The Two Towers.
The Godfather: Part II.
The Dark Knight.
Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles.
These are some of the greatest sequels of all time. What makes them so great? They take risks. They build on their original premises in inventive and radical ways. They evolve established characters into new, more mature people. What they rarely do, however, is switch genre.
But I’m not even talking about story genre. Today, I’m talking about musical genre.
The first book I ever published is called Gerald Barkley Rocks. As the title implies, it’s a novel about rock music. Sex, drugs, guitars, cats—you get the idea. I collected all my observations about rock & roll, both the good and the bad, and synthesized them into this book.
So when I sat down to write the sequel, I didn’t have much material to draw from. I’d said all I wanted to say about rock music. Then, I made a breakthrough. I needed a new genre. So I came up with…
Cover originally designed by Nathan Rumsey, redesigned here by the author
Though written and set in 2018, Gerald Barkley Rocks is very much about the past. Gerald Barkley Raps is about the present (aside from all the coronavirus stuff). For those interested, here’s a brief synopsis:
After attending a rousing Kanye West concert in Orlando, Florida, retired L.A. homicide detective Gerald Barkley has an epiphany: He should become a rapper. Sure, he might be 70 years old, musically talentless, and roughly as charismatic as a bag of flour. None of that will stop Barkley from battling the haters on his journey to the top.
Thus begins an epic quest of self-discovery, autotuned choruses, and fresh beats. Old favorites from the previous book return, including bestselling author Carmen Fowler (now Barkley’s publicist), Detective Steven Nicks (now Barkley’s wardrobe stylist), and Barkley’s daughter Janine (a skeptic to her father’s transformation and therefore the sole voice of reason). A certain black cat even returns to help Barkley devise rhymes to tough words like “waterlogged.”
One part fantasy adventure, one part surrealistic romp, and one part cautionary tale, Gerald Barkley Raps might just change your perceptions of what’s possible—or even advisable. Rock might be dead, but rap is living it up.
Gerald Barkley Raps goes on sale soon in hardcover and audiobook. The latter version contains original recordings and performances of all songs, all made by the author. Hope you don’t mind songs produced on Windows Media Player!
Kyle A. Massa is a speculative fiction author living somewhere in upstate New York with his wife and their two cats. He has written two books and numerous short stories, both published and yet-to-be published. He enjoys unusual narrative structures, multiple POVs, and stories about cats.
