Apocalypse Now Now

Apocalypse Now Now is a South African urban fantasy that follows Baxter Zevcenko, a 16-year-old who runs a pornography syndicate at his high school in Cape Town. When his girlfriend goes missing, he must venture into supernatural corners of the city to find her. The search leads Baxter to Jackson 'Jackie' Ronin, a supernatural bounty hunter who introduces him to Cape Town's occult underworld. This hidden realm contains monsters from South African folklore, including tokoloshe and other creatures that lurk beneath the surface of the modern city. The novel blends elements of horror, fantasy and coming-of-age story while incorporating aspects of South African mythology and urban culture. Its dark humor and supernatural elements paint a unique portrait of Cape Town's hidden dimensions.

Readers describe this as a bizarre, frenetic ride through Cape Town's supernatural underbelly. The South African setting and integration of local mythology stand out as unique elements in urban fantasy. Liked: - Fast-paced action sequences - Dark humor and irreverent tone - Creative blend of African folklore with modern settings - Distinctive teenage protagonist voice - Detailed world-building of supernatural Cape Town Disliked: - Chaotic plotting that some found hard to follow - Graphic violence and crude content - Cultural references that non-South African readers struggled with - Abrupt tonal shifts between comedy and horror Ratings: Goodreads: 3.7/5 (900+ ratings) Amazon: 4.1/5 (80+ ratings) Sample review: "Like Neil Gaiman on acid - wonderfully weird but occasionally loses the plot in its own chaos." - Goodreads reviewer "The South African slang and references add authenticity but may alienate international readers." - Amazon reviewer

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🔮 Author Charlie Human drew inspiration from Cape Town's diverse mythology and urban legends, blending Zulu folklore with contemporary supernatural fiction. 🦁 The book's protagonist, Baxter Zevcenko, runs a schoolyard syndicate called "Spider" - a network dealing in pornography, drugs, and test answers. 🌍 Set in Cape Town, South Africa, the novel showcases lesser-known areas of the city, including its supernatural underbelly and gritty urban spaces. 🎬 Lauren Beukes, acclaimed author of "The Shining Girls," served as a mentor to Charlie Human during the writing process. 🔥 The novel was originally developed from Human's Creative Writing Masters thesis at the University of Cape Town, where he explored the concept of a "New Weird South Africa."