A debut novel from the art-rock pioneer and frontman of Primus, Les Claypool.

Click here to view a photo of the author and to read an excerpt from South of the Pumphouse

A dark, clever tale of two brothers, a fishing trip, misconceptions, drugs and murder, South of the Pumphouse skillfully combines classic motifs of epic struggle and intelligent layers of imagery, reminiscent of The Old Man and the Sea, and the raw, tweaked perspective and hallucinogenic tutorial of a Hunter S. Thompson novel.

But like Les Claypool's music, the material is still hugely innovative, highly independent, and excruciatingly thought-provoking. South of the Pumphouse is sure to be a cult phenomenon, doing for books what Donnie Darko and the Coen brothers did for film: bringing disquiet back to the forefront of popular writing.

Les Claypool established himself as the most original rock bassist in the 1990s, as frontman for the hit band Primus. They have toured the world with groups like Jane's Addiction, Public Enemy, and U2. Claypool penned the theme song to TV's South Park, and has guested on albums by many other artists, including Jerry Cantrell and Tom Waits. Les has also been involved in a host of collaborations (with musical giants like Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio), including the most recent Colonel Claypool's Bucket Of Bernie Brains, which released its debut album The Big Eyeball in the Sky in 2004.