The Call of the Weird: Travels in American Subcultures

This is a very readable book - I just polished it off in a couple of sittings during the day.

Those who know Louis Theroux will know exactly what to expect. Those who don't, research is easy - look for Louis Theroux Call of the Weird and pick out a few episodes of his BBC television series. You will know soon enough whether is your thing or not. His journalism is quite unique in its approach...

In this book, Theroux packs up his house in the UK and heads to the USA. There he plans on living for a year, contacting and re-visiting a number of his previous interviewees, to catch up with them after a number of years - to see where they have ended up, and writing this book.

For me, some of the people featured are pretty memorable. There is no doubt he has an ability to find entertaining, unusual but communicative, non-mainstream people. Yes, most of them are certainly society's fringe dwellers...

His revisits are:
Thor Templar - self proclaimed Lord Commander of the Earth protectorate - an alien resistance movement he set up to protect people from aliens.
JJ Michaels - male pornstar.
Ike Turner (yes the Ike Turner of Ike & Tina).
Mike Cain - one of a sect of self-styled freedom fighters - part of a Patriot Community in Idaho who don't pay taxes or recognise the government.
Hayley - Nevada prostitute.
Jerry Gruidl - a ‘reverend' in the Aryan Nations.
Mello T - Pimp and rapper (even though he sounds like a herbal tea).
Oscody - Former ‘Heavens Gate' cult member.
Marshall Sylver - Get rich quick shyster (“attend my seminars...”)
April, Lamb & Lynx - Mother and daughters - April being active in the National Alliance, and her daughters being a band called Prussian Blue, a white power folk band.

Having said that, not all of these people are still in the same line of work (so to put it), infact, only a few are follow the same path as Theroux's last meeting.

I won't spoil the comedy by spilling the beans. Good quick read if you want a laugh at, or to be scared by Americas more marginal subcultures!
4 stars.