Books

Self-portrait of the author taking a mirror selfie in a gym, wearing a white cap, black tank top, and light hoodie draped around the neck.

Book Catalog

Every Back-From-The-Edge story, in order, with links, notes, and heat warnings.

Cover of the novel "Mr. and Mrs. Red" by Ben Mervil, showing a couple in white formalwear wearing red masks, holding hands.

Cover of the novel "In Memory Of Us" by Ben Mervil, depicting a couple seated at a table at dusk with a city skyline in the background.

Cover of the novel "Chopped and Screwed" by Ben Mervil, showing a couple walking hand-in-hand into a foggy forest under purple smoke.

About

Where To Start Reading

Start here

New to this world or coming back for more, this guide maps the neighborhoods, timelines, and trigger-heavy chapters so you can dive into the grit, skip the spoilers, and follow each character’s rise—or fall—without getting lost.

An intricate corkboard fills the frame, mounted on a cracked brick wall: interconnected index cards, torn notebook pages, subway maps, and photocopied building blueprints pinned with colorful pushpins and connected by red cotton string. Each snippet of text is partially legible—street names, times, cryptic phrases—hinting at intersecting urban lives. A single bare bulb hangs above, casting dramatic, directional light that creates deep shadows and intense highlights, giving the scene a noir-like tension. Dust particles are visible in the beam, adding texture. Photographic realism, shot straight-on with sharp focus across the entire board, the composition feels meticulously organized yet chaotic, embodying the sophisticated complexity and layered plotting of urban fiction narratives.

“These stories feel raw, tense, unfiltered, unapologetic and beautifully written.”

— Yvon