Satan Burger [Paperback]

Carlton Mellick III (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 2001

"All God does is watch us and kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring." --Chuck Palahniuk

Satan Burger is the international cult hit that has grown such an enormous following over the past 10 years that it not only launched the career of underground author Carlton Mellick III, but inspired an entire literary movement.

Absurd philosophies, dark surrealism, and the end of the human race . . .

God hates you. All of you. He closed the gates of Heaven and wants you to rot on Earth forever. Not only that, he is repossessing your souls and feeding them to a large vagina-shaped machine called the Walm--an interdimensional doorway that brings His New Children into the world. He loves these new children, but He doesn't love you. They are more interesting than you. They are beautiful, psychotic, magical, sex-crazed, and deadly. They are turning your cities into apocalyptic chaos, and there's nothing you can do about it ...

Featuring: a narrator who sees his body from a third-person perspective, a man whose flesh is dead but his body parts are alive and running amok, an overweight messiah, the personal life of the Grim Reaper, lots of classy sex and violence, and a motley group of squatter punks that team up with the devil to find their place in a world that doesn't want them anymore.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

"This generation's Vonnegut!" - VINCENT W. SAKOWSKI

From the Back Cover

"This generation's Vonnegut!"
- VINCENT W. SAKOWSKI

"Carlton Mellick III has the craziest book titles... and the kinkiest fans!"
- CHRISTOPHER MOORE

"Easily the craziest, weirdest, strangest, funniest, most obscene writer in America."
- GOTHIC MAGAZINE

"Mellick's imagination is boundless, and his writing truly shows this. His characters, plot, and writing style are original, enjoyable, and inspiring."
- LIONEL BIGSBY

"Mellick has definitely joined the ranks of the bizarre literary geniuses such as Burroughs, Philip K. Dick, and Vonnegut."
 - CHARLES GLOVER

"Carlton Melick III exemplifies the intelligence and wit that lurks between its lurid covers. In a genre where crude titles are an art in themselves, Mellick is a true artist."
- THE GUARDIAN

"Just as Pop had Andy Warhol and Dada Tristan Tzara, the Bizarro movement has its very own P. T. Barnum-type practitioner. He's the mutton-chopped author of such books as Electric Jesus Corpse and The Menstruating Mall, the illustrator, editor, and instructor of all things Bizarro, and his name is Carlton Mellick III."
- DETAILS MAGAZINE

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 236 pages
• Publisher: Eraserhead Press; First Ed edition (December 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0971357234
• ISBN-13: 978-0971357235
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.5 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (90 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #78,166 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Like a real world Kilgore Trout, cult author CARLTON MELLICK III has been pumping out some of the weirdest, trashiest, most imaginative books that you'll never want to admit you secretly love.

His books are released on a quarterly basis (every January, April, July, and October).

Best known as one of the leading authors of the bizarro fiction movement in literature, he is also one of the most prolific authors of his generation with over 40 books in print since 2001. He won the Wonderland Book Award for his novel "Warrior Wolf Women of the Wasteland" and has had short stories make it into The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror and The Best Bizarro Fiction of the Decade.

Although many of his earliest works are on the surreal and experimental side, his current style is to take the most ridiculous concepts imaginable and approach them with complete sincerity, as if they are not intended to be ridiculous at all. Always full of tongue-in-cheek humor, social satire, and told in a simplistic straightforward prose style similar to that of children's literature or early pulp fiction, Carlton Mellick III's work is one of a kind, to say the least.

He lives in Portland, OR, the bizarro mecca.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

61 of 67 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Utterly fascinating, inventive and oftentimes hilarious read October 28, 2003

By Margaret Marr

Format:Paperback

Heaven is full and God has closed the gates. No more souls are accepted, so He discontinues death and creates a walm, a door that allows "toys" from other worlds to come in, for His entertainment.

Imagine a world gone boring. Nobody cares about anything, so they sit, stare at the wall and shrug. Imagine being one of the few, who still has an inclination to care, searching for their place in a bizarre and twisted life.

Such is Rippington, New Canada created by Carlton Mellick III. The cast of "punks" include Leaf an ex-drug addict who sees in third person through his God's eyes; Nan an ex-skinhead; Gin a conscious dead person whose body parts are alive courtesy of Satan's touch; and Vodka and Christian who appear to be the most normal out of the bunch. Then you have Satan ... THE Satan ... who opens a chain of restaurants called Satan Burger. You can eat there free, but it comes with a price.

SATAN BURGER isn't for those who only like pure and pretty things. It's a weird and perverted tale, but if you're bored with your usual normal range of taste, start with this novel.

Pick this book up with an open mind or you'll never make it past the cover art. Which would be a shame, because SATAN BURGER is an utterly fascinating, inventive and oftentimes hilarious read.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding January 31, 2006

By Adam Mills

Format:Paperback

Before I begin, I'd like to preface this article by saying Satan Burger was the first Carlton Mellick book I ever read, and since then I have been hooked.

The world has changed. The people are no longer entertained by it, and neither is God. He has grown bored of the human race, and so he's created the Walm, a giant vagina-like portal, out of which come strange, alien creatures.

But there are a few people left who don't just stare at the wall and shrug, who care about life. Meet Leaf, a drug deranged loser who could be the other son of God, the unwanted screw-up, and his equally weird friends, as they team up with the devil in the hope of finding their place in a broken world.

You can only begin to understand the surreal world from Mellick's brilliantly twisted mind seen through Leafs Acid Ocean Eyes; Satan Burger has an ending that will leave you in blissful awe. This is one of those select few books that will leave you both satisfied and begging for more, and will undoubtedly stay with you for your entire life.

To call Carlton Mellick III a genius would be like calling a blue whale "pretty big".

33 of 41 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars great book, original and well written January 28, 2004

By gcon

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

with all the hype, i expected an extreme book that is sacriligious and raw and whatnot, but it isn't. the story is different, well told, and interesting. the book is well written, flows nicely, and has an interesting bunch of characters. at times the words are poetic, and there is one scene that was so well written i could see what was happening. the book is odd, has some odd philosopy, and an interesting take on the invention of the sandwich. i'm glad i bought the book, it is in no way cookie cutter.