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Opinions are like assholes, they say. Everybody has one.

The subtext of that, is that you shouldn’t show them to people.

Well my guest and I don’t hold back on ours this week. Robert Ottone joins me for a conversation about his debut novel for adults, The Vile Thing We Created, which is almost exactly one year old.

I loved it, which is more than either of us can say for the one-year old little boy that it is about. This novel skewers the impulse to procreation – presenting a horror story of parenthood that will make the child-free sweat and the happily en-familied nod sagely (though hopefully your child isn’t a cosmic-horror menace.

Robert and I wade into the controversy over not having children? We ask, how people summoj the courage to do it in such a frightening world, and we also hold forth on other topics, such as why most colleagues are boring and some ill-advised movie opinions. I blame Robert, I’m usually so shy and retiring.

Seriously though, this is a great conversation. More disorganised and discursive than usual. Though for once, that is no bad thing.

Enjoy!

The Vile Thing We Created was published on April 18th 2023, by Hydra.

Other books mentioned:

The Triangle (2022), by Robert Ottone

Less Than Zero (1985), by Bret Easton Ellis

Lunar Park (2005), by Bret Easton Ellis

Imperial Bedrooms (2010), by Bret Easton Ellis

Sefira and Other Betrayals (2019), by John Langan

Watchmen (1987), by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons

Filthy Creation (2023), by Caroline Hagood

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