Adult colouring-in books have been hailed as part of the trend for all things mindful, a hobby to help us relax and de-stress. But an unlikely new addition to the genre from Fight Club author Chuck Palahniuk – the writer has recounted making audience members faint after reading from a particularly disturbing short story – is unlikely to pour oil on any troubled waters out there.

Out this autumn, Palahniuk’s Bait, subtitled Off-Colour stories for You to Colour, is both the author’s first colouring book for adults, and his second short-story collection. Containing eight tales, which publisher Dark Horse said were “provocative and not for the faint of heart”, Bait includes a story about a passenger on the Titanic “who finds a surgical solution to the obstacle of ‘women and children first’”, and one about a Hollywood star “whose fading brand faces a viral (and scatological) internet campaign”.

‘Maybe we can create something that endures’ ... A page from Chuck Palahniuk’s Bait. Photograph: Dark Horse

His new book, which is out on 25 October, will also feature almost 50 pieces of “colourable original art” by comic-book artists including Lee Bermejo, Duncan Fegredo and Joëlle Jones. “Maybe between your colours, the artists’ designs, and my stories we can create something that endures. Something worth keeping,” said Palahniuk. “Let’s create a well-bound book that can sit on any shelf and be available for a new generation to discover and enjoy.”

Palahniuk has also co-written the screenplay for a film adaptation of his novel Lullaby, a project that has raised more than $333,000 (£235,000) on Kickstarter with a few days left to run. Later this month, Palahniuk will publish his comics debut, Fight Club 2, also with Dark Horse. Illustrated by Cameron Stewart, the sequel to his bestselling novel Fight Club continues the adventures of Tyler Durden, and was originally published as a 10-issue series.

Bait will follow The Kama Sutra Colouring Book, out from Unicorn Press in September, and a series of colouring-in books focusing on swear words – from the bestselling Release Your Anger, which features 40 swear words to “colour your anger away”, to Sit the F*ck Down and Colour, which promises that “some of the words you’ll be giggling over are: As*hole, D*ckhead, Jackas*, Shrimpd*ck and C*ckknocker”.

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The books are a far cry from the colouring-in titles that have topped book charts to date, which include The Mindfulness Colouring Book, pitched as “anti-stress art therapy for busy people”, and Millie Marotta’s Animal Kingdom, which is described as “a book to be treasured by anyone who wants to enjoy the creative process or those looking for a relaxing and mindful activity”.