“Michael Stevens’ The Road To Interzone is not only the most comprehensive Burroughs bibliography ever attempted, it is written and compiled with precisely the self-deprecating humor and unremitting attention to detail demanded by the occassion. This highly entertaining, intelligently organized and vastly informative tome is pre-ordained by the religious fascination William S. Burroughs masterfully instilled in his readers. An absolutely necessary reference work for the world of letters, The Road To Interzone offers the added advantage of belletristic assassins expertly perched at each bend, sewage drain and rooftop- the perfect snippet of literary criticism here, the single-sentence aphorism that annihilates doubt there. Stevens’ magnificent work is certain to prove useful to scholars and lay readers for many generations to come. It possesses all earmarks of an obsessive perfectionist’s life work. Utterly indispensable.”
-David Woodard
Composer & author of Breed The Unmentioned.
“The Road To Interzone is a valuable piece of scholarly work which would prove of invaluable assistance to anyone interested in the work of William Seward Burroughs.
Books maketh the man (and woman) said somebody and they obviously had a massive impact on the imagination of Burroughs, shaping the direction his writing life took. An examination of his library and reading habits is sure to give any student of the man vital clues as to his inspirations and launching off points.”
-Kevin Ring
Beat Scene Magazine
"Michael Stevens' work is as close to pure research as can be obtained. He provides a unique view of a unique writer through the lens of words in other writers' books. All authors read, and their reading habits inform their own works. With the work of Micheal Stevens, we now have a much better idea of the topics Burroughs was interested in, the subjects that intrigued him, and the minutae of his personal library. It is a piece of scholarship that will enrich the study of Burroughs' life and work."
-Eric Shoaf
Author of Collecting William S. Burroughs in Print, and editor of
William S. Burroughs: Time Place Word.
“Often, scholars base their argument or lineage of ideas on very thin evidence, such as one mention of so-and-so book in one of the works. This sort of comprehensive survey gives much more overall view on the whole cultural environment that the author worked in. I don't know if this sort of effort has been made for other authors, but if it has, then it's about time it was done for WSB. And if it hasn't, then this sort of thing has the potential to open up a whole new world of research material (...) I think it's simply great.”
-Hiroo Yamagata
Author of Burroughs (the first comprehensive Japanese biography of William
Burroughs), as well as the chief translator of Burroughs’ work in Japanese.
He has also translated many other works of contemporary fiction into Japanese including The Brains of Rats by Michael Blumlein.
"Burroughs criticism in the 21st century is in the process of being shaped by material concerns. No longer are Burroughs's readers focused primarily on the legend of the "master" as wife-killing junkie expatriate-finally, the way that Burroughs went about producing his work has become as important as his mythos, and essentially to understanding it. In this crucial sense, Michael Stevens's The Road to Interzone offers an outstanding contribution to the newest work on Burroughs. His meticulously researched text stands as an absolutely invaluable accessory to a rich theoretical revival inaugurated by major critics in the field such as Timothy S. Murphy, Oliver Harris, and Jamie Russell."
-Davis Schneiderman
Co/author of Retaking The Universe: William S. Burroughs in the Age of Globalism.
Schneiderman is also Assistant Professor of English and Chair of American Studies at Lake Forest College in Chicago.
“Michael Stevens has created a new kind of biography out of love for William S. Burroughs and love of books. Author worship and bibliophilia become one at the point of obsession, which of course is the point where they become interesting. Burroughs’ reading was intense and far flung, and Stevens has sleuthed out a portrait of that reading--the books Burroughs lent his name to in the form of introductions and blurbs, the books in his various libraries, the books he refers to, the books that found their way into his writing, and much more! Along with lively notes from Stevens, we have Burroughs throughout--his opinions, percerptions, the ‘grain of his voice.’ That in itself makes Stevens’ book a noteable achievement. The Road to Interzone is a useful scholarly tool and a fascinating journey for anyone who loves contemporary literature.”
-Robert Gluck