Hell's Super

Hi Mark. Every day I read a little bit more of Hell's Super on my lunch hour. This is one of the funniest books I have ever read. It is darkly humorous as though Gary Larson and Tim Burton had a child and yet somehow funnier than either of them. I am a technical writer and there are so many inside jokes that make me LOL! I don't actually expect that in modern fiction from non-technologists but here you are with your amazingly funny book! Thank you for brightening my sometimes dry and tedious days with your caustic and witty and very demonic sense of humor. Good luck here on the writers forum! Rebecca

WOW. The humour is unrelenting. Mark Cain has taken a humourous idea to the nth degree and beyond. The last time I laughed this much while reading a book was during the secret society meeting in Men at Arms, however Hell's Super goes well beyond Terry Pratchett's amusements and into real laugh-out-loud comedy.
Well done. Rated extreme.

Quick! Read it all while you can, before he takes it down again.

What a fun, well-written, and moving story!

It's all the little things that make this book so brilliant! The step up in swearing, Bill Gates and the XBox VR scene, a reason for water in hell, and BOOH is absolutely the best monster e.v.e.r.! I so want one! With all the attention to detail, you could have lost some of the humor but instead it is one of the very funniest books I've ever read. My other favs are "Letters from the Earth" Mark Twain and "My Family and Other Animals" by Gerald Durrell. These books, also, have that biting satire. What makes your book so funny, Mark, is its relevance to current culture so anyone can pick it up today between the ages of 16 and 85 and understand the references. Its relevant, irreverant, funny, smart, and did I mention very well written? Don't take it back, okay?! Way to go!! Tarri

Hell's Super. Giggles galore. The book made me smile and laugh out loud many times, a perfect fantasy comedy read for any occasion - whether the sun is shining or the skies are grey. The madcap mix of characters transport us into a hellish tale of devilish mayhem. Splendid premise, superbly written.
Well done, Mark, for giving me the pleasure of losing myself in such an addictive, bubbly read.
Connie x

This is genius. Witty and humorous, this is a great read, well-written and full of surprises. I love the ironic fates of those in hell, and the clever twists on people's preconceptions of hell. Your characterisation is strong, and Steve's narrative voice fits the tale perfectly. You have something really great here- I'm giving it six stars!
Emma

Dark humor, the Devil, Orson Wells, and echoes of "The Hitchiker's Guide To The Galaxy" with a Hellish twist, what a great and intriguing concept. I'll continue to reason and review.--JL "The Devil Of Black Bayou"

This story is hot, i am backing

I don't understand the language of the wire inbox but its all part of the humour that packed Hell's Super.

Hey, Ive just read your prologue and sounds brill, i am going to keep you book on my watch list so i can read more as i have like 30 other reads to get through haha
Ellen Michelle

Hi Mark. Every day I read a little bit more of Hell's Super on my lunch hour. This is one of the funniest books I have ever read. It is darkly humorous as though Gary Larson and Tim Burton had a child and yet somehow funnier than either of them. I am a technical writer and there are so many inside jokes that make me LOL! I don't actually expect that in modern fiction from non-technologists but here you are with your amazingly funny book! Thank you for brightening my sometimes dry and tedious days with your caustic and witty and very demonic sense of humor. Good luck here on the writers forum! Rebecca

Com. Lit. Review.
I missed this book review week as I've only been around for a month but thought it sounded fun. I wondered how you were going to keep the joke going for a whole book but each chapter gets better and better. Lots of surprising moments; Orson Welles, film humour even from St. Peter. The BOOH is a great character and Satan is scary but very stylish. One clever idea after another. I like the fact he really is called Minion and hell would certainly be less horrific without a hospital. On my watchlist to read more and lots of stars.

Dear Mark

This is just a wonderful read! I hardly know where to start. The concept is such a rich source of humour, which never palls, because it is so clever and unexpected. Sometimes with humour, I find my face set in a fixed rictus instead of a grin. Here, I just relaxed and waited for the next funny to hit. How refreshing to read a genuinely amusing book.

It is well written too, with no stumbles or grumbles about nits or punctuation. What fun! High stars and on my WL.

Fran Macilvey, "Trapped" :)

WOW. The humour is unrelenting. Mark Cain has taken a humourous idea to the nth degree and beyond. The last time I laughed this much while reading a book was during the secret society meeting in Men at Arms, however Hell's Super goes well beyond Terry Pratchett's amusements and into real laugh-out-loud comedy.
Well done. Rated extreme.

Ingenious and decently written.

Dai Alanye

~ Hell's Super ~

And super it is, Mark! Humour with a great deal of intelligence & wit, just the kind of book I enjoy. Starred and on my WL.

Tonia

This is excellent comedy from one who knows both Dante and pop culture, two things that sometimes seem mutually exclusive. Having read all six chapters, I want to read more, and I'd buy this in a minute if I saw it in a store.

The deflating of famous people here, together with the widespread incompetence and squalor in Hell reminds me oddly of Stuart Kaminsky's Toby Peters novels, and it contrasts sharply with the picture of "sleek Hell" in X.J. Kennedy's wonderful sonnet, "Nothing in Heaven Functions as it Ought":

Nothing in Heaven functions as it ought:
Peter's bifocals, blindly sat on, crack;
His gates lurch wide with the cackle of a cock,
Not turn with a hush of gold as Milton had thought;
Gangs of the slaughtered innocents keep huffing
The nimbus off the Venerable Bede
Like that of an old dandelion gone to seed;
And the beatific choir keep breaking up, coughing.

But Hell, sleek Hell, hath no freewheeling part:
None takes his own sweet time, none quickens pace.
Ask anyone, "How come you here, poor heart?"—
And he will slot a quarter through his face.
You'll hear an instant click, a tear will start
Imprinted with an abstract of his case.

Both order and disorder can be fine vehicles for comedy and satire, and Mr. Cain has created a wonderfully disorderly, dysfunctional afterworld that somehow, like every Western democracy, continues to operate.

Bill (Faust's Butterfly, A Stony Path)

Happy to back such creativeness! Totally hilarious! Hope you get a chance to take a look at Dark Side by CC Brown.
Sue50

It's all the little things that make this book so brilliant! The step up in swearing, Bill Gates and the XBox VR scene, a reason for water in hell, and BOOH is absolutely the best monster e.v.e.r.! I so want one! With all the attention to detail, you could have lost some of the humor but instead it is one of the very funniest books I've ever read. My other favs are "Letters from the Earth" Mark Twain and "My Family and Other Animals" by Gerald Durrell. These books, also, have that biting satire. What makes your book so funny, Mark, is its relevance to current culture so anyone can pick it up today between the ages of 16 and 85 and understand the references. Its relevant, irreverant, funny, smart, and did I mention very well written? Don't take it back, okay?! Way to go!! Tarri

Read the first few chapters and I think it's fantastic! I love the way you depict Hell as a place where everyone, in a sense, gets what's coming to them depending on what they did wrong in life - kind of a comedic Dante's Inferno. The professor and Orson are great parodies, and it's interesting how you make it so that the reader both likes them and thinks they deserve their lots at the same time.

One suggestion I have is that you change it to present tense. A lot of the narrative seems like stream-of-consciousness descriptions of what the professor's seeing as he's experiencing it, especially with his sarcastic quips. I think making it present tense would make the reader for more in the moment as opposed to looking back on something that was.

Anyhow, it's easy to see how this one climbed so high so fast - it's a thoroughly enjoyable read! Great premise executed with a wonderfully witty attitude. Highly starred!

Cheers,
M.
Astral Sea: The Pandora Project

Hell's Super. Giggles galore. The book made me smile and laugh out loud many times, a perfect fantasy comedy read for any occasion - whether the sun is shining or the skies are grey. The madcap mix of characters transport us into a hellish tale of devilish mayhem. Splendid premise, superbly written.
Well done, Mark, for giving me the pleasure of losing myself in such an addictive, bubbly read.
Connie x

Hoots! Damn this is funny! Thanks, Mark ... just leave it up here for a few days, would ya?! I've a ways to go and don't want to miss any of this! The Prof and his double-holster duct tape is priceless and Orson is a brilliant parody.

What a cracking theme for a book. It could so easily have turned out pretty cheesy but your writing style has ensured that interest is held. I love your sense of humour. Steve reminded me of a hellish version of Frank Spencer in parts! My own version of hell would be somewhere that I would have brilliant literary ideas but no paper or pens were ever available. Looking forward to seeing what the folks at Harper Collins make of it. Well done.

Kim (Pain)

Well it made me giggle, and it brightened my, otherwise miserable, day, Mark.

Backed and starred.

Lisa. x

I made it to chapter 7. I am definitely going to read more. This had me laughing out loud. I love that you put Henry Ford and Thomas Edison in hell. The part where Steve asks if Thomas Edison knew how to use AC cracked me up.

I have one comment. In chapter 2 Steve says Thank you to Orson Welles and doesn't get shocked or anything. Is this an oversight or did you mean for that to happen?

Also, you should consider that Steve has WD-40 in his arsenal. It is to loosening things as duct tape is to fastening things :-)

Lots of stars and I will back on my next bookshelf shuffle.

A very amusing read with a great concept and some cracking dialogue. Enjoyed the opening chapters very much and am looking forward to reading more. 5 stars.

Phil

What a HOOT!! Happy to back your work. Hope you have a chance to take a look at Dark Side by CC Brown.
Sue50

Very funny. I found the pace to be perfect and the word choices exellent. Five Stars.

Shain

Ch. 1 (Prologue) "... stampeding animals instead of humans ..." I'm early so I don't know but are these humans or demons?

What an original storyline. I thought this was a fun read! Thanks for making me smile! I just read your other comments and see that other people said the same thing. I'm still posting this at the risk of sounding redundant, but I'm sure its encouraging to hear from more than one person, right? Good luck with it!

Sara

Hell's Super is very well written and very clever book. It contains great humor as Steve and Orson take us through their Hellish daily routine. We meet more of the famous deceased,some you wouldn't expect to find in hell. Mark has done a great job in creating each characters personal Hell. This is a fun read, highly recommended.
Backed with high stars,
Olive.

Har, har, snort, chortle, snicker, and guffaw--you are backed, Funny Man, and thanks for the good chuckle today. I'll also be featuring Hell's Super on my webbie soon, too, if you don't object. (It'll be in the fantasy section...in a coupla days. Find the hot link on me profile page here.)

GOOD LUCK, MATE--
E.R.

I suffer from sever A.D.D., whatever the hell that is. It takes a lot to grab me into a story…and don’t take me as some kind of authority. I’ve only been writing for going on 2 years.

I can only read the first 8-10 paragraphs of each chapter because my scroll bar doesn’t work on the reads.... (Only on authonomy…. I’ve got to figure that out one day.) So you got two strikes against you. That didn’t matter. In at the third chapter, (I told you I had severe A.D.D.) I was on a roller coaster ride.

Congratulations, I look forward to reading your review when you make it to the E.D. Always remember; there’s other publishers

ComLit review (continued)
Hell's Super
Internal consistency- by which I mean how a fantasy universe holds up against itself. This is a place where the homour does carry your through a bit, as a lot of libties can be taken for a good laugh. However, there are quite a few aspects of your inferno that do not hold consistency to the premises. For instance, if Satan can read his mind, there really is no reason for meeting him. If the devil can change the sexual orientation of Bruce, surely he can find the saboteurs. In fact, there cannot be saboteurs, because he woudo see them. The tortures also seem very unevenly distributed. Steve is simply mildly annoyed all his life, while the poor souls in the toaster are tortured and bled. Again, this is not so much of an issue because the whole thing is intended to be funny, but you should know that it comes across as not internally consistent.
Humour- once it gets going, I find ts a very amusing read. I never laughed out loud- it is not that kind of humour, but I did chuckle several times. Although I found the pie in the face jests s bit washed out, I did laugh later on when Steve thanked BOOH with impunity. And while I found the long introductions to the historical subjects an unnecessary distraction, I found the situations very funny.
I absolutely love your Satan and Bruce.
BOOH was lovely and stole the show for me.
Braille was fine, but the blind taxi driver joke did not seem as original as some of the others,
Orson is funny in a subtle kind of way.
And Ford and Edison are a very endearing odd couple.
So I give this four happy faces for now.
:d:d:d:d

My week was a bit more hectic than I hoped, so I will keep reading this into next week and supplement.
Here are some comments as I read.

I like the prologue  very much. The concept of the caretaker being the last line of defense against charging daemons is great. 
I considered my assets: one tool belt, two rolls of duct tape, and a megaphone. Not much, all told. At least I had a plan, even if, on reflection, it now seemed pretty lame.
:)
2
Good desc of office trailer. 
Well, five people can, but that’s still not very many.:)

tend to act like Aunt Bea from the Andy Griffith Show, except they can’t bake as well.
:)
This is cute, but, again, I feel you are summarizing. I would prefer it if you could get this in conversation or show it. It is entertaining, though, and you can get away with it as long as it is not too long. 
 a coconut cream pie appeared before me and slammed into my face with enough force to make my back and head go
I have to confess, I find the cream pie joke a bit corny.  Sorry. 
Little dogmatic aside- should they not be in pain all the time if it is hell? Just saying.  

"Superintendent, that is. That’s right. I fix things. Sort of. In all Hell, there’s..."

I would have rather you did without this paragraph. I think that you have established that he is a superintendent. I would rather you move the plot along now. 
Would you consider putting this in a dialogue between him and Orson?
Again, with the narrative about throwing out the oldest orders,  I would have liked to have one of them physically throw out the pile before you explain it. 
At the same time, I do feel that I would have liked you to get to Parts by now. 

More dogmatic aside- should they not be punished for not completing orders?

3
that’s Beelzebub, my boss
You mentioned that already. In 2. 

"I firmly believe that many times when we asked for something, she in fact did have the item. "
Again, this is just me, but I think this would be funnier if you showed the interaction. He could ask for an item clearly in sight and she could refuse to hand it over. 

"can you tell her the model?”
Did you mean "me"?

He had to deal with Dora more than me,
I assume that is on purpose, but, just on case, it should be "than I"

"My dear chap,” he said, “in life, many of us swore anyway."

For me, this works a lot better because you put it in the inimitable voice of O W 
"Dirty Harry. Gotta be one of the most famous lines quoted, or misquoted, from film"
Again, same comment. I would rather you pull plot along. 
"I needed her " tense- either should be present, or the beginning of the paragraph ("I like Dora") should be past. 
4
I like the duct tape section. I think that the difference is that you show him using his skills just after describing them. 
"Sorry, Orson, I’d like to, but it’s a gift. Besides, you know Beezy won’t let you accomplish anything. You’re only here to assist.”
This is great- again, here you put it in dialogue and I find it funny. Earlier, in ch 2, you summarized it and it was less effective for me. 

"Besides, a cab’s usually faster, and I’m on expense account."
An expense account. 

"I know the standard image of Hell:  "

This narrative works for me, largely because it is short and you bring in description 

"I’ve ridden with a hundred cabbies in Hell—Ray Charles, Helen Keller, you name ‘em—and I suppose Louis Braille behind the wheel wasn’...t"
Again, Mark, we can disagree agout this, but when you narrate like this in a summarizing way it does not work as well for me. Would you consider having Steve ask Braile why all cabbies in hell are blind? That way, you could have the explanation in broken English with those lovely 'certainments' and 'Mais, oui' that everybody enjoys. 
I do think that the concept of the blind taxi driver  is funny, though tried. :)

5
"Maybe you’ve read the Divine Comedy. You know, Dante...."
Again, I personally find thIs kind of summarizing description less appealing than place description. You tell us the layout of the inferno, rather than show it. Again, one simple way of doing this is splitting it up and putting it in conversation. Maybe a talking elevator? Just a thought. 

I am sorry, but this description of hell is just too long for me. It is not doing it for me. 
6
Now I am having fun.
7
Dont need the history lesson about Ford & Edison 

7
Florence good idea. 

8
I love Booh

Again background of teenagers goes on a bit.
Darwin awards. I think you have to assume some sophistication on the part of your audience. The explanation can be much shorter.  

Hm. Are you sure you to make Bill Gates the butt of a joke in your book?
I find this too long with the virtual reality. 


From then on I was just caught up in the reading and stopped taking notes.

Congratulations Mark. Although I have serious reservations about the beginning, this is a really fun read. If you weed out some of those long narrative moments, I think you will hook me through.
Best,
Maeve

ComLit review
Hell's Super 1-12
Mark, 
I have come to love this book. It is creatively and originally funny, clever, and nuanced. 
However, the route was not easy. I feel that, particularly at the beginning, you take too long having Steve give too much background information about hell, information that in retrospect you do not need, as it is told much more cleverly later on. This turned me off at first, and it was only because of the recommendations of others that I pressed on to the truly amusing book that you have later on.
There are, of course, plenty of great books that take a while to take off the ground. I often marvel at the fact that The Lord of the Rings is so absolutely dull before page fifty. So this is not a mortal flaw. However, I do feel that you could tighten your beginning without loosing your current audience. This would have the effect of increasing your readership.
Plot and hook. I feel that the hook does not come in until Steve plunges down the hellhole. Once it starts, it is a fabulous hook. It is obscenely funny- just the idea that hell, an inherently metaphysical concept, should come to a halt because an elevator is broken, is so beautifully absurd- but it is also a clear goal. 
Now, I am not suggesting that you do away with all your setup. I think that the trip to Parts, the cab ride, and the change of the lightbulb are very nice setup moments. I just think that they should be much shorter. I would recommend you achieve this by leaving out the background descriptions, not only of hell as a whole, but of how punishments work. A lot of this information you give in a much funnier way later on, by showing individuals in their predicament, or in conversation between the different people that he meets. 
Once the hook is well established, I think that the plot flows very well. You cleverly made three routes, one having to do with the repair, which allows you to bring out these great characters of Ford, Tesla and Edison, the stairs repair, which allows for a bit of character development of Orson, and the detective work, which gives a different twist to the story. You even managed to get in a love story, which I found clever.
Character development- The last time I reviewed this book I had gone up to Authonomy chapter 5. At that point I found the characters quite static. This is not the case after chapter six. Steve, changes dramatically with his extra power, and we see him becoming an interesting and actually good person. The introduction of BOOH was a clever way of showing his kindness come through, as is the introduction of Florence. I also found that it was an interesting concept of having Satan offer him promotion to a devil (although hardly deserved so far I thought). His reaction showed quite a bit of his character. While he often complains that he is a bit daft, he is in reality quite clever and generous. His giving Orson the opportunity to direct the construction of the stairs is very sweet.
The supporting characters are also nicely developed in their limited way. Orson, again, blossoms with the opportunity to accomplish something. Florence is good serious relief (as opposed to comic relief). The minor characters, I thought, where well painted, although I found your tendency to fill the reader in with background a bit unnecessary- particularly in the case of Ford and Edison, whose histories really do not add much to the story or the comedy, and are pretty well known by, I imagine, the vast majority of your readership. (I understand if you don't agree- there are some things in MMID which many people say are obvious, like Edinburgh, Scotland- but it is part of the flow of the line...)

To be continued...

Hell's Super by Mark Cain (ComLit review)

Chapter one actually does start with a bang. Smashing the glass. Right away, we realize the Super just doesn't give a damn. He certainly has a lot of problems, but we don't know him well enough yet to be sympathetic. Good name choice for the assistant, though. Hard not to sympathize with an Orson. Then we discover his last name. I like the line about Rita Hayworth.
The names you are using are names old fogies like me recognize. Good grief, Aunt Bea! Not sure a younger generation would recognize most of them, but to heck with them. Let them study history.
As I read on. I feel more and more like Orson is the real hero so far. I want him to be happy. But, in hell?
Things are always breaking. It figures.

Chapter Two (three?) That prologue screws the numbers up. On the other hand, maybe it's appropriate for a book about hell. Makes the reader scratch their head and say “What the hell?”

Hell doesn't sound as bad at the beginning of this chapter as the cover pic. Just an uncomfortable damp warmth. That's good. You're surprising the reader.
Oh, good, Kool 100s or Newports. There you go.
Oh, you have really likeable characters. I like Dora, too. The dialogue is pleasant, charming, and imaginative. The whole thing so far is wonderfully imaginative. I didn't think I'd like it when I read your prologue, but now I do. I'd destroy the prologue.

Chapter Four (or three, or chap 2 part two)
These number are truly hellish. I haven't dared to look, but if I click on chapter 24, will it say “Chapter 2 part 23?” Oh my, this is good! Billy the Kid, McDonalds, and duct tape. The author has chosen a magic box with this book. Everyone in history is a potential character.

Steve? The pc's name is Steve? Did I miss something before? Now I can hardly wait to find his last name. McQueen? Allen? King?
Just wait. The citizens of Gary, Indiana are going to love this book. So far, I like that you've only used the “F” word once, and that was by Dora. Just goes to prove , you don't have to be naughty to be fun.

Chapter Five (3)
Now we know, Mark. When you said to review 3 (THREE) chapters, you were putting us in a hellish situation, because it depends on if the reader actually counts, or just reads the label.
Me, I'm almost done. Just don't ask how many chapters I've read, because frankly, I don't know.
The theological lesson from Dante was a bit much for me, and I admit I speed-read that part until I got back to Orson and Steve. Maybe it was too intellectual for me. Overall, I have found this book highly entertaining, and superbly imaginative, and I wish you the very best with it! Regards, Jed Oliver (French Roast and Lingerie)

Quick! Read it all while you can, before he takes it down again.

What a fun, well-written, and moving story!

Prologue-love it! Very nicely done; there is action and suspense but humour all at the same time. Brilliant!

Chapter 1-Nice flow and you can see the characters in your head like a movie-just what you want. Good character development.

Chapter 2-typo….”I’m always caught off guard when Dora’s swears….”
-I love the line ‘(yes it’s sweet, but a whole bowl of it is just as nasty tasting as the name sounds)’….lol

I really enjoyed the first three chapters. It is a very unique and interesting read. It makes me want to read further to see who all the other dead characters are presumably in Hell and what they are like. Rated six and I look forward to reading more.

Sandy Simmonds
"Just When I Needed to Laugh"

I enjoyed your version of hell (reminiscent of Dave Allen’s hell if you know his comedy).
Fantastic imagery and would make the basis for a great TV series (I am working on sit-com now so am thinking along those lines – great way to parody real life.)
Very clean MS and read straight through to Chap 5 without seeing anything much. Went back to Chap1 and 2 keeping comments from other readers in mind as that is where the editors axe falls and came up with:
Chap 2
- Coup de gra ce typo (has a space in ‘grace’ for some reason but I don’t speak French)
- You never say “thank you” in Hell, not and really mean it. || not sure of meaning. “not unless you really mean it” perhaps? Or is is impossible to really mean it when you say “thank you” when you are in Hell? This sentence tripped me up a bit.

On a second read, Maevesleibhin’s comments below on using dialogue to avoid dragging on the pace may be worth considering in places, although I am not a fan of large chunks of dialogue for the sake of description. If it can do the job in a funny concise way it can be more engaging for the reader. But in the end all books have their rhythm regarding the ebb and flow of the dialogue and narrative and that is based on the authors’ personal likings as much as anything.
A high rating and will back it when I have space as I love the concept.

Andrew
A Fatal Misuse of Time
Short pitch: Ever tried waking up yesterday instead of tomorrow? That is just the beginning of Tristan's troubles as his life is hijacked to reveal the future.

When I saw that the complete book was up, I just had to read to the end. It was too tempting. This is a HELL OF A GOOD READ. ;)

Gillian Bergh [Comlit review]

Zany, humorous and weird. A great rollercoaster ride.
An unusual concept that works very well.
Good use of imagery and language.
Strong plot, with a crisp feel.
Really liked this book.
Well done.

So i sat down thinking id read only a chapter tonight and then WHAM im onto chapter 4 and loving every moment. I dont think i have ever read a story involving Hell that actually had this much of a comical twist to it. Normally Hell is seen as this dark pit of fire and pain, but i like how you've added an element of everyday humanity to your version of Hell.
Your writing style borders on flawless, words coming together in the most natural flow. This is a novel i would purchase from a stpre and am just glad i have had the chance to read it.
Six stars and i am backing this book.
You've heard it before but all the same, great job!
Amanda

Wow, what a amazing idea for a book. I can't believe how good this book sounds! It has a great future and I can't wait to read more!

Mark

I have backed and starred and now i have reached the end of Chapter 2. This is a really original proposition. There was a sit com on UK TV in the Eightees about the residents of heaven, sort of like an up market golf club, with angels as admin clerks and gym instructors which was similar, though your book is much funnier. The avid smoker reduced to menthol cigarettes and the curse of Pride on Orson and our hero, was inspired. The final insult of the forty watt insect repellent bulb, was a master stroke.

Please let me know what you think of Marking Time. All comments are much appreciated.

Al the best Crispy

This is very funny; I enjoyed every word. I hope you upload more!

This is my type of humour! Good stuff, Mark.
Nice concept, believable dialogue, a whole little world down there in Hell.
Incomplete? Shame on you :-)
Good luck with this. Rated 6 and putting in a good word :-)
DJC

I have had a stressful day, and needed to unwind at the end . Reading the last four chapters of Hell's Super was perfect for this. I recommend this book to anyone who needs de-stressing. It just gets funnier. ;@

Okay, just read through chapters 6 and 7. Still funny, still loving it! I'm beginning to think I want a BOOH of my own, except I wouldn't want to have to deal with giving him blood-bag treats! Is it so wrong that toward the end of chapter seven, every time BOOH is mentioned I thought, 'awww, he's so cute'? ;)
Poor Bill Gates :) Do the Xboxes keep failing because of the red ring of death?
I was wondering if if were possible to keep up with the humor once your story got going, but if anything, it's funnier than it was in the beginning!
Will read on...

Very funny! Backed.

The title is catchy, 'Hell's Super' I thought it was meant to be very - er UN-SUPER ! Then I find that a Super is a handy-man. From your pitch, this looks like the most original idea for a novel on authonomy. It sounds rather like a busy station, and I have thought Hell must be like being on a crowded underground train, and not being able to get off...

GEMS[my POV] chap 1 - HOTI forms / We all have our versions of Hell.... Pick your favorite. / when young and beautiful die .. inflicted with eternal zits or bad hair day / The interplay between Steve and Orson - [ I can see some of this working well on stage] / gambling in Hell and always losing / Pie throwing / 2 people to deal with hundreds of work orders...
It was also interesting to read of Steve's past and how he died.

Chap 2 - GEMS - The description of Hell, Dora the hoarder, who died of lung cancer and only being able to get menthol cigarettes now, which she said she would be dead before she smoked./ The supply department that moves, causing more problems/. Naughty words popping out like bubbles../

chap 2 - part 2 - the transport in hell had me laughing. Blind taxi drivers and cars either driven by demons, or as part of someone's damnation.
Chap 3 - The different circles in hell, starting with limbo for unbaptised babies and good heathens - down to circle 9.
The elevator ... and more

My Conclusion - A HELL OF A GOOD BOOK. 6 star


Gillian [com-lit review]

I love this book. You've taken concepts from a number of places, and stitched it into one flawless narrative, complete with the perfect dry humour and wit. I would have absolutely no hesitation in buying this book off the shelf tomorrow.

Very creative, quirky, whimsical and refreshing. Which is not something I normally associate with hell!

Hey Mark, I just finished reading through chapter 5 so far. I truly think that you are a gifted and appointed writer. I'm not sure how many will pick up on the overall message of your book , but trust that seeds will be planted. Smoking and cussing is still going on in the afterlife. Now who could read this book and not think twice about there habits here on this earth. Remarkable and well done Mr. Mark. Your humor puts me in the mind of Janet Evanovich, Which is a VERY HIGH COMPLIMENT. In my prayers tonight , I will include asking God to send me a little of what he has instilled in you as a writer. David Ware Writer of a true thug Willsin

Hello Mark--

book - Hells super-

read six chapters late last night, Aaaaaaaa----- found it a tonic and a great fun read; had me chuckling throughout the read; fantasy writing at it's best.
You painted a great picture of the different situations; and as for Orson' He's just priceless.
From the first mention of his name i had him in my minds eye; perhaps you should have been some other famous person ?'
I feel that this book will do very well and wish you all the luck.

tom bye
book - from hugs to kisses-
please oblige and scan mine; it is full of fantasy situations- try chapters-16 in heaven-14 mystic magic-or 18 devil-
thanks Mark

I've read the Prologue and first three chapters and enjoyed them. You have a great comedic idea here. I enjoyed the underworld you've created and especially all the little touches - the way things work (or don't). Reminds me somewhat of the UK in the mid 1970's. Some brilliant little touches here and there that amused me immensely. Congratulations on a good piece of work here.

Father Ambrose
"The Holy Innocents"