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antisocialdidi's review against another edition
4.0
Apocalypse Now Now is possibly one of the greatest novels I have read. Charlie Human's representation of Cape Town is not sugarcoated and dressed up, it is raw and believable. I found myself getting lost in Baxter's world of porn-syndicates and school gangs and politics. The familiarity with the setting, combined with narrative that is drenched in pop-culture and the occasional references specifically to Capetownian street culture had me chuckling to myself as though I was let on an inside joke.
Furthermore, Charlie's unique take on the supernatural and South Africa myth and folklore is gripping. Filled with tokoloshes, sangomas, spider-like zombies, chimeras, glowing ghosts and giant crows, this is one of those novels I'd probably read over and over again.
Fast paced and to the point, Apocalypse Now Now sets the standard really high for all local speculative fiction.
Furthermore, Charlie's unique take on the supernatural and South Africa myth and folklore is gripping. Filled with tokoloshes, sangomas, spider-like zombies, chimeras, glowing ghosts and giant crows, this is one of those novels I'd probably read over and over again.
Fast paced and to the point, Apocalypse Now Now sets the standard really high for all local speculative fiction.
pa11av's review against another edition
5.0
I really really loved this book because of the intro chapters, where the lead is running a porn syndicate in his school and trying to prevent an all out war between the school gangs. But shit really hits the fan once his girlfriend gets kidnapped by a serial killer called the Mountain Man.
It's a wild wild ride with zombies, monsters, shapeshifters, drugs, guns, and what not.
I won't go into more details, but this is the most fun I've had in recent times while reading a book.
It's a wild wild ride with zombies, monsters, shapeshifters, drugs, guns, and what not.
I won't go into more details, but this is the most fun I've had in recent times while reading a book.
subtle_sarcasm's review against another edition
3.0
Oh man, I don't know. There were some really cool ideas here, and the writing is snarky and pop-cultury, but I just couldn't STAND the little prick. I read this for the "A book by an author from Africa" part of the 2015 Read Harder challenge, and that was actually the thing I enjoyed most about the book. The South African mythology and creature-lore that comes up is completely fascinating, and it made me curious to check out more Urban Fantasy from this background. But the story itself, and it's main character in particular, were just so.... incredibly MALE. I don't know how to put it any better than that. As the story progressed and moved into its more fantastical elements, more characters were introduced that I actually didn't feel like slapping all the time, so that helped to get somewhat invested into the plot. Katinka, the beautiful supernatural Trans-lady barkeeper, was almost worth dealing with teenage asshole Baxter for for the rest of the book. But without the challenge, I probably would have put the book down before ever reaching her and never picked it up again.
maleficentknits's review against another edition
4.0
What a strange trippy book. Wasn't quite sure for a while if this was really the madness of Baxter's delusions or if he really was experiencing this secret supernatural assault towards the apocalypse.
Looking forward to reading the next book, Kill Baxter.
Looking forward to reading the next book, Kill Baxter.
ruimateus's review against another edition
5.0
I would place this book in the category of batshit crazy novels that I like to read every once in a while. The mythological South African underworld portrayed in the story is full of potential to further explore and I hope the next novel makes use of it. The character development throughout the story is also one of the highlights.
noucki's review against another edition
2.0
Die Idee von Apocalypse Now Now klang cool, irgendwie abgedreht und echt interessant, doch leider konnte mich die Umsetzung nicht überzeugen. Die Geschichte war über grosse Teile ziemlich verwirrend, ergab nicht besonders viel Sinn und wirkte einfach zu übertrieben. Die Geschichte sollte wohl verrückt, erschreckend und ungewöhnlich wirken, doch vieles wirkte einfach nur gezwungen. Das ständige Gemetzel, die Monsterpornos und die ständige Frage ob Baxter einfach nur verrückt, ein Psychopath usw. ist gingen mir irgendwann einfach ziemlich auf die Nerven. Davon abgesehen war die Handlung nichts unbedingt neues, oftmals wenig überraschend. Zudem waren auch die Figuren leider grösstenteils weder sympathisch noch interessant.
Während das alles ziemlich negativ klingt (und grösstenteils auch war), wollte ich trotzdem noch erwähnen, dass ich Kapstadt als Schauplatz ziemlich cool fand und ich auch die Elemente der südafrikanischen Mythologie echt interessant fand. Auch die Idee zu der Fortsetzung klingt wieder echt spannend, doch ich werde nicht weiterlesen.
Während das alles ziemlich negativ klingt (und grösstenteils auch war), wollte ich trotzdem noch erwähnen, dass ich Kapstadt als Schauplatz ziemlich cool fand und ich auch die Elemente der südafrikanischen Mythologie echt interessant fand. Auch die Idee zu der Fortsetzung klingt wieder echt spannend, doch ich werde nicht weiterlesen.
gerhard's review against another edition
2.0
When I started this I thought it was a much more imaginative book than Zoo City by Lauren Beukes, but it is let down by a thoroughly pedestrian superhero-movie ending that takes all the sting out of the satire and the wonder out of the set-up. The ending reminded me of The Avengers, The Puppet Masters and Transformers all rolled into one.
What a pity that Human did not make more of the break in the story when he gets both his protagonist and the reader to question their respective sanity. Yes, such po-mo techniques do tend to raise eyebrows in this age of literary realism, but I think a much darker edge would have suited the book far better than the comic book theatrics it eventually succumbs to.
I loved the bits about the Sieners and the San mythology. However, I also felt that Human does not do nearly enough with his Cape Town setting. You could simply switch the story to Egoli and it would make no difference whatsoever. Still, there are some wonderful setpieces here: the Flesh Palace alone would make both Clive Barker and Quentin Tarantino proud.
What a pity that Human did not make more of the break in the story when he gets both his protagonist and the reader to question their respective sanity. Yes, such po-mo techniques do tend to raise eyebrows in this age of literary realism, but I think a much darker edge would have suited the book far better than the comic book theatrics it eventually succumbs to.
I loved the bits about the Sieners and the San mythology. However, I also felt that Human does not do nearly enough with his Cape Town setting. You could simply switch the story to Egoli and it would make no difference whatsoever. Still, there are some wonderful setpieces here: the Flesh Palace alone would make both Clive Barker and Quentin Tarantino proud.
jennjuniper's review against another edition
5.0
Baxter Zevcenko is your average, Holden-Caulfield-esque sixteen-year-old: he's suffering from oddly realistic nightmares of the Boer wars, lying to his psychiatrist, and running a successful porn syndicate out of his high school. Well, perhaps not so average. And that's even before his Ramona Flowers of a girlfriend is kidnapped, he's accused of being a serial killer, and the gang wars at his school take a turn for the heavily armed. A little casual violence and one alcoholic magical bounty hunter later, and Baxter is plunged into the supernatural underworld of Cape Town in this deliciously dark adventure that screams through past, present and future with all the finesse of a corkscrewing rollercoaster.
Apocalypse Now Now is slick, laugh-out-loud funny, and just scary enough to make turning out the lights at bedtime disquieting (maybe don't stay up 'til one a.m. finishing it like I did). Baxter makes for a fabulous antihero with a distinctive and marvellously caustic voice, the perfect guide to drag you through the messy, terrifying and increasingly nonsensical supernatural world he's uncovered. Populated with a creative cast of disparate characters - zombie pornstars, arachnid queens, transsexual valkyries, chainsaw-wielding pirates, corporate warlocks and more - this is a gory, disturbing and clever alternate reality that pulls you in and then refuses to let you go. Full of twists, pitch-black humour and plenty of bloodshed, think Ben Aaronovitch without any sort of law or perhaps Vernon God Little with demons. I absolutely loved this and unreservedly recommend it, though I am not responsible for any night lights you may have to leave on!
Apocalypse Now Now is slick, laugh-out-loud funny, and just scary enough to make turning out the lights at bedtime disquieting (maybe don't stay up 'til one a.m. finishing it like I did). Baxter makes for a fabulous antihero with a distinctive and marvellously caustic voice, the perfect guide to drag you through the messy, terrifying and increasingly nonsensical supernatural world he's uncovered. Populated with a creative cast of disparate characters - zombie pornstars, arachnid queens, transsexual valkyries, chainsaw-wielding pirates, corporate warlocks and more - this is a gory, disturbing and clever alternate reality that pulls you in and then refuses to let you go. Full of twists, pitch-black humour and plenty of bloodshed, think Ben Aaronovitch without any sort of law or perhaps Vernon God Little with demons. I absolutely loved this and unreservedly recommend it, though I am not responsible for any night lights you may have to leave on!
rick's review against another edition
Fun, engaging first book about Baxter Zevcenko, a high school mover and shaker who matters... or does he? He's tossed headlong into some very weird stuff, stuff that's probably supernatural if it's not all inside his twisted mind and he's just another misunderstood kid. Set in S Africa which for US readers brings another level of strangeness, this is a book that fans of Richard Kadrey and the like shouldn't miss. The main problem with it is that the sequel isn't out yet.