, placing a giant target on their heads. The Media wants him to do speaking shows to cash in on his fifteen minutes of fame while the Riot Nrrds, enemies of the Iites, want him to help take down their foes and the entire government. What does Max want? Well, Max just wants everyone to leave him alone and to go back to his normal, boring, self-interested life. Unfortunately for Max, with a target on him, he has no choice but to choose to be a hero. Well, sort of.
By the time I reached the end, I reflected on how this, at times, presents a completely inconceivable future. At other points, I realized how true some aspects could be. FUD exists now, it’s just not labeled as such. Even if it were, it wouldn’t change a thing. People would still eat it in large enough quantities for its producers to remain profitable. The Media is not one conglomerate out for money and to distract the populace, it’s six, but one day it could meld into one. Will anyone stop it? No, probably not. None of the rival factions and parties presented in the book are any better or worse than the others, just different, and equally corrupt and after power. That’s always been true and always will, despite our very human tendency to label such parties and factions as “good” or “bad” depending on our own views.
I loved this. If you love Absurdist literature, you’ll love it too. This is a roller-coaster ride of utter oddness that begs to be ridden. The author uses a lot of surprising, ridiculous similes and metaphors.
Some of my favorite lines from the book:
The air hit his face like a fat hooker’s cleavage.
Pope’s eyes burned with grandiose delusion you could light a cigar on.
Max wasn’t sure if it was her tone or the pricy alcohol, but his nervousness left as fast as a conservative grandmother at a John Waters film.
August 28, 2020
Birth or The Exquisite Sound of One Hand Falling Off a Turnip Truck
S.T. Gulik
"I received this book as an ARC & I'm giving an honest review."
Maxwell quick is the epitome of laziness. The only thing he wants to do in life is sit in front of his TV and drown himself in alcohol. But unfortunately that doesn't seem to be an option for him anymore.
When Max defends himself from terrorists that reside underground and are aiming for global domination, he is quickly sucked into a world where slacking off and being a lazy bum might even cost him his life. He has to fight against all the forces that are thriving to bring him down, and wait, he has a deadline too.
Birth is the first book of the Bizarro literature genre that I've read and I think I can admit that it was one of the best decisions I've made. There was something about this book which enthralled me since the very beginning. It was as if I was in a state of momentary trance. The book had a bang-on start and sucked me as soon as I finished reading the first paragraph.
For all those who have never had the pleasure of reading Bizarro literature, it is a blend of genres. You have Science fiction, combined with bits of fantasy and thriller and romance. In layman terms, it's like reading a narration of a cartoon series.
The author has done a commendable job in world building and the pacing of the novel. There is a perfect amalgamation of thrill, fiction, humor and romance in this book. However, I think I need to mention that this book also has some very vivid descriptions which may be disturbing for some readers.
The plot was fast paced since the beginning and the story line was unique, unpredictable and thoroughly enjoyable. The tinge of humor that the author has incorporated in the novel added a cherry on the cake. There were a lot of sexual innuendos, references and graphic sexual details which made me a bit squeamish.
The characters were well penned and each had a distinctive personality which was truly amazing. The language was fluid and comprehensive. Yes, there was a bit too much gore and swearing for me, but other than that, I am looking forward to the next book in the series.
Over and all, I would recommend this book to anyone, above the age of 16, who is looking for something different and challenging to read. This was a new experience for me and honestly, I can't wait to read the second book of the series.
S.T. Gulik
"I received this book as an ARC & I'm giving an honest review."
Maxwell quick is the epitome of laziness. The only thing he wants to do in life is sit in front of his TV and drown himself in alcohol. But unfortunately that doesn't seem to be an option for him anymore.
When Max defends himself from terrorists that reside underground and are aiming for global domination, he is quickly sucked into a world where slacking off and being a lazy bum might even cost him his life. He has to fight against all the forces that are thriving to bring him down, and wait, he has a deadline too.
Birth is the first book of the Bizarro literature genre that I've read and I think I can admit that it was one of the best decisions I've made. There was something about this book which enthralled me since the very beginning. It was as if I was in a state of momentary trance. The book had a bang-on start and sucked me as soon as I finished reading the first paragraph.
For all those who have never had the pleasure of reading Bizarro literature, it is a blend of genres. You have Science fiction, combined with bits of fantasy and thriller and romance. In layman terms, it's like reading a narration of a cartoon series.
The author has done a commendable job in world building and the pacing of the novel. There is a perfect amalgamation of thrill, fiction, humor and romance in this book. However, I think I need to mention that this book also has some very vivid descriptions which may be disturbing for some readers.
The plot was fast paced since the beginning and the story line was unique, unpredictable and thoroughly enjoyable. The tinge of humor that the author has incorporated in the novel added a cherry on the cake. There were a lot of sexual innuendos, references and graphic sexual details which made me a bit squeamish.
The characters were well penned and each had a distinctive personality which was truly amazing. The language was fluid and comprehensive. Yes, there was a bit too much gore and swearing for me, but other than that, I am looking forward to the next book in the series.
Over and all, I would recommend this book to anyone, above the age of 16, who is looking for something different and challenging to read. This was a new experience for me and honestly, I can't wait to read the second book of the series.
November 16, 2017
It all started with the Divine Disturbance on April 12, 2148, Some musicians revealed their alien forms at a public park and melded into a god form. The unleashed psychic energy caused weird phenomenon such as the dead rising and humans evolving into, well, better humans who could heal amazingly fast.
But all that really has very little to do with this novel. Even the zombies just function as mobile props. Sometimes they are shot at and sometimes they carry messages for secret agents. The role of zombies in this novel could easily be replaced by carrier pigeons really.
So don’t go expecting Birth to be just another apocalypse zombie novel. This is a novel about humans killing one another. Oh no, it’s not as boring as it sounds! When I say “humans”, I mean sewer-dwelling mutants with super strength and surgically enhanced surface-dwelling nerds. It’s as bloody and gory as it gets. Birth is, after all, set in a world where damsels get killed and shoplifters get sent to the chipper.
And Maxwell Quick? Don’t expect him to be yet another good-looking, strong and intelligent hero with good intentions to save the world. He doesn’t work out, drinks like a fish and is currently missing both his kidneys. And he has never saved a damsel in distress either. He just uses them for sex, the bastard.
As for his intentions… He was forced into helping the “good guys” (whoever they are) save the world from the “bad guys” (whoever they are).
It can get kinda confusing, sorting out the good from the bad.
If you like morally ambivalent drama, bastard anti-heroes and government conspiracies hatched in sewers, then you might enjoy Birth by S.T. Gulik. Birth and its sequel, Sex, can be purchased via links from the author's website.
P.S.: To better enjoy this novel, please do read the glossary of terms BEFORE reading the actual novel. It can get frustrating at first, trying to figure out what is what and who is who.
But all that really has very little to do with this novel. Even the zombies just function as mobile props. Sometimes they are shot at and sometimes they carry messages for secret agents. The role of zombies in this novel could easily be replaced by carrier pigeons really.
So don’t go expecting Birth to be just another apocalypse zombie novel. This is a novel about humans killing one another. Oh no, it’s not as boring as it sounds! When I say “humans”, I mean sewer-dwelling mutants with super strength and surgically enhanced surface-dwelling nerds. It’s as bloody and gory as it gets. Birth is, after all, set in a world where damsels get killed and shoplifters get sent to the chipper.
And Maxwell Quick? Don’t expect him to be yet another good-looking, strong and intelligent hero with good intentions to save the world. He doesn’t work out, drinks like a fish and is currently missing both his kidneys. And he has never saved a damsel in distress either. He just uses them for sex, the bastard.
As for his intentions… He was forced into helping the “good guys” (whoever they are) save the world from the “bad guys” (whoever they are).
It can get kinda confusing, sorting out the good from the bad.
If you like morally ambivalent drama, bastard anti-heroes and government conspiracies hatched in sewers, then you might enjoy Birth by S.T. Gulik. Birth and its sequel, Sex, can be purchased via links from the author's website.
P.S.: To better enjoy this novel, please do read the glossary of terms BEFORE reading the actual novel. It can get frustrating at first, trying to figure out what is what and who is who.
June 1, 2017
Birth is a sci-fi grindhouse about a zero-to-hero protagonist whose destiny is presumed to land on the winning side of the civil war - that much we know. But the madness doesn’t start until his agency is sought out by belligerent organizations each claiming to be the real good guys. The fallout is a mutant patchwork of pop cultural influences weaving multiple genres and mediums, a Frankensteiner in every sense, tottering around the normalization of geekdom and perversion, oozing with action and pus, and a never-ending spray of comic quips ready to remit the most malignant grotesquery. But the supreme corruption is the Rorschachian theme that blends the ambiguous nature of identity and motives. There’s nary a stock character, and nobody is who they seem to appear.
August 1, 2018
The story sounds like a good one and the author has a humorous way of writing, but in the end I gave up on the book a quarter the way through. As much as I'd like to know how it goes and how it ends, it needs some work doing to it. It is over-written and too slow-paced to suit the plot. Once it has been edited, I'd love to take another look.
Cakey is by far the best character I've come across. I love that little thing. I want a Cakey of my own.
Cakey is by far the best character I've come across. I love that little thing. I want a Cakey of my own.
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