Last Burn in Hell: Director's Cut [Hardcover]

John Edward Lawson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 15, 2006

Kenrick Brimley, the state prison's official gigolo, hangs over a lava pit on trial for his life in a strange land. He will reveal the course of his life one misguided step at a time for his captors. From his romance with serial arsonist Leena Manasseh to his lurid angst-affair with a lesbian music diva, from his ascendance as unlikely pop icon to otherworldly encounters, the one constant truth is that he's got no clue what he's doing. As unrelenting as it is original, Last Burn in Hell is John Edward Lawson at his most scorching intensity, serving up sexy satire and postmodern pulp with his trademark day-glow prose. The Director's Cut includes: deleted scenes, alternate ending, remastering for more enjoyable viewing, and more!

Editorial Reviews

Review

A crazy, fun romp through prison sex psychosis! -- Michael A. Arnzen, author of Play Dead

A hip picaresque novel of the kind recommended by William Burroughs. -- Steve Beard, author of Digital Leatherette

A wonderfully mastered piece of bizarro fiction that will leave you enthralled. -- Midwest Book Review, Novermber 2006

Hip hop sarcastic erotica, sublime and funny. A most unusual combination...a nice literary feat, disturbing, amusing and always entertaining. -- Verbicide, November 2006

Laugh-out-loud funny and nightmarishly scary to the very end. -- The Swallow's Tail, October 2006

From the Inside Flap

"A hip picaresque novel of the kind recommended by William Burroughs." --Steve Beard, Digital Leatherette

"A crazy, fun romp through prison sex psychosis!" --Michael A. Arnzen, Play Dead

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Raw Dog Screaming Press (December 15, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 193329325X
• ISBN-13: 978-1933293257
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #9,492,325 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I live in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. with my wife and son. During the 1990's I kicked around in the D.C. industrial-electro-goth scene in the band Dead Letter Office and owned Rack and Ruin Studio. Currently I am a full-time member of the bizarro community, functioning as an author of poetry, nonfiction, and stories, as well as an editor.

I am also a founding editor of Raw Dog Screaming Press, and their new imprints Imaginary Books (children's and young adult) and Guide Dog Books (nonfiction). From 2002-2006 I served as editor of The Dream People online literary journal of bizarro fiction and poetry.

Keep an eye on my Amazon page because I'll be having a new book published every two months for the forseeable future. Thanks for your interest!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A rather bizarre adventure..., September 7, 2005

By 

Spock (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Last Burn in Hell (Paperback)

4.5/5 Stars

Perhaps the greatest layer of Last Burn is its portrayal of modern pop culture, which is both hilarious and startling in its utterly absurd yet honest nature. And yes, this book does have layers.

To break things down more easily:

Plot: Takes so many twists and turns, yet through it all, Last Burn stays focused.

Characters: Definitely different than those in nearly every book I've read, shows that books of such a style can succeed with characters more often seen...in prison...or on the covers of the latest gossip magazines.

Writing: If only all modern writers had styles as fresh...unfortunately, very few do.

All in all, Last Burn in Hell is a must read for fans of bizarro, horror, science fiction, or even beat writers such as Ginsberg and Kerouac. Strangely, it seems to bring all of these together to form a bizarre adventure that also functions, perhaps even more poignantly, as a social satire.

Biggest Complaint: I'm not a fan of the overall cover design, but that's as negative as I can get about this book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Prison life, Mexico, Pop stardom, and WEIRDNESS..., September 11, 2007

By 

J. Krall "Horror/Bizarro/Noir Author" (Noir Jersey, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Last Burn in Hell: Director's Cut (Paperback)

You know those crime movies you stumble upon late at night? The ones that were made (you assume) somewhere in the late 1990s? There's lots of action, backstabbing, double crossing, and sex? It's the movies that usually star some B actors you see everywhere but can't name. You know the type. The ones that aren't art films or heavy-handed attempts at making a "serious" film but rather fun crime romps through the desert, through Mexico, in and out of dangerous situations? Sexy women, strong men, strong women and action. Lots of action. Well... this is what LAST BURN IN HELL is like.. except the plot is warped with a keen sense of weirdness.

The feel of the novel reminds me of those films (which I love). Like a cross between TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES, N.M., RED ROCK WEST, ... and other such neo-noir films.. except LAST BURN IN HELL (director's cut!) has a sense of humor.. and a sense of the bizarre that'll satisfy fans of the odd, the surreal, and the strange.

I won't go into the director's cut angle. Actually, okay, I will. It's a gimmick but a good one. Deleted scenes, alternate ending, and even a soundtrack (well, no, you can't really LISTEN to it but still..).

I'm fairly sure that this is John Edward Lawson's first novel. If it is, well, then pat yourself on the back for even considering reading this. It's exciting, funny, weird, and fast-paced. All good ingredients for an entertaining read.

PROS:

Humor. It's funny.. but not really absurd funny (well, not too much). It takes a lot of shots at pop culture and that makes for some good laughs.

Organization. There are little chapters and blurbs here and there (like a top 10 US singles chart.. which ties in later with the story). They're clever and funny.

Plot. The story moves along and the reader encounters many different characters in many places. If this was a movie, it'd be one where you wouldn't be bored for a minute.

CONS:

Confusion. Especially towards the end. I'm guessing that because the author writes a lot of poetry, he may be use to setting the stage using obscure imagery. That works in poetry but in fiction, it can sometimes make it difficult for the reader to figure out just what is really going on. I don't consider myself an unintelligent person but by the end, I wasn't too sure what exactly happened. I get the gist of it.. but there are just some details and events that confused me. Again, some people may not feel this way. Regardless, it shouldn't stop you from buying and reading this book.

CONCLUSION:

You should read this book. It's fun and entertaining as hell. The fact that it says "Director's Cut" should clue you in to the fact that it flows like a movie albeit one with some weird twists and turns. The set-up is original; the characters are original and/or humorously based on real-type people.

This is a "bizarro" book that you shouldn't miss.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Forget all you know or think you know, June 12, 2007

By 

R. Malfi - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Last Burn in Hell: Director's Cut (Paperback)

Okay--forget for a second that John Edward Lawson is a fantastic writer. Forget that he's assisted in the pioneering of fringe and unusual literature. Forget, too, that his fiction is capable of making you physically recoil in horror one second and eliciting uncontrollable laughter from you the next. For a second, despite all that, let's focus on this book.

The story of a gigilo in a women's prison--when it was originally published, it had everything you'd think such a story would have. Here, the "Director's Cut," plays out like a special edition DVD, replete with bonus scenes, behind-the-scenes, alternate endings, and even a soundtrack (that probably WON'T play in your CD player). Lawson has taken creativity to a whole new level, insisting that the publishing industry as a whole stand up and take notice. The George Orwell of our time, John Lawson illuminates the new direction of fiction...then punches it square in the face.