Beyond the Book: Background information when reading Kockroach

Beyond the Book

This article relates to Kockroach

Tyler Knox is the pseudonym of former Philadelphia lawyer William Lashner, known for his Victor Carl legal thriller series. Lashner decided to write under a new name not for the purposes of "rebranding or putting one over my readers ..... but purely for the freedom of doing something completely new." On Sarah Weinman's website he explains that he loves writing crime fiction and, within the requirements of the genre, can write about pretty much what he wants but that he has to admit to a secret vice - he's always wanted to write "small existential novels!" He adores both Kafka and Kerouac and had an urge to write something completely different than crime novels.


Facts you'd rather not know about cockroaches

• The world's largest roaches are about 4 inches long and apparently make good low-maintenance pets (but not in my house).
• There are over 3,500 species of cockroaches worldwide.
• Cockroaches will eat anything - left-over human food, wood, leather, cigarette butts, coffee grinds, soap, feces, fabric, shoes, paint, the glue on the back of wallpaper, human hair, fingernails, etc.
• Cockroaches have been on earth a long time - about 280 million years!
• A cockroach can live a week without its head. The roach only dies because without a mouth, it can't drink water and dies of thirst.
• Apparently, crushed cockroaches relieve the pain of an open wound. If anyone wishes to test and confirm this, please let us know.
• More fascinating cockroach facts!

Useful link: Read Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis.

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This "beyond the book article" relates to Kockroach. It originally ran in February 2007 and has been updated for the March 2008 paperback edition. Go to magazine.

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