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Not Safe for Work
"Estrin captures the vagaries and vices of the San Fernando Valley porn industry in its late-aughts/early teens death throes, delivering a slacker noir you could tuck neatly between Fletch and The Big Lebowski, with a dash of Boogie Nights, of course. Highly recommended for fans of Tim Dorsey, Gregory Mcdonald, or Terry Southern."— Robert J. Peterson, author of The Odds and The Remnants
"With a reporter’s attention to detail, an uncanny ear for dialogue, and a hilarious dry wit reminiscent of Douglas Adams, Estrin takes us on an unforgettable tour of the porn industry, where a cavalcade of quirky and desperate people validated my decision to become a comedy writer, rather than a pornographer."— Joshua Sternin (The Simpsons, That 70s Show)
Heywood Jablowme (not his real name) is the newest reporter for The Daily Pornographer, the industry’s second-best trade publication. Pumping out puff pieces on porn’s premier players wasn’t Heywood’s original plan. He wanted to be a serious journalist, the kind who frowns on cheap alliteration.
When producer-performer Johnny Toxic is murdered, Heywood sees his chance to break a big story and get his career back on track. Now, all he has to do is get a shady homicide detective to go on the record, keep his editor off his back by meeting his story quota, and figure out why the porn industry is suddenly losing money hand over first.
In other words, Heywood’s odds of success are as long as a porn star’s dong. Thankfully, he has the unwavering support of his roommate, Miles, a porn-obsessed stoner and wannabe media mogul who guarantees he can sell the film rights before Heywood is either fired for competence, or done in by the killer.
"With a reporter’s attention to detail, an uncanny ear for dialogue, and a hilarious dry wit reminiscent of Douglas Adams, Estrin takes us on an unforgettable tour of the porn industry, where a cavalcade of quirky and desperate people validated my decision to become a comedy writer, rather than a pornographer."— Joshua Sternin (The Simpsons, That 70s Show)
Heywood Jablowme (not his real name) is the newest reporter for The Daily Pornographer, the industry’s second-best trade publication. Pumping out puff pieces on porn’s premier players wasn’t Heywood’s original plan. He wanted to be a serious journalist, the kind who frowns on cheap alliteration.
When producer-performer Johnny Toxic is murdered, Heywood sees his chance to break a big story and get his career back on track. Now, all he has to do is get a shady homicide detective to go on the record, keep his editor off his back by meeting his story quota, and figure out why the porn industry is suddenly losing money hand over first.
In other words, Heywood’s odds of success are as long as a porn star’s dong. Thankfully, he has the unwavering support of his roommate, Miles, a porn-obsessed stoner and wannabe media mogul who guarantees he can sell the film rights before Heywood is either fired for competence, or done in by the killer.
239 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 12, 2021
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About the author
Michael Estrin
11 books27 followersMy first novel, Murder and Other Distractions (2012), tells the story of a bored clickbait writer who becomes entangled in a bizarro double-homicide. My short stories have appeared at Akashic.com and Out of the Gutter. My creative nonfiction has appeared in Narratively, Vox, and Tablet. Like the ashes of a Viking warrior dispatched to Valhalla, my journalism is scattered all over the Web.
I live in Los Angeles with my wife, Christina, and our dog, Mortimer. Pro tip: never name your pet after a villain from an ‘80s Eddie Murphy comedy. You've been warned.
I live in Los Angeles with my wife, Christina, and our dog, Mortimer. Pro tip: never name your pet after a villain from an ‘80s Eddie Murphy comedy. You've been warned.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
September 17, 2023
Humorous, interesting, informative
I had no idea that the poem industry had trade publications before I read this book, though now it seems obvious. I feel like I learned a lot, funny enough. I was invested in the mystery, which ended up going a lot deeper and more tangled than just murder. The characters were well-developed and I liked the humor.
I had no idea that the poem industry had trade publications before I read this book, though now it seems obvious. I feel like I learned a lot, funny enough. I was invested in the mystery, which ended up going a lot deeper and more tangled than just murder. The characters were well-developed and I liked the humor.
Displaying 1 of 1 review