Dive - by Allison Mick (Paperback)

About the Book

DRINK UP WITH THE DREAMERS, THE DESPERATE, AND THE DAMNED Welcome to The Liz: a legendary Oakland punk bar with a fiercely loyal clientele of skull-cracked musicians, aspiring comedians, fans, hangers-on, and vampires. Learn its sordid history; set some banks on fire; skirt a little too close to radical new film technology; volunteer for expe...

Book Synopsis

DRINK UP WITH THE DREAMERS, THE DESPERATE, AND THE DAMNED Welcome to The Liz: a legendary Oakland punk bar with a fiercely loyal clientele of skull-cracked musicians, aspiring comedians, fans, hangers-on, and vampires. Learn its sordid history; set some banks on fire; skirt a little too close to radical new film technology; volunteer for experiments that make you physically crave art-- and the people who make it; and hear the joke that kills every cop who hears it (don't worry, you'll be fine, we think). Author & comedian Allison Mick guides you through interconnected horror stories alternately gross, funny, and heartbreaking, and shows you why every story in The Liz makes a killing. Learn about the history of The Liz, set some banks on fire, skirt a little too close to radical new film technology, volunteer for experiments that make you physically crave art-- and the people who make it; and hear the joke that kills every cop who hears it-- no, not you. You'll be fine, we swear. Join author & comedian Allison Mick; and learn why every story in The Liz makes a killing.

Review Quotes

"A terrifying, lyrical masterpiece of ecology and ecohorror. You'll think twice about stepping into the woods."

--Gretchen McNeil, author of They Fear Not Men in the Woods and #murdertrending

"A vivid, nasty trip so dank that you'll feel like you're snorting blow off the seat of the men's room toilet (complimentary)."

--Bitter Karella "Moonflow"

"Allison Mick's novel perfectly captures that eerie sensation of stepping into an ancient forest and realizing you're not merely an intruder--you're trespassing on something awake, sentient, and perhaps hostile. With hypnotic prose mirroring the forest's allure and menace, Mick draws readers deeper into the shadows until turning back is impossible. Humboldt Cut is Mother Nature's answer to Jaws."

--Leopoldo Goût, award-winning artist, filmmaker, and author of Piñata

"At once a paean to the northwestern forests and a terrifying slide into the darkest places of the woods, Mick's fantastic debut explores the relationship between humans and the earth that keeps them alive--or can kill them.... A propulsive ecohorror novel that will gently curl its tendrils around readers' fingers and never let go."

-- "Booklist, STARRED REVIEW"

"Both a love letter to national forests and a cautionary warning, Mick meticulously blends mysticism and elemental horror with laugh out loud humor. You'll never look at those redwoods the same way again."

--Veronica G. Henry, best-selling author of The Canopy Keepers

"I can see how Humboldt Cut might be inspired by the uncanny new-weird of Jeff Vandermeer, the humorous horror of Stephen Graham Jones, and the stunning visuals of Jordan Peele. Allison Mick is the queen of eco-horror, and this novel will put you through the ringer."

--Richard Thomas, Bram Stoker, Shirley Jackson, and Thriller Award finalist

"I'm a sucker for horror stories set in forests, and Humboldt Cut delivers in spades. It's a wild ride through grief, humor, and horror, all rooted in the majestic redwoods. Allison Mick's voice is fresh and fearless, and this debut feels like sitting around a campfire where the stories are visceral and engrossing, making you glad there's no clock to tell you it's way past your bedtime. Check it out--you won't be disappointed. Highly recommended."

--Jeremy Bates, nationally bestselling author of The No-End House

"Mick balances horror and humor brilliantly in this bold novel that asks big questions about our relationship to the natural world. You will never see forests the same way again after reading it."

--T. L. Huchu, USA Today bestselling author

"Mick's prose drips with the urgency of a newly converted punk rocker while still capturing the malaise of an older generation choking on an immutable world gone mad."

--Jacy Morris, We Like it Cherry, One Shot

"This isn't just a debut--it's a revelation. A sensory experience that will make you forget where you are, Humboldt Cut gets under the skin and stays there."

--Neena Viel, author of Listen to Your Sister

"Mick's prose drips with the urgency of a newly converted punk rocker while still capturing the malaise of an older generation choking on an immutable world gone mad."- Jacy Morris, We Like it Cherry, One Shot
"A vivid, nasty trip so dank that you'll feel like you're snorting blow off the seat of the men's room toilet (complimentary)." - Bitter Karella, Moonflow

About the Author

Allison Mick is a Los Angeles-based writer, comedian, visual artist, voice actor, and mixed-race supremacist. She trained in the San Francisco/Oakland comedy scene but is originally from the Great Lakes.