Sebastian

by Rigby Taylor

Sebastian is an intelligent look at alternative ways to live and love, presented as a thriller around the most horrific, and one of the most lucrative human enterprises. If you're you are open to difference, are interested in alternative ways to live and love, and enjoy a fast-paced thriller, then this book is for you—so read and enjoy. Eighteen year-old Sebastian is an enigma. Everyone likes him, but no one knows anything about him. He wears clothes only under protest, but no one seems to mind. To say his home life is unusual is like saying the Amazon is a stream. Bizarre doesn’t even begin to describe his upbringing. He doesn’t know who his father was, he’s used as a therapist for broken youths, and yet he’s managed to remain a ‘normal’ and thoroughly ‘nice guy’…in the opinion of all those who are not concerned by his penchant for nudity. In this fast paced tale of criminal intrigue, porno rings, abductions and mayhem in tropical Australia, Sebastian and his boyfriend, Reginald, fight for their lives against the big-moneyed bad boys.

Genres: M M Romance, Romance, Gay, LGBT, Fiction

171 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 18, 2011

About the author

Profile

I live on several acres of rainforest in sub-tropical Queensland, Australia with my partner.
I've published five novels:- 'NumbaCruncha' 'Sebastian', 'Jarek', 'Dome of Death', & 'The Price of Freedom'; a biography - 'Dancing Bare' , and a volume of short stories:- 'Time to Think'.
I write the sort of fiction I like to read - fast paced with some danger and heroes who are decent, honest, reliable and unafraid to make decisions, and who reckon that more than enough is too much.
I have always enjoyed the symbolism of Renaissance Art in which, among other things, purity, honesty and truthfulness is depicted by nudity. Titian’s “Sacred and Profane Love” and Michelangelo’s "Sistine Ceiling" and “Doni Tondo” are obvious examples.
It is in that sense that I use nudity in my novels. Only the good guys run around naked. Nude is not rude! Actions can be evil or good; bodies are merely natural vessels and, if well maintained, are admirable.
My characters live in the real world, not in a ghetto. They just happen to be gay and any sex is part of the story, not gratuitous or explicit.
All my novels are set in tropical Australia.

Reviews

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oooh wee ...this was something else!

At 10% I anticipated the first line of this review would be an outraged: What the fuck was that?!

Instead, I sit here with the biggest shit eating grin on my face thinking about all the negative reviews that describe this book with words like: “nonsense”, “far-fetched”, “disturbing”, “unbelievable” and my personal favourite: “Why……… why was this written?”

God! I want to throw my head back and laugh like a lunatic. Yes, Sebastian is all of those undesirable things but it’s more! So much more than single star ratings. OH I’m not going to jump up and down and say ‘How dare they?’ even though I’d like to (and possibly just did) because Sebastian is most certainly an acquired taste …

This is a crazy theatrical story written in a matter of fact sing-song style that reads like a dark but humorous children’s story book. It’s weird! And perhaps that’s why I love it so much. The moral example is as thought provoking as it is questionable and unconventional – based on the author’s idealistic fantasy I’m sure. Eccentric characters with alternative lifestyle ideas are what drive this cracked story of wickedly delicious social corruption and the doings of very evil people. I relished it.

If someone told me that the author had been licking funky toads in his Queensland rainforest when he executed this premise I wouldn’t have blinked – I’d have said ‘have another lick mate!’ Ha! I have never, in my life read this kind of original fiction. At first I was bemused, then I was titillated and wholly amused – the obsessive nudity clearly won me over. Then I was utterly gob-smacked! The author had the balls to actually write that. OMG is he nuts!? You can’t say that! But why not? Who says you can’t? At that point it was either toss it and hold onto my 30 years of carefully moulded socially acceptable ideals or embrace what the author was offering: escapism, freedom from the shackles of our boring ethical culture and lots of dark silliness to lighten the experience which, funnily enough makes it okay … safe!

The author had so much fun abandoning the constraints of polite society to campaign for nudism, free love, anti-racism and sexuality that’s devoid of labels and the acceptance of those ideals. It doesn’t matter to me that the reaction is not realistic – so what? It’s fiction! It made me feel alive, spontaneous, liberated and reminded me of the freedoms of childhood where I would run around naked in the rain and everyone would just laugh affectionately. Hell! Just hold that thought while I strip off to write the rest of this in the buff :D

So what about the actual plot then? Yes, there is one. It’s dark and deeply creepy especially when learning about Sebastian’s sinister mother and her acquaintances. Fantastical? Yes! But it’s still highly entertaining and a little angsty too. The character development is interesting … (I smirk) unconventional to say the least. Sebastian is extraordinary whether you love him or hate him – you won’t forget him. The love and relationships don’t come with long winded justifications (for which I am eternally grateful) they are what they, and you can believe it if you want to.

Honestly? This book made me laugh my arse off, and when I wasn’t, I was smirking with my eyebrows raised up to my hairline. I was so deliciously appalled and suitable shocked, my morals scattered to the wind and the urge to leave the house with nothing but a hanky still overwhelms me. No wonder this has so many single star ratings; it’s simply not acceptable reading you know (<- sarcasm, in case you missed it) I just wish the sex had been written to completion and a few bits weren’t left dangling – pun intended.

Do I recommend it?

I most certainly do NOT! I refuse to be held responsible for contributing to a new age wave of nude radical hippy extremists with a penchant for vigilantism. Alright if they look like Sebastian and his god-like friends but … they’ll look like me! Ha! So no worries, I’m bottling the rebellion and getting dressed now. But seriously, read this only if you want some truly original fiction, are prepared to suspend your disbelief to the max and possess a liberal open mind. A dark sense of humour wouldn’t go amiss either. Do this and you’ll have a great time. For me, this book was an unforgettable experience. I loved it and will always think of it fondly.

I forgot to mention that this is currently a free read.

[Kristie · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 togs... er, stars.

I don't know how to review this. I really don't, so bare with me as I try and form coherent thoughts.

First things first. Thank you Shelley for reading this book, putting it on my radar, and urging me to pick it up. If not for you, I'd never have known this existed and I can't thank you enough because the experience has been amazing.

This books is wacky. Really and truly wacky. It's also unbelievable. It is so unbelievable that it's shocking. The events that take place in this book are crazy, horrible, beautiful, hilarious, and wonderful. Oh, and completely and utterly outrageous, and I loved every fucking minute of it.

This is such a refreshing and bold read, it was freeing. I was free, just as Sebastian is. I am enlightened, and I am happy. Sure, there are times when I felt horrible. I was scared for Sebastian... so, so, so scared. I was horrified at the life he'd been made to live, terrified that things would go so wrong and he'd be broken. So know that this is not all roses. I really had a hard time with some of the darker parts, if only because I was worried and wondered how anyone could live in a world like this. Then I remembered that there really isn't a world like this. So much of this is complete fantasy land to me. I kept thinking that these people didn't live in Australia, they lived on Fantasy Island. But take away the dark, and leave only the light? Yeah, I'd love to live in a world this free, beautiful and accepting.

I'm not sure how anyone could not like this book. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, of course, but if you read this book and don't love it, I may think you're just a little too closed minded. This book is fabulous.

[Donnerhall · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a freebie and I made my usual mistake of not reading about the story before downloading. I always try my best to finish a book if I'm going to review it, it seems dishonest not to read the whole thing. But I only managed to read the first three chapters before caving in to my intense dislike of the MC and every single side character I had read about so far. There is something seriously wrong with EVERYONE in the story. This was the weirdest writer hallucinations I have read. My best advice is to stay far, far away from this.

[Gwenn Mary (Morgwenn) · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't know what to think about this book.

I can't say it's completely bad. Because there are both bad and good stuff in it. Maybe I don't understand the "new-age" spirit (but is this new-age?) so I can't judge the naked obsession.
I think the attempt to tell a story about human traffic that deserves a good point but the behaviour of the main characters may not be the good answer to it. Call the cops! If not those of your city if you think they are part of it, call those from another city!

The private school where teachers and students can have relationship? please... stop the phantasms.
That's the main problem, this book is a written and published phantasm of the author. He/she can have those and write them, but publish and sell them? I am not so sure. I didn't buy it, it was a freebie from amazon. But still.

I can't say I hated it but there are too many disturbing facts and ideas to tell people to read it.

[Ian M. Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

For once, I've been a little perplexed about writing a review.

Usually, if I don't particularly care much for a story or feel I have nothing to add beyond the rating, I will just rate and not write a review. I will not write negatively about someone's hard work.

This one, however, was tricky.

Initially, I was disconcerted by a particular relationship and its mechanics. I persevered, however. The story definitely had many implausible scenarios, the "everybody must be gay" trope, no real danger to the protagonist and in fact, many elements slotting together far too easily.

Despite that, I could not stop reading. I read it over the course of just two nights. It was intriguing and there were definitely some elements I wouldn't mind seeing in the real world. Without giving anything away, all I can say is "more freedom from prudery".

So, would I recommend this one? Only to those with an open mind who can hang in there beyond things which may initially dismay them.

Cheers.

[Laura Warby · Rating 1 out of 5]

I tried reading this book, and got about 20% of the way in before I had to give up.
The story made no sense to me at all, and I won't be trying to read it again.

[James Pullman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Why......... why was this written?>

[Guy Venturi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Society and religions use mind control tactics to

bring the worst out in people with authority, no matter how little. It is said that money is the root of all evil, but it is really power over others that is the basis for all evil. Even sex with its physical and psychological components is dominated by money and above that the power to manipulate people to perform anything against their will.
Sebastian has grown up without the normal parental and family influences, and with the avarice of a mother who destroyed other family members and even sells her only (illegitimate) son to her boss and his evil gangsters for money. Unfortunately, she does not have the power to control her life's destiny. Sebastian does control his life better than anyone else, because he is not bothered by all the pseudo-sins and affected personalities trying to be like all the others. Fortunately, he is able to win significant friends to protect what is perceived as his naivety. Where was he when I was his age? I was not so lucky. I got the nudity freedom, but also gained unwanted harassment for many things, but mostly not falling into the click traps in school and work. This book does a good job of presenting ideas and traits in an understandable and loving(where possible) way. I applauded the author for his creativity in presenting the kind of thoughts that are predominate in teens as they question things in their lives while providing insight from a different viewpoint than most would expect. I loved this book, something I rarely say in reviews. But while caught up in the plot developments, I noticed some inconsistencies in the ages of people and number of years between events, especially concerning Sebastian's age. It felt like this was originally written with him being 16, and later modified to 18 to match the legal age of consent. The world population in excess of the planet's support capability is probably not "5 or 6 thousand million", which is an editing error easily made in the days of spellchecker automatically ignoring what you type and inserting whatever random nonsense seems most inappropriate. These were distracting, but do not destroy the storyline.

[Jerreb · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so not the book I was expecting when I downloaded it or even when I started reading it. In fact, a good 10-20% into the book I didn't think I liked it and even debated stopping it. However, the story turned and I was hooked. Before starting my review, I actually read through the other reviews and people seemed to love or hate the book which actually proves many of Seb's points about people's opinions on nudity and sex. While I'm always a little concerned when stories delve into the realm of power position/control in terms of sex, i.e. the teachers and students I think the author does a great job of defining the difference between those relationships that are consensual (even if there is an age difference) and those that are control based and improper. As a nudist and bisexual, there were some pretty incredible points that were made and I think that was part of the reason I had such a strong response to the book.

[JP · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a bad book, but very long winded and some parts of the story are condoning violence and "murder". I liked the overall story about equality and freedom of choice as well as how society has made us all shame thinking even though many of the things we now view as shameful have been quite normal years ago.

[Dnis · Rating 1 out of 5]

que wea este libro. es como un free for all y todos piluchos yay y voyerismo forever y lleno de cliches y los weones tienen orgasmos de la nada. no tengo idea q es lo q acabo de leer. peores escenas de sexo eveeeeeer. puta el libro malo. me da lata rantear en ingles. bad cliched book.

[Dean · Rating 4 out of 5]

This gets points just for weirdness

Umm ok.... Wow... yeah that was all kinds of weird and wrong. Definitely a little too incestuous for my liking but I'll say this, it was an interesting read.

[Lisa ~ Books Are My Drugs ~]

One of the strangest books I've read.

[David · Rating 1 out of 5]

Really very poor, no logic to the characters sudden acceptance of the plot twists.

[Bryan Leturia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book

Has you in your heals between the hot science and this boy's curiosity in once and so much h more it is an amazing read!

[Dax Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn't put it down :D