Will Self describes his childhood as if it were a typical monotonous, suburban upbringing. With two intellectual parents, he spent his early life reading science fiction and "The Canon", which bored him. It seems as if almost everything bored him. The only thing that enticed him were the novels of J.G Ballard and Philip K. Dick.  Following his parents separation, Self turned to self-harm and drug use to cope with his depression. After being addicted to heroin, he is now living sober as an Oxford graduate.

I believe that this "bored of everything" mentality shines through his writing style in Cock and Bull. Sequentially, the main character, Carol, is bored of her relationship with her husband, and their sex life. She resorts to compulsive masturbation to deal with these issues. It's almost as if Self reacts only to extremes (pleasure, euphoria, pain). Either by cutting himself or using harsh drugs, his personal life and actions mirror the actions of Carol in the sense that they are both constantly seeking the most intense emotions and sensations attainable.