, ▁appearing ▁in ▁the ▁short ▁story ▁collections ▁The ▁Quant ity ▁Theory ▁of ▁Ins an ity , ▁Grey ▁Area ▁and ▁Dr . ▁Mu kt i ▁and ▁Other ▁T ales ▁of ▁W oe , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁in ▁the ▁nov els ▁Great ▁A pes , ▁The ▁Book ▁of ▁Dave , ▁Um bre lla ▁and ▁Sh ark . ▁Bus ner ▁is ▁a ▁psych iat rist ▁and ▁ps y cho anal yst ▁pract ising ▁in ▁London , ▁and ▁is ▁pr one ▁to ▁self - prom otion ▁at ▁the ▁exp ense ▁of ▁his ▁patients . ▁He ▁is ▁often ▁the ▁ant agon ist ▁of ▁the ▁stories ▁he ▁appears ▁in , ▁although ▁not ▁always ▁with ▁villa in ous ▁intent . ▁ ▁Among ▁Self ' s ▁adm ir ers ▁was ▁the ▁American ▁critic ▁Harold ▁Blo om . ▁Journal ist ▁Stuart ▁Ma con ie ▁has ▁described ▁him ▁as ▁" that ▁r ar ity ▁in ▁modern ▁cultural ▁life , ▁a ▁genu ine ▁intellectual ▁with ▁a ▁b rac ing ▁command ▁of ▁words ▁and ▁ideas ▁who ▁is ▁also ▁d roll , ▁like able ▁and ▁cult ur ally ▁sav vy ." ▁ ▁Political ▁views ▁In ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 5 ▁UK ▁general ▁election ▁Self ▁voted ▁Labour ▁in ▁a ▁general ▁election ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁since ▁ 1 9 9 7 . ▁In ▁May ▁ 2 0 1 5 , ▁he ▁wrote ▁in ▁The ▁Guardian : ▁" No , ▁I ' m ▁no ▁longer ▁a ▁social ist ▁if ▁to ▁be ▁one ▁is ▁to ▁believe ▁that ▁a ▁social ist ▁u top ia ▁is ▁att ain able ▁by