Sequel to Grammy-nominated bestseller Underneath the Big Dark Sunlight, continuing the up-close and personal account of the L.A. punk picture

Picking up where Beneath the Big Dark Sun still left off, More Fun in the New World explores the years 1982 to 1987, within the dizzying pinnacle of L.A.’s punk rock movement as its celebrities took to the nationwide — and frequently worldwide — stage. Detailing the eventual splintering of punk into numerous sub-genres, the second volume of John about More Fun in the New Globe: The Unmaking and Legacy of L.A. Punk Doe and Tom DeSavia’s west coast punk background portrays the rich cultural diversity of the movement and its own heroes, the legacy from the scene, how it affected other artwork forms, and ultimately influenced mainstream pop culture. The book also pays tribute to numerous of the fallen troops of punk rock, the pioneers who left the world way too early but whose influence hasn’t faded.

As with Under the Big Dark Sun, the book features stories of triumph, failure, stardom, obsession, recovery, and loss as told by the people who were important in the scene, using a cohesive narrative from writers Doe and DeSavia. Along with many returning voices, More Fun in the brand new Globe weaves in the perspectives of musicians Henry Rollins, Fishbone, Billy Focus, Mike Ness, Jane Weidlin, Keith Morris, Dave Alvin, Louis Pérez, Charlotte Caffey, Peter Case, Chip Kinman, Maria McKee, and Jack Grisham, amongst others. And renowned musician/illustrator Shepard Fairey, filmmaker Allison Anders, professional Tim Robbins, and pro-skater Tony Hawk each contribute chapters on punk’s indelible influence on the artistic spirit.

In addition to tales of achievement, the book also offers a cautionary story of an art movement that directly inspired commercially diverse acts such as for example Green Day time, Rancid, Red Sizzling hot Chili Peppers, Wilco, and Neko Case. Listeners will find themselves rooting for the purists of punk juxtaposed with the MTV-dominating rock superstars of the time who flaunted a ‘blessed to get this done, it couldn’t be much easier’ attitude that continued to energy the flames of new music. More Fun in the New World follows the progression from the initial 10 years of L.A. punk, its bottom line, and its ethnic rebirth.

Read by John Doe and Tom Desavia, with Dave Alvin, Allison Anders, Charlotte Caffey, Peter Case, Shepard Fairey, Norwood Fisher, Pleasant Gehman, Terry Graham, Sid Griffin, Jack Grisham, Tony Hawk, Chip Kinman, Maria McKee, Angelo Moore, W.T. Morgan, Chris Morris, Keith Morris, Mike Ness, Louie Peréz, Tim Robbins, Henry Rollins, Jane Wiedlin, Annette Zilinskas, and Billy Focus

Cover Picture © Laura Levine