Screwjack is one of those Hunter S. Thompson stories that feels like a fever dream you can't shake off. It's a collection of three short, bizarre tales, each dripping with his signature chaotic energy and dark humor. The title story follows a man who becomes obsessed with a screwjack (a type of mechanical device) and descends into madness, blending reality with hallucination in classic Thompson fashion. The other two, 'Death of a Poet' and 'The Silk Road,' are equally surreal—one involves a poet’s grim demise, and the other is a disjointed, drug-fueled journey. It’s not for the faint of heart, but if you enjoy unfiltered, raw storytelling, it’s a wild ride.
What sticks with me isn’t just the plot but the way Thompson crafts this oppressive atmosphere. The stories don’t follow a traditional arc; they’re more like vignettes of madness. 'Death of a Poet' is particularly haunting—it’s short but leaves a lasting impression with its abrupt violence and nihilism. 'The Silk Road' feels like being trapped in someone else’s bad trip. I’d recommend it only if you’re already a fan of Thompson’s work or enjoy experimental, boundary-pushing fiction. It’s less about the 'what happens' and more about the visceral experience of reading it.
Screwjack is a trio of short stories that showcase Hunter S. Thompson at his most unrestrained. The title piece revolves around a man’s obsession with a screwjack, spiraling into madness. 'Death of a Poet' is a grim, abrupt tale about—you guessed it—a poet’s death, and 'The Silk Road' is a fragmented, psychedelic journey. It’s all very Thompson: chaotic, darkly funny, and deliberately disorienting. If you enjoy his style, it’s a fascinating (if disturbing) peek into his mind. If not, it might just feel like a confusing mess.
Screwjack is like being thrown into Hunter S. Thompson’s brain mid-meltdown. The title story is this weird, paranoid ramble about a guy who fixates on a screwjack until it consumes him—think 'Fear and Loathing' but even more unhinged. Then there’s 'Death of a Poet,' which is brutal and sudden, like a punch to the gut. It’s over in a few pages, but the imagery lingers. The final piece, 'The Silk Road,' is a chaotic stream of consciousness that feels like wandering through a desert on too many stimulants.
I read it years ago, and what I remember most isn’t the plot details but the mood. It’s claustrophobic and intense, like Thompson’s exorcising his own demons. If you’re expecting a straightforward narrative, you won’t find it here. It’s more about the rhythm of the words and the unsettling vibe. Not his most famous work, but it’s raw Thompson—no filters, no apologies.
2026-04-01 10:53:20
14
View All Answers
Scan code to download App
Related Books
The Devil's Silver (The Road Devils Motorcycle Club 2)
Marysol James
0
2.6K
In two steps he was on her, yanking her up straight and turning her around to face the wall. She gasped at the change in dynamic: her teasing and taunting were shoved roughly to one side and now he was in full and total control. Jo trembled as he dropped a slow, sexy kiss on her right shoulder, then lightly nipped her soft skin before moving his mouth to her ear.
“Don’t you move, angel,” he murmured. “Keep facing forward.” **** Jolene Angeles is fresh out of a nightmare marriage and parked at a roadside biker bar hunting for one thing: Mr. Right Now. In a few days, she’ll have a new job, a new city, a new life, and a single, forgettable one-night stand feels like the perfect way to burn the past down. Then she meets Zeke. Silver-eyed, dangerous. Exactly the kind of mistake she wants. One night, no names, no aftermath.
Zeke “Silver” Bennett doesn’t lose control. Ever. He learned that lesson once, and it nearly destroyed him. So when he spots the dark-eyed woman across the bar, he knows the rules: one night, clean break, no complications.
Until fate throws them together again... and secrets start detonating.
They didn’t tell each other the truth. Now they’re forced to decide: can trust be built on lies? And if the truth finally comes out – raw, painful, unforgiving – will either of them be brave enough to risk real love?
What's the color of voice? Does it send you the shiver like morning snow when someone calls your name?
Carol Bianca found her groom standing with another woman in the wedding venue she paid to get married to her childhood sweetheart. She wanted to get married to the man who accepted her the way she was. A deaf but the woman he wanted would be his world- His word.
But she finds herself standing with a bouquet of Lily and a withering heart. .
She couldn't hear what he said. But she knew -- Her love for him was too big to endure this disrespect to her feelings.
She left, with her head high until her hands were caged by someone -
" Would you mind marrying me?"
She looked at the Man, sitting on the wheel chair, breathtakingly handsome. She wants him. She knew it.
" I am a deaf. Will you be okay?" she asked, using sign language.
" You deserve more than me but I will be glad!" He said, and it was genuine.
Where desire burns and nothing is off-limits. Forbidden lust, stolen kisses, and passion so intense it can’t be tamed.
Whether it’s a dominant lover who knows just how to break you or the sweet surrender of a love so intense, these are the stories of lovers who crave, fight, and fuck until lust becomes obsession, control becomes surrender, and desire remakes them both—forever.
From sizzling encounters in the dark to the sweet torment of knowing they’re everything you shouldn’t want—each story leaves you breathless, craving more.
These are the lovers who burn with a hunger so deep, it consumes them. The kind of love that’ll make you surrender to every whispered command, every touch that has you begging for more.
Can you handle the heat, or will you fall into a love that’s too hot to handle?
In this steamy collection, desire takes no prisoners.
Raine is nineteen and still has not found her mate, even though most werewolves find their mates at eighteen. In a turn of events, Raine has her life turned upside down when not only does she find one mate but two. However, not only is two mates bad enough finding out who they are may just be worse. When Raine and her mates take on not only hiding what they really are to one another, they find out that she is not what she thought either. They come to face the truth and battle for not only love but the life itself. Will they survive the conflicts that are in front of them?
"I'm sorry, but this flight is overbooked. We're going to compensate you twenty dollars. Please deplane immediately."
The head flight attendant had my suitcase in a death grip. Her tone wasn't a request—it was an order.
I gave her a cold look, then turned my gaze to the man beside us, who had just been escorted onto the plane, draped in designer labels.
"Why does he get to board after showing up late, while I—who paid full price—am being forced off?"
She let out a mocking laugh and lowered her voice to taunt me. "Because he's the son of a top-tier medical conglomerate in Scallow City. He's rushing there to beg an elusive miracle doctor—the famous Phantom Surgeon—to save his life.
"No matter how urgent your business is, can it really compare to a human life? If you delay Mr. Stafford, ten lives couldn't pay for it. Now get off."
Several security guards dragged me off the plane by force as I watched the cabin doors close.
I laughed in sheer disbelief.
The "Mr. Stafford" she was talking about was William Stafford, and he was terminally ill.
What she didn't know was that I was the very "Phantom Surgeon" his entire family had been on their knees begging for three months—pleading with me to fly to Scallow City and perform his surgery today.
Since they threw me off the plane, I won't be doing that operation.
As for William, he can go ahead and wait for death.
I belonged to the Devil, only it wasn't emblazoned on my forehead.
***Desperate times calls for desperate measures as they always say. When 10-year-old Ruby Davies accidentally kills her mom in a freak accident, she's totally terrified and torn.What was a ten year old to do in such a situation?That was exactly what the Devil banked upon when he swooped in as the hero, the savior, ready to bring back her mother only for a seemingly small price which little Ruby eagerly pays. Giving up her soul seemed like a wise decision at the time.Eight long years later, with a condemned life banned from all holy contacts and soul forever destined to perish in eternal fire and torment, Ruby wants absolutely nothing to do the lying soul thief.Until he comes once again with an irresistible offer only the biggest of fools would refuse...
The ending of 'Screwjack' is one of those surreal, unsettling moments that sticks with you long after you’ve closed the book. The protagonist, a version of Hunter S. Thompson’s alter ego, spirals deeper into chaos, culminating in a bizarre, almost hallucinogenic scene where reality and paranoia blur. It’s not a tidy resolution—more like a fever dream crashing into a wall. The final pages leave you with this lingering sense of unease, like you’ve witnessed something raw and unfiltered, a snapshot of madness. I love how Thompson doesn’t spoon-feed meaning; it’s up to you to piece together the fragments.
Personally, I think the ending reflects the themes of the entire collection: the absurdity of existence, the thin line between genius and insanity, and the self-destructive allure of excess. It’s not for everyone, but if you enjoy literature that punches you in the gut and makes you think, 'Screwjack' delivers. The ambiguity is part of its charm—or maybe its curse, depending on how you look at it.