Cameron A. Straughan's Blog

Great news! My book got another 5 star review which sets it up nicely to win the contest. Fingers crossed!

“The Surreal Adventures of Anthony Zen” by Cameron A. Straughan

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Cameron A. Straughan

 

Cameron A. Straughan receives national recognition

through the NYC BIG BOOK AWARD®!

 

Glen Ridge, NJ  – The NYC Big Book Award recognized The Surreal Adventures of Anthony Zen in the category of  Comedy as a winner.

The competition is judged by experts from different aspects of the book industry, including publishers, writers, editors, designers, booksellers, librarians and professional copywriters. Winners and distinguished favorites are based on overall excellence.

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The Surreal Adventures of Anthony Zen

A collection of bizarre, hilarious, and strangely profound interconnected short stories, The Surreal Adventures of Anthony Zen is a deadpan comedy for anyone who has ever felt like the world makes no sense—and wondered if maybe that’s okay.

Is the chaos of contemporary life getting you down? Need some fun? Craving a good laugh? Brain needs a stretch? ESCAPE! Dive into the world of Anthony Zen – a brilliantly weird and deeply funny mix of absurd humor, satire, and low-key philosophy. Experience Anthony Zen’s unshakable selfhood in an absurd world gone mad, remaining calm and unfazed while life throws surreal nonsense at him – a modern-day Zen absurdist hero for these uncertain times!

A must-read for fans of Douglas Adams, Kurt Vonnegut, and Terry PratchettPerfect for readers who love deadpan humor, satire, and absurdist fiction

 

NYC Big Book Award received book submissions worldwide. Journalists, well established authors, small and large press, and first time indie authors participated in record numbers.  Entries this year were received from the United States as well as countries such as Australia, Canada, China, Dubai, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Scotland, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.  Cities represented among the entries were Chicago, Hamburg, Los Angeles, Melbourne, New York, Quebec, Rome, San Francisco, Seattle, Singapore, and Victoria.

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Publishers included Berrett-Koehler; Brown Books Kids; Central Avenue / Simon & Schuster; Forbes Books; Muse Literary; New Harbinger Publications; New York University Press; Oxford University Press; Pegasus Books; She Writes Press; University of Massachusetts Press to name a few.

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Winners included “What is My Legacy?” by Martin Luther King III, Arndrea Waters King, Marc Kielburger and Craig Kielburger; “Mikhail Gorbachev – How he changed our lives” by Bettina Schaefer; Berrett-Koehler’s “From Founder to Future: A Business Roadmap to Impact, Longevity, and Employee Ownership” by John Abrams; The Cooking Lab’s “Modernist Bread at Home” by Nathan Myhrvold; and “Wild Fox Ridge” by Xue Mo to name some key titles on the awarded list.

 

“With so many quality publishers and authors from around the world participating this year, I’m eager to share these books with a global readership,” said awards sponsor Gabby Olczak.

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To view the list of NYC Big Book winners and distinguished favorites, please visit: https://www.nycbigbookaward.com/

NYC Big Book Award, https://www.nycbigbookaward.com/, is announced every fall. NYC Big Book Award is open to all authors, publishers, and illustrators, and includes submissions from the big five publishers including Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Hachette, Macmillan, and Simon & Schuster.

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Join us for the Independent Press Award, deadlines every December and announced every spring, is open to independent authors and publishers. To see this year’s list of IPA Winners, visit: https://www.independentpressaward.com/2025winners

And, join us for the Awards Dinner on April 25th, https://www.nycbigbookaward.com/awardsdinner, held at the BookCAMP event, April 24-25, 2026, https://www.ipabookcamp.com, where recipients from both programs will walk on stage to receive their awards.

My multi-award-winning book The Surreal Adventures of Anthony Zen has won yet another award!

 

Here’s what the judges had to say about my book:

 

To find out more about my book, please click here:

 

Introduction

First of all, I am not making a diagnosis here; I am not qualified to do so. Instead, what I am doing is turning on my own background knowledge, as an autistic person, and observing and reflecting on Wiseau’s life and cinema. Based on my own experiences, thoughts and feelings as an autistic person, I can recognize commonalities with Wiseau. It is those commonalities, suggesting Wiseau may also be autistic, that I want to discuss here.

Secondly, it is not my intention to disparage Wiseau in any way. I am a fan of what he has accomplished. However, that said, it is hard to predict how someone might take it if you insinuate they are autistic. On one hand, it could be something positive that helps manage a person’s life and explains their special gifts. On the other, due to social stigma, it may be considered an insult – or at least an invasion of their privacy. It is hard to judge how someone may react; it is totally up to the individual and their personal circumstance. All I can say is I mean no harm; the fact that I see some commonalities between myself and Wiseau demonstrates affection, and a quest for understanding, rather than criticism.

Lastly, my research is based upon viewings of The Room and The Disaster Artist, as well as reading the book The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside The Room, the Greatest Bad Movie Ever Made. Below are some of the criteria I used. Individually, they are not exclusively autistic traits, but from a holistic standpoint, taken as a whole, I believe they suggest Wiseau may be autistic, thus explaining his behaviour and unique cinematic style.

Friendships and Jealousy

It’s embarrassing to admit, but in the past I have become overly protective of friends and, at the same time, jealous when they succeed. At the time, I did not understand why I felt that way, but now I see it as part of my autism. Jealousy is an emotion I despise, but perhaps it is driven by my innate (misguided?) sense of justice and at times an inflated sense of what I deserve in life, as I see others succeed with apparent ease. Once you let someone into your inner circle, you become too dependent on them and overbearing, to the point it bothers the other person. Unable to see social cues and establish appropriate boundaries, perhaps I was seen as too needy – too clingy? This trend is clearly evident in Wiseau’s relationship with Greg in the film The Disaster Artist.

Wanting to be an Actor

I’ve often said that I don’t need to be an actor because masking 24/7 is a life-long role – an Oscar-worthy performance. Yet, throughout my life, I have dabbled in mimicry, short films and improvisation. I’m surprised more autistic people don’t go into acting (or do they?), since – to an extent – we all need to do it as part of everyday life; we can’t survive a day without it. While there are not many well-known autistic actors, I wonder how prevalent this trend is among the neurodiverse.

 

Accent

Wiseau’s accent has been described as “untraceable”. I also had an accent that at various times has been called “southern” and Irish. Someone once told me I pronounce words so clearly it is as if English was my second language. Combined with a speech impediment when I was young, I do vocalize differently than neurotypicals. Perhaps Wiseau’s accent and vocal mannerisms are also due – in some degree – to autism.

 

Obsessions

It is a well known fact that autistic people tend to have a special interest, which for me can quickly become obsession. For Wiseau, it is American Culture.

Issues with Age and Age Appropriate Behavior

From what I have read about Wiseau, and as evidenced in the film The Room, he does not seem to have a grasp of how old he is or what a man his age should be doing. In the film The Disaster Artist, when Greg’s mother questions why a man his age is hanging around her son, he lies about his age. He also has trouble judging the age of others. This is similar to my own autism in that I look young for my age, still have adolescent interests, and have trouble guessing what age other people are – let alone figuring out what a man my age “should” be doing with his life. I don’t like being asked my age; I’m embarrassed when people are shocked, saying I look younger. Perhaps autism explains why Wiseau is also secretive about his age.

 

Limited Facial Expression

Wiseau usually looks serious and intense, if not poker-faced. The same has been observed of my facial expressions over the decades. Unease with smiling is also part of my autism. Many have told me to lighten up, loosen up and smile more; but it didn’t do any good. My autism is such that I have limited facial expressions and I do not easily, naturally smile. I think the same can be said of Wiseau. I’ve heard experts describe the face as an “emotional billboard”.  They can read faces like a map, sometimes enabling them to determine psychological states. Wrinkles are caused by certain facial muscle being used when we smile or react to social stimuli. Being autistic, I don’t react to those stimuli the same way; my face can remain immobile and facial muscles remain unused, thus wrinkles do not form. This may explain why I look younger than I am.

 

Reluctant to Discuss Past

Based on what I have read about Wiseau, he is reluctant to discuss his past in detail. Instead, he seems to obfuscate with information that can be hard to verify. Similarly, as an autistic person, I find it hard to discuss my past. Perhaps because of past trauma, or maybe just a lack of patience with having to carry on conversation, lack of trust, and/or a failure to understand why the person is really asking about my past. Either way, many thoughts and worries become hurdles when I’m asked to recount my past.

 

Telephone Manner

I’ve read that Wiseau has an odd telephone manner. I don’t like talking on the phone at all. I’d prefer email, or maybe a Zoom call. When on the phone, my voice can be flat and I can lose patience easily. I think my aversion to the telephone is due to my autism and theorize that Wiseau’s odd phone manner may also be due to autism.

 

Clothing

I think part of my autism is adopting a certain characteristic style of dress – often dark colours with a lot of layers. It is a survival mechanism – an attempt to be comfortable among the myriad of stressful social interactions of everyday life. Wiseau seems to have adopted a similar style of dress which may also help him cope in social situations. For example, are the ubiquitous sunglasses due to light sensitivity and/or avoiding eye contact? He seems to prefer loose fitting layers, rather like myself, with somewhat of a goth touch, rather like myself. Several belts, buckles and keys. Maybe he too feels comfortable and safe in layers. Maybe like me, he wears layers to hide the profuse sweat owing to the stress and pressure of social interactions. Lastly, I have a sense that I need to be “wearing my life”, so people can read me without saying a word, often to the point of over dressing, similar to Wiseau’s need to have so many belts and key chains. As I have written in a prior blog, I use style of dress as a “badge” to attract similarly minded people, since I cannot rely on my social skills alone to build bridges in social situations.

Emotional regulation

It seems Wiseau does not know the limits to what is acceptable, so he often becomes over-the-top – too intense for those around him to deal with. This is similar to my own situation. Sometimes I over share, sometimes I under share; it’s hard to keep the balance right.

Blunt, Kurt Manner

There are several examples of this in both The Room and The Disaster Artist, many of which generate laughter – due to their incongruous nature. Wiseau blurts out seemingly random statements, often brief with no context or further explanation, thus confusing people around him. Wiseau keeps mentioning that he is driven by “human behavior” but obviously knows very little about it. For example, the scene in The Room when he is told a gripping story of domestic abuse only to laugh as a response; in The Disaster Artist, the crew sees this as socially unacceptable. I’ve also been guilty of this in my past; things I’ve said have shocked people or openly made them wonder where I was coming from.

“What a story, Greg!”

No Relationship / Relationship Difficulties / Naiveté

While Wiseau writes himself a partner in the form of Lisa, it appears that in real life he is not involved in a relationship. Perhaps he does not have the capacity and, based on prior experience, would rather divert his energies elsewhere. Problems with relationships are perhaps best exemplified by the awkward scene from The Disaster Artist when Wiseau has trouble even pretending to make love to a woman, leading some to question whether he has any experience at all in that regard. Lastly, his dialogue with Lisa is naïve, suggesting he is drawing on what he has observed in culture rather than what he has experienced in real life.

Walking

If you watch Wiseau closely, he does not appear to have a natural gait. He moves as if in a trance, his mind elsewhere. Specifically, there is not much swing to his arms. He appears tensed up. This is also a feature of my autism. I’ve been told I “walk with purpose and intent”. Sometimes when I’m waking, I get so distracted with a thought that I snap out of it and don’t recall the path I took to get there. I think the way I walk is influenced by different spatial awareness, fear of being judged in public spaces, and a heightened sensitivity to my environment – all characteristics of my autism, and possibly Wiseau’s autism.

I am excited to be one of the recipients of the Difference Maker Award by Store with a Heart!

 

 

As an autistic author who seeks understanding and acceptance, this is very meaningful indeed. According to the award:

 

“Your work has touched lives and inspired change, and we are honoured to recognise the incredible impact of your storytelling.

 

This award represents more than recognition—it’s a testament to your courage, foresight, and ability to create a ripple effect of hope and compassion. You remind us all of the power of words and deeds to collectively shape a brighter future.”

 

I would like to thank Store with a Heart for bestowing this honour upon me. I can only hope that the literacy projects I am currently working on achieve the same level of recognition.

 

You can read more about my award here:

 

Celebrating Change: Announcing the 2019–2024 Difference Maker Award Winners!

 

You can check out my multiple-award-winning book here:

 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B088LQF344

Preface

It’s embarrassing to admit, but I have sat on this blog post for over a year. Blame my rather haphazard administration skills, courtesy of my own private autism! I can function perfectly at work but at home my performance on writing, laundry, cleaning and self care are all subject to change without notice. Anyway, now is the time to post it. With the recent loss of the one and only David Lynch, a man whose cinema affected me so much I felt I knew him personally and even dreamt of meeting him, it is time to celebrate him.

I’ve always been a massive Lynch fan – ever since I saw The Elephant man on TV back in the early 80s. I saw Dune on VHS and, despite all the negative reviews, enjoyed its visual flare and the fascinating story behind its creation. Then I saw Blue Velvet on VHS in the late 80s and, by the time I saw Eraserhead during my first semester of university, Lynch was up there with my favorite directors – alongside Peckinpah, Buñuel, Jodorowsky, Argento and Cronenberg. To this day, Blue Velvet is in my personal top ten films of all time.

Introduction

Having pledged to watch more classic films, I watched The Searchers the other day. I was struck on how it influenced David Lynch’s Twin Peaks. One influence was more obvious, and has been pointed out online before; however, I saw two more connections between John Ford’s classic film and Lynch’s groundbreaking TV show.

Given these connections, it is perhaps no coincidence that Lynch played John Ford in Steven Speilberg’s film The Fablemans.

 

 

Hank Worden

It has been pointed out that Hank not only played the eccentric Mose Harper in The Searchers, but also played the elderly waiter who brings warm milk to Agent Cooper’s hotel room after he got shot, first episode of season 2.

https://twinpeaks.fandom.com/wiki/Hank_Worden

 

Indian Whoop

In the Searchers, just before the Comanche cross the river and attack, Moses lets out an odd whooping noise, mimicking the Comanche war cries. As soon as I heard it, it hit me – that was the same whoop that the Man from Another Place made in the red room. I always wondered why he made that whopping noise; was it just Lynch’s random sense of humour? No, now I know it was another nod to The Searchers.

 

The Original Log Lady

Played by Ruth Clifford, she was credited as “Deranged Woman at Fort”.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049730/characters/nm0166681?ref_=tt_mv_close

In the scene, I was struck by how she was cradling a log, wrapped in a blanket, which slipped off clearly showing her odd preoccupation.

Is this where Lynch got the idea for the Log Lady? Based on his obvious interest in John Ford and other references to The Searchers, I think so.

I was deeply saddened when I read that David Lynch had passed. Like Bowie, I used to think something interesting was always just around the corner with David Lynch on our planet. Now that he’s gone, I will greatly miss his unique vision.

I was so saddened by his loss that I could not post anything on Facebook straight away. Somehow that felt too crass – too rushed, too soon. So I’ve decided to take my precious time and post here and, since my feelings about Lynch are so strong, I’ve decided to return and add bits to this post over time. That will allow me to truly dive deeply into this career (catching the big fish!) and the affect it has had on me and my autism. Why mention autism when speaking of Lynch? Well, for me, his films were full of themes, visuals and characters that I interpreted as being neurodiverse. It led me to believe that Lynch may be on the spectrum himself.  There are several reasons why I feel this way.

To begin, cultural portrayals of autism are of special interest to me. I’ve often said that characters that are openly and purposely autistic rarely resonate with me. It is those rare characters who remain ambiguous – who I can read a lot into, including autistic tendencies – that are the most relatable and exciting for me. This is perhaps the main reason I’ve always loved the character of Agent Dale Cooper. While not written to be autistic, I can see many traits and behaviours that I can relate to, thus endearing him to me. In fact, a girlfriend once commented that the character reminded her of me, because “everything he said was an essay”. So, even though I was not diagnosed with autism when Twin Peaks premiered, I guess I was destined to have a special affinity for this character – and for Lynch’s cinema overall. May he rest in peace. He is greatly missed.

Watch this space for more on how his outstanding contributions to culture resonate with my autism.

Hi Everyone,

My brother and I have released a new YouTube video. The details are below …

In this episode, Key and Cameron take a deep dive into “The Substance”. Key discusses an emotional, visceral response to “the movie of all time”; Cameron greatly admires the film for its highly accomplished cinematic experience, complete with homage to other directors. Both brothers admire Demi Moore’s brave, risky performance. What does this film say about contemporary society and culture? Is the film Oscar worthy? Tune in as the brothers discuss!

Hello Everyone,Pleased to announce that my book, The Surreal Adventures of Anthony Zen, enjoyed huge success in the recent Outstanding Creator Awards contest.

 

You can read the review here:

https://www.outstandingcreator.com/reviews/review-of-the-surreal-adventures-of-anthony-zen-by-cameron-a-straughan

 

Find more information on the contest winners here:https://www.outstandingcreator.com/winners–2024-clash-of-champions.html

 

THE SURREAL ADVENTURES OF ANTHONY ZEN

 

The Surreal Adventures of Anthony Zen by Cameron A. Straughan, winner of multiple awards including the Literary Titan Book Award and 2023 Cadmus Book Award for Humor & Satire, is a collection of 23 short stories filled with absurdist comedy and satirical commentary on work-life balance and societal issues. Critics praise Straughan’s quirky humor, likable characters, and creative storytelling, describing the book as a fun, engaging read that skillfully blends surrealism with relatable themes. The unique structure and unpredictable twists keep readers entertained, while the playful tone invites laughter and reflection on the absurdities of life. Overall, it is recommended for those seeking a whimsical escape into a world of delightful nonsense.