The Weird and Wonderful Will Self Quiz

Answer: Behind his knee

In the man's story ("Bull"), the unusual growth appears behind his knee, but he is told by his doctor that it is a regular wound. The doctor later comes to his home and makes questionable advances.
The woman's story ("Cock") finds her using her newly grown appendage to abuse her husband.
An early publication for Self, "Cock and Bull" set the tone for much of his work, creating absurd and bizarre scenarios and setting them in a bleak realist world. It also features elements of violence and sexuality which come up frequently in Self's writing.

Answer: The Fat Controller

Mr. Broadhurst is an ominous character who visits the caravan park owned by Ian's mother. He is nicknamed Fat Controller, probably because of his large size and his influence over Ian's development.
"My Idea of Fun" grows into a surreal and nightmarish journey as the Fat Controller teaches Ian to use his mind to travel to imaginary lands of amorality and depravity.

Answer: Grey Area

Grey Area is Self's second collection of short stories and, although they are unrelated, the stories share themes of postmodern absurdity mixed with satirical realism. The title "Grey Area" comes from the title of one of the stories, which is about an office worker who is unsettled by the ominous monotony of his world.

Answer: Chimpanzees

"Great Apes" follows a London artist called Simon who, after a night of drug use, wakes to find the world being run by chimpanzees (although it is otherwise the same as before). Simon must deal with the new chimp world whilst a doctor (who is, of course, a chimp) tries to convince him that he is an ape, not a human.

Answer: Conversations with Ord

"Conversations with Ord" is a short story by Self about two men pretending to be other people and having a conversation. It did not appear in "Tough, Tough Toys..." but was published in Self's 2004 short story collection called "Dr. Mukti and Other Tales of Woe".
The other three answers all appear in "Tough, Tough Toys..."
"The Rock of Crack as big as the Ritz" is about two boys who discover a huge amount of crack cocaine and begin drug dealing.
"The Nonce Prize" followss one of the boys from "The Rock of Crack..." as he is framed for child abuse sent to prison.
"A Story for Europe" is about a young child who speaks what seems to be giberish while, at the same time, a German man suffers a psychological breakdown.

Answer: True

"How the Dead Live" is written in the true Will Self style of grounding the fantastic in the terribly humdrum. After her death, Lily does indeed take a taxi to her new home in Dulston, North London. Here she attends her twelve-step Personally Dead meetings and learns how to live as a dead person.

Answer: The Picture of Dorian Gray

Self's reworking, titled "Dorian, an Imitation" updates the story of Oscar Wilde's classic "The Picture of Dorian Gray" to the late 20th century. Self's version maintains much of the original story and even the character's names.
In the modern version, however, Dorian's essence is captured in an artistic video installation. As the AIDS virus plagues those around him, Dorian remains in peak condition despite his hedonistic life.
"Pride and Prejudice" is a classic 1813 novel by Jane Austen. It was reworked by Helen Fielding in 1993 to create "Bridget Jones's Diary".
"Frankenstein" is a classic 1818 horror story by Mary Shelley. It was used as the basis for Laurie Sheck's "A Monster's Notes" in 2009.
"Moby-Dick" is a classic 1851 book by Herman Melville. It was parodied by China Miéville in his 2012 book "Railsea".

Answer: A great flood

In the novel, a taxi driver called Dave writes a book made up of tirades regarding women and single fatherhood. Over half a century later, the book is discovered and becomes the foundation for a new religion in London, where the inhabitants are survivors of a great flood.

Answer: A cigarette butt

The satirical story in "The Butt" sees Tom holidaying in an unnamed country. While finishing his final cigarette (he intends to quit smoking), he throws the cigarette butt from his balcony. The butt burns another man and Tom is charged with assault, despite his attempts to be civil.
From here, Tom is led across the strange country and is forced to deal with a range of varied and bizarre laws, rituals and general bureaucratic tedium.

Answer: Hollywood

"Walking to Hollywood" is a triptych of stories that blend Will Self's travels to the USA (and indeed, to Hollywood) with surreal and philosophical tales to create a unique book from which it is impossible to separate truth and fiction.
Self himself has described the book as "a cross between a comical farce and an intense misery memoir".