Damned

Palahniuk, Chuck. Damned, New York: Doubleday, 2011.

Written by Chuck Palahniuk famous for writing Fight Club his newest novel like his previous works is darkly humorous and satirical as it follows 13 year old black sheep Madison who awakes in hell and tries to make the best out of her predicament.

Additionally the novel explores her previous pre hell life with as she lives unhappily with her rich father and movie star mother who compulsively adopt children from the Third World.

Drawing its humor from satire of celebrity culture to its cartoonish depiction of hell Damned is a great example of black humor that Chuck Palahniuk is capable of.

Clown Girl

Drake, Monica. Clown Girl,New York: Hawthorne Books, 2007.

Highly recommended by Chuck Palahniuk (the author of Fight Club) Clown Girl is a darkly humorous tale that follows Sniffles the Clown through bizarre escapades.

Set in Baloneytown which is a crazy strange metropolis filled with stoned dogs, clown prostitution and an abundance of other depressing characters.

Sniffles whose real name is Nita must attempt to keep her head above water financially and has to start doing things she would never do.

Clown Girl is entertaining absurdity immersed in black comedy but contains themes of modern feminism.

As previously mentioned Chuck Palahniuk who is a contemporary great transgressive author hails this novel as stated on his website and if Monica Drake’s next novels are as great as her dark debut Clown Girl she will be considered in the same class.

Clown Girl is most likely the best book you have never heard of.

Fight Club

Palahniuk, Chuck. Fight Club, New York: W. W. Norton & Company ,1996.

How to maintain your identity and your masculinity in a world of consumerism? That is one of the many questions provoked in Fight club as it follows an anonymous narrator struggling with insomnia until he meets the charismatic Tyler Durden who together create an underground boxing club which quickly obtains many members who all try to regain their masculinity through fighting and anarchic acts of mischief.

Fight Club which was adapted into a highly successful film starring Brad Pitt feels like a piece of apocalyptic fiction and is darkly humorous in its tone.

Intended mature audiences those who can handled its intensity will find it quite enjoyable and it is a must have for generation X individuals.

American Psycho

Ellis, Bret Easton. American Psycho, New York: Vintage Books, 1991

Very controversial upon getting published Bret Easton Ellis’s disturbing satire American Psycho explores the life of Patrick Bateman a stereotypical eighties yuppie who has it all beautiful fiancée, high paying job and the best fashion but also is a serial murder.

The novel set in New York follows Bateman through his own perspective as he goes to work, goes to parties, argues with friends over the best fashion and appliances and while he tortures and kills people mostly women.

While very gruesome, violent and graphic American Psycho is often very darkly hilarious as it satirizes vanity, consumerism and machismo in eighties Wall street culture.

Disturbing and not for the suitable for the weak stomached but anyone who can handle it will find it most enjoyable.

Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture

Coupland, Douglas. Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture, New York: St. Martin's Press,1991

Told from multiple perspectives Generation X: tales for an accelerated culture follows three friends Dag, Claire and Andy as they face dilemmas pertaining to being part of the post baby boomer generation.

Satircal in nature Coupland successfully lampoons absurdities of the 1990s such as the Mcjob revolution.

A novel pumped with anarchy with characters that refuse to grow and give to monotony.

Hilarious and well structured Generation X: tales for an accelerated culture is a good read.