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Party At The World's End
Fallen
Party At The World’s End is a mad ride past the event horizon of sanity with a group of young, escaped mental patients that come to realize—or believe—that they are demigods. They form Babylon, a band that captures the spirit of the age as sex, drugs, and chaos reign in the final years of the American Empire.
This is the beginning of a modern mythology that spills off the the ticket to the Party At The World's End is inside, if you dare to search for it. It starts right here, but it won't end here...
Party At The World’s End is a mad ride past the event horizon of sanity with a group of young, escaped mental patients that come to realize—or believe—that they are demigods. They form Babylon, a band that captures the spirit of the age as sex, drugs, and chaos reign in the final years of the American Empire.
This is the beginning of a modern mythology that spills off the the ticket to the Party At The World's End is inside, if you dare to search for it. It starts right here, but it won't end here...
305 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 12, 2011
6 people are currently reading
712 people want to read
About the author
James Curcio
16 books72 followersJames Curcio is a transmedia artist and writer best known for exploring the intersections of myth, philosophy, and media. Among extensive art and media credits, he is the author of Join My Cult! , Party at the World's End, a mythpunk take on The Bacchae in an age of anonymity and rock stars, and the non-fiction, Narrative Machines: Modern Myth, Revolution & Propaganda.
Current projects include Tales From When I Had A Face, an illustrated existential fairy-tale, and BLACKOUT, a dark Futurist-Lovecraftian webcomic. Masks: Bowie and Artists of Artifice, an interdisciplinary anthology begun shortly after Bowie's death, was published by Intellect Books in January 2020. He is the editor of ModernMythology.net.
Current projects include Tales From When I Had A Face, an illustrated existential fairy-tale, and BLACKOUT, a dark Futurist-Lovecraftian webcomic. Masks: Bowie and Artists of Artifice, an interdisciplinary anthology begun shortly after Bowie's death, was published by Intellect Books in January 2020. He is the editor of ModernMythology.net.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
October 1, 2014
Party at the World’s End
Book One of the Fallen Cycle
By: James Curcio
This is a unique novel which will keep you at the edge of your seat as you are reading it. The novel has a lot of plot twists and it is raunchy in places. It is also evocative in nature. So, it is definitely adult reading. But once you get into the book, you won’t want to put it down until you finish reading it.
James Curcio is a master storyteller. He takes the reader into deep mythological lore and applies it to today’s society. The plot is straightforward, although it is mixed with stuff that is quite unusual and perhaps even insane in places. The characters in the novel are diverse and there are a lot of sexy scenes that make it a good romantic read. The ending is really exciting, something that every reader will look forward to. It is also a quick read, one that will keep you reading and then coming back for more and more until you have come to the last page of this thrilling book.
In addition, the characters are memorable. They are different yet they are people that we could probably all relate to in one way or another. This is a story that will linger with the reader for a while, even after she has completed reading it.
So, get ready for a thrilling ride. Grab a pot of coffee and sit down for a great read. You will not only be satisfied but you will tell all of your friends about it too.
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by: Irene S. Roth
Book One of the Fallen Cycle
By: James Curcio
This is a unique novel which will keep you at the edge of your seat as you are reading it. The novel has a lot of plot twists and it is raunchy in places. It is also evocative in nature. So, it is definitely adult reading. But once you get into the book, you won’t want to put it down until you finish reading it.
James Curcio is a master storyteller. He takes the reader into deep mythological lore and applies it to today’s society. The plot is straightforward, although it is mixed with stuff that is quite unusual and perhaps even insane in places. The characters in the novel are diverse and there are a lot of sexy scenes that make it a good romantic read. The ending is really exciting, something that every reader will look forward to. It is also a quick read, one that will keep you reading and then coming back for more and more until you have come to the last page of this thrilling book.
In addition, the characters are memorable. They are different yet they are people that we could probably all relate to in one way or another. This is a story that will linger with the reader for a while, even after she has completed reading it.
So, get ready for a thrilling ride. Grab a pot of coffee and sit down for a great read. You will not only be satisfied but you will tell all of your friends about it too.
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by: Irene S. Roth
October 29, 2014
Abandoned ship at 20%
Have I mentioned that I hate leaving things unfinished? Even if I don't love a book, I will try to see it through to the end. (The exception being quite a few things that I had to read in college. In an ideal world, I would have finished 80% of my assigned reading, cause I'm a big nerd.)
This...I admit defeat. Book, you win. You have defeated me. Party at the World's End was supposed to be "Brutal, darkly funny, and, above all, honest." - Powell's Books 'Short List.' That was the quote that sold me on it! Well....
This was pretentious and boring. You want to be trippy and weird? I am all aboard, but there has to be something holding all that weird shit together. Every chapter was like a never ending acid trip. There needed to be a pizza chapter somewhere! Give us some damn carbs, some kind of fuel for all that weirdness!
I can't even give a shit about the characters or the story. I didn't get invested. Maybe this is someone's cup of tea or maybe if I get really drunk some night this would be fun, and possibly a little scary. But for now, it's a solid no.
A big thank you to Goodreads for providing me with a free copy to read and review!
Have I mentioned that I hate leaving things unfinished? Even if I don't love a book, I will try to see it through to the end. (The exception being quite a few things that I had to read in college. In an ideal world, I would have finished 80% of my assigned reading, cause I'm a big nerd.)
This...I admit defeat. Book, you win. You have defeated me. Party at the World's End was supposed to be "Brutal, darkly funny, and, above all, honest." - Powell's Books 'Short List.' That was the quote that sold me on it! Well....
This was pretentious and boring. You want to be trippy and weird? I am all aboard, but there has to be something holding all that weird shit together. Every chapter was like a never ending acid trip. There needed to be a pizza chapter somewhere! Give us some damn carbs, some kind of fuel for all that weirdness!
I can't even give a shit about the characters or the story. I didn't get invested. Maybe this is someone's cup of tea or maybe if I get really drunk some night this would be fun, and possibly a little scary. But for now, it's a solid no.
A big thank you to Goodreads for providing me with a free copy to read and review!
July 4, 2016
Deeply Incisive Satire on the State of America - FIVE GLOWING STARS
This e-ticket ride, so strap in tight, get a snack and a bottle of your favorite beverage. You will be here until you finish this satirical, surreal, sexy, subversive novel. Reality is simply squishy. Identity rises from dreams, contact with enlightened entities, visions, sense memories and similar. Action is unpredictable. Whether two fallen gods boost a car, big pharma causes kids to become suicide bombers, instantaneous orgies or a hello kitty flash drive goes missing worth billions, it all makes perfect sense at the time. The satire is fast and biting if you understand the underlying references to history, religion, literature, philosophy, psychiatry and mythology. I enjoyed it immensely. Read it cover to cover in one go. I will now read it a second time to catch anything I missed in my excitement the first time through.
James Curcio is a master of satire - it's too bad everyone missed it. Like Jonathan Swift, Curcio uses a scalpel to slice directly into the jugular of his targets: no prisoners taken, no quarter given. Unlike Swift, there is no way you could censor this and make it a children's book: the experience is too surreal, too deep, too much sex, drugs and rock 'n roll, and too much egregious violence.
James Curcio has created a wonderfully insightful satire based on the state of American government, big business and the CIA, NSA, law enforcement and black ops pitted against fallen gods, underground counterculture, the enlightened and groupies using myth, religion, rock 'n roll, pagan rites, philosophy, black magic, the mob, and pop culture along with technology and terrorist practices to flip the bird at everything and everyone that is wrong in America.
The story is almost a modern version of a Shakespearean tragedy. Instead of royalty, he has brought in the Fallen. The predestination, the doom, the innocent characters dragged under. It's all there. We even have what equates to the three witches, but in drastically different guise.
Anyway, WWWIII has already happened. Your choice is to be a happy droid, or be watched, surveilled and possibly arrested as a potential terrorist for being different. Full access to all citizen communications by the government is standard.
When a hive mind prank at a mall backfires, a group of our protagonists are manhandled by a SWAT team, arrested for terrorism, taken into Federal custody and questioned for hours. The event, along with the arrests and their names were televised before it was determined they were guilty.
The upshot: considering what the pranksters were doing and the cobbled together equipment they had, it could be nothing other than a prank, BUT the government believed they were terrorizing people. The government released the pranksters, but put them under surveillance and branded them terrorists. The public perception was never corrected, so many of our protagonists lost their jobs. Outcome: negative.
The end result was to turn what was once cavalier, resolute. The apes would pay.
This is a war of Leviathin versus Lillith, the Whore of Babylon. It is Enlightened versus Blind. It is Establishment versus Counterculture. Would America divide in a Civil War of violence, ideas, ideals and lifestyles led by a bunch of drug taking, genuis-level, counterculture loners? Could they actually do something as a group without over thinking every last detail? Who would lead when every ego demanded recognition? Something had to change to make this a reality.
Change happens to drive the story from 0 to 200 mph into something like a cross between Carl Jung on Mushrooms reading the Book of Revelation and Bullfinch's Mythology driven by the plot of a Quentin Tarantino movie. That may sound abstruse, but the aha will come when you read it.
This book must be experienced to be believed. You can read it as a serious New Age, apocalyptic novel, or for the amazingly intelligent, viciously insightful satire that it was intended.
IF you appreciate satire AND have at least a cursory knowledge of mythology, philosophy and religion, The Book of Revelation and various reincarnation beliefs THEN you should ADORE this novel.
BRAVO Mr. Curcio! I have added you to my list of favorite authors. When is the next book due?
Highly Recommended!
This e-ticket ride, so strap in tight, get a snack and a bottle of your favorite beverage. You will be here until you finish this satirical, surreal, sexy, subversive novel. Reality is simply squishy. Identity rises from dreams, contact with enlightened entities, visions, sense memories and similar. Action is unpredictable. Whether two fallen gods boost a car, big pharma causes kids to become suicide bombers, instantaneous orgies or a hello kitty flash drive goes missing worth billions, it all makes perfect sense at the time. The satire is fast and biting if you understand the underlying references to history, religion, literature, philosophy, psychiatry and mythology. I enjoyed it immensely. Read it cover to cover in one go. I will now read it a second time to catch anything I missed in my excitement the first time through.
James Curcio is a master of satire - it's too bad everyone missed it. Like Jonathan Swift, Curcio uses a scalpel to slice directly into the jugular of his targets: no prisoners taken, no quarter given. Unlike Swift, there is no way you could censor this and make it a children's book: the experience is too surreal, too deep, too much sex, drugs and rock 'n roll, and too much egregious violence.
James Curcio has created a wonderfully insightful satire based on the state of American government, big business and the CIA, NSA, law enforcement and black ops pitted against fallen gods, underground counterculture, the enlightened and groupies using myth, religion, rock 'n roll, pagan rites, philosophy, black magic, the mob, and pop culture along with technology and terrorist practices to flip the bird at everything and everyone that is wrong in America.
The story is almost a modern version of a Shakespearean tragedy. Instead of royalty, he has brought in the Fallen. The predestination, the doom, the innocent characters dragged under. It's all there. We even have what equates to the three witches, but in drastically different guise.
Anyway, WWWIII has already happened. Your choice is to be a happy droid, or be watched, surveilled and possibly arrested as a potential terrorist for being different. Full access to all citizen communications by the government is standard.
When a hive mind prank at a mall backfires, a group of our protagonists are manhandled by a SWAT team, arrested for terrorism, taken into Federal custody and questioned for hours. The event, along with the arrests and their names were televised before it was determined they were guilty.
The upshot: considering what the pranksters were doing and the cobbled together equipment they had, it could be nothing other than a prank, BUT the government believed they were terrorizing people. The government released the pranksters, but put them under surveillance and branded them terrorists. The public perception was never corrected, so many of our protagonists lost their jobs. Outcome: negative.
The end result was to turn what was once cavalier, resolute. The apes would pay.
This is a war of Leviathin versus Lillith, the Whore of Babylon. It is Enlightened versus Blind. It is Establishment versus Counterculture. Would America divide in a Civil War of violence, ideas, ideals and lifestyles led by a bunch of drug taking, genuis-level, counterculture loners? Could they actually do something as a group without over thinking every last detail? Who would lead when every ego demanded recognition? Something had to change to make this a reality.
Change happens to drive the story from 0 to 200 mph into something like a cross between Carl Jung on Mushrooms reading the Book of Revelation and Bullfinch's Mythology driven by the plot of a Quentin Tarantino movie. That may sound abstruse, but the aha will come when you read it.
This book must be experienced to be believed. You can read it as a serious New Age, apocalyptic novel, or for the amazingly intelligent, viciously insightful satire that it was intended.
IF you appreciate satire AND have at least a cursory knowledge of mythology, philosophy and religion, The Book of Revelation and various reincarnation beliefs THEN you should ADORE this novel.
BRAVO Mr. Curcio! I have added you to my list of favorite authors. When is the next book due?
Highly Recommended!
January 2, 2015
This Book Was Given To Me By The Author In Exchange For An Honest Review.
Take a mad ride past the event horizon of sanity with the band Babylon, in the final days of the American Empire. First in the occult punk, myth and fairy-tale laced transmedia series, the Fallen Cycle. Get on the roller coaster, strap yourself in and prepare for a wild ride. I felt like I stepped into a adult comic book while reading this book.
James Curcio did a great job of interweaving the chapters to take you deep into a fantasy, mythological story. There were times I started a chapter and I was like what is going on but within a few sentences you knew what direction he was headed. The characters weave a delicate web of past and present which includes dreams and wild hallucinations. They set out on pranks that are considered terrorism and end up in a mental hospital. They break free and the wild ride continues. You never really know the characters background but Mr. Curcio does a great job of involving them in the story. Each has there own dreams. This story is truly a work of art in that some chapters are so descriptive they are almost poetic and then the next chapter is so chaotic that you feel like you are dreaming but the author makes it work and makes it all come together.
So here is my disclaimer. I have read fantasy/dystopian but this book took me out of my comfort zone of dystopian. At times he made my head spin and made me say what the he!!. But in the end as I said it fit and as I turned the last page I truly felt like I was claiming out of an adult comic book. If you have not read or are not a fan of fantasy/dystopian this might not be the book to "cut your teeth on" but if you truly want a wild ride then take a look into the mad world of James Curcio's books.
Review has been done in conjunction with Nerd Girl Official.
For more information regarding our reviews please visit our Fansite: www.facebook.com/NerdGirl.ng
Take a mad ride past the event horizon of sanity with the band Babylon, in the final days of the American Empire. First in the occult punk, myth and fairy-tale laced transmedia series, the Fallen Cycle. Get on the roller coaster, strap yourself in and prepare for a wild ride. I felt like I stepped into a adult comic book while reading this book.
James Curcio did a great job of interweaving the chapters to take you deep into a fantasy, mythological story. There were times I started a chapter and I was like what is going on but within a few sentences you knew what direction he was headed. The characters weave a delicate web of past and present which includes dreams and wild hallucinations. They set out on pranks that are considered terrorism and end up in a mental hospital. They break free and the wild ride continues. You never really know the characters background but Mr. Curcio does a great job of involving them in the story. Each has there own dreams. This story is truly a work of art in that some chapters are so descriptive they are almost poetic and then the next chapter is so chaotic that you feel like you are dreaming but the author makes it work and makes it all come together.
So here is my disclaimer. I have read fantasy/dystopian but this book took me out of my comfort zone of dystopian. At times he made my head spin and made me say what the he!!. But in the end as I said it fit and as I turned the last page I truly felt like I was claiming out of an adult comic book. If you have not read or are not a fan of fantasy/dystopian this might not be the book to "cut your teeth on" but if you truly want a wild ride then take a look into the mad world of James Curcio's books.
Review has been done in conjunction with Nerd Girl Official.
For more information regarding our reviews please visit our Fansite: www.facebook.com/NerdGirl.ng
November 18, 2015
This is a reboot of the original novel, Fallen Nation: Babylon Burning. Extensively revised and reimagined, this book offers tighter writing, absurdity and the inevitability of change in one small dystopian package.
May 4, 2025
Delicious, I got a hold of it in 2007, while still an innocent dragon red, gee, just like in real life, Horus helmets, Horus the Elder, moths, redhair chicks, the kill and scheiss that ensued. Even when you're a demi-god life ain't easy, just like in this lovely story.
As a salute before dropping dead Fallen Nation: Since Las Vegas and Project Babalon - A Milky Hathor's Cow - 23.777 In; 23.777 Out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDx2B...
As a salute before dropping dead Fallen Nation: Since Las Vegas and Project Babalon - A Milky Hathor's Cow - 23.777 In; 23.777 Out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDx2B...
December 10, 2012
In these days of e-books, it makes a refreshing change - for me, at least - to find a book that really benefits from the medium of print. This isn't a collection of short stories. It's not a nice sequential comic book. It's a lovingly produced piece of art using the medium of the book, designed to make use of lush double page spreads and simultaneously assault and seduce the reader (viewer?) with the combination of words and images.
The range of styles is what makes Words of Traitors so intriguing: there's line art, photography, collage, drawing, and painting. Even the typefaces vary through the book, carefully chosen to carry more meaning than you'd get with just a standard font.
And the stories? Let's just say they pull no punches. If you've read any of Curcio's work before, you'll know what to expect; triumph through degradation and misfortune, brutal honesty, and a flagrant disregard for social taboos and norms. If you like authors such as D.R. Haney, Kerouac, and HST, then you'll find Curcio's uncompromising style speaks to you. Personally, I find that when extended to novel length, it loses impact, but in the shorter format, it's powerful and poignant. In combination with the rich, multi-layered artwork and typography, Curcio's prose works perfectly. I don't like all the stories on first reading, but I suspect this is a book I'll revisit occasionally, and find that each one is waiting for the right time to speak to me.
The range of styles is what makes Words of Traitors so intriguing: there's line art, photography, collage, drawing, and painting. Even the typefaces vary through the book, carefully chosen to carry more meaning than you'd get with just a standard font.
And the stories? Let's just say they pull no punches. If you've read any of Curcio's work before, you'll know what to expect; triumph through degradation and misfortune, brutal honesty, and a flagrant disregard for social taboos and norms. If you like authors such as D.R. Haney, Kerouac, and HST, then you'll find Curcio's uncompromising style speaks to you. Personally, I find that when extended to novel length, it loses impact, but in the shorter format, it's powerful and poignant. In combination with the rich, multi-layered artwork and typography, Curcio's prose works perfectly. I don't like all the stories on first reading, but I suspect this is a book I'll revisit occasionally, and find that each one is waiting for the right time to speak to me.
August 9, 2016
I have to admit, I was lost throughout most of this book, probably because I had to keep putting it down to do other stuff. Time jumps around, characters get mixed up, schemes are laid out with the fuzziest of details, etc. This book is heavy on texture and is extremely surreal, so if you need your hand held as you march through a story, you will probably not dig this one.
I actually loved the texture. It reminded me a lot of alt comics. And the story...did you read House of Leaves? If so, you know those side stories written in the footnotes, the ones where characters have encounters with mysterious "others" that may or may not be completely human and may or may not be evil? This book feels like it could be the "others'" story, or something similar to it. There's a definite MZD vibe here. Some awesome sexy/creepy stuff goes down, and in the end it all adds up to a lot of coolness that may require some effort to work through but (IMO) pays off. I can't say I completely understand the underlying message here (a statement about religion, I'm guessing) but that's okay. I enjoyed the ride, and that's what counts.
I received this book as a Goodreads Giveaway in exchange for an honest review. I honestly think Mr. Curcio has an amazing imagination and I'm supremely jealous of his talent.
I actually loved the texture. It reminded me a lot of alt comics. And the story...did you read House of Leaves? If so, you know those side stories written in the footnotes, the ones where characters have encounters with mysterious "others" that may or may not be completely human and may or may not be evil? This book feels like it could be the "others'" story, or something similar to it. There's a definite MZD vibe here. Some awesome sexy/creepy stuff goes down, and in the end it all adds up to a lot of coolness that may require some effort to work through but (IMO) pays off. I can't say I completely understand the underlying message here (a statement about religion, I'm guessing) but that's okay. I enjoyed the ride, and that's what counts.
I received this book as a Goodreads Giveaway in exchange for an honest review. I honestly think Mr. Curcio has an amazing imagination and I'm supremely jealous of his talent.
August 28, 2011
Wow is my one word for this stunning novel. I give it four stars mainly because it's a little rough, typos and just a few rough edges to make it not perfect, but what book is really perfect, right?
Let's get to the good stuff. James Curcio is an outstanding author. This book is a modern-day crusade against, well you fill in the blank. Comparable to masterpieces dealing with matters of the mind as Pink Floyd's The Wall, Curcio's book hops heads effortlessly, taking the reader into deeper waters, weaving in mythological lore applied to today's society. The plot itself is fairly straight forward, mixed in with a dose of insanity, (but is it really?) a diverse cast of characters, and lots of toe-curling sexy scenes. Add in a big-bang of an ending in this quick read and you have what amounts to a fine piece of independent literature.
But don't take my word for it...check it out yourself.
Let's get to the good stuff. James Curcio is an outstanding author. This book is a modern-day crusade against, well you fill in the blank. Comparable to masterpieces dealing with matters of the mind as Pink Floyd's The Wall, Curcio's book hops heads effortlessly, taking the reader into deeper waters, weaving in mythological lore applied to today's society. The plot itself is fairly straight forward, mixed in with a dose of insanity, (but is it really?) a diverse cast of characters, and lots of toe-curling sexy scenes. Add in a big-bang of an ending in this quick read and you have what amounts to a fine piece of independent literature.
But don't take my word for it...check it out yourself.
October 27, 2008
The writing style reminds me a bit of a gorier version of Neil Gaiman...with guns and transvestites.
Overall I liked the theme and story line. You can tell James was a philosophy major. (Name dropper!)
My only complaint is that some of the over top hedonism was a bit eye roll worthy.
Overall I liked the theme and story line. You can tell James was a philosophy major. (Name dropper!)
My only complaint is that some of the over top hedonism was a bit eye roll worthy.
July 25, 2019
What if Spring Breakers was a trying to teach the last secret of the Illuminati by way of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas? That's more or less the game here.
The overarching plot is about some escaped mental patients who meet up with a hot chick and decide to start a band to overthrow the government and probably god also.
Well worth the time.
The overarching plot is about some escaped mental patients who meet up with a hot chick and decide to start a band to overthrow the government and probably god also.
Well worth the time.
May 29, 2020
Burroughs and fear and strangeness.
November 25, 2020
Can't recommend it. Some interesting ideas, mostly from Jung, but it was pretty pedestrian for a novel that's about hard partying rock star demigods starting a revolution. I was hoped for more.
July 9, 2014
Really evocative. Seemed a little rough and hard to follow, but very enjoyable read.
Dystopian literature usually falls short for me, because the authors often don't do a good enough job making a world believable without falling back on reality. This book doesn't use reality. James Curcio deftly weaves a world different from the current one and has his characters desperately claw through it.
Drugs, sex, it's all there.
I haven't read any of this author before. He's good, very good. I'll recommend my library pick this one up.
For some reason it reminded me of "The Name of the Wind", except I liked this better.
Dystopian literature usually falls short for me, because the authors often don't do a good enough job making a world believable without falling back on reality. This book doesn't use reality. James Curcio deftly weaves a world different from the current one and has his characters desperately claw through it.
Drugs, sex, it's all there.
I haven't read any of this author before. He's good, very good. I'll recommend my library pick this one up.
For some reason it reminded me of "The Name of the Wind", except I liked this better.
September 11, 2013
Dark, emotional, and gutwrenching, Words of Traitors will suck you in and spit you back out, a little sadder but also a little wiser. The artwork and stories fuse together to paint a vivid landscape of heartbreak, where hope is hard to come by... but you keep reading because there is still beauty and humor in the midst of the pain.
I had the privilege of editing these stories, and it is wonderful to see this book in print!
I had the privilege of editing these stories, and it is wonderful to see this book in print!
June 3, 2016
I won this on GoodReads.
I found “Party at the World’s End” very descriptive with unusual and distinct characters, but it took several chapters to realize that it wasn’t short stories. I got the feeling that James Curcio was going for something metaphysical or paradigm shifting. It reads like someone trying to describe their dreams of after taking multiple strong hallucinogens. Given these facts, I’m sure it will develop a cult following.
I found “Party at the World’s End” very descriptive with unusual and distinct characters, but it took several chapters to realize that it wasn’t short stories. I got the feeling that James Curcio was going for something metaphysical or paradigm shifting. It reads like someone trying to describe their dreams of after taking multiple strong hallucinogens. Given these facts, I’m sure it will develop a cult following.
Want to read
June 24, 2016Received free copy in a Goodreads Giveaway, reading soon.
(Beautiful cover artwork, it looks great in person. I can't wait to see what's inside!)
(Beautiful cover artwork, it looks great in person. I can't wait to see what's inside!)
April 7, 2017
Party at the World’s End is a lot of fun. It is beautifully chaotic, with events told out of order from the points of view of several different characters; sometimes in third person and sometimes first. Sometimes in recollections, in philosophical musings, in diary entries, and sometimes in dreams or hallucinations. Now I'm sure that sounds hard to follow, but it actually works so well with the subject matter and at no point did I find myself confused. After attempting to read Ulysses this was a breeze.
The theme is sex, drugs, rock and roll, with the added twist that all of the main characters are insane by most people’s reckoning; in fact the story opens with two of them escaping from a mental institution. But there is a constant question; are they really insane or are they actually enlightened through their detachment from what is ordinary? Are they just using too many drugs or are they remembering their past reincarnations as mythological beings?
Jesus is a purple haired trans woman with a love for guns and tequila. Lilith is a sex-obsessed beauty who always gets her own way even it means leaving a trail of destruction behind her. Loki is jaded but ‘serious about mischief’. And my favourite, Dionysus, is in a constant battle with his own mind. They are part of a movement (sometimes) called Mother Hive Brain which aims to defeat what they see as the Leviathan; the oppressive undercurrent of organised society. They spread their message through music and myth, immanentizing an apocalypse of sorts.
“The myth of the American dream. The great American novel. Even the word American now evokes a shudder. We all know something our parents didn’t in the 60s: we’ve been had. All the myths we’d been sold, painted atop crushing brutality. Freedom a mask for its opposite. Maybe each generation has to awake to the lies of the previous, I don’t know. Either way, once you see it, you can’t unsee it. Now, it’s like a snowball rolling down a hill, gathering momentum and power. Even gentle footfalls can start an avalanche, given the proper conditions. Once it gains enough velocity, anything in its path will be crushed. Crushed by the weight of a myth. An idea.” “What are you rambling about?” Loki asked over the intercom, somehow able to make out his spitfire monologue over the rumble of the engine. “Reality isn’t up for grabs. It’s real.”
I found the writing fantastically descriptive in the most inventive ways. In one sense it is unhinged, but in another it is liberated from how a book ‘should’ be written and that is a very admirable thing to me. There are references to occult orders that really exist but are never named or given much explanation, and there is more than a touch of Discordianism. Those familiar with such ‘organisations’ I think will get more out of the plot - and probably the reflective Epilogue - than those who are not, but such knowledge certainly isn't a prerequisite.
One of the things this book really made me think about is the idea of the true self (as opposed to, say, the ego) alluded to in some religions and psychology models. Is that really such an attractive reality?
‘In one hand, the deal with the devil: you are rewarded for being false, fake. Nothing more than the mask given to you. The world is a Game that merely demands you hold true to nothing but the rules of that Game. Have no fixed self, and you are capable of anything. In the other, the path of the Fallen. You will be persecuted by society. You will be punished, perhaps even killed, for holding fast to what you are. And you can become immortal, sustained by the force of their dreams.’
‘You spend your whole life locked in struggle against yourself, and some asshole blows by with a head full of coke and breaks every bone in your body. Who is to say that he isn’t living more in the moment than you? And who is going to be there in your own private Armageddon to tally up the score?’
I was also prompted to contemplate the nature of reincarnation and what it would mean to break the cycle. (Perhaps my tendency to turn everything into deep interconnected theories is the reason I identified with Dionysus so much!)
I have always hoped that someone would write something so entertaining and mind-bending as Robert Anton Wilson’s Illuminatus! and Schrödinger's Cat trilogies, and this is it. I was also pleased to see a nod to him in the use of the phrase ‘reality is what we can get away with’. I laughed a lot, I marvelled at the writing style, and I took away some new philosophical questions to chew over. I think the only thing stopping me giving this a 10 is that it doesn't feel as though it will have such a deep and lasting impact as some of the other books I have read lately, but I have no more specific criticism than that. It is a wild and wonderful read.
For the original review and more, please visit my blog
The theme is sex, drugs, rock and roll, with the added twist that all of the main characters are insane by most people’s reckoning; in fact the story opens with two of them escaping from a mental institution. But there is a constant question; are they really insane or are they actually enlightened through their detachment from what is ordinary? Are they just using too many drugs or are they remembering their past reincarnations as mythological beings?
Jesus is a purple haired trans woman with a love for guns and tequila. Lilith is a sex-obsessed beauty who always gets her own way even it means leaving a trail of destruction behind her. Loki is jaded but ‘serious about mischief’. And my favourite, Dionysus, is in a constant battle with his own mind. They are part of a movement (sometimes) called Mother Hive Brain which aims to defeat what they see as the Leviathan; the oppressive undercurrent of organised society. They spread their message through music and myth, immanentizing an apocalypse of sorts.
“The myth of the American dream. The great American novel. Even the word American now evokes a shudder. We all know something our parents didn’t in the 60s: we’ve been had. All the myths we’d been sold, painted atop crushing brutality. Freedom a mask for its opposite. Maybe each generation has to awake to the lies of the previous, I don’t know. Either way, once you see it, you can’t unsee it. Now, it’s like a snowball rolling down a hill, gathering momentum and power. Even gentle footfalls can start an avalanche, given the proper conditions. Once it gains enough velocity, anything in its path will be crushed. Crushed by the weight of a myth. An idea.” “What are you rambling about?” Loki asked over the intercom, somehow able to make out his spitfire monologue over the rumble of the engine. “Reality isn’t up for grabs. It’s real.”
I found the writing fantastically descriptive in the most inventive ways. In one sense it is unhinged, but in another it is liberated from how a book ‘should’ be written and that is a very admirable thing to me. There are references to occult orders that really exist but are never named or given much explanation, and there is more than a touch of Discordianism. Those familiar with such ‘organisations’ I think will get more out of the plot - and probably the reflective Epilogue - than those who are not, but such knowledge certainly isn't a prerequisite.
One of the things this book really made me think about is the idea of the true self (as opposed to, say, the ego) alluded to in some religions and psychology models. Is that really such an attractive reality?
‘In one hand, the deal with the devil: you are rewarded for being false, fake. Nothing more than the mask given to you. The world is a Game that merely demands you hold true to nothing but the rules of that Game. Have no fixed self, and you are capable of anything. In the other, the path of the Fallen. You will be persecuted by society. You will be punished, perhaps even killed, for holding fast to what you are. And you can become immortal, sustained by the force of their dreams.’
‘You spend your whole life locked in struggle against yourself, and some asshole blows by with a head full of coke and breaks every bone in your body. Who is to say that he isn’t living more in the moment than you? And who is going to be there in your own private Armageddon to tally up the score?’
I was also prompted to contemplate the nature of reincarnation and what it would mean to break the cycle. (Perhaps my tendency to turn everything into deep interconnected theories is the reason I identified with Dionysus so much!)
I have always hoped that someone would write something so entertaining and mind-bending as Robert Anton Wilson’s Illuminatus! and Schrödinger's Cat trilogies, and this is it. I was also pleased to see a nod to him in the use of the phrase ‘reality is what we can get away with’. I laughed a lot, I marvelled at the writing style, and I took away some new philosophical questions to chew over. I think the only thing stopping me giving this a 10 is that it doesn't feel as though it will have such a deep and lasting impact as some of the other books I have read lately, but I have no more specific criticism than that. It is a wild and wonderful read.
For the original review and more, please visit my blog
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