Thrift Store Puzzles, by John Boden
A young boy who tends to keep to himself, by the name of Elijah, befriends an older man through his caregiver Tierny. The older man, Ken, is a once acclaimed horror writer who is now losing pieces of himself, and fears of losing more. Ken claims that he is much older than he looks, but how is that possible? And if so, it’s no wonder his mind can’t keep up with the longevity.
When mysterious murders abound through the town, the friends work together to try and unravel what could be happening. Will Ken be able to point them in the right direction? Or will Elijah come face to face with an entity even he won’t know what to do with?
This is a nice little novella. Sometimes heartwarming, sometimes heartbreaking, and sometimes a mix of mystery and horror. A quick weekend read that will entertain throughout. I’ll give this one a B+.
Superghost, by Scott Cole
Thousands have lost limbs, whether it be by crazy happenstance, tragedy, war, car accident, or any number of other factors. Those who have lost a limb claim to be able to still feel them to a degree, and almost think they can still use them. It can drive folks crazy, but what if there was a way to end it all? What if there was a way to sever the connection?
One doctor thinks they have found a “cure” to the madness. A way to end the relationship so the afflicted no longer have to deal with the phantom limb. But what if that doctor also had a sinister side reason for what he is doing? Can anyone stop his madness?
In this novella, you’ll find some horror along with bizarro fiction. This is Scott’s first book and was part of the New Bizarro Author Series back in the day. I have gotten away from bizarro for a long time (frankly, I was burnt out), but I still have some unread left on my shelves. I’m glad I checked it out, this is a fun read. I’ll give this one a B+.
The Etiquette of Booby Traps, by John Boden
This book is filled with different styles of short stories as well as flash fiction. Stories that sometimes are fun, sometimes are emotional, and sometimes just a tad bit weird. A good selection to sit down for a weekend with and ponder your way through, to try and understand a little more of how John’s brain works.
If you’re looking for a good selection that will allow you to dip your toes in with John’s style of writing, I would recommend this to you. It’s definitely got some shining stars within. A few stories I thought were a little too quick and didn’t ramp up to allow me to feel satisfied and immersed in the end, but that’s my own personal preference. Overall I’d give this one a B.
Slices, by Scott Cole
Another book that is a blend of different short stories as well as flash fiction. Scott’s approach is definitely leaning more towards the bizarro and wacky/out there themes in this one (as the subtitle of the book clearly points out as ‘Tales of Bizarro and Absurdist Horror’.
I really enjoyed these stories. They’re fun, quirky, and just enough out there to make you enjoy it, but if you aren’t crazy into bizarro, you will still appreciate what Scott is going for and find yourself entranced with the different plots he came up with.
Overall I’d give this one an A. It’s a good “dipping your toe in” point for bizarro in my opinion.
The First One You Expect, by Adam Cesare
Tony is an amateur horror filmmaker who loves what he does. He may have a boring day job, but it gives him the time to follow his true passion in making his films. When a new coworker is hired and shows a quick interest in his work, he is more than happy to show her more of his films and how he does it, despite his best friend Burt’s reservations.
But what happens when Anna wants to take it a step further and become part of the project. How far will she go to make sure their newest Kickstarter gets the revenue they hope to receive in order to make the next big flick? Even Tony isn’t sure, but he’s about to find out, in the most brutal way possible.
This was a quick novella and a fun read. I’ve always been a fan of Adam’s books; they have a nice flow, amusing characters, and don’t mess around. I’d give this one a B+.
Right to Life, by Jack Ketchum
Sara is dropped off at an abortion clinic, but before she can even get inside, she is kidnapped by a crazy pair who want her to bear the child. They are part of an Organization that wants to enslave her, keep her in a box, and make sure she comes to term. Will Sara be able to find a way out before it’s too late?
I’ll start off by saying this: I love Jack Ketchum’s books. Off Season/Offspring? Wonderful. Joyride? Delightful. The Girl Next Door? Gritty and brutal. Cover, Red, The Lost, The Secret Life of Souls, I’m Not Sam, all great books. This novella though? I’m sorry to say, I didn’t like it one bit. The premise, albeit one that could very well happen in today’s times, dives way too far into ridiculous drawn out torture porn for 135 pages. The lead up to the ending makes you go, really, come on now. Characters were dull and uninviting. The plot drug on like the boring middle 300 pages of a Stephen King novel. You might ask me, How can you talk down on this when The Girl Next Door was what it was? Well, that was nerve wrenching, raise your blood pressure brutal, and this was just… bad in my opinion. Sorry to say, this one gets an F from me, which I never thought I’d ever rate a Ketchum book.
Toilet Baby, by Shane McKenzie
Grady, in a fit of self-passion, whacks off into his lowly toilet, unbeknownst to him it is an actual entity. What Grady thinks is an innocent flush away of his silky soldiers, turns out to be a path to impregnating the porcelain being, and before he knows it his life is turned upside down and he becomes a father.
He soon finds out that he’s not alone in the commode fertilization world, and must decide whether to continue on this life path, or divert and leave his new toilet baby behind. All he knows is that if he stays the course, it’s really going to suck.
Shane. Shane…Shane…goddamn Shane. It truly takes someone who writes whacked out material to come up with something like this. It’s definitely a Shane McKenzie book, and definitely a bizarro book as it came out through Eraserhead, so if you choose to pick this one up, know what you’re in for. I’ve known Shane a long time and love his books, but this one didn’t flow how I would have hoped, and was just a little too nutty even for me. I’d have to give this one a C+.
Squid Pulp Blues, by Jordan Krall
In the town of Thompson, New Jersey, everything seems like any other place around. It’s not until you dig a little deeper that you find the seedy underbelly, filled with bizarre crimes, weird hotels, diaper-wearing gangsters, bad drugs, an apocalypse donkey, and an absurd amount of squid.
This and more is what you will find in this book, which has three shared-universe novellas. They are entertaining at times, but at other times seem to be lacking in the narrative. Definitely a book of bizarro tales that will keep you fairly amused by the wackiness that ensues.
Overall I would have given this a C, but I’m going to be honest, the copy-editing is atrocious, so I’m giving it a D, and hope that since this book was published in 2008, it has had a new editor look through it.
Written by Kyle Lybeck
A young boy who tends to keep to himself, by the name of Elijah, befriends an older man through his caregiver Tierny. The older man, Ken, is a once acclaimed horror writer who is now losing pieces of himself, and fears of losing more. Ken claims that he is much older than he looks, but how is that possible? And if so, it’s no wonder his mind can’t keep up with the longevity.
When mysterious murders abound through the town, the friends work together to try and unravel what could be happening. Will Ken be able to point them in the right direction? Or will Elijah come face to face with an entity even he won’t know what to do with?
This is a nice little novella. Sometimes heartwarming, sometimes heartbreaking, and sometimes a mix of mystery and horror. A quick weekend read that will entertain throughout. I’ll give this one a B+.
Superghost, by Scott Cole
Thousands have lost limbs, whether it be by crazy happenstance, tragedy, war, car accident, or any number of other factors. Those who have lost a limb claim to be able to still feel them to a degree, and almost think they can still use them. It can drive folks crazy, but what if there was a way to end it all? What if there was a way to sever the connection?
One doctor thinks they have found a “cure” to the madness. A way to end the relationship so the afflicted no longer have to deal with the phantom limb. But what if that doctor also had a sinister side reason for what he is doing? Can anyone stop his madness?
In this novella, you’ll find some horror along with bizarro fiction. This is Scott’s first book and was part of the New Bizarro Author Series back in the day. I have gotten away from bizarro for a long time (frankly, I was burnt out), but I still have some unread left on my shelves. I’m glad I checked it out, this is a fun read. I’ll give this one a B+.
The Etiquette of Booby Traps, by John Boden
This book is filled with different styles of short stories as well as flash fiction. Stories that sometimes are fun, sometimes are emotional, and sometimes just a tad bit weird. A good selection to sit down for a weekend with and ponder your way through, to try and understand a little more of how John’s brain works.
If you’re looking for a good selection that will allow you to dip your toes in with John’s style of writing, I would recommend this to you. It’s definitely got some shining stars within. A few stories I thought were a little too quick and didn’t ramp up to allow me to feel satisfied and immersed in the end, but that’s my own personal preference. Overall I’d give this one a B.
Slices, by Scott Cole
Another book that is a blend of different short stories as well as flash fiction. Scott’s approach is definitely leaning more towards the bizarro and wacky/out there themes in this one (as the subtitle of the book clearly points out as ‘Tales of Bizarro and Absurdist Horror’.
I really enjoyed these stories. They’re fun, quirky, and just enough out there to make you enjoy it, but if you aren’t crazy into bizarro, you will still appreciate what Scott is going for and find yourself entranced with the different plots he came up with.
Overall I’d give this one an A. It’s a good “dipping your toe in” point for bizarro in my opinion.
The First One You Expect, by Adam Cesare
Tony is an amateur horror filmmaker who loves what he does. He may have a boring day job, but it gives him the time to follow his true passion in making his films. When a new coworker is hired and shows a quick interest in his work, he is more than happy to show her more of his films and how he does it, despite his best friend Burt’s reservations.
But what happens when Anna wants to take it a step further and become part of the project. How far will she go to make sure their newest Kickstarter gets the revenue they hope to receive in order to make the next big flick? Even Tony isn’t sure, but he’s about to find out, in the most brutal way possible.
This was a quick novella and a fun read. I’ve always been a fan of Adam’s books; they have a nice flow, amusing characters, and don’t mess around. I’d give this one a B+.
Right to Life, by Jack Ketchum
Sara is dropped off at an abortion clinic, but before she can even get inside, she is kidnapped by a crazy pair who want her to bear the child. They are part of an Organization that wants to enslave her, keep her in a box, and make sure she comes to term. Will Sara be able to find a way out before it’s too late?
I’ll start off by saying this: I love Jack Ketchum’s books. Off Season/Offspring? Wonderful. Joyride? Delightful. The Girl Next Door? Gritty and brutal. Cover, Red, The Lost, The Secret Life of Souls, I’m Not Sam, all great books. This novella though? I’m sorry to say, I didn’t like it one bit. The premise, albeit one that could very well happen in today’s times, dives way too far into ridiculous drawn out torture porn for 135 pages. The lead up to the ending makes you go, really, come on now. Characters were dull and uninviting. The plot drug on like the boring middle 300 pages of a Stephen King novel. You might ask me, How can you talk down on this when The Girl Next Door was what it was? Well, that was nerve wrenching, raise your blood pressure brutal, and this was just… bad in my opinion. Sorry to say, this one gets an F from me, which I never thought I’d ever rate a Ketchum book.
Toilet Baby, by Shane McKenzie
Grady, in a fit of self-passion, whacks off into his lowly toilet, unbeknownst to him it is an actual entity. What Grady thinks is an innocent flush away of his silky soldiers, turns out to be a path to impregnating the porcelain being, and before he knows it his life is turned upside down and he becomes a father.
He soon finds out that he’s not alone in the commode fertilization world, and must decide whether to continue on this life path, or divert and leave his new toilet baby behind. All he knows is that if he stays the course, it’s really going to suck.
Shane. Shane…Shane…goddamn Shane. It truly takes someone who writes whacked out material to come up with something like this. It’s definitely a Shane McKenzie book, and definitely a bizarro book as it came out through Eraserhead, so if you choose to pick this one up, know what you’re in for. I’ve known Shane a long time and love his books, but this one didn’t flow how I would have hoped, and was just a little too nutty even for me. I’d have to give this one a C+.
Squid Pulp Blues, by Jordan Krall
In the town of Thompson, New Jersey, everything seems like any other place around. It’s not until you dig a little deeper that you find the seedy underbelly, filled with bizarre crimes, weird hotels, diaper-wearing gangsters, bad drugs, an apocalypse donkey, and an absurd amount of squid.
This and more is what you will find in this book, which has three shared-universe novellas. They are entertaining at times, but at other times seem to be lacking in the narrative. Definitely a book of bizarro tales that will keep you fairly amused by the wackiness that ensues.
Overall I would have given this a C, but I’m going to be honest, the copy-editing is atrocious, so I’m giving it a D, and hope that since this book was published in 2008, it has had a new editor look through it.
Written by Kyle Lybeck
The author does not allow comments to this entry
No comments