Son of Satan by Steve Rascon
Steve is one lucky sonofabitch. Despite working a string of low-paying, low-man-on-the-totem-pole temp and retail jobs, his charm and natural good looks are a magnet for high-quality women. Jet-setting execs; bored, horny trophy wives; cute, perky college girls; exotic foreign nationals — it’s a never-ending “all you can eat” buffet of blondes, brunettes and redheads with every ethnicity thrown in for good measure. There’s only one problem: Steve is looking for his ideal woman; he wants to marry and have a family, the bigger the better. And none of these women, no matter how ideal, pan out in the end.
A Deal With the Devil
Son of Satan by Steve Rascon is a genre-bending blend of erotica and divine (and not-so-divine) intervention in an autobiographical format. Steve marks the passage of time through his life in the ’90s via a catalog of girlfriends, lovers and one-night stands, complete with when and how he met them, what they wore, where they went and what they did on their dates and, most especially, their lovemaking, much of which results in progeny. At first, that’s all this story seems to be about. But by page 89, we learn it’s not.
You see, there’s a reason Steve is so successful with women. There’s a reason why he is so virile as to father a small army of children, none of whom he is required to support, miraculously. It has to do with a little deal he made with Satan at age 14. Steve would become Satan’s apprentice and soldier against God and His agents, angelic and otherwise. In return, Satan would take Steve under his protection and give him all the women he desires and progeny aplenty. He promises Steve status, wealth, a wife and family, a happily-ever-after.
But as with most deals with the Devil, there’s always a catch, and in this case, a bait and switch. Steve’s incredible good fortune is about to run out.
Sex, Divine Intervention, Assassination: Is It a Memoir? Or Something Else?
Throughout the book, the reader must struggle with the book’s subtitle: A Memoir. So much of what happens beggars belief. Nearly every lovemaking episode goes for extra innings far into the wee hours, and nearly every lover is a flawless Alpha woman. There is a pattern in Steve’s lovemaking involving stilettos, mirrors, copious oral sex, multiple and simultaneous orgasms, superhuman stamina and inexhaustible libido. Steve fathers so many children without repercussions or responsibility that we begin to question what’s really going on. Is it divine intervention or just plain luck? And that’s before we get to the telepathic connection with his ex-girlfriend, Jennifer. Or the bizarre torture and assassination of angels within a “labyrinth” of Steve’s mind, seemingly out of character with his loving and generous nature. Never mind the even more horrific retribution to come.
So what is Son of Satan? A true story, as unlikely as it seems? A novelized autobiography whose hero is an idealized alter-ego? Or, it may be argued, a work of fiction with an unreliable narrator in the vein of Patrick Bateman, Bret Easton Ellis’s protagonist in American Psycho?
A Story Uniquely Its Own
Whether it’s fiction, memoir, or something in between, Son of Satan grapples with the question of how to turn an ideal mate into a committed partner. Our protagonist very much enjoys courting his various “candidates,” fantasizing about what married life would be like with them, and even falls in love a few times, only to get his heart broken and ego bruised over and over. And yet Steve maintains a sort of optimism, resilience and naivete that belies his experience with life, never mind women.
But his behavior puts him in a position to ultimately fail at his goals. The women he chooses are ideal in physical appearance and chemistry, yet their intentions are less than ideal. Some want a bit of fun; others want a baby. Some are married; others aren’t ready for commitment. And on and on. He is a pawn — not only of these women’s desires but of Satan himself. It’s a titillating and sometimes strange tale but also a cautionary one. Son of Satan is not for prudish, literal-minded readers but for those sophisticated enough to recognize and appreciate the story behind the story — one that lifts it out of straightforward erotica into something uniquely its own.
About Steve Rascon:
Steve Rascon was born in Oakland, California in 1967 and grew up in Orange County, California. He attended public schools and enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1988 during which time he was a Corporal with G. Company, 2nd Battalion 8th Marine Regiment. Steve was stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina and he deployed to several countries in Europe, the Middle East, Central America, and the Caribbean. He completed his Active Duty in 1992 and he graduated from Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, California in 1998. He gets his writing ideas from personal experiences as well as his study of religion and philosophy, plus his lifelong study of history. He is an avid athlete and currently resides in Southern California.
