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Hot Dish
Some foods take longer to cook. Some stories take longer to tell.
Hot Dish is a collection of stories that arose from submissions to Heat, our all-orientations anthology of romantic and erotic short stories, comics and poetry. Mixed in among the submissions were great stories that we had to reject simply because they were too long for the Heat format. We squirreled these submissions away in our cold cellar, and we kept in touch with the authors in hopes of finding a suitable recipe for their stories.
Eventually, we had enough stories to whip up a full anthology. We called it Hot Dish in homage to the gooey, Midwestern casserole that is slow-cooked to let flavors deepened and meld — in contrast to the more crispy flash-fried tales found in Heat. The length of Hot Dish's stories allows for more complex and subtle flavors to develop, leading to a deeper, more satisfying reading experience.
Cover art is by Kamui, and each story is accompanied by illustrations by Keovi.
Hot Dish is a collection of stories that arose from submissions to Heat, our all-orientations anthology of romantic and erotic short stories, comics and poetry. Mixed in among the submissions were great stories that we had to reject simply because they were too long for the Heat format. We squirreled these submissions away in our cold cellar, and we kept in touch with the authors in hopes of finding a suitable recipe for their stories.
Eventually, we had enough stories to whip up a full anthology. We called it Hot Dish in homage to the gooey, Midwestern casserole that is slow-cooked to let flavors deepened and meld — in contrast to the more crispy flash-fried tales found in Heat. The length of Hot Dish's stories allows for more complex and subtle flavors to develop, leading to a deeper, more satisfying reading experience.
Cover art is by Kamui, and each story is accompanied by illustrations by Keovi.
392 pages, Paperback
First published March 18, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 8, 2014
Although I didn’t do much reading last year, it is without a doubt in my mind that Hot Dish is the best furry publication for 2013. It’s not so much the content as it is the concept and how this anthology came to be. It’s all in thanks to the Editor-in-Chief, Alopex. He has been responsible for the annual magazine Heat, published by Sofa Wolf.
A personal criticism I’ve had against Heat is that the term “fap rag”, as derogatory as it sounds, couldn’t be more accurate. The stories are limited in their word count, comics usually have a maximum of 8 pages, and you can’t really do much with poetry. So there’s not a lot of room for deep, literary substance.
That’s not to say that there hasn’t been some well-thought out prose to come out of Heat, but it’s few and far between. Generally speaking, the stories aren’t really that fulfilling. They’re quick, cheap, and easily forgettable.
However, over time, the prose submissions started having greater word counts; and while they ultimately had to be denied because they exceeded the limits, I think this suggests a growing level of maturity among the contributors. Instead of focusing on getting the readers aroused, the writers were more interested in developing a story and its characters. Most importantly, they were striving for getting the reader emotionally invested.
Now this is the part where the genius of Hot Dish shows itself. Rather than just outright tossing these lengthier, brilliantly written stories, never to be thought of again, Alopex decided to hold on them. Eventually, all these denied submissions got to the point where they could just become their own anthology, which is great!
It’s basically the same concept as Heat, gooder. I’m just happy that this anthology came along. I am satisfied knowing that these stories were able to see the light of day. That could be all I ever know, and I’d be pleased.
But it doesn’t end there. No Sofa Wolf is based out of Minnesota, and when I think of that state, I imagine it being a farming state, rich with family centered culture and tradition. Like, the place where you could achieve the American Dream. And one thing that comes to mind is that bubbly, loving mother that loves to cook huge, delicious home styled meals. Like, massive mounds of fat, grease, stir fried love, essentially. A meal meant to put meat on some bones, packed with so much food you feel like a walking manatee and supplied with enough left overs to last a week.
That is pretty much what the title, and the anthology as a whole, is based off. Great, long stories that are meant to be appreciated and taken slowly. You have to take you time to pick up on all the little elements sprinkled here and there that come together to form an overall gratifying experience. When you’re done, you just sit back and let it sink in, and you’re left with a warm, satiated feeling throughout your entire body.
And really, all the stories I read in Hot Dish left a heavy impact on. Some not quite as much as others, but by the end, I felt moved. Each story was a worthwhile experience worth reading. That’s really all I can say about that. As far as my favorite story goes, I couldn’t decide on just one. They were all brilliant. There are three story that stand out above the others, those being Evening’s Festivities, A secret place, and What would you do if I’m not what I’m supposed to be. But if I absolutely had to choose one story, it would have to be Evening’s Festivities. It was a story that felt like a roller coaster. It was unpredictable, it surprised me, it made me excited, in more ways than one. There’s this whole chunk of the story where it feels like an action movie set in medieval times, and there’s all this swashbuckling sword play, a chase, running through strangers’ homes, and just an all around good time. I can’t remember the last time I had that much fun reading a story. So yeah, Faora Meridian, you get my vote for best short story.
And this is Unlike Heat where it’s over and done with in 5 minutes, leaving you feeling hollow, unsatisfied, and wanting more. And yes, I am aware that these analogies apply to both food and sex.
Regardless, Hot Dish is great and worth the time and money to read. Pick it up if you haven’t already; you won’t regret it. My thanks goes out to Alopex for making this anthology a reality, and my appreciation to the editors and writers for all their devoted, amazing work.
A personal criticism I’ve had against Heat is that the term “fap rag”, as derogatory as it sounds, couldn’t be more accurate. The stories are limited in their word count, comics usually have a maximum of 8 pages, and you can’t really do much with poetry. So there’s not a lot of room for deep, literary substance.
That’s not to say that there hasn’t been some well-thought out prose to come out of Heat, but it’s few and far between. Generally speaking, the stories aren’t really that fulfilling. They’re quick, cheap, and easily forgettable.
However, over time, the prose submissions started having greater word counts; and while they ultimately had to be denied because they exceeded the limits, I think this suggests a growing level of maturity among the contributors. Instead of focusing on getting the readers aroused, the writers were more interested in developing a story and its characters. Most importantly, they were striving for getting the reader emotionally invested.
Now this is the part where the genius of Hot Dish shows itself. Rather than just outright tossing these lengthier, brilliantly written stories, never to be thought of again, Alopex decided to hold on them. Eventually, all these denied submissions got to the point where they could just become their own anthology, which is great!
It’s basically the same concept as Heat, gooder. I’m just happy that this anthology came along. I am satisfied knowing that these stories were able to see the light of day. That could be all I ever know, and I’d be pleased.
But it doesn’t end there. No Sofa Wolf is based out of Minnesota, and when I think of that state, I imagine it being a farming state, rich with family centered culture and tradition. Like, the place where you could achieve the American Dream. And one thing that comes to mind is that bubbly, loving mother that loves to cook huge, delicious home styled meals. Like, massive mounds of fat, grease, stir fried love, essentially. A meal meant to put meat on some bones, packed with so much food you feel like a walking manatee and supplied with enough left overs to last a week.
That is pretty much what the title, and the anthology as a whole, is based off. Great, long stories that are meant to be appreciated and taken slowly. You have to take you time to pick up on all the little elements sprinkled here and there that come together to form an overall gratifying experience. When you’re done, you just sit back and let it sink in, and you’re left with a warm, satiated feeling throughout your entire body.
And really, all the stories I read in Hot Dish left a heavy impact on. Some not quite as much as others, but by the end, I felt moved. Each story was a worthwhile experience worth reading. That’s really all I can say about that. As far as my favorite story goes, I couldn’t decide on just one. They were all brilliant. There are three story that stand out above the others, those being Evening’s Festivities, A secret place, and What would you do if I’m not what I’m supposed to be. But if I absolutely had to choose one story, it would have to be Evening’s Festivities. It was a story that felt like a roller coaster. It was unpredictable, it surprised me, it made me excited, in more ways than one. There’s this whole chunk of the story where it feels like an action movie set in medieval times, and there’s all this swashbuckling sword play, a chase, running through strangers’ homes, and just an all around good time. I can’t remember the last time I had that much fun reading a story. So yeah, Faora Meridian, you get my vote for best short story.
And this is Unlike Heat where it’s over and done with in 5 minutes, leaving you feeling hollow, unsatisfied, and wanting more. And yes, I am aware that these analogies apply to both food and sex.
Regardless, Hot Dish is great and worth the time and money to read. Pick it up if you haven’t already; you won’t regret it. My thanks goes out to Alopex for making this anthology a reality, and my appreciation to the editors and writers for all their devoted, amazing work.
February 10, 2024
A pleasantly fun read, despite the inconsistent quality
April 4, 2013
I have a story in this furry anthology, so I'm reviewing my contributor copy. I just like saying that.
The stories in this collection are between 10,000 and 20,000 words in length. All involve anthropomorphic animals in romantic or erotic situations, but it's a diverse collection of sci-fi, fantasy and contemporary alt-reality tales, some comedic, some dramatic.
My favourites? Dark End's 'The Moment at Eternity', in which a human and a genetically engineered dog, shipwrecked off Alaska, bond as they fight for survival. Both plot and character are skilfully built up. Tack Otter's 'Dance With Me', for its humour and emotion, and the interesting handling of an avian character. And finally, 'What Would You Do If I'm Not What I'm Supposed To Be?', by Arcane Reno. This is a 'online friends meet in real life' story, which sounds like a massive cliche but is done very well here. The story also contains my favourite sex scene of the book - funny, realistic and moving.
The stories in this collection are between 10,000 and 20,000 words in length. All involve anthropomorphic animals in romantic or erotic situations, but it's a diverse collection of sci-fi, fantasy and contemporary alt-reality tales, some comedic, some dramatic.
My favourites? Dark End's 'The Moment at Eternity', in which a human and a genetically engineered dog, shipwrecked off Alaska, bond as they fight for survival. Both plot and character are skilfully built up. Tack Otter's 'Dance With Me', for its humour and emotion, and the interesting handling of an avian character. And finally, 'What Would You Do If I'm Not What I'm Supposed To Be?', by Arcane Reno. This is a 'online friends meet in real life' story, which sounds like a massive cliche but is done very well here. The story also contains my favourite sex scene of the book - funny, realistic and moving.
August 31, 2013
As with Alice, I am a writer for this volume. I also served as a copy editor for most of the stories (except my own).
The stories in here are a nice mix, with sci-fi, contemporary slice of life, and fantasy, both gay and straight romance, and even a variety of styles ("A Monster and a Gentleman" stands out for its fairy tale style).
My personal favorite story in this volume was Huskyteer's "Mirror, Signal, Manoeuvre." The characters had me hooked by the end of the first page and kept me glued to the pages until the last scene. Kandrel's two stories were also quite enjoyable for their rich science fiction worlds.
The last story "What Would You Do If I'm Not What I'm Supposed To Be?" was not one of my favorites from the volume, but it did contain some of my favorite lines: near the end, the gamer-inspired puns come so fast and I laughed so hard that I had to set the book aside for a minute to calm down.
The stories in here are a nice mix, with sci-fi, contemporary slice of life, and fantasy, both gay and straight romance, and even a variety of styles ("A Monster and a Gentleman" stands out for its fairy tale style).
My personal favorite story in this volume was Huskyteer's "Mirror, Signal, Manoeuvre." The characters had me hooked by the end of the first page and kept me glued to the pages until the last scene. Kandrel's two stories were also quite enjoyable for their rich science fiction worlds.
The last story "What Would You Do If I'm Not What I'm Supposed To Be?" was not one of my favorites from the volume, but it did contain some of my favorite lines: near the end, the gamer-inspired puns come so fast and I laughed so hard that I had to set the book aside for a minute to calm down.
September 9, 2014
A collection of excellent short stories that would be a great addition to any collection, where or not you normally read furry fiction.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews