Okay, seriously... what can a person say here? Don't panic, make sure you have your towel, ignore Marvin, and the answer is 42. My Dad re-reads the en...moreOkay, seriously... what can a person say here? Don't panic, make sure you have your towel, ignore Marvin, and the answer is 42. My Dad re-reads the entire series about once every three years. That, and "Shogun" by James Clavell. This pretty much sums up my Dad...(less)
Heh, I wasn't sure how to even label this wonderful bit of fiction. I often describe this novel to folks as "Douglas Adams hammering out Horror instea...moreHeh, I wasn't sure how to even label this wonderful bit of fiction. I often describe this novel to folks as "Douglas Adams hammering out Horror instead of SciFi." That usually sells most people. I've never read anything by Pratchett - I just don't know where to start! But since I love Gaiman, absurd British humor and theology, well...(less)
This is the 2nd book I've read by Hiaasen, and I liked it even better. A little bit less humor, but more action/mystery. His characters are always so...moreThis is the 2nd book I've read by Hiaasen, and I liked it even better. A little bit less humor, but more action/mystery. His characters are always so wonderfully... flawed. His work is a bit more "mainstream accessible" than that madman Tim Dorsey, but the comparisons are definitely there.(less)
One book later, and I'm a huge fan. I can't even begin to describe the utter madness, gratuitous violence, and laugh-out-loud hysterics found in this...moreOne book later, and I'm a huge fan. I can't even begin to describe the utter madness, gratuitous violence, and laugh-out-loud hysterics found in this book. I mean, think about the very premise - "A serial killer is bumping off nursery rhymes in toy city, and leaving chocolate bunnies at the scene as his signature." WTF! And I'm sorry, but every time Eddie Bear has to be turned upside-down so that the alcohol can flow through his stuffing from his drunk feet to his head had me dying. Pure hilarious insanity.(less)
If the incredible John Joseph Adams puts out an anthology, I'm there. He has the amazing ability to gather the most talented writers, pick out the ver...moreIf the incredible John Joseph Adams puts out an anthology, I'm there. He has the amazing ability to gather the most talented writers, pick out the very best stories. Honestly, that's the only reason I snagged this book. Some were quite good, some were quickly forgotten. None were "bad," per say... I'm just not that big a fan of Sherlock Holmes. I suppose I was hoping for more irreverent tales, more altered realities. Regardless, for the fans of Sir Doyle's great Detective, I highly recommend this book. (less)
Either I started out with his worst book, or I'm just falling in love with this guy's writing. Hiaasen's insane take on everything (mostly all that is...moreEither I started out with his worst book, or I'm just falling in love with this guy's writing. Hiaasen's insane take on everything (mostly all that is Florida) grows to bizarre proportions in this novel. A trust-fund eco-terrorist, a hooker who is only interested in Republicans, an insane ex-Governor, a highly illegal private hunting safari, and a really stupid black lab with 2 different names. Pretty much everyone should read this.(less)
I didn't realize this was two distinct novellas surrounding the concept of a "Minotauress" going in. Not that it really mattered in the end, but be aw...moreI didn't realize this was two distinct novellas surrounding the concept of a "Minotauress" going in. Not that it really mattered in the end, but be aware of that. Both of the tales had their own style, and both were utterly depraved - in perfect Edward Lee fashion! No one imagines such perverse atrocities in the same manner as Lee, and we see that well detailed here.(less)
As much as I love Edward Lee, I found this particular tale to simply be too... mundane. Most people who have read it will be shocked by that statement...moreAs much as I love Edward Lee, I found this particular tale to simply be too... mundane. Most people who have read it will be shocked by that statement, but it just felt like another boring splatterpunk novel. It didn't have that sensation of darkness I often find in Lee's work, that visceral chaos. Still, it's far more disturbing than 90% of the stuff being marketing as "horror" out there today.(less)
As with most short story collections, some tales are weaker than others. However in "Slaughterbowl XIII And Other Stories" by Christian Roberts, when...moreAs with most short story collections, some tales are weaker than others. However in "Slaughterbowl XIII And Other Stories" by Christian Roberts, when the author succeeds, he truly excels. There are easily a half-dozen tales here that will stay with me for a considerable amount of time.
Now, let me say that only two things really prevented this collection from receiving 5 stars, the 2nd issue actually tying into what makes this such an amazing group of stories. I'm not sure why the author chose to include small visual images before every tale, but I found they took away somewhat from the excitement of the upcoming storytelling. (That, however, could easily be a matter of personal opinion.) The second thing, though, was the manner in which these tales were organized - by genre.
Simply put, Roberts is writing so far outside of boring, traditional genre boundaries that I can only really compare his work to the likes of Dan Simmons or Roger Zelazny. In fact, multiple times I found myself feeling a particular off-kilter sensation that I've only experienced when reading the brilliant works of Harlan Ellison. Yes, pieces like "Mrs. Greenfield and the Wandering Sheep" , "Borrowed Karma" and "Licking the Newt" are that good. Roberts is spinning tales in that Twilight Zone-y style, yet they are also remarkably modern with a unmistakable irreverence. These tales are dark, touching, and perhaps a bit subversive. Ultimately, it's an amazing collection of imaginative short fiction for only $0.99, and I will gladly check out more by Christian Roberts again. (less)
*Sigh* I love Edward Lee, don't get me wrong, but he has two distinctly different types of horror genres he writes in. One is a gratuitous supernatura...more*Sigh* I love Edward Lee, don't get me wrong, but he has two distinctly different types of horror genres he writes in. One is a gratuitous supernatural splatterpunk and the other is gross-out hillbilly horror. I really don't care for the latter.
Here we have another example of annoying cityfolk, buxom women and their bumbling males, getting caught up in the machinations of psychotic, inbred, strangely intellectual cannibals who dwell out in the country. I'm pretty sure I've read variations of this tale by Lee half a dozen times already. Granted, it's insanely disgusting, and that alone makes it wonderful, but I simply don't care enough.
Sorry, but I'll stick with his novel "The Messenger" or any of The Infernal series.(less)
My love for Warren Ellis stems all the way back to his time writing "The Authority," a comic title that changed the way I thought. His work on titles...moreMy love for Warren Ellis stems all the way back to his time writing "The Authority," a comic title that changed the way I thought. His work on titles like "Transmetropolitan" and "Planetary" showed him to be a visionary voice in the medium, one he's walked away from in recent years. While fanboys/girls might weep at his departure from comics, it's books like this that demonstrate exactly why Ellis is an author so beloved.
Upon simply analysis, "Crooked Little Vein" may seem nothing more than a study in depravity. A deeper look will show that Ellis has asked bigger questions concerning morality, choice, and freedom. Our protagonist is dragged into an obscene underbelly of American culture, only to discover things are not so black and white. And while he balks at many of the darker aspects, he is forced to admit that the perpetrators are well within their rights to act in these fashions.
Filled with the blackest of humor, there are many laugh out loud scenes. Be warned, this is NOT a book for those easily offended. Ellis finds nothing sacred, nothing taboo in his writing. However, if you can accept our institutions and traditions are not necessarily meant to be placed on pedestals, and you're willing to question your own beliefs, you may just fall in love with this book.(less)
It is a disappointment that while authors like Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clark and Robert A. Heinlein have such immediate renown and recognition, the na...moreIt is a disappointment that while authors like Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clark and Robert A. Heinlein have such immediate renown and recognition, the name Harlan Ellison does not often get the respect it deserves. Asimov and company were true visionaries, but Ellison was just a few too many years late onto the scene. Most famous for his short story collections, he has penned countless works over the last 50 years and is best known for editing the book “Dangerous Visions”; an anthology of tales by varied authors so wild and irreverent that they couldn’t be published anywhere else. His 1997 collection, titled “Slippage,” is a fantastic book of 25 tales so far beyond classification or genre, they almost must be considered in a category all their own. Breaking the barriers of fantasy, scifi, horror and whatever else crawled into his head that day, Ellison writes tales that will affect you. Stories that will make you think and linger in your head for days after, the ultimate sign of an excellent author. (less)
Ah, the best proof that something is seriously wrong inside Palahniuk's head. Okay, let me try to explain this - there is a novel, the continuing stor...moreAh, the best proof that something is seriously wrong inside Palahniuk's head. Okay, let me try to explain this - there is a novel, the continuing stories told every EVEN numbered chapter. The ODD numbered chapters, however, are separate short stories that have supposedly been written by the characters IN the ongoing novel. Get that? Yeah, the "novel" is about a bunch of amateur authors who have been, um... well, kidnapped. And they're individually penned short stories are "colorful" to say the least...
Oh, and if you have anything remotely resembling a weak stomach, just don't even open the book.(less)
What can I say about this book, the work of a friend and fellow author? I read the original years ago, and I was honored with opportunity to provide t...moreWhat can I say about this book, the work of a friend and fellow author? I read the original years ago, and I was honored with opportunity to provide the blurb for the 10th anniversary cover. This is one of the most bizarre, hilarious, disturbed, adventurous and touching novels I've ever had the pleasure to consume - and I say that without hyperbole. I read it again last night, in one sitting, and found myself laughing-out-loud half a dozen times, tearing up twice, and grossed out more times than can be remembered. But what are you going to find in the book?
Imagine Carl Hiaasen fueled by whiskey-violence and on an S&M bender. Imagine Clive Cussler growing up full of paranoia and pulp magazines. Imagine a hystertically depraved take on everything you know and may hold dear - a clone of Marilyn Monroe and Elvis's dead twin raised as an assassin, a botched Antichrist, government spooks with snackfood names, Nazi pseudo-science brought to life, and a hidden history with an 80 year old JFK flinging poo.
"Made In The USA" is Christopher Moore, Stephen King, and Robert Ludlum all thrown into a blender and then poured back out onto the page for our twisted entertainment. It's a celebration of the American spirit, of individuality and simple freedoms. It's also a collection of scatological jokes, T&A scenes and gratuitous bloodshed. I guess that's American, too.
No, the book not for everyone. But for those who the book is intended, they will spread it everywhere...
To be blunt, Naomi Kramer's humor is not for those who may find their delicate sensibilities easily offended. There's sex, death, LOTS of swearing - a...moreTo be blunt, Naomi Kramer's humor is not for those who may find their delicate sensibilities easily offended. There's sex, death, LOTS of swearing - and that's just in the first few pages. It's darkly delicious, meant for only those who truly appreciate a more brutal type of laughs. If one can imagine the depraved horror of Edward Lee crossed with the absurdity of Christopher Moore, you might end up with the sharp silliness presented by Kramer. Personally, I laughed out loud a handful of times, although I did find a few of the gags overused. Regardless, I feel Kramer will only grow as an author, her work promising to be a delightful display of gruesome giggles, and I'm quite pleased with this free introduction to her sideshow imagination. (less)
You expect something a little "off" when you start reading a book with this kind of title, but David Wong delivers a tale so full of macabre madness a...moreYou expect something a little "off" when you start reading a book with this kind of title, but David Wong delivers a tale so full of macabre madness and dark humor that you're left staggering by the end. Don't go into this bromantic adventure looking for a literary masterpiece - go in and discover a Lovecraftian world full of lunchmeat monsters, hyperdimensional drugs called "soy sauce," dogs that explode a few times, and hot redheads with one hand. This is the insanity of a Tim Dorsey novel cranked up to the cosmic levels of evil you'd find in a Brian Lumley book. I didn't realize that Wong was even connected to the infamous Cracked.com until I finished the novel, but it all makes a sick sense. Does the plot read a bit askew at times? Yes. But it only adds to the aura of lunacy that permeates every sentence of the book, and the reader should accept the absurdist journey with a razorblade glee.(less)
I'm still telling everyone about Tim Dorsey's brilliant novel "Florida Roadkill." If you want a healthy dose of equal parts laughs and depravity, this...moreI'm still telling everyone about Tim Dorsey's brilliant novel "Florida Roadkill." If you want a healthy dose of equal parts laughs and depravity, this book has it. There are drugs, trivia, spastic killings, prostitutes, millions of dollars... and that's pretty much in the first chapter. Serge is a mad prophet, incredibly intelligent, psychotically brutal and possessing just about every disorder you can name. His partner in crime is Coleman, (so named after his daddy locked him in a cooler when he was 4 years old) who is perpetually drunk, watching cartoons and leaving disaster in his wake. Then there's the new member Sharon; gorgeous, stoned, horny, sociopathic and greedy. Together they'll maim a Dentist dressed as a pirate with a chainsaw, force him to embezzle money, loose the money, and therefore wackiness will continue to ensue.(less)
Ah, Rankin... you weird bastard. Up there with Christopher Moore, Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams, Robert Rankin scribbles out stories from a bizarr...moreAh, Rankin... you weird bastard. Up there with Christopher Moore, Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams, Robert Rankin scribbles out stories from a bizarre universe set in his semi-drunk, surrealist imagination. Some of his tales are placed in quite separate realms, like the hysterical "Hollow Chocolate Bunnies Of The Apocalypse," but a good deal of them circle around Brentford, England.
This particular tale is the first book in the Brentford Series - a loose collection of stories surrounding the rogues, madmen, shysters, and others average citizens who frequent the local pub known as The Swan. We have a neurotic barkeep, a womanizing Irishman with a sentient bicycle named "Marchant," his best friend with a horrible gambling problem and too many get-rich-quick schemes, a scientific genius who runs the local tobacco shop, a martial arts master down the lane, a elderly professor who just might be immortal, and... oh, you get the idea.
The humor is very straight-faced, except for when you have the screaming and the crying. Almost Monty Python-esque in its absurdity, the plot meanders around a bit, more interested in showcasing the utter silliness of Brentford in general. Eventually the bad guy is defeated, and everyone goes back to drinking in vast quantities once more.
If you can warp your skull around the sheer nonsense presented in this book and enjoy it, you love the next few in the series. I believe I'm on the 5th one.(less)
![DEAD[ish]](http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1288854653s/6599765.jpg "DEAD[ish]")
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