Synopsis/blurb…..
Like an ATM who just
wants to be loved.
Like an episode of
the Rockford Files but with a guy in a moo-moo.
Like a baaaaad trip
to Taco Bell.
Like a farting house
of skin and testicles.
Like legions of space
ninjas encountering a truck stop full of friggin’ mean gay dudes.
Like wearing mittens
but calling them gloves but secretly calling them hitman gloves.
Like your dog saving
your life or eating your corpse.
Like waiting for that
dreamy prom date who probably stood you up on account of the apocalypse.
Like JUNK.
An okay collection of eight short stories from the following
authors - Danger Slater, Jason Armstrong, Chris Rhatigan, Andrew Hilbert, Ryan
Sayles, David James Keaton, Chris Leek and Eric Beetner.
There were a few new authors that I haven’t heard of before,
a couple that I have books by but haven’t yet read – Chris Leek, Chris Rhatigan
and Ryan Sayles and one old favourite – Eric Beetner.
A couple of the stories I kind of felt indifferent to which
is a fairly typical response when viewing a collection as a whole. I don’t
recall laughing too much either, but the book cost less than a £1 and I got a
couple of hour’s entertainment value out of it, so I’m not going to complain.
PROM NIGHT By Danger Slater – a little bit sad, teenage
insecurities and a girl getting stood up by her prom date, the apocalypse
intervenes.
ASS TO MOUTH By Jason Armstrong – bizarre, if there was a
point to it I missed it.
THE THINGS I NEED TO BE A HITMAN By Chris Rhatigan – mildly amusing,
an office dweeb decides on a career change.
FLESH HOUSE By Andrew Hilbert - weird and frankly a little
bit disturbing, but I really enjoyed it. The walls of a house start sprouting
hair and eventually turn into body parts. Initially amusing, but I kind of felt
claustrophobic as the tale progressed and the parts kept growing and oppressing
the occupants of the house.
INVASION OF THE DEMON NINJAS, OR HOW A MODERN DAY BATHHOUSE
SAVED OUR WORLD By Ryan Sayles - a bit homophobic possibly (?), gay sex and all
the slang references to it appear as a bunch of fun-loving guys take on some
alien invaders using the toys at their disposal. Maybe the fact that they
triumph and despatch the alien enemy balances the piece, but it kind of came
across as a bit juvenile. Sort of schoolboys laughing at a fart in the
classroom.
TACO HELL By David James Keaton – fast food which never
appears. I sensed the frustration at the non-appearance of the taco. I could
feel the protagonist’s pain!
THE BROW BEATING HEAVY LEATHER REPOSSESSION SHUFFLE By Chris
Leek – a tale of a car repossession which I enjoyed.
WOOF By Eric Beetner - a man and his talking dog, not his
best friend ultimately.
Worse ways to spend a pound and a couple of hour’s reading
time.
3 from 5
Read - June 2017
Published – 2013
Page count – 104
Source – purchased copy
Format - Kindle
I give points for inventiveness here, Col, and I'm glad you found some of these stories entertaining. I'm afraid the collection is probably not for me, though...
ReplyDeleteFair enough Margot. It was a bit more hit than miss for me, but not a stand-out collection really.
DeleteMmm they sound very varied. Probably not the collection for me, but glad they passed some time for you.
ReplyDeleteMoira, agreed. I don't regret reading it and there were some high spots.
DeleteMost collections are like that, some good stories, some OK stories, and you just have to check them. But I don't think I need to sample these.
ReplyDeleteTracy, probably not.
DeleteCol – Thanks for the review. I am familiar with some of these writers.
ReplyDeleteI'm the same, there were two maybe I hadn't heard of before.
Delete