by Tim Thornton
Walk-In Disaster
His Fax Beats Out the Blues
Laughing on the Other Side of Your Face
Fuck You and Your Opinions
Yes, the Rumours Were True
While You Get Ready for Bed Someone Else Is Just Getting Up
Disposal
The Bad Life
Blissful Indignance / An Awfully Long Way from Reading / Chicken Death
October 1997, 7″/CD, BFM (UK chart position: 42)
AUTHOR’S NOTE AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Although a work of fiction, this novel mentions many nonfictional bands and people. Similarly, it refers to certain events, musical and otherwise, that really did take place. Into some of these I have rudely inserted the appearance of an imaginary pop group called Thieving Magpies. However, a few completely fictional events and undertakings are also mentioned, into which I have even more rudely parked some of the aforementioned nonfictional bands or people. In these instances I have attempted to keep to what could have been feasible at the time—for example, The Boo Radleys could certainly have been one of the major supporting attractions at an outdoor music event near Aylesbury in the summer of 1995; Carter USM might have agreed to do a fanzine interview before their Marquee show in the autumn of 1989; Crispin Glover could theoretically have appeared in a 2004 Hollywood comic-book adaptation—and so on. Nonetheless, for me to say they (fictionally) did so remains a liberty, and I’d therefore like to gratefully salute all such bands and individuals appearing throughout the text, expressing my sincere hope that they will view my liberty in the spirit intended.
While we’re here, I’d also like to warmly extend my gratitude to a number of people who have given this novel’s journey—from one-page Word document to finished book—their assistance, ranging from moral support, via considered advice, right the way through to this-bit’s-rubbish-you-should-change-it style edicts. All of it essential and thoroughly appreciated, thank you: Adrian Weston and all at Raft PR & Representation, Dan Franklin and Alex Bowler and all at Cape, Sonny Mehta and Diana Coglianese and all at Knopf, Sumit “the Great Connector” Bothra, Guy Whittaker, Fin Greenall, Heledd “I was there” Williams, Richard Mays, Jannik Tai Mosholt, Jaime Turner, Iain Baker, Marcus Karenin, Darren Tate, Adrian Boss, Jim Bob, Andrew Mueller, Jonathan “syntax” Goldstein, Colin Midson, Paul Chinnery, Peter Buckman, Michael Ogden & Chris Day, all at MTW, Damian Samuels, Thornton/Lavender and Forcina families, and finally—with lots of love—to Crestina, without whom I’d probably have more in common with Clive than is physically or mentally healthy.
PERMISSIONS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Grateful acknowledgement is made to the following for permission to reprint previously published material:
Alfred Publishing Co., Inc.: Excerpt from “Stuck on Amber” and “Wake Up Boo!” by Martin Carr, copyright © 1995 by Warner Chappell Music Ltd. (PRS). All rights on behalf of Warner Chappell Music Ltd. (PRS) administered by WB Music Corp. (ASCAP). All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission of Alfred Publishing Co., Inc.
Gorno Music: Excerpt from “Add It Up” by Gordon Gano, copyright © 1982 by Gorno Music (ASCAP). Reprinted by permission of Gorno Music, administered by Alan N. Skiena, Esq.
Hal Leonard Corporation: Excerpts from “Dancing with Myself,” words and music by Billy Idol and Tony James, copyright © 1981 by Chrysalis Music Ltd. and Universal Music Publishing Ltd. All rights for Chrysalis Music Ltd. in the U.S. and Canada administered by Chrysalis Music. All rights for Universal Music Publishing Ltd. in the U.S. and Canada controlled and administered by Universal-PolyGram International Publishing, Inc.; excerpts from “Hobo Humpin’ Slobo Babe,” words and music by Gordon Cyrus, Cia Berg, and Henrik Schyffert, copyright © 1994 by EMI Music Publishing Ltd. All rights controlled and administered by EMI Blackwood Music Inc. International copyright secured; excerpts from “How Was It for You?” words and music by Timothy Booth, Lawrence Gott, and James Glennie, copyright © 1992 by Blue Mountain Music, Ltd. International copyright secured; “I Don’t Know Why I Love You,” words and music by Guy Chadwick, copyright © 1988 by EMI Music Publishing Ltd. All rights in the U.S. and Canada controlled and administered by Colgems-EMI Music Inc. International copyright secured; excerpts from “Silver,” words and music by Kurt Cobain, copyright © 1989 by The End of Music and Primary Wave Tunes. All rights controlled and administered by EMI Virgin Songs, Inc. International copyright secured; and excerpts from “Unbearable,” words and music by Malcolm Treece, Robert Jones, and Martin Gilks, copyright © 1987 by Universal Music Publishing Ltd. All rights in the U.S. and Canada controlled and administered by Universal-PolyGram International Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission of Hal Leonard Corporation.
A NOTE ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tim Thornton plays the drums for the alt/blues artist Fink.
The Alternative Hero is his first novel.
THIS IS A BORZOI BOOK
PUBLISHED BY ALFRED A. KNOPF
Copyright © 2009 by Tim Thornton
All rights reserved. Published in the United States by Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc., New York, and in Canada by Random House of Canada Limited, Toronto,.
www.aaknopf.com
Knopf, Borzoi Books, and the colophon are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Thornton, Tim, [date]
The alternative hero / by Tim Thornton.—1st ed.
p. cm.
eISBN: 978-0-307-27236-2
1. Rock music fans—Fiction. 2. Alternative rock musicians—Fiction. I. Title.
PS3620.H785A48 2009
813′.6—dc22 2009014054
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
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