Inspiration or desecration?
11-11-11 was inspired by hundreds of websites I found which with convoluted logic, Scriptural citations, use of numerology and astrology, the writings of Nostradamus, and so on, predicted with absolute certainty the arrival of the Apocalypse, or at the very least a huge cosmic shift of some sort.
We all obviously know that the world did not end on that date, as paranoids and wackos feared. The title “11-11-11” might imply that the book is discredited history, debunked by actual events, therefore no longer relevant.
But the novel is not so much about the end of the world as it is about the struggle of one young man to remain sane as everyone around him does not. This should feel familiar to all of us. These are crazy times we live in and I believe we all to some degree or another wish to escape the trappings of our lives and the limitations imposed on us by the false realities and pathologies of society, and the ignominious pretenses of the media.
11-11-11 may have come and gone. But as the author of 11-11-11, I would like to think that the book’s message, its humor, its tone and unique lampooning of contemporary American life will continue to resonate with anyone who reads it.
Maybe you already bought a copy. But if you haven’t and were thinking about it, beautiful large-format paperback copies and ebook copies of 11-11-11 are available from all the major online bookstores.
As an iBook from Apple . . . apple.co/1JLG0uR
As a paperback from Amazon . . . amzn.to/1krreNU
As a paperback from the printer . . . bit.ly/1OjJp4a
As a paperback from Barnes & Noble . . . bit.ly/1nlgS2Z
As a Kindle ebook from Amazon (US) . . . amzn.to/1RQzupo
As a Kindle ebook from Amazon (UK) . . . amzn.to/1SlCTvz
As a Nook Book from Barnes & Noble . . . bit.ly/1nlgS2Z
Every popular ebook format at Smashwords . . . bit.ly/1PwjEN8
As an EPUB from Indigo . . . bit.ly/1JIdpRQ
As an EPUB ebook from Kobo . . . bit.ly/2pY6mCz
As a paperback from Book Depository . . . bit.ly/1PIKC2u
You may already know this. But if you don’t have a dedicated ebook reader, you can read ebooks on your computer (both Windows and Mac). You can download an EPUB reader (Barnes & Noble, Apple, Kobo and many others) from Adobe, or a Kindle reader from Amazon, and read a good book when you’re not whiling away the time surfing the internet, checking out your Facebook friends, or deleting spam from your inbox.
Here are what readers have been saying so far about my whimsical but dark satire of life in contemporary rural Bible-belt America . . .
“If you only read ONE Book this year – This is the one to read.
John has a UNIQUE Talent to – Develop Characters,
and this book has a LOT of – Characters – in it.
John writes like a combination of – Kurt Vonnegut, Jr and Elmore Leonard.
John Rachel – Kurt Vonnegut, Jr – Elmore Leonard
It does NOT get better than THAT.
I first learned of the book on FaceBook, AND I am sure glad I did.
John is a TRUE – WordSmith – Thanks John.” – Kenneth Jarvis
“This is the best book I’ve read in a long long time. I usually stick to non-fiction and serious heady novels. So I looked at this one and almost took a pass, thinking it was just frivolous junk. I am so glad I didn’t! Not only was this book incredibly entertaining but I was greatly rewarded with some amazing insights into the human condition and a really unique perspective on contemporary American life. Sure it’s got laughs. But underneath the silliness are rich layers of thoughtful satire and profound allegory. This is a great book!” – Tom Dorsey
“John Rachel is a truly gifted author. He weaves his tales on a truly vivid and visceral level, leaving the reader breathless. A work of genius!” – Ron Ruiz
“Check out the table of contents. If it doesn’t make you want to read the book check your pulse. Interesting, fun, and witty, with a wry, sardonic sense of humor–a Vonnegut meets Christopher Moore drive-it-like-you-stole-it joyride.” – Travis Rood
“This book weaves thousands of real events into a deliciously humorous and twisted story that portrays America, its values, and the people contained within quite accurately.” – Ron Hildebrandt
Less visceral and lighter in tone than his hard-hitting tale of sexual trafficking “From Thailand With Love” “11-11-11” is nonetheless just as sharp with its satirical bite. On this faux apocalyptic sortie, John Rachel follows his aptly named hero Noah on an increasingly desperate ramble through the rural Bible-belt of America, colliding with white supremacists, meth heads and gullible politicos along the way. The American dream of being allowed to start afresh seems in jeopardy here as nearly everything the hapless Noah turns his hand to crumbles and turns to sludge. How fitting for the times we live in. – Nic Penrake
For a ridiculous, surreal two-minutes, below is the original promo video for 11-11-11.
Inspired by an early scene from the book is also this book trailer.
11-11-11. It’s crazy. It’s weird. It’s real. It’s fun. It’s America.
Short synopsis:
Will the world end on November 11th? Who knows? One thing is certain. Life in drab and dreary Pulnick, Missouri gets weirder by the day. 11-11-11 is satire that is both sad and funny . . . and rings very true.
Noah was turning 23 and desperate to get out of town. Pulnick, Missouri had always been a hopelessly hayseed blemish on the pallid face of rural Bible-belt America. Always bland and soporific, it was now being invaded by white supremacist meth heads, visited by an unprecedented crime wave, exploited by spiritualists and local politicos, and driven to hysteria by paranoid rumors that the world would end on November 11th. Moreover, Noah’s personal life was becoming more convoluted by the day. Everything seemed to conspire against his singular need to go somewhere where he could begin a new life.
