The Complete Down and Out in Seattle and Tacoma Series

Sleeping in the Daytime, Novella One: Courting Mediocrity, Novella Two: Squatting in the Shadow of an Ant, Novella Three

De: Christopher Stockwell

Narrado por: Nick Paras

Jack was never “right,” but that’s a lot of what made him magnetic to other people.

When he was younger, he was that guy that girls wanted to be around.

People were drawn in by him, even later on when there wasn’t much of him left.

I never understood that. He never really put a lot of energy into grooming and maintaining relationships with people.

I guess when you see someone that is content spending their time alone, it creates a vacuum and people flood in like water choking a storm drain.

Even as his deterioration became apparent, people threw him lifelines. The tragedy of Jack was that he always seemed so close to salvageable. If you loved him, and I did, you could never stop trying to pull him back into the lifeboat, but you just couldn’t. He was always just out of reach. It would have been easier to cut him loose if he was just an obvious lost cause. The fact that the world left him behind is no reason to ignore his existence. It’s the opposite. The fact that the world left him behind is the reason someone needs to tell his story.

Transgressive author Christopher J. Stockwell's absurdist and satirical take on transgressive fiction goes beyond the confined by norms paradigm and into the gutter.

Charles Bukowski’s L.A. is an alcohol-induced blackout. Irvine Welsh’s Scotland is a blue-faced overdose. Christopher Stockwell’s Seattle is a medically-prescribed nightmare. The down and out series takes you there and shows you the view you can only get from the gutter. Enjoy.

©2023, 2024 Christopher J. Stockwell (P)2025 Christopher J. Stockwell

love loss struggles

Jack’s journey is a paradox—he’s both a tragic figure and someone who remains oddly alluring despite his flaws. Stockwell’s exploration of Jack’s life is raw, absurd, and often satirical, offering readers an unflinching look at the darker side of humanity. Through the lens of Jack’s relationships, the series addresses the difficulty of reconciling love with self-destruction and the toll it takes on those who care deeply for someone who is just out of reach.

Great Exploration of Love

What makes this book truly stand out is its honest and unflinching portrayal of love and helplessness. It’s a painful yet necessary reminder of the people society often overlooks—the ones who drift further away no matter how many lifelines are thrown their way.

Raw and absurdist gutter view

This collection offers a truly unique and unflinching look at life on the margins. I found most compelling was the author's raw and honest portrayal of Jack, a character who is deeply flawed yet strangely magnetic. I would recommend this series to readers who enjoy gritty, character-driven fiction and aren't afraid of exploring the darker sides of life.

Honest and compelling

This series really pulled me in. The writing feels real. sometimes messy, sometimes funny, but always honest. Jack isn’t your typical main character, but that’s what makes the story so interesting. It explores how people connect (or don’t), and what it means to care about someone who’s slipping away. It’s not flashy or overly dramatic, just a thoughtful, well-written look at someone on the edges. I’m glad it’s a series. I wasn’t ready to let go after the first novella.

See life from the sensibilities of an addict

The author tells the adult stories of Jack, an addict and a person who never is quite a lost cause and is never quite moral.
It is a frank and honest accounting of a fascinating individual and his surroundings.
Well-written, snappy, but you have to be the right audience.

haunting story

It’s the kind of book that burrows under your skin and won’t leave—dirty and gritty and painfully honest. Jack’s not a hero or even a human being you get to know, but you feel him, and that’s why the book hits so hard. Stockwell writes with the same motion he might to draw a burning cigarette along a page—sharp and smoky and never ever going in to be pretty. It’s not a redemption story; it’s nearer to witnessing a person slip away just beyond your reach, and you keep hoping anyway. If you're a reader who likes Bukowski or Welsh, this one doesn’t tip its hat in that direction—it goes headfirst and never resurfaces to take a breath.

time traveling material!

Listened from the hospital—this one pulled me into the gutter in the best way. I did live in Seattle for a while,so it totally made me go back to 2016! Raw, absurd, kinda hilarious, kinda heartbreaking. Jack’s slow unraveling felt too real sometimes. Loved the weirdness but not all the chaos hit right for me. Still, it sticks with you. Good to get distracted from reality.

Intoxicating as it is unforgiving

This raw and unflinching storytelling captures the haunting beauty of lost souls, pulling readers into a world that is both tragic and irresistibly compelling. It is a brutal but darkly poetic journey through the fringes of society, written with the kind of honesty that makes you uncomfortable—but unable to look away. The book is a fearless exploration of human fragility, addiction, and the thin line between survival and oblivion—an unforgettable read for fans of transgressive fiction.

A haunting and real story of struggle.

This series takes you into Jack’s world, where he’s both magnetic and broken. This shows how people try to save him, even though he doesn’t want to be saved. Stockwell’s raw and darkly funny writing makes this a unique read. It’s not just about one person—it’s about the people around him, and their struggle to understand him. If you like stories that push boundaries, this one’s worth it.

An interesting history of an "outcast"

I really enjoyed listening to this book. The story is very different from other stories because we learn about an atypical character in a story but a real one in real life. I enjoyed learning more about the point of view of a loner and the attraction that people can feel. It explores the psychological aspect of human beings which makes the book really interesting.