“Self-employed verbal and pictorial artist” Alasdair Gray compels in a ruthless honesty while moving with a humanistic and humorous tone. Elements from pornography to sadomasochism are key in his unflinching vision. Endearing and repugnant images are imbued in his most celebrated novel Lanark (1981), which remains a great source of inspiration for many artists seeking fantasy and inspirational science-fiction elements. Gray extensively publishes on politics, in support of socialism and Scottish independence, and on the history of English literature.