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Placenta of Love

by Spike Marlowe (Goodreads Author)

4.4 of 5 stars 4.40 · rating details · 35 ratings · 20 reviews

Planet-sized amusement parks, robo-pirates, and a sentient placenta Step right up Captain Carl the robo-pirate is one of the few Artificial Intelligences living on Venus-the amusement park planet. When Carl is given the spark of intelligence by his creator, he becomes a creator himself. No longer just an automaton from a pirate ride, Captain Carl creates the love of his li...more

Paperback, 96 pages

Published October 22nd 2011 by Eraserhead Press

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Apr 11, 2012 Annetta Ribken rated it 5 of 5 stars

I have been saving this read for a special time because I knew it would be special.

If I said to you here's a book about a pirate, artificial intelligence, a planet-sized amusement park, a placenta, and love, you would probably reply, "Netta, you so crazy!" And while that is most likely a very true statement, my description hardly does the book justice.

Placenta of Love is bizarre. It is also a lovely book. That might be a strange word to use, but it fits like a glove. It is a testament to the au...more

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Oct 27, 2012 Sheldon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: bizarro, science-fiction

Captain Carl is a Robo-pirate who develops and falls in love with an artificial intelligence that he has implanted into a placenta. This all takes place in an amusement park that covers the entire planet Venus. Don't worry. It's a lot to take in, and probably oversimplifies it a bit.

This is the basic plot behind Placenta of Love by Spike Marlowe, part of the 2011-2012 line in the New Bizarro Authors Series, which means that this is Marlowe's first published novel. Each chapter begins with the de...more Captain Carl is a Robo-pirate who develops and falls in love with an artificial intelligence that he has implanted into a placenta. This all takes place in an amusement park that covers the entire planet Venus. Don't worry. It's a lot to take in, and probably oversimplifies it a bit.

This is the basic plot behind Placenta of Love by Spike Marlowe, part of the 2011-2012 line in the New Bizarro Authors Series, which means that this is Marlowe's first published novel. Each chapter begins with the description of a particular attraction around the park and how it works. It's actually quite creative. It makes one wonder if the author may have been a Disney Imagineer in a previous incarnation.

The plot is decent. There's some odd characters to be had, but nothing that's really out of the realm of a bizarro novel. You have a Robo-cat that shows up and requests that Captain Carl gives it “spankies.” You have Pope Natzo Innocent of...okay, I'm not going into that because it would spoil the plot, and because this review would become an entire tome in and of itself were I to go into it.

It's actually an interesting exploration into the how a childlike A.I. would potentially learn about its surrounding, decide it doesn't want to do what it was designed to do, but then discovers that it may be necessary to address its true nature. In an amusement park. On the planet Venus. Well, it's certainly a better exploration of this than that God-awful movie “A.I. Artificial Intelligence” for which I still haven't forgiven Steven Spielberg and quite possibly never will.

The writing and the story line are good, if a bit far-fetched physically, which when dealing with a bizarro novel is saying something. My biggest complaint is probably the characters. Captain Carl and even Natzo Innocent are written well, with Carl as a developing and learning A.I., while Natzo is an experienced A.I. and has learned more about the ways of the world. But a lot of the other characters felt a little flat. Even Helen, Captain Carl's love interest and titular placenta, comes off a bit two-dimensional, only pushing the boundaries of a third-dimension and not quite taking shape. Still, strip out the bizarro elements and it's a classic, tragic love story. And I have to give the author credit for her creativity in actually thinking about how such an amusement park and each ride would work. That kind of attention to detail is surprising for a short novella, but helps bring the location to life.

Placenta of Love by Spike Marlowe earns 4 out of 5 glowing orange fingers.(less)

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Sep 10, 2012 Anita Dalton rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: bizarro, fiction, novella

You can read my entire discussion here.

Review snippet: "This next description was so marvelously horrible to me, just so creepy and magnificent.

He ran his hand across its surface. “So warm,” he whispered. “Warm and soft.” He breathed deeply, his eyes closed. “Raspberries. Like fresh raspberries.” He took off his pirate hat and ran his cheek along the placenta. He smiled; the same smile that had crossed his face when he’d read Helen’s first words

Holy crap. And I really wonder why this freaks me o...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jun 02, 2012 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: bizarro fans

I really didn't know what I was getting myself into when I first read the title of this book. Well, one never does quite know when you start reading this genre. But this book for me was fun. Ok, there are some disturbing things in here, like well, mostly the clothes...but other than that, it's all pretty normal. :)

We have a robo-pirate who is lonely, looking for someone to share his life with, when he comes across a placenta. It's love at first sight. The only problem? Placentas aren't very voca...more

3 likes · like · see review

May 13, 2012 Gabriel rated it 3 of 5 stars

For a long time, I just couldn't get into this book. There was too much going on and, as is true with some Bizarro, you need to be ready to get into the strange worlds.

I was too focused on what irked me. The [not quite "unnecessary", but certainly not essential] ride descriptions at the start of the chapters (starting at the second chapter). The breaks within chapters that were short already ...

Then I took a break from the book and read something else and got my head back where I could apprecia...more

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Nov 13, 2011 Jonathan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Holy crap... So I was directed to this book by a friend, and holy crap. Lately I have been trying to find a story that's different and new. This is fresh and awesome. I devoured it tonight, easy with a novella, but I couldn't stop. I will try not to give spoilers, but SPANKIES!!!! This will be a new phrase used for me:). The details are descriptive, the emotions are recognized, we really have all been in these emotional situations in some way. We all have a friend like Jiji, great for friendship...more

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Aug 07, 2012 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars

Placenta of Love is one I requested my local library buy and have on the shelf yay Dallas library you rock! I got to read it and while not all most bizarro any that I am familiar with anyway tends to be novella length so a pretty quick read. I am frequently amazed how much story can be packed into that novella length.

Spike takes the typical sweet love story and takes it on a head on collision with bizarro so while there is love it is between a sentient robot pirate and a placenta. Ahhh yes the m...more Placenta of Love is one I requested my local library buy and have on the shelf yay Dallas library you rock! I got to read it and while not all most bizarro any that I am familiar with anyway tends to be novella length so a pretty quick read. I am frequently amazed how much story can be packed into that novella length.

Spike takes the typical sweet love story and takes it on a head on collision with bizarro so while there is love it is between a sentient robot pirate and a placenta. Ahhh yes the magic of loooove. What you say a placenta can't love? Ha! Shows what you know see Captain Carl the robo-pirate was given artificial intelligence by his creator who in turn taught him how to create artificial intelligence sadly Carl embeds that braingina chip into a placenta and all hell breaks loose or in the case of Venusian life the giant lady part hits the merry go round. Ah yes did I not mention that Placenta of Love is set on Venus the biggest most giant amazing theme park in the universe? Well it is and it has a cotton candy atmosphere talk about a sugar high!

So here we are on Venus ( shut up it's birarro this shit is totally normal ) and Carl the robo pirate has made himself Helen his lady love or at least she's part lady I mean she is a placenta. So what is Helen's natural instinct as a placenta but to breed like a fucking bunny of course and breed she does holy crap does she ever. She starts consuming everything including rides and turning all she puts up in her business into lot's of little placenta. What is Captain Carl to do to stop his lady loves trail of destruction? Well with the help of the Pope of The Church of Transubstantial Birth Fear and a cat Jiji who loves spankies and really who doesn't in particular with Carl's orange dildo finger, they are sure to save the day. Surely .... hopefully ... they should, okay just read the book it's funny and I loved Jiji the spankies obsessed cat the best. I hope Spike writes another book featuring Jiji, perhaps Jiji in a different time and planet to get in on more spankies adventures. That would rock.(less)

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Nov 21, 2011 Dan Schwent rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: bizarro, 2011

On Venus, the amusement park planet, robot pirate Captain Carl is granted free will and creates another life, an AI named Helen that he loves. When he tries to give Helen a living body made from a huge placenta, she runs amok and threatens to destroy the planet. Can Captain Carl stop her without killing the only being he's ever loved?

Sigh. It's that tired old story. Boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy and girl get back together. Only the boy is a sentient robot pirate in an amusement park. And t...more

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Jun 04, 2012 Marek Grzywacz rated it 5 of 5 stars

I've started dabbling in bizarro fiction (as a reader and writer)because of my profound love for strange, unexpected and plain insane in fiction and to see how individual and unusual constructions can writers create from pieces of popculture and their own wild imagination.

"Placenta of Love" is one of the books that make me glad I tried this somewhat offbeat (but awesome genre).

The story is rather straighforward. Planet Venus is an one big amusement park, run by mindless automatons. People from a...more I've started dabbling in bizarro fiction (as a reader and writer)because of my profound love for strange, unexpected and plain insane in fiction and to see how individual and unusual constructions can writers create from pieces of popculture and their own wild imagination.

"Placenta of Love" is one of the books that make me glad I tried this somewhat offbeat (but awesome genre).

The story is rather straighforward. Planet Venus is an one big amusement park, run by mindless automatons. People from all over the galaxy go there to forget their worries and enjoy all kinds of fun. There is a pirate ride. The pirate captain becomes self-aware thanks to strange scientist. Captain feels lonely. Captain creates an AI, falls in love with her and puts her mind in the body that is enormous placenta... Ok, not to spoil anything - the intrigue is simple, but also kinda clever.

The characters are the best thing about this book. They're fleshed out and one really can feel their emotions and need. Captain Carl is pirate with a heart of gold and funnily awkward lack of piratey wits. There is one of the best talking cats that fiction ever produced. There is a needy but loving placenta. And many more diverse personalities. Relationships between them are very endearing and suprisingly deep - and there is some strange sexulity (view spoiler), but it's described in a way that makes it natural and non-offensive.

Another great thing about "Placenta of Love" is the mood setting, done really well by Spike. Venus is bright and colorful and starting each chapter with a snarky and strange descriptions of different rides of the park, filled with subtle, dark humor and related to the polt of the chapter, was a great way to introduce reader to the unique world of automata and bizzare funhouses. As for humor, Natzo, the witty and pragmatic leader (view spoiler) of unusual church, is pure comedic gold and scenes with her are shinning with fun dialogues. But the overall mood is very melancholic (in the few final chapters maybe even too melancholic) and the book basically tells us a story of lonely creatures looking for love and searching for their identity. However, it doesn't stop the autor from adding some delightfuly cheesy and spectacular action scenes.

"Placenta of Love" is a well executed and thoughtfully written mix of many generes - fairytale, retro s-f, fantasy, love story with a dash of Pirates of Caribbean and classic dilemma-filled stories abot AI's - and it is really effective in what it's doing. The very good debut from an very promising author.

(less)

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Nov 29, 2011 Christopher Reynaga rated it 5 of 5 stars

A kinky amusement park planet is threatened by a Godzilla-like placenta, and at the heart of it all, is the love between a robot pirate and the perfect woman he creates. Throw in a BDSM kitty and a burlesque dancing pope, and you have the recipe for a bizarre love story that's better than any B-movie.

While this is as weird and magical as you'd hope from a souped-up Bizarro novel, this is not your average weird tale. There is a surprising depth here in the romance, the dialog, and the bloody act...more

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Feb 05, 2012 Matthew Vaughn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: bizarro, 2012, reviewed

I think the New Bizarro Author Series is great, I read a few of last years and enjoyed each one. Now I’ve got a few new authors to follow and I look forward to their future projects. When the time came and they announced the new crop of NBAS at Bizarro-con last year I got excited again. My plan is read all eight of their books this year. So far I’ve read one and it was Placenta of Love, and it was excellent.
Set on the amusement park planet Venus we are introduced to Captain Carl, a Robo whose c...more

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Oct 29, 2012 J.W. Wargo rated it 4 of 5 stars

ID SAYS:
I'm not going to open this review with me yelling out profanity-laced, pirate phrases. So there. Nyah!

Captain Carl isn't going to care. He doesn't think himself much a pirate, anyhow. Standing on his boat, the Trojan, amidst a sea of Styrofoam peanuts, inside one of the shittiest attractions on Venus, the planet turned universal amusement park, he desires more.

It's a damned miracle he desires at all, Carl being an automaton programmed to excite patrons with all that "Avast, ye landlubber...more

1 like · like · see review

Jul 12, 2012 David Barbee rated it 5 of 5 stars

Spike Marlowe is into robots and Fellini...a girl after my own heart. Plus, her name is Spike! And she wears a domino mask! And she does amazing things with donuts! And, perhaps more important than all of that other cool stuff, she's written a beautiful love story between a robot pirate and a placenta, set on a sprawling techno-circus planet realized with a keen eye. Placenta of Love is lovely and violent, full of weird whimsy and futuristic flourish. It's really damn good.

1 like · like · see review

Aug 09, 2012 S.T. Cartledge rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: bizarro, reviewed

This sort of thing is why I love bizarro fiction. It’s a tragic love story that’s just so weird. And the weirdness enhances the tragedy. A robo-pirate falls in love with a placenta. Theirs is a forbidden love that spirals out of control. The story is set on the planet/amusement park Venus, which is populated with all sorts of creatures and bizarre rides that form this wonderfully hedonistic planet-culture. It’s a space-age sci-fi fantasy that’s beautiful and sad and at times quite sexually expli...more

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Oct 21, 2012 Rob Harris rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: bizarro-fiction, kindle, nbas

As with all the New Bizarro Author Series books, it helps if you take a break from caring for realism, and instead engage them on the level of an excited child. That is in no way a bad thing. They really are that fun and fantastic.

Placenta of Love is no exception. Spike Marlow crafts a funfair planet Venus populated by some quirky characters, and crafts a poignant plot (full of swashbuckling adventure!) revolving around one robot pirate and his love for a placenta. There is also a kinky cat who...more

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Mar 07, 2012 Kristin marked it as to-read

Shelves: books-i-own

I was lucky enough to win a copy of this book here on goodreads.com and I must say I cant wait to give it a read. The description makes the book sound strange and different. Which if you ask me equals exciting!

1 like · like · see review

Jan 14, 2013 Elisa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Some crazy, wacky stuff. I need to check out more bizarro, I love that the story is kind of dirty in a clean way and goes where you don't expect, but it really does all make sense in a twisted kinda way. Keeps ya on your toes.

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Apr 21, 2013 Richard Rooney added it

pirates/amusement parks/pure love and plcenta...this book has it all and so much more.

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Dec 03, 2011 FabulousRaye rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, bizarro-brigade, books-i-own, needs-a-review

4, closer to a 5. Wow! I started this book before bed, and I wanted to dream about head sized popcorn balls, and Robo-Pirate men.

Proper review forthcoming.

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Sep 27, 2012 Kathy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Both a romance and an adventure story taking place on a planet sized amusement park. What could possibly go wrong? Now, who wants to visit Venus with me?!

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Jan 09, 2013 Ethan Michel rated it 5 of 5 stars

Dec 12, 2012 Janise Bennett marked it as to-read

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Nov 30, 2012 G. Arthur rated it 4 of 5 stars

Nov 20, 2012 Sam McCanna marked it as to-read

Shelves: books, small-press-bizarro-horror-etc, kindle-ebooks, signed

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