Publisher's Synopsis
A deep, psychedelic inner exploration incited by the looming threats of mass extinction, climate change, and global totalitarianism. "Extinction X-rated" takes place as author, activist, and spiritual maverick, Alan Clements, weighs up his reasons to live or die on the eve of his ritualized potential suicide. With a lethal syringe of morphine in one hand and a high dose of acid in the other, Clements invites his readers into a darkly satirical, erotic autofiction that blends a plausible yet unauthorized 50-year history of rebel dharma in the West with all the dystopian elements of 1984, A Clockwork Orange, Blue Velvet, and the Manchurian Candidate.
Woven within the arising metaphysical landscapes, and pitched against both horror and hilarity, are the stifling grip of propaganda and ingrained legacies of trauma, the struggles of lockdown and long-term Covid, the specter of election fraud, and the probing tendrils of corruption, self-deceit, and spiritual narcissism.
Populated by a pantheon of disembodied saints and a cabal of the demonized and despised, this work of fiction is a direct, no holds barred assault on the futility of the times, a meditation on good and evil, and a lesson in moral courage that builds from quiet, LSD-inspired reflection to a crescendo of thunderous upheaval and resolution not known until the final page. As the Doomsday Clock ticks ever closer to a fatal midnight, so too do the pages of this book count down to a victory of hope against all odds, or a final goodnight to an inescapable Samsara.
Alan Clements is a satirist, performing artist, former Buddhist monk, and investigative journalist in areas of war and extreme conflict. He is also the author of numerous books, a spoken word album, and the subject of a feature documentary film, "Spiritually Incorrect" (FilmsforActions.org). His work has been endorsed by President Jimmy Carter, numerous Nobel Laureates, celebrities, and thought leaders worldwide. Full bio at AlanClements.com
"Alan's presence-his remarkable ability to engage an audience, connect with their heart-stands alongside the best talent I have seen in the world." - Robert Chartoff, Producer of Rocky, The Right Stuff, Raging Bull, New York New York and 35 additional feature films.
From the Prologue
Extinction X-rated was never intended to be published. Rather, it was written as a form of existential self-therapy, to discover new inner landscapes and abide more honestly and courageously in conscience and dignity. Essentially, I wanted to ask myself the most pressing question I'd been living with: In the face of the sixth mass extinction, is there hope and is it realistic?
As an expression of creative activism, the book confronts established notions of power, both political and spiritual. It asks us to face the incomprehensible. To look into the abyss itself and breathe together. Bearing witness through imagination, invoking humor, maybe not laughter, in response to the horrors of the everyday world.
As a purely creative act, I wanted to break free of and taboos and cross boundaries - venturing into the unnerving frontiers of spontaneous authenticity. By challenging all forms of self-censorship, I created an experience that you may love, or you may hate or may be confounded by.
In the end the book is a prayer, a protest and a scream. As it challenges propaganda and totalitarianism, while (I pray) serving to safeguard freedom of thought, conscience, and expression. To me, freedom, dignity, and the universality of human rights are the vanguard of sanity and the best protection against racism, violence, and war.
