Arts & Entertainment
Apocalypse Maybe
Apocalypse Maybe
review by Chuck Franklin
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In his newest work, Henry Flesh serves up the end of the world with an unusual combination of biblical predictions about the last days and the angst of a gay 49-year-old New York City proofreader named Stephen.
In spite of the title, Stephen remains the central character throughout, while Michael enters the picture only briefly near the end. And the end comes quickly in this relatively short work, more akin to a short story than a novel.
The plot is simple. Stephen does not realize it, but the end times are quickly playing themselves out. He meets some heavenly characters, has some sex, meets some not-so-heavenly characters, runs away from sex, then meets Michael and has some more sex. Finally, he rises up into the heavens wrapped in the arms of his resurrected lover, Robert. (Actually, they are a little more than wrapped in each others arms, and Flesh gives the term “rapture” a whole new meaning.)
For those who might want a more detailed synopsis, Stephen wakes up one day three years after his lover, Robert, died of AIDS, worried about his own HIV status. His TV is blaring news about a crisis in Russia. Three misty and somewhat mysterious characters show up, claim to be Children of someone called Michael, and tell Stephen the end of time is near. They also tell him Robert will soon come back along with this Michael.
Of the three characters, young, blue-eyed Timothy comforts Stephen the most… in the way you might expect a young, blue-eyed good-looking hunk can comfort an aging gay man. Sure enough, the encounter ends up with them entwined in bed together. Again, Flesh gives new meaning to the notion of angelic comfort.
Stephen then has some semi-mystical experience while looking at some photos of young, nude Czechoslovakian youths called Dewy Boys, and one in particular called Dano. He recalls much of his life with Robert as he stares at Dano, whose picture transforms into none other than Robert.
Stephen next ventures out to a bar called Muffins, where he encounters yet another young, handsome youth, Davey, as well as bartender Ron and three handsome men, who remain unnamed. In a somewhat confusing rendezvous, which includes items called “X pills,” Davey performs oral sex on each of the unnamed men and Ron the bartender. When he gets to Stephen, something gives Stephen the heebie-jeebies (maybe that X pill?) and he runs out the door.
The mysterious and long-awaited Michael finally appears to Stephen after he returns to his apartment. Not surprisingly, they are soon enmeshed in the flesh—supposedly the beginning of Stephen’s so-called spiritual awakening.
Stephen’s erotic epiphany finally culminates with Robert’s return, now gloriously young and handsome. He reunites with Stephen, and no sooner can you say “rapture,” they are copulating en route to heaven. Hallelujah!
Flesh combines homoeroticism and biblical writing about the end times in a story that can titillate some readers and offend others. However, if you think you won’t be put off by the explicit sex, Flesh’s book will give you a truly different perspective on how the world might end.
But is this novel really about the end of the world or just the end of Stephen’s life? Did all these events really happen, or were they only in Stephen’s mind? In any case, the author’s work can engender significant controversy and lend itself to a multitude of interpretations.
The book also includes 31 black-and-white illustrations by John Greer done in cross-hatching style, some of which include full frontal nudity and depict sexual acts.
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