Meantime (2022)

Interesting facts

Meantime is a 2022 crime fiction novel by the Scottish comedian Frankie Boyle. The story follows drug addict Felix McAveety's unfocused investigation into his friend Marina's death. It is set in Glasgow, Scotland, shortly after the 2014 independence referendum. Felix is aided by the crime fiction writer Jane, the left-wing activist Amy and his depressed neighbour Donnie. They meet Chong, who seems to believe reality is simulated, and find signs that British Intelligence are involved in Marina's death.

Background

Frankie Boyle is a Scottish comedian, aged 49 at the time of the book's release. Meantime was Boyle's first fiction book, though he had previously authored four non-fiction works: the autobiography My Shit Life So Far (2009); a collection of his columns from The Sun titled Work! Consume! Die! (2011); a political comedy book, Scotland's Jesus (2013); and a political essay, The Future of British Politics (2020).

Crime writer James Ellroy was one of Boyle's favourite authors and Boyle had been a longstanding reader of the genre. Boyle experimented writing with a narrative voice, not initially planning to write a book, and discovered interest in a detective character. Not constrained to rely on the book for income, Boyle tried to recreate styles that he enjoyed reading.

Boyle said at the Edinburgh Book Festival in 2022: "I would much rather, if I could, segue into writing novels and just stay in the house and not travel so much". He said of writing, in comparison to stand-up comedy, that "you don't have to go and sell it to people". However, he said that writing fiction was "equally difficult", and believed it was a myth that celebrities can automatically get their books published.

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