SoMa

by Kemble Scott

Welcome To The Neighborhood To outsiders, San Francisco is all one big city. But to those in the know, there is SoMa, South of Market, where sleek eateries are squeezed between bail bonds storefronts and high-priced lofts look out over still rough edges. It's home to a generation of hipsters disillusioned by the dotcom bust, restless and searching for the next thrill, the next high, the next step too far. Sex, drugs, kink-you can find it anywhere in SoMa, if you know where to look. But first, you'll need your tour guides. There's Raphe, a writer torn between two worlds, belonging to neither. Lauren, the poor little rich girl living on the edge and pushing farther out. Mark, beautiful and cruel, who lives for games, the more extreme, the better. Baptiste, hot, smooth, and maybe as real as it gets. And Julie, both an object of desire and a pretty pawn to be played. In a glittering, surreal subculture of private sex clubs and kept boys, identity theft and betrayal, nihilism, redemption, and sometimes love, they're spinning out of control and into each other's orbits, desperately looking for something real-something that will show them who they really are. In this provocative, intense novel, Kemble Scott puts a new neighborhood on the literary map for good, in a tale that is disturbing, gritty, wholly original, and utterly unforgettable. Praise for SoMa and Kemble "Scott provides us with an insider's look at a little known and gritty underground world . . . Shockingly, his raw and gritty account of this dark world is all true, which makes for an even more fun ride" -Andy Behrman, bestselling author of A Memoir of Mania "I read the first page of SoMa and never put it down until I read the last page . . . I know people who are less real than these characters" -Joe Quirk, bestselling author of The Ultimate Rush "SoMa tells . . . what's really happening in San Francisco's South of Market neighborhood .

Genres: Fiction, LGBT

318 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Kemble Scott is the pen name for fiction of Scott James, an Emmy Award winning journalist whose columns appear in The Bay Citizen and The New York Times. As Kemble, he is the author of two bestselling novels: THE SOWER and SOMA, finalist for then national Lambda Literary Award for debut fiction.

Reviews

[Bobby · Rating 1 out of 5]

Nothing (and I mean NO THING) in this book rings true. I read three quarters of it and then accidentally left it in a shoe store while trying on some slip-ons. I realized half way up the escalator that I had left the book behind. Instead of going back to get it, I counted it a blessing.

[M · Rating 1 out of 5]

So, this book is all about dealing with crazy, taboo topics in the stupidest possible way. So, yes, there's kinky gay sex and weird addictions and wacky piercings. Woohoo. It's as if Scott thought that the more unmentionable the subject matter was, the less likely people would be to notice the super shitty writing and the horrible, terrible, burn-them-with-fire awful characters. Dennis Cooper this guy is not.

[Shayna · Rating 2 out of 5]

The upside: this author is nothing if not tuned in to sexuality. Its a gimmick, but it works well. I kept reading even after getting totally fed up with undeveloped characters and completely irrelevant subplots.

[Geri Spieler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kemble Scott (Scott James) is becoming a very important writer in the Bay Area.

Scott is one of those writers who contributes and supports the writing community with a weekly literary calendar (SoMa Literary Review Weekly Newsletter) as well as being an excellent writer putting out great books.

His first book, SoMa, has some sensibilities of Armistead Maupion's "Tales of the City," only because they both use San Francisco as the backdrop or character of the story.

Unlike "Tales," SoMa confines itself to the South of Market community as it was more than how it is.

Scott's gritty, open and oozing descriptions are real. If you have been lived in the fringe world of BDSM (if you don't know, it won't matter), kink or the Trans world, this book will be a good education for you. You will not lose interest.

[Alika · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a good read! Not only do you get to (re)discover the underbelly of San Francisco night-life, but you are introduced to some surprisingly interesting characters and dramatic tension is raised throughout the book. A must for anyone who's ever been curious about what really goes on in the SF sex scenes (both gay and straight) or thinks they "know it all." But what's really great about this book is not just the juicy details and hip lingo but the underlying issue of why these social scenes exist in the first place. What does intimacy really mean and what are we willing to do to find it?

[Joshuacitrak · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is a must read for any san franciscan, either in geography or in spirit. scott explores the sometimes bitter, perverse and self-destructive lives of folks living in the South of Market area in the wake of the dot-bust and takes the reader into places and scenarios he/she may have never even imagined existed, even in "Sodom and Gomorrah". come for the sex, stay for the seductive writing in SoMa where San Francisco isn't just the setting, it's a main character.

[Ray · Rating 1 out of 5]

One of the worst I have read in a while. I mean wow.

The story of a middle-class, white boy who plays out his sexual confusion in a gentrifying SF neighborhood in the aftermath of the dot.com boom is not for me.

To boot, this book while published in 2007, seems super dated. Sex clubs, virtual reality and craigslist. Oh yeah. Shocking.

Despite that, I would have liked this more if all of the characters were somewhat fleshed out as opposed to being cardboard cutouts.

[Sandy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ugh, I thought this would be some amusing light reading for a recent vacation, but it was just poorly written soft-core porn peppered with references to the city I know and love. I read about five chapters and got so disgusted I left it on the plane.

[Shana · Rating 5 out of 5]

SoMa pulls the proverbial covers off the San Francisco underground and lets you see it all. The book is so real, you feel like you've done and seen things you may not ever have wanted see or do (or maybe you have) all along the way. A wild ride for sure.

[Prlinde · Rating 5 out of 5]

This gives a supremely accurate view of one aspect of the underbelly of San Francisco's South-of-Market scene. The book is well-crafted with a riveting plot line and arresting character development. I absolutely recommend it!

[Andrew Dugas · Rating 5 out of 5]

A look at San Francisco and its edgier denizens in the wake of the dotcom collapse. Scott balances the narration among a rotating cast of locals and transplants and wannabes, but the real star is the South of Market district (aka SoMa) in San Francisco.

[Keita Ito · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second favorite book I've ever read. Taking place in San Francisco, CA it's so true to life and a great reflection of what's going on in the straight and gay communities and how they can collide. I never get tired of reading this one.

[Melodie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Afraid to tell you what I learned, but this is quite a book!

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic book! Highly recommended.

[Suni Petersen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A culture about which I knew very little but more importantly the emptiness of those who were given great privilege early in life and then have it taken away abruptly.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

nice ending. i like the characters. plus all the places/adventures are real ;)

[Jon Mclachlan · Rating 5 out of 5]

yep, this is where i live

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is entertaining and graphic genre fiction. Set in the Soma, or the south of Market neighborhood of San Francisco in 2005 or so. The main character goes from straight to gay to bisexual as he learns about himself and the various people hooking up in this "anything goes" place. The author claims that the stories of the characters were embellishments based on real life events. There are many raunchy scenes, but it is not as bad as "130 Days of Sodom" which was too much for me. Times have changed since the period setting giving the story a slightly historical effect. The ending is a neat wrap up which is gratifying in a pulp fiction sort of way.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

While talking about different SF neighborhoods, a woman at work recommended this book - about San Francisco's South of Market (SoMa) district. In the late 90s, SoMa became a haven for dot-com start-ups, and I expected a story about a washed-up computer programmer trying to make his rent in the inflated market following the dot-com bust. Well, that was the basic story here, but really this book revolves around Raphe a maybe-bisexual who investigates the seedy underground of San Francisco's anything-goes sex world. Raphe, along with a couple other main characters, lives out every urban sexual myth going in the city - from Craig's List room-for-rent hook-ups to wealthy women hiring boy toys, and everything in-between. This book is one ridiculously shocking encounter after another. This is the young male reader's equivalent of "Chick Lit," more appropriately designated "Dick Lit" - literarily speaking, there isn't much redeeming here, but there are a couple well played scenarios - and working in SF, there were some definitely familiar stories and situations. Fun for the voyeur in everyone, but not for anyone with a sense of morality or the faint of heart/stomach.

[Dusty · Rating 1 out of 5]

Even kinky sex scenes cannot salvage an irresponsible and terrible novel. Don't believe me? Then read Soma -- the kinky sex comes in spades. Unfortunately, so do the impossible-to-like characters, the melodramatic romantic encounters between those characters, and, most unforgivable, the constant reinforcement of the stereotype of gay men as fashionista disease-spreading sexual predators. I don't know who "Kemble Scott" is -- the name is a pseudonym -- but his book single-handedly takes the Gay Rights Movement back ten years with its inaccurate and unjust generalizations. I found nothing to admire in this book.

[BooksInc Inc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kemble Scott visited Books Inc. for a reading/signing on February 26th, 2007! His book was the Books Inc./SF LGBT Center Book Group selection for April, 2007.

Kemble Scott, in his debut novel, SoMa, shows his literary mettle and San Franciscan credentials. Set in the post dot.com malaise, SoMa is the story of individuals questioning who they are and where they fit amongst the multitude of subcultural niches offered in the uniquely open environment provided by San Francisco. Deliciously naughty and unflinching, SOMA makes for excellent light, if stimulating, reading.

[Sean]

Fun to name check all the local haunts in the SOMA neighborhood in San Francisco. But call me jaded/been-there, but after 7+ years of weekly frequenting this locale, there was indeed nothing 'shocking' in his peek at the underbelly. That said, I tossed this after about 40 pages, so ultimately what do I know of where it went. Sadly had the whiff of 'first novel' though. Thus was just plodding, tedious and a tad amateurish. And for such racy subject matter, that's saying something, I guess.

[Dave · Rating 1 out of 5]

You know that guy in the cafe who's there, like a barnacle, every day, with his Mac, writing a book or screenplay? The hipster with an encyclopedic knowledge of the city's various scenes?

This is what he wrote.

"His" character works in a copy shop and is ambi-sexual (bi-curious or whatever). Dot-commers? They're silly. Sado-maso people? They're fun. Gay hipsters? Oooh - some of them are mean.

[Darshan Elena · Rating 2 out of 5]

i learned tons about san francisco's underground bdsm culture. for example: i am excited to take the bart; i will be sure to sit in the last car of the train with my eyes open and roaming across the windows. i read this book in just a couple of hours time. feeling like a sixth grader, i skipped over some of the narrative to the sexy spots. some weren't so sexy. still, it is a worthwhile read if you love local novels and sex in all its forms and guises.

[Ben Snowden · Rating 1 out of 5]

The title of this book should be "Tiring Sex Descriptions Featuring Annoying, Useless Characters." Kemble Scott's heavy-handedness is exhausting, not shocking. His characters are flat and directionless. Their "conflicts" aren't interesting, and their decisions and actions don't make much (if any) sense.

I put this book down at page 170, because nothing of substance had happened up to that point. I assume that nothing of substance happens after page 170.

[Ernest Langston · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a wild and provocative read, giving its reader a peek at one of San Francisco subcultures. However, this book is not for the faint-hearted. I enjoyed it, because it was a different, unusal read.

[Pete Bratach · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting journey Into the dark underbelly of San Francisco's SoMa district, circa 2002, after the dotcom crash. Good cast of characters, experimenting and encountering each other in various permutations.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like it. The story is fresh and catchy but I consider the content NC-17.

[lianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

gay. very gay. and erotic. if i wasn't on the train i might have masturbated while reading this.

[Kirk · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely not your average read. It is fun for some as it is more of an exploration of the 'underbelly' of SOMA. For the sexually conservative reader wanting more exposure to fetish and extreme.