Humanity Is The Devil

by Jordan Krall

HUMANITY IS THE DEVIL is a deconstructed nightmare mixing David Lynch and snuff movies. The plot revolves around a central character, Seth, who is set about a crusade against humanity which, for him, represents pure evil. Through random killings he and his cronies try to accelerate the end of the world, in order to provoke and defeat the Demiurge, the false God that is ruling the earth. As in Burroughs, logical language is replaced here with cut-scenes – sometimes to be taken literally – that plunge the reader into an extreme experience. Both incredibly morbid and enthralling, HITD is a masterpiece of moral darkness and existentialist reflection upon our comfortable religion and morals.

Genres: Horror, Fiction

183 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 6, 2014

About the author

Books include:

TENTACLE DEATH TRIP
FISTFUL OF FEET
MOTEL MAN
KING SCRATCH
BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE APOCALYPSE DONKEYS
PIECEMEAL JUNE
SQUID PULP BLUES
NEWLY SHAVEN SAINT
UNFRUITFUL WORKS
PRELUDE TO SPACE RAPE!
SQUID KILLS
THE PISTOL BURPS
ALL POEMS MUST DIE
FALSE MAGIC KINGDOM
BAD ALCHEMY
THE GOG AND MAGOG BUSINESS
YOUR CITIES, YOUR TOMBS

Reviews

[Danger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was heavy. Not physically heavy, mind you. It’s not, like, 1000 pages long and printed up on strips of tree bark. Nothing like that. It sits comfortably just above the 200-page mark. And that might be a good thing. Humanity Is The Devil takes a toll on you. It’s a dense, DARK tome that deserves to be read and dissected in both literature classrooms and psychology classrooms. It’s a poetic descent into madness, terror, violent pornography and just...well...pretty much every fucked up or depraved thing a person can do.

The story is told through disjointed page long “chapters” that roughly relate to one another, as the narrative jumps all over the place: from characters going on mass shootings, to characters interacting on the dark side of the internet, to police reports, to stream-of-consciousness ramblings, to therapy sessions, to just moody atmospheric set scenes – these lightning fast vignettes, told in succession, create an almost mosaic themselves. Think about the movies when the show the lair of a serial killer or something, and there’s a corkboard with newspaper clippings and pieces of string and scribbles and magazine cutouts pasted all over the place. From one chapter to the next, that’s how I imagined the flow of this book. And I have to think that was intentional, as not only is it an effective way to tell this particular type of story, but also has a way of unsettling the reader. Jordan Krall shows a merciless and skilled hand with every vignette, every sentence. This book is just...brutal. This book is skin scrubbed away until there is just bone. This is a book that deserves to be read more than once. But I think I’m just too much of a chickenshit to read it again.

[Jamie Grefe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imagine a Gnostic injection of shocking violence--some of the most unsettling scenes I've read--stunningly captured in a maze of fragments and murder scene mind-rooms (the blinds are drawn///television static///duct tape serenade) of horror. Pure. Horror. Yes, this novel is a horror-show that leaves you withered and trembling. It's a book about the human condition, a novel that plays like a manifesto, a Lynchian blog post from a secret forum, a tremor of the apocalypse. It might seem like I'm going a bit overboard, but once you enter this Krallian universe (let yourself be swept under by its blood-currents) you can't walk away without being shaken. I'm jittery. At points, I had the experience of my own mass media-infected memories firing grainy news clips of American atrocities that hovered up between scenes, between words and story arcs--like, perhaps, the devil crept closer as the book progressed, but I took a deep breath and kept reading, sank further into this transmission of a most vile veil of the alien world (our American world). This is not a balm, it's an attack.

Finally, read this book and quell the darkness by reading the incredible afterword by Vincenzo Bilof. He made me see the book in a new way, in a better way than I could. Thanks for being that post-read guide, Vincenzo.

[Pedro Proença · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book left me stunned.
A dark look into humanity's psyche, "Humanity Is The Devil" is beautiful.
That's it, I can't describe it better. It's beautiful.
It made me feel bad about myself while reading.
And still, it's beautiful.
This book will reach down inside of you and grab your heart and it will squeeze it. And you will love every second of it.

[Christian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Regular edition, read in 2022.
Dynatox extended edition, read in 2023.

“If we are part of humanity, identified with humanity, in sympathy with humanity, we are doomed. If we attempt to save humanity from its doom, we shall fail, because humanity has chosen its doom and has shown its unwillingness to reverse its choice.... Make no mistake. The world is not your footstool but your grave... The world of men is a place of darkness and misery and pain and anguish and hatred and violence and discomfort and unrest and unease and sickness and failure and death and futility and ignorance and malice and greed and envy and despair. For the world of men is Hell. The earth is Hell, and man has made it so.... Humanity’s fruits are foul; bruised and bitter... And humanity’s home is the earth, and the earth is Hell. Satan is free for His work is done. Satan is no longer the Devil, for He has passed the poison on to that which chose to take it and become it. Now there is nothing more evil in the universe than man. His world is Hell, and he himself the Devil.”
–The Process Church of the Final Judgment

[Duane · Rating 4 out of 5]

One sitting. I don't often read things cover-to-cover, especially when I start them after midnight, but I was compelled to keep thumbing the kindle once I began. One of my rules of thumb is that you lose me immediately if you cite devils, demons, Xtian objects in general, but I've read a few of the author's things and was willing to compromise.
Oftentimes it is said that the evil people harbor within them is worse than any number of movie monsters, and that's the principle this book operates on. JG Ballard-influence is clear, and there's a poetic sort of repetition going on, symbolizing the mc's obsessiveness, though there's some Ellison-Deathbird flavor to the proceedings as well.
Not SF though, not "weird". Has more in common thematically with Jim Thompson than anything else, as do True-crime newsstand periodicals in general.
Devilishly clever. Well-executed.

[Philip · Rating 5 out of 5]

At its lowest: a beautiful verbal assault. At its highest: a masterpiece of reflection on a society controlled by extreme violence and utter chaos. It burrows down into your guts and makes a home like a scaring over friendly guest you’ve brought to bed. And like Burroughs at his most rebellious and Ballard at his most intelligent, Jordan Krall has created the literary equivalent of a hand grenade. And when it detonates no one will be safe for, HUMANITY IS THE DEVIL.

[M.C. O'Neill · Rating 5 out of 5]

J.G. Ballard as delivered by one part William Bennett, one part Peter Sotos. A punch to the soul that questions, of course, reality as a construct and humanity as the assumed most vile byproduct of this projected fantasy.

A fear of the possibility of a solipsistic reality is the impetus for the protagonist to kill and terrorize. Said reality is the gnostic, or here, anti-gnostic machinations of the Demiurge - a blind, childish godhead who creates and goes on its merry way with no thought to its bad ideas as it goes on to play with a new toy - and create more lousy designs.

Here, entropy and decadence is not a law nor is nihilism an existential deficit to the protagonist, Seth's, philosophy, but rather, a philosophical solution in combating these universal juggernauts.

Gnosis is doubted as is prime material knowledge as Krall examines the anatomy of terror(ism), violence and degeneracy only to zoom in on the mechanics of these entities in order for Seth to understand their Achilles Heels.

Seth is fighting gnostic fire with existential fire as he comes to grips that he is nothing but a ghost wrapped in clay made of stardust crafted by a celestial idiot. And it can get nasty here.

I might be wrong completely with my assessment of "Humanity is the Devil," and I might not be, but Krall knows his stuff and you will immediately devour the book and want to read it again if you find these mystical devices presented in its pages to be of your interest.

[Vilém Koubek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Občas se prostě stane, že otevřete knížku a ona vás následně profackuje hned prvními stránkami. Humanity is the Devil tohle provedla mně a troufnu si říct, že podobně explozivní zážitek nabídne každému – ale ne všichni jej budou schopni unést.

V podstatě jde o novelu, kterou jako by spolu napsali Palahniuk s Lynchem a Burroughsem. Výjevy ze světa se střídají, intenzita agresivně kolísá, některé obrazy jsou čistě abstraktní, jiné hraničí s poezií. Vše nicméně postupem stránek krystalizuje a vytváří zdrcující sdělení, že svět je peklo a můžeme si za to sami.

Vynikající forma, silné myšlenky, perfektní zážitek.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Humanity Is The Devil is the written equivalent of a harsh noise album. Short narrative bursts clash with discordant, nearly impenetrable stream-of-consciousness word associations. Motifs and themes recur throughout, verbatim or with subtle variations. The nightmarish framework holds together thematically and as a whole has an ugly beauty.
This anti-novel is aggressively misanthropic. Everyone is a monster, and the passages that try to empathize and understand people's actions when juxtaposed with the rest of the material give them a sarcastic sneer. We all make our own choices, even if there is no choice at all.
Humanity Is The Devil is a caustic read, relentlessly assaulting the reader with images that will not be forgotten. Amid the more extreme material, the most haunting for me was the mother finding a photograph of her recently deceased teenage son holding a gun to an infant's head. "In his fourteen years alive, he had never smiled so wide." Harrowing.
Jordan Krall is an alternate reality Kurt Vonnegut who turned to nihilism after the bombing of Dresden. His work is uncomfortable, all the more so because it feels true. His works are not "fun" reads; instead they are vital and important. You will not be the same after reading Humanity Is The Devil. I will never forget it and feel lucky that I found it.

[Michael Faun · Rating 5 out of 5]

I experienced Humanity as an express-train into the darkest depths of mankind. Parts of this brilliant and grimly dark book seriously caused physical reactions on me, manifesting in panic, anxiety and queasiness. I imagined Jordan Krall writing this work with tiny knuckles on each fingertip as he hammered away, or a knuckle on the pencil since, if I remember rightly, that the majority of the manuscript was handwritten. Anyway, a brilliant piece of societal fiction, moving with subjects such as terrorism, pornography, abuse, religion etc, and presenting how these things tend to be when the practicioner/victim/fanatic's minds are crawling in the darkest abyss of humanity. STRONGLY RECOMMENDED!

[Kyle Atwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

I give this a five star because... well... I don't get it most of the time, but when I did it was a brilliant novel. Honestly, that's all I can say other than the form of Mr. Krall's writing was well-done and the way the story came together was also unnerving in the most wonderful way.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mind blown, simply brilliant

I don't know how to review this but I'll start by saying absolutely brilliant hooked from the first page. Very hard to read if you are faint of heart. This was one of the best books I have ever read, I highly recommend to all fans of modern horror

[Merzbau · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is fucked up in the best and worst possible ways

[Tea · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Our Light is corrupted. It is a camera flash in the basement of a child pornographer. It is a knife blade reflecting the street light before it slices across a throat. Can you really say you are proud of this light, this little light of yours? Are you going to let the light shine?"


I love everything about this book. Thank you Jordan Krall.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars.

[Pazu Roxxx · Rating 1 out of 5]

I see what the author was trying to get at, it just didn’t get me.

[Craig Podmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Explosive and vitriolic, this book by Krall is a molotov in the face of the modern world. It's fiery, incendiary prose spits out like venom from the depths of profound darkness. It's structure consists of fragmented, episodic and ritualistic sermons from the mind(s) of disenfranchised personas, conjuring a cocktail of a kill-frenzy malaise. Krall dissects modern society in the vehicle of deluded militants with a hunger for existential dread and destruction in the name of false gods. The 'humanity' in this book is futile and often non-existent. Like Sotos, he applies rage with an unapologetic discourse. To some degree, it can be deemed satirical in certain spots, those with a dark humour may pick up on this. The subject is strong and bloody but it is written with an exquisite edge.

The condensed formula delivers the narrative with sporadic intensity; it's open to interpretation and that's what makes this book so credible. It reads like a psychopathic dictator with immense apathy for life, your protagonist is charming, indifferent and egotistical; sound like someone you know? Perhaps so, the devil here is indeed well known to modern society, many demons that we have witness on the cover of 'Life' such as Manson, Krall explores the enigma of the cult figure, the pseudo messiah, the hateful pariah, the guy who has been spat out by society because of the difficulty to fit in. Name all of the dirt that you know of via the media, then maybe, just maybe, you have the portrayal of our prominent character, Seth.

He isn't shy of elucidating the worst in mankind, after all, this is the main subject and body of the book. This tome has the ability to repulse you but this is intended. Krall's voice is strong, bold and brutally savage. He grips you from the very first nasty word to the very last filthy but gripping sentence. It's an ungodly exegesis of dark matters that exists within us all, it's a stained mirror of our propensity to do harm unto others. Unlike the prayer that demands a god to 'deliver us from evil', here, Krall delivers it to you like Ronald McDonald with an AK47.

[Steven Rage · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entropy and Decadence, July 10, 2014
By M.C. O'Neill (Des Plaines) - See all my reviewsThis review is from: Humanity Is The Devil (Kindle Edition)
J.G. Ballard as delivered by one part William Bennett, one part Peter Sotos. A punch to the soul that questions, of course, reality as a construct and humanity as the assumed most vile byproduct of this projected fantasy.

A fear of the possibility of a solipsistic reality is the impetus for the protagonist to kill and terrorize. Said reality is the gnostic, or here, anti-gnostic machinations of the Demiurge - a blind, childish godhead who creates and goes on its merry way with no thought to its bad ideas as it goes on to play with a new toy - and create more lousy designs.

Here, entropy and decadence is not a law nor is nihilism an existential deficit to the protagonist, Seth's, philosophy, but rather, a philosophical solution in combating these universal juggernauts.

Gnosis is doubted as is prime material knowledge as Krall examines the anatomy of terror(ism), violence and degeneracy only to zoom in on the mechanics of these entities in order for Seth to understand their Achilles Heels.

Seth is fighting gnostic fire with existential fire as he comes to grips that he is nothing but a ghost wrapped in clay made of stardust crafted by a celestial idiot. And it can get nasty here.

I might be wrong completely with my assessment of "Humanity is the Devil," and I might not be, but Krall knows his stuff and you will immediately devour the book and want to read it again if you find these mystical devices presented in its pages to be of your interest.

[Jason Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

With the seminal Humanity is the Devil, Jordan Krall has established himself as one of the most exciting and relevant voices in independent fiction. This book is important, a testament to the times, and a document of our decay. I don't know if I would say it is Krall's best work, that's kind of up in the air, because in terms of style and theme, the guy is all over the place. I want to compare it to something else he's written, and he touches on similar themes previously in his False Magic Kingdom Cycle, but Humanity is the Devil is another animal. A very human animal.
There is a loose narrative built around a Gnostic terrorist cult and it's leader, Seth. Then we have stream of conscience vignettes, fragments, prose poems, and a few linear passages that deal with the sickest parts of human existence, our sad philosophies, our sad being, and our only means of enlightenment? Panic!
So, what are these sickest parts? I won't risk demeaning this review with silly asterisks to censor some of the subject matter prevalent in this book, you only need to turn on your local news. And all these subjects laid bare in this book can be recognized and added to what accumulates--as Burroughs would refer--to 'The Human Virus'.
PULL BACK THE 'VILE VEIL' AND READ THIS BOOK!

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Humanity Is The Devil isn't an easy book to read. I don't mean that to intimidate anyone or even keep them from reading it. This is a dark, violent book that grabs you by the throat and forces you to look at the dark side of human nature. Let's be honest we as a society have advanced so far that we are being fed violence with our morning coffee.
Krall forces us to look and I swear sometimes I wonder if he's daring us to flinch, and even stop reading. Told in a variety of styles, this truly is an anti-novel and deep down beyond the darkness is the realization that this is a masterpiece. This is how we have advanced as a society and the results will sicken you, and even shock you. Humanity Is The Devil isn't for everyone and there will some who won't get it or will even whine that it crosses some line somewhere. The beauty here is that there are going to be a lot people who do get it and that's all that matters.

[Michael Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

A chilling 'anti-novel' told in slice-of-life vignettes exploring a thrill-kill cult driven by existential hopelessness, and modern American ennui. There are glimpses of modern gnostic philosophy, and the desensitization of modern teens by access to increasingly graphic and extreme images of pornography and violence. None of this is spelled out for you, mind you. You see it all through the viewers eyes, so be forewarned this is a challenging book. It may disturb or shock you, but you have will know you have definitely experienced something unique when you complete it. Highly recommend to readers of crime fiction and modern psychological horror.

[Ben Arzate · Rating 5 out of 5]

FULL REVIEW HERE

I personally loved HUMANITY IS THE DEVIL. I found it to be a powerful attack of language on modern values, but it's a difficult book to recommend because of it's subject matter and because of how different it is from most books. I'd recommend it to any readers feeling particularly adventurous. If you've enjoy books such as William S. Burrough's NAKED LUNCH or JG Ballard's THE ATROCITY EXHIBITION, you'll definitely enjoy Jordan Krall's Humanity is the Devil.

[R.A. Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Humanity is the Devil pulls no punches. It creates a dread atmosphere that doesn't let up until long after you've finished reading.

Terrifyingly nonchalant in its recounting of hideous crimes, the book is like being stabbed in the heart by a psychopath. The chapters are the knife being thrust forward in rapid succession, the prose: its keen edge sharpened razor thin by the ribs of all the evil humans portrayed within.

Though it has aesthetic similarities to the False Magic Kingdom cycle, Humanity is the Devil takes the atmosphere and content to a whole new level.

[Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is a good critique of media sensationalism, cult foundation, and the gnostic world view all wrapped together here, but you have to be willing to go through quite a lot of Peak Edge to see the whole picture.