Next month, Black Scat will publish Doug Skinner‘s much anticipated collection of short stories, SLEEPYTIME CEMETERY. This event will certainly have Skinner’s growing cult following dancing on the grave of 21st century Literature. So, too, should fans of absurdist fiction and dark humor prepare to rejoice.
For those who have yet to encounter Mr. Skinner’s peculiar creations, we offer here a FREE story from the book.
These hot new releases are ideal summer reading. Alain Arias-Misson‘s experimental novel COMIC BOOK subverts the comic book formula and turns it inside-out. Indeed, the sex & violence spins off the page and into your head—right where it belongs. Talk about fun!
THE DOUG SKINNER DOSSIER is a biblical picnic—complete with ants in your pants. This lavish (imitation leather) compendium is loaded with black humor, absurdism, and sheer nonsense—a delightful divertissement for the beach or hammock.
Come on, dive in and READ DIFFERENT!
On July 4, 2012, we published Alphonse Allais’s MASKS in a limited edition of 50 copies—the first title in our Absurdist Texts & Documents series. The chapbook quickly sold out and, today, is a coveted collector’s item. Since we’ve received many requests to reprint the book, we’re pleased to announce a revised and expanded edition. Translated from the French, adapted and illustrated by Norman Conquest, this new volume also features a most Allaisian introduction & notes on the text by the great Doug Skinner. Originally published in France under the title Un drame bien parisien (1890), this darkly humorous tale is quintessential Allais—a pataphysical text admired by the Surrealists (André Breton included it in his seminal Anthologie de l’humour noir). It was also celebrated by the French group Oulipo, and has been the subject of scholarly studies by the writer and semiotician Umberto Eco, Francis Corblin, and others. 
This is the first illustrated edition of this mini masterpiece. If you missed out on our first edition, now’s you chance to own a copy. MASKS Alphonse Allais Translation & illustrations by Norman Conquest With an introduction & notes on the text by Doug Skinner Absurdist Texts & Documents No. 1 Revised & Expanded Second Edition 50 pp., perfect-bound; illustrated; Special limited launch price: $12.00 (*$14 after June 4th)
There is a lot of excitement buzzing around our editorial bunker here in northern California. We are adding quite a few titles to our growing list of sublime art & literature, with books by Alphonse Allais, Alain Arias-Misson, Mark Axelrod, Pierre-Corneille de Blessebois, Catherine D’Avis, Farewell Debut, Edith Doove, Eckhard Gerdes, Richard Kostelanetz, Terri Lloyd, Doug Rice, and Carla M. Wilson, among others. As always, expect some surprises, including (we hope) a book once listed as forthcoming by the great Gaberbocchus Press in London that, alas, never appeared. For now, that’s all we’re at liberty to divulge.
For those who missed out on collecting all 31 titles in the Absurdist Texts & Documents series, we suggest getting in on the ground floor of our New Urge imprint—devoted to contemporary erotic fiction by writers from Europe and North America. The first volume, White Fire & Other Tales by Cody Kmoch has just been released, with four more scheduled to appear in 2015. These sensual trade paper editions are numbered sequentially, handsomely designed, and custom-sized (5 x 7.7 inches) for your comfort and edification.
We should also mention that our magazine Black Scat Review has been redesigned, and will sport a new look when its eleventh issue appears in the spring.
Here are a few goodies waiting in the wings.
THE SQUADRON’S UMBRELLA
by Alphonse Allais
Translated from the French by Doug Skinner
FIRST PUBLICATION IN ENGLISH
A collection of 39 pieces by the great French absurdist. This is quintessential Allais, featuring some of his funniest texts—never before translated.
In regards to the significance of the title, Allais states in his preface the following:
“I have entitled this book The Squadron’s Umbrella for two reasons, which I ask the reader’s indulgence to tick off before him.
That pretty much says it all.
UPDATE 1/30 —ON SALE NOW
ANGEL OF EVERYTHING
by Catherine D’Avis
Translated from the French by Kenneth D. Fletcher
FIRST PUBLICATION IN ENGLISH
Bored with her life in a quiet, French coastal town and desperate for excitement, Emma sends out a prayer to the Angel of Happenings. When she meets an enigmatic Parisian photographer, her wish appears to have come true, until she finds herself drawn into an intimate world of erotic temptations, obsession and danger.
The controversial novel L’ange de toutes choses originally appeared in Paris in 2012. Published under the pseudonymous initials “C.A.,” the work received favorable reviews, as well as the condemnation reserved for works in this arena. Ms. D’Avis’s writing has been compared to the novelist Marguerite Duras.
“The Zombie of Great-Peru marks an extremely important literary occasion.” —Apollinaire
THE ZOMBIE OF GREAT-PERU
by Pierre-Corneille de Blessebois
Preface by Guillaume Apollinaire
Translated from the French by Doug Skinner
FIRST PUBLICATION IN ENGLISH
Black Scat Books will proudly resurrect this rollicking novel featuring the first mention of zombies in world literature! Originally published in 1697, it offers “a biting satire of colonial society as licentious, credulous, and possessed by its own belief in zombis.”*
In the words of translator Doug Skinner, this libertine tale is “Great fun. Filled with sex, slapstick, deceit, and fake zombies.”
Who could ask for anything more?
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*Doris Garraway, The Libertine Colony
MINCE
by Edith Doove
A collection of poems & observations by a gifted young British writer. These works were originally written in Dutch and composed over a ten year period.
Ms. Doove has a sharp eye and her words whisper fresh visions.
PUBLICATION; January 31, 2015
OUT OF PRINT
We’re thrilled to announce the publication of WHITE FIRE & OTHER TALES by Cody Kmoch. This is the first book in our New Urge Editions imprint—devoted to quality erotic fiction by writers from Europe and North America.
This collection features eleven erotic tales by Ms. Kmoch a young writer based in the UK. Her sensual—often startling—sapphic stories reveal an innovative imagination – a quirky, dark sensibility that transports the reader to worlds of white fire, where fantasies, love, and sex unite. She stirs suspense and desire with a voice that is fresh and compelling.
$12.95
Trade paperback, 182 pp.
In 2013, Cody began posting stories on her blog and quickly developed a dedicated following.
A small sampling of comments from readers:
“… flawless…I can’t seem to find any reasonable words with which to describe it. The way you use language is just… gah. Keep doing what you do, please.” – anonymous (on The Luculla Hive)
“Pleasantly surprised, the talent of the author blew me away. She had the ability to capture me and hold me. Very refreshing, I’m totally addicted.” – Reese Michelle
“…this is excellent, this is brilliant. It is very erotic, it is very funny. it is a brilliant use of written form–it may very well be perfect. I’ve ran across a couple of stories vaguely in this vain (both a long time ago) but not at all so clearly conceived or proficiently and cleanly executed. Has anyone ever done this before ? It seems like it would have had to have been, but I really have never heard of this really like this. I feel like a ‘Classic.’ story is one which after you first read it you can’t quite imagine the world without this story having been written–That’s how I feel about this one. The idea of the seduction of the imagination has never been so perfectly expressed and the humor and eroticism are so organic to the story. Is there anything as seductive as the written word when written so well.” – Leslie Petra
“I think of your stories as blossoming flowers…” – anonymous (unfortunately!)
“You, you are amazing, this story is exalting, an wonderful! All of your writing fills me with happiness, I don’t even remember how I found it, but I am so glad that I did.” – Olla Prayer
“Blown away. Really good. Innovative, yet fun and highly charged” – anonymous
***
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Cody Kmoch is a curious product of Czech and Canadian blood, British grammar school bullying, chronic sexual frustration, and the internet. She has been drawing and writing about female beauty and ecstasy since she was a teenager, but almost all of it has been wasted: years of work quietly shredded, binned, or deleted. But in April 2013 something changed, and since then her fantasies have been spilling out on her blog to a small but dedicated following. When she’s not writing, she’s working in an office, playing her guitar, running, or napping.
***
Jason E. Rolfe
We invite you to read an incisive, albeit inconvenient, interview with Jason E. Rolfe, author of An Inconvenient Corpse — a collection of short stories published recently in our Absurdist Texts & Documents series. The interview was conducted by one Paulo Brito and is published in Porta VIII, which appears to be based (inconveniently enough) somewhere in Portugal. To read the interview, simply click this LINK.
Once you’ve done so you’ll undoubtedly wish to purchase a copy of Mr. Rolfe’s book. To do so, just CLICK HERE.
Now wasn’t that convenient.
To order, click on a title in the list below.
CAPTAIN CAP: HIS ADVENTURES, HIS IDEAS, HIS DRINKS. Alphonse Allais. Translated by Doug Skinner
SELECTED PLAYS OF ALPHONSE ALLAIS. Alphonse Allais. Translated by Doug Skinner
TINTIN MEETS THE DRAGON QUEEN in THE RETURN OF THE MAYA TO MANHATTAN.
Alain Arias-Misson
WAITING FOR GODEAU. Honoré de Balzac. Translated by Mark Axelrod
SWEET AND VICIOUS. Suzanne Burns
DON’T WORRY, IT’S NOT ABOUT HATS. Norman Conquest
THE NEGLECTED WORKS OF NORMAN CONQUEST. Norman Conquest
REAR WINDOWS: AN INSIDE LOOK AT FIFTY FILM NOIR CLASSICS. Norman Conquest
‘S A BIRD. a play by Eckhard Gerdes
THE SUGAR NUMBERS. Judson Hamilton
THE COMPLETE UNABRIDGED LEXICON. Opal Louis Nations
SURREALIST TEXTS. Gisèle Prassinos
WOMEN THAT DON’T EXIST. Frank Pulaski
AN INCONVENIENT CORPSE. Jason E. Rolfe
FISHSLICES. Paul Rosheim
THE UNKNOWN ADJECTIVE AND OTHER STORIES. Doug Skinner
HOROSCRAPES. Doug Skinner
WALLOOMSAC; A WEEK ON THE RIVER. David R. Slavitt
CROCODILE SMILES. Yuriy Tarnawsky
OULIPO PORNOBONGO 3: ANTHOLOGY OF EROTIC WORDPLAY. Various
THE DERANGEMENT OF JULES TORQUEMAL. Robert Wexelblatt
THE STRAW THAT BROKE. Tom Whalen
BLACK SCAT REVIEW – No. 7 – Lit Noir
BLACK SCAT REVIEW – No. 8 – Seduction
BLACK SCAT REVIEW – No. 9/10 – Double Issue – Utter Nonsense
NOW AVAILABLE: A special double issue of BLACK SCAT REVIEW—128 pages packed with hogwash, baloney, moonshine, jive, tripe, drivel, bilge, bull, guff, bunk, bosh, BS, eyewash, piffle, poppycock, phooey, hooey, malarkey, hokum, twaddle, gobbledygook, codswallop, flapdoodle, hot air; and tommyrot. In short: UTTER NONSENSE!
Featuring art & texts by Jake Alexander, Alphonse Allais, Alain Arias-Misson, Mark Axelrod, Paulo Brito, Norman Conquest, Farewell Debut, Fiona Duffin, Tom La Farge, Allen Forrest, Ryan Forsythe, Eckhard Gerdes, Rhys Hughes, Janne Karlsson, Teri Lee Kline, Richard Kostelanetz, Jhaki M.S. Landgrebe, Michael Leigh, Terri Lloyd, David Macpherson, Samantha Memi, Monika Mori, Yarrow Paisley, Sheila Pell, Jason E. Rolfe, Doug Skinner, Wendy Walker, Carla M. Wilson, and D. Harlan Wilson.
BLACK SCAT REVIEW #9/10 – THE UTTER NONSENSE ISSUE
5¼” x 8¼”, Perfect-Bound. Full color. 128 pp.
$24.95 (Collector’s Edition) / $7.00 (Digital Edition) – CLICK HERE TO ORDER
This Halloween, forget the candy…
CLICK HERE to order Sweet and Vicious by Suzanne Burns
CLICK HERE to order An Inconvenient Corpse by Jason E. Rolfe
blackscatbooks.com 