| Author | Joey Batey |
|---|---|
Publication date | October 23, 2025 |
| ISBN | 9781526676818 |
It's Not A Cult is an adult horror fiction novel by Joey Batey. It was published October 23rd, 2025 by the publisher Raven Books, an imprint of Bloomsbury. [1] This is Batey's debut novel, though he has said he has been writing for about seventeen years. [2]
The story follows the characters Callum, Melusine, and Al. The three of them are in a band with no name that hasn't reached more than 97 subscribers in several years. Their band features tales about gods, or Solkats, who represent the minute things in life.
Currently, the audiobook can only be purchased within the UK, but the physical book is available worldwide. The Broken Binding is selling a special edition copy, which are signed and have painted edges of the Solkats. [3]
The three main characters in It's Not A Cult bring the spirit of the band together. While their music is described as amateurish at times, Mel, Callum, and Al are so involved in their art and the creation of the Solkat stories to give up trying.
Callum began the stories of the Solkats when he was still in art school. Eventually he found that music was the best way to tell these stories, and without Mel, the stories probably wouldn't have been told at all. When Al eventually joins the band, they begin to grow an online presence because of his help with recording their performances.
There are twenty-four Solkats in total. [4]
| Photo | Name | Title |
|---|---|---|
| Hadaway | Solkat of rust and texts at three in the morning | |
| Fast | Solkat of cold calls and blighted crops | |
| Canny | Solkat of betting shops and unheard jokes | |
| Marra | The Companion, holder of hands and pints | |
| Whisht | Solkat of red wine stains and noise | |
| Skinchies | The Luck Monger, Solkat of bus stop fights and fear | |
| Belter | Wielder of the Thyrsus, Solkat of neon wristbands and punishment | |
| Radge | The Cripple, Solkat of masks and mortar | |
| Yem | The Mother, Solkat of empty beds | |
| Hackies | Solkat of breath, side-eyes and nightmares | |