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Hard Times Blues
Zombies, elves, hobos, Martians, and dragons; musical ghosts and sorcerous retail managers wreak havoc in HARD TIMES BLUES, another trip through the dreamlands, courtesy of Elwin Cotman. These five lyrical and satirical fables look at the lives of the dispossessed through a fabulist lens. Drawing inspiration from the Gothic, the pulps, rock'n'roll, the Book of Revelations, and anime (to name a few), Cotman continues to redraw the map of the American fantastic.
170 pages, Paperback
First published July 15, 2013
172 people want to read
About the author
Elwin Cotman
11 books100 followersElwin Cotman is a storyteller from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is the author of three collections of speculative short stories, The Jack Daniels Sessions EP, Hard Times Blues, and Dance on Saturday. His next book, Weird Black Girls, is forthcoming from Scribner in 2024. His debut novel The Age of Ignorance will be published by Scribner in 2025.
Cotman’s work has appeared in Grist, Electric Lit, Buzzfeed, The Southwestern Review, and The Offing, among others (see publications). He holds a BA from the University of Pittsburgh and a MFA from Mills College. He writes this and that on his Substack.
Cotman’s work has appeared in Grist, Electric Lit, Buzzfeed, The Southwestern Review, and The Offing, among others (see publications). He holds a BA from the University of Pittsburgh and a MFA from Mills College. He writes this and that on his Substack.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 30, 2018
I received this book as a First Reads giveaway ages ago. Long enough ago that I'm kind of ashamed. I've been plugging away at it since, which doesn't reflect the quality of the book, but rather the way I read short story collections--one story at a time, every once in a while.
One thing is clear from this collection, and it's that Elwin Cotman is a very accomplished writer. Enough so that I'm surprised he doesn't have more publications. As a collection, though, there is not much consistency here, which is perfectly acceptable for a book like this one, but does make it a hard book to rate.
My favorite of the bunch was "A Song for the Yellow Prince," a melodic and beautiful story. My least favorite was "Pulp," a story I could not actually read despite its four page length, because of the wall-of-text formatting. (I truly was reluctant to write it off for what was clearly an artistic choice, but I can't help it--my attention span simply cannot handle it).
As I read each story I did some first impressions, so I'll include those here, and add impressions for the last story (which was more of a novella).
--
"The Elvis Room" -- **** -- I really liked these characters, who felt extremely alive. The story itself ambled a bit, the plot happening very suddenly without much resolution, but it still somehow felt complete.
"Pulp" -- ** -- Like the others I'm sure there was some beautiful, insightful writing here, but I couldn't get beyond the formatting. Though only a few pages, it was one huge paragraph. My attention wavered too much.
"The Revelation of John" -- ***** -- A story that made me wish I could read with a group of people to discuss. So much to dissect. Brilliantly written.
"A Song for the Yellow Prince" -- ***** -- Beautiful story, so well written. Especially loved the characters as children. They were very authentic.
"Graveyard Shift" -- *** -- This was a tough one. I enjoyed it most of the way through--the characterization of retail was perfect--but I was conflicted by the end. I both felt that the actions at the end of the story were a bit too out of character for Henry, and felt that perhaps it was the natural conclusion of what he had been through. Ultimately, it was a wild ride, but I think it went a bit too far.
One thing is clear from this collection, and it's that Elwin Cotman is a very accomplished writer. Enough so that I'm surprised he doesn't have more publications. As a collection, though, there is not much consistency here, which is perfectly acceptable for a book like this one, but does make it a hard book to rate.
My favorite of the bunch was "A Song for the Yellow Prince," a melodic and beautiful story. My least favorite was "Pulp," a story I could not actually read despite its four page length, because of the wall-of-text formatting. (I truly was reluctant to write it off for what was clearly an artistic choice, but I can't help it--my attention span simply cannot handle it).
As I read each story I did some first impressions, so I'll include those here, and add impressions for the last story (which was more of a novella).
--
"The Elvis Room" -- **** -- I really liked these characters, who felt extremely alive. The story itself ambled a bit, the plot happening very suddenly without much resolution, but it still somehow felt complete.
"Pulp" -- ** -- Like the others I'm sure there was some beautiful, insightful writing here, but I couldn't get beyond the formatting. Though only a few pages, it was one huge paragraph. My attention wavered too much.
"The Revelation of John" -- ***** -- A story that made me wish I could read with a group of people to discuss. So much to dissect. Brilliantly written.
"A Song for the Yellow Prince" -- ***** -- Beautiful story, so well written. Especially loved the characters as children. They were very authentic.
"Graveyard Shift" -- *** -- This was a tough one. I enjoyed it most of the way through--the characterization of retail was perfect--but I was conflicted by the end. I both felt that the actions at the end of the story were a bit too out of character for Henry, and felt that perhaps it was the natural conclusion of what he had been through. Ultimately, it was a wild ride, but I think it went a bit too far.
November 2, 2025
I picked this up from an AWP vender in 2023 because of the dope cover art. Didn't have a lot of expectations regarding the content and was happy to read a fresher short story collection than the volumes I normally pick up at Barnes and Nobles, and the like.
And I was pleasently surprised!
I enjoyed this more than some classic story colelctions like the Painted Man or even some of King's individual stories.
There are three short stories of varying quality and then a novella. I shall review them in order:
Some vagabonds find some magical birds. The magicical elements had my attention, but I never managed connect to the characters and their dynamic was not. . . dynamic.
The second short story resolves around racism and a big flood. It's style above all else and is interesting in that right, albeit the biblical foree does not a narrative support.
The third story was a super solid gothic family tale.
Then there's the novella that takes up about 50% of the book length. It revolves around an almost Paul Veerhoven take on a Walmart style store staffed with zombies. It's flush with cyncasism and observation about the culture, just not on Veerhoven's level. The execution is sometimes haphazard and I was expecting more out of the supernatural lead-in to the ending, but it's good. My main take away was annoyance at such a clever idea for a story; I would have liked to write this.
So overall, I was happy I read this. It's closer to a three star than a four, but hey; props to the little guy.
And I was pleasently surprised!
I enjoyed this more than some classic story colelctions like the Painted Man or even some of King's individual stories.
There are three short stories of varying quality and then a novella. I shall review them in order:
Some vagabonds find some magical birds. The magicical elements had my attention, but I never managed connect to the characters and their dynamic was not. . . dynamic.
The second short story resolves around racism and a big flood. It's style above all else and is interesting in that right, albeit the biblical foree does not a narrative support.
The third story was a super solid gothic family tale.
Then there's the novella that takes up about 50% of the book length. It revolves around an almost Paul Veerhoven take on a Walmart style store staffed with zombies. It's flush with cyncasism and observation about the culture, just not on Veerhoven's level. The execution is sometimes haphazard and I was expecting more out of the supernatural lead-in to the ending, but it's good. My main take away was annoyance at such a clever idea for a story; I would have liked to write this.
So overall, I was happy I read this. It's closer to a three star than a four, but hey; props to the little guy.
April 2, 2018
Received this book from Goodreads First Read.
October 25, 2020
My favorites were The Revelation of John, Pulp, and A Song for the Yellow Prince.
September 18, 2013
Never in my life have I experimented with mind-altering substances ... or books that made me wonder if I was on one. This book was like being transported from one realm to another through the conduit of a psychedelic telescope. It was difficult to read, difficult to put down and difficult to forget.
This may be a short book with only 169 pages, but it packs a punch bigger than some books twice its size. It was also a tricky one to rate. The book is gritty. The language is vulgar. I think I will rate the five short stories inside as separate entities because well, that, they are.
Book 1: The Elvis room.
The main character is a bit jaded is obsessed with racial stereotypes. He is a vagabond who travels about because he hates to sit still. He has found the perfect companion to share his journeys with him. Five Stars.
Book 2: Pulp.
Quick, fast, made no sense to me. One star.
Book 3: The Revelation of John.
This story rambles a lot; I do not exaggerate. This guy is beyond obsessed with the color of his skin and all of the hardships it has brought him. I do not care. Brush off the chip and find new friends. I did on the other hand, find many quote-worthy little passages within this almost biblical-style writing. Three stars.
Book 4: A Song for the Yellow Prince.
The redeeming point of the whole reading experience.
Five stars ... More if there were such a rating.
Book 5: Graveyard Shift.
I really thought I was losing my mind here. What is this madness? And why must I keep reading it?
Four stars.
I think after this I need a light read, but I nonetheless enjoyed the experience. Thank you Elwin Cotman and Goodreads Giveaways for opening my mind to something I would have never tried on my own.
This may be a short book with only 169 pages, but it packs a punch bigger than some books twice its size. It was also a tricky one to rate. The book is gritty. The language is vulgar. I think I will rate the five short stories inside as separate entities because well, that, they are.
Book 1: The Elvis room.
The main character is a bit jaded is obsessed with racial stereotypes. He is a vagabond who travels about because he hates to sit still. He has found the perfect companion to share his journeys with him. Five Stars.
Book 2: Pulp.
Quick, fast, made no sense to me. One star.
Book 3: The Revelation of John.
This story rambles a lot; I do not exaggerate. This guy is beyond obsessed with the color of his skin and all of the hardships it has brought him. I do not care. Brush off the chip and find new friends. I did on the other hand, find many quote-worthy little passages within this almost biblical-style writing. Three stars.
Book 4: A Song for the Yellow Prince.
The redeeming point of the whole reading experience.
Five stars ... More if there were such a rating.
Book 5: Graveyard Shift.
I really thought I was losing my mind here. What is this madness? And why must I keep reading it?
Four stars.
I think after this I need a light read, but I nonetheless enjoyed the experience. Thank you Elwin Cotman and Goodreads Giveaways for opening my mind to something I would have never tried on my own.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews