Satire Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Review: The Outlandish and the Ego by O. Ryan Hussain

The Outlandish and the Ego by O. Ryan Hussain

In these days of political turmoil and uncertain global peace, it can be hard to find a reason to laugh, but O. Ryan Hussain’s new novel, The Outlandish and the Ego, provides an uproarious release. In a new genre of literature the author calls “political erotica,” this novel discusses serious topics and trends in the world…without ever taking itself too seriously.

The book is cleanly divided between the sarcastic and the surreal, beginning with the Aide, a ruthless and ambitious wretch who has wriggled his way near the highest halls of power. In his endless bid to increase his own […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-07-30T15:36:10+02:00October 18th, 2018|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews, Political Thriller Book Reviews, Satire Book Reviews|

The Cretin Gene by Brendan Ball

The Cretin Gene by Brendan Ball When a mad scientist uses television and junk food to stupefy the British populace, cartoonist Al Horowitz must clear his name of murder, and find the cure to the Genome 9X9 disaster. The people have run amok, and Horowitz enlists his genius nephew Dr. Grossman and his colleague, the mysterious and tenacious Dr. Kamaruzaman. Together, they plot, hide, and attack as they cross England to confront the evil Dr. Proctor, and seek the cure.

Author Brendan Ball creates a clever satire that shreds the vapidity of nationalist pride in The Cretin Gene. He takes junk food, television, and the […]

Greg Rideout2018-07-03T07:19:27+02:00July 3rd, 2018|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews, Satire Book Reviews|

Mondays With Morty: Offbeat Lessons for Success by Jim Tilberry

Mondays With Morty by Jim Tilberry Jim Tilberry’s Mondays With Morty: Offbeat Lessons for Success is a hilarious romp about an unlikely duo and the exploration of success.

Poetry graduate Walter has a terrible low-paying job, no prospects for a better one, no girlfriend, his car is falling apart, and he has to sponge off his parents to survive – an underachiever all around, or as his mentor puts it, a loser. His mentor is Morton J. Goldberg, known as the Professor to his underlings (even though he’s far from one), and every Monday he and Walter meet to discuss the secrets of success.

This setup […]

SPR2020-02-21T06:29:15+02:00April 26th, 2018|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Satire Book Reviews|

Review: FAKE NEWS by David Hutter

★★★

FAKE NEWS: Strange Historical Facts Reimagined in the World of Donald Trump is a brilliant piece of satire by David Hutter, a young author with a sharp tongue and a unique perspective on the world at large.

The book makes clear that politics has always made for a strange spectacle, and much of it seems downright unbelievable, even in comparison with today’s political circus. Rather than rehashing the madness of the present political situation, Hutter attempts to inject anecdotes from history into the paradigm of today, offering a unique perspective on history and the present day.

What results is […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2024-07-30T15:36:38+02:00November 27th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews, Political Thriller Book Reviews, Satire Book Reviews|

Review: Kingdom’s End by Charles D. Blanchard

★★★★

Anthropomorphizing animals in literature is a long and proud tradition, ranging from Watership Down and Animal Farm to the Redwall novels of Brian Jacques, and many others. That being said, it is also very difficult to create an engaging novel based purely on the perspective of animals, and most attempts at this are relegated to the realm of children’s books. In Kingdom’s End, however, the second novel from Charles Blanchard, readers are given an intimate look at the complex social hierarchy, unique philosophy and variable personalities within a veritable kingdom of rats.

Using a population of animals that […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2017-01-16T06:03:45+02:00December 9th, 2016|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Literary Fiction Book Reviews, Satire Book Reviews|

Review: Rubber Match by Marcus Cootsona

★★★★ Rubber Match by Marcus Cootsona

There is a clear line between comic fiction and intelligent social satire, and Marcus Cootsona’s novel, Rubber Match, treads a careful dance between the two, providing an entertaining narrative, but never letting readers forget that they are enjoying the handily crafted prose of a witty wordsmith. Peppered with clever modern allusions and sharp rhetoric, the novel is a smart, savvy, tongue-in-cheek work of fiction. Cootsona knows his audience and plays to the crowd, moving slowly at times, but always with a feeling that things will soon get uniquely interesting.

Following a few brief, tennis-heavy chapters, Wally, an ex-tennis […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-01-22T15:31:55+02:00August 4th, 2016|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews, Humor, Satire Book Reviews, Sports Book Reviews|

Review: American Zeroes by John DiFelice

★★★★½

American Zeroes by John DiFelice is a darkly comic bit of brilliance.

Novels that defy classification make for an entertaining read, and that is precisely what John DiFelice delivers in American Zeroes. Behind the rambling and sometimes confusing storyline is an intelligent and witty author who knows which subtle buttons to push for laughs, tears and thoughtful musing, forcing readers to see the world through his twisted lens.

At times, the book reads like the rambling manifesto of a conspiracy theorist, or a legitimately deluded patriot, which isn’t actually far off the mark. Jeremiah Stumpf is a modern-day […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2016-07-26T05:25:35+02:00June 13th, 2016|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews, Satire Book Reviews|

Review: Everyone Versus Everyone by Arthur Jay

★★★★ Everyone Versus Everyone by Arthur Jay

Welcome to the world of courtroom drama with a difference – Arthur Jay takes on the state of modern life in his satirical novella Everyone Versus Everyone. In this thought-provoking and humorous tale, Jay ponders the question: if everyone was on trial for making a mess of the world, what would happen? If everyone took on everyone in court, how could things possibly be resolved – and would the trial make a difference? Diverse members of the public are plucked from their everyday pursuits to appear on the witness stand for the prosecution or sit on the jury, and […]

Helen Chenaf2019-01-22T15:36:48+02:00February 27th, 2016|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews, Satire Book Reviews|