Other People's Shit

by C.V. Hunt

There’s a pandemic. People are turning into clowns. Society isn’t interested in finding a cure or treating the infected as humans. But when unconventional couriers begin to harass the contaminated, and clowns start disappearing, a band of transformed coworkers set out to find answers.

Genres: Horror, Bizarro Fiction, Fiction, Humor, Fantasy, Audiobook, Novella

96 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 21, 2013

About the author

C.V. Hunt lives in Yellow Springs, Ohio, is the owner of Grindhouse Press, and writes unpopular fiction.

Reviews

[Danger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I worked at the mall once. In a clothing store. My second day on the job someone took a shit in the fitting room. Just left a big, brown steamer laying right there, on the bench. My boss made me clean it up. I guess because I was the new guy or whatever. I wrapped a bandana around my nose and mouth, put on some rubber gloves, got as many chemical disinfectants as I could find, and I scrubbed that nasty fitting room down top to bottom. The whole time I wondered what would compel a person to do something like this.

The next time it happened was a few years later. I was working at a lingerie store. This time, some lady decided to piss all over one of the fabric stools the store provided for customers to rest their items on. It was soaking wet. Again, it fell on me to clean everything up. I once again donned some rubber gloves, covered my nose, and dragged that rancid stool out the back door to the dumpster. I remember thinking, “I must have bad luck or something. This isn’t something that happens all the time, is it?”

The third time it happened, I was working at yet another clothing store. This woman changed her baby on the sales floor and instead of throwing the diaper into a garbage can like a normal human being, she mashed it into a display chair we had sitting out. She then left the store, leaving her baby’s shit everywhere. But this time, as I was cleaning it up, I found her car keys. Apparently she forgot those as well. I knew she’d be back eventually looking for them. She wasn’t going to get very far without them. So I took her baby’s diaper, opened it up, and stuck the keys inside. I swirled it around, making sure every single key was caked with poop. An hour later she came back. “Did I leave a set of car keys here?” she asked me. “You left all kinds of shit here,” I told her as I handed her back her dripping, crap-filled diaper.

My point is this: I may be a clown. I may be bottom rung. I may spend the rest of my life cleaning up other people’s shit...

...but at least I got books by C.V. Hunt to keep me sane.

[Janie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every time I pick up a book by C.V. Hunt, I know that I am going to be left totally satisfied. The author has a witty, in-your-face sense of humor that makes me laugh out loud wherever I am. There is also a bleakness to her stories which is countered by the moxie of her anti-heroes. In O.P.S., a clown epidemic is turning regular people into jesters. They awake fully made up and clothed in clown attire. This is no laughing matter. The clowns are cruelly shunned by the general public and are relegated jobs cleaning public toilets. When men in suits riding bicycles with blinking Christmas lights begin to stalk those who are different, the clowns find themselves in a dangerous predicament. They must band together and use their talents to protect themselves. Will they overcome the men in black and Fred Savage? Can they kick ass in those floppy shoes? I will give you a hint: they are aided by Sasquatch. The lesson learned by the end of this book is that whether you wear large shoes with your toes exposed or dress shoes that are neatly tied, there will always be someone above you who needs you to clean their slop. C.V. Hunt, you have done it again.

[Nefariousbig · Rating 4 out of 5]

In life, some days you’re the shit, others you’re the shoe. Today, Issac woke up as the shit, in the shape of a man, disguised as a clown. OPS will give you pause to think about what would happen if your pathetic yet tolerable, mediocre life was suddenly flushed down the proverbial toilet.

Apparently, Issac’s worst unimaginable persona was to become a clown. If you don’t actually CHOOSE to be a clown, you’re probably gonna freak the fuck out if you wake up as one. Imagine if you woke up as a…as a…a…drummer, or a bass player, or a christian, or an atheist, or a hipster, a vegetable, or a pig, or a Nazi, or a Republicaninsert your most unimaginable persona. What if you woke up…different. A social pariah. Admit it, we all have prejudices. Even the most virtuous among us have something we secretly despise or shun as repulsive or beneath us. You know it’s true. To embrace your fear, you must face your fear. Hello, my name is Frances, and I'm a Republican.

How well would you deal with becoming something different? Issac lost everything, his job, his family, his house, everything. GONE! He was ostracized, stigmatized, condemned to walk the earth in a pair of lime green clown shoes. Instead of jumping off a high dive into a tiny pool of grape jello, or crashing his clown car into an elephant, Issac chooses to embrace his persona. He has no choice really. He joins a gang of drunken and disorderly clowns on the lunatic fringe, who accept him for what he is. Then, shit hits the fan. All because of this guy:

FUCK YOU FRED SAVAGE!


I can’t continue without any major spoilers so I’ll leave you hanging here on the trapeze, waiting for the other big floppy shoe to drop. If you like a good twisted plot twist, you’ll like this one. You won’t see it coming. In short, C.V. Hunt makes Other People’s Shit look good. The story is ultimately about power, and powerlessness, and acceptance, and taking back, and forgiving, and change. And, remember, no matter what you choose to see in Other People's Shit, in the end “it doesn’t matter what your walk of life is. You’ll always have to deal with someone else’s shit.”

As she does with all of her books, C.V. created a spot on, SPECTACULAR playlist to accompany the book. You MUST listen! Other People’s Shit Playlist

My personal favorite on the list, Crazy Clown Time by David Lynch. I LOOOOOOOOVE LOVE LOVE this video!
The Creeps (You’re Giving Me) – Freaks
Tramps and Freaks – Sideshow Tramps
Goodbye Cruel World – James Darren
John Wayne Gacey, Jr. – Sufjan Stevens
Manic Depression – The Clowns
Clown – Pap & Emblem
The Bearded Lady – Screaming Females
The Man on the Flying Trapeze – Burl Ives
Skyscraper – Elephant
Slide – Original Mix – Slideshow
Make it Easy – Fortune Tellers
Fortune Teller – Xavier Rudd
Unicycle – Bombadil
Acrobat – U2
Big Top – Alphabet Backwards
Dancing Bear – The Mamas & The Papas
Clowns – Funny Circus Band
My Name is Carnival – Erland & The Carnival
Physics of a Unicycle – cLOUDDEAD

[Shamus McCarty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok, I got this book about a week ago because it was free on kindle and it’s bizarro. Kind of a no brainer.

So I finally start reading it today. Immediately it grabs my attention due to the strange subject matter. But more importantly I quickly became engulfed in the story. In this world, people catch a weird disease or something and become clowns. Like, instantly become clowns. Nobody knows why it happens, and you get treated like a leper once it happens. It seems everybody hates fucking clowns. Well, not all people. There are those few people out there who are really into fucking clowns, or “loons” who like being fucked with balloons. Those are pretty much the only “norms” who don’t hate clowns.

Recommended for people into fucking clowns and / or balloons.

[Rodney · Rating 5 out of 5]

The more I read from this author, the more I really like and appreciate what she does. This had everything I enjoy in a book. There wasn't a dull moment. The concept of the clown pandemic is great. I loved the crude humor. There were many laugh out loud and shitty grin moments for me.I thought the character development was just right. Certainly enough was going on throughout to keep me entertained without overdoing it.
I do not want to spoil, so I will keep it short. I definitely think you should read this if you are into bizarre, twisted tales.

[Alex | | findingmontauk1 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review to come!

[Marvin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hate clowns.

I'm not afraid of clowns. I don't have coulrophobia. I just hate the MFers. It probably has to do with the jokers I was subjected to during childhood. Clarabelle acted psychotic to the point that I feared for Howdy Doody's life, Emmet Kelly looked like the adults my parents told me to avoid, Ronald McDonald is a corporate stooge, and Bozo was a...well...Bozo. I used to work with a guy that liked being a clown. He was one of those guys that weighed close to 250 pounds and drove a tiny car in parades. He worked extensively with children charities and was adored by kids. He was, and I say this in all sincerity, a kind, generous, morally upright person. But I never told him that when he was in his clown outfit, he was the spitting image of John Wayne Gacey. Now that's scary!

In Other People's Shit, C.V. Hunt creates a world where clowns are a disease. You wake up one morning and you're a clown. Think Kafka's "The Metamorphosis" with cream pies.You lose you wife, your family, your career, and end up being in the pits of society being harassed and working shit jobs. The author takes her title both figuratively and literally. Very literally.

Hunt sets up her Bizarro world very nicely for the first half of her book. It's very funny but also quite horrific. You can't help but feel some empathy these unlucky men and women. The new reader to Bizarro lit may find this a little too bizarre. There should be a warning sticker. WARNING: GRATUITOUS CLOWN SEX AND VIOLENCE. But there's a nice balance between funny, gross and sad. Yet the second half, where our protagonists investigate strange overdressed bike messengers who are abducting the clowns, went a little over the funny scale into silly. I lost the social allegory that I suspected the author was making. But for the most part the good outweighed the weak and I enjoyed it in its gross splendor.

This is definitely an experimental read for most people. If you squirm at the scatological and blush at the sexually explicit, you should probably avoid this. For that matter, avoid the Bizarro genre all together since the sole purpose of the genre is to push the envelope. But if you are brave and feel good writing shouldn't have arbitrary limits, you will enjoy this short and weird novel.

Three and a half stars.

[Jade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, this one takes rather a strong stomach--but it's totally worth it. I don't know if C.V. Hunt has done time in retail but judging by her descriptions of what humans will do in a bathroom they don't own, I would say she has cleaned a public toilet or heard very good descriptions! The stories I could tell from working in a used bookstore---*shudder* But onward...the book is another winner--dark in tone but humorous as hell and weirdly (yet again) very touching in spots.
I don't want to give too much away but it's pretty tough to go wrong when you have a story where becoming a clown is a disease that can creep up on you like Kafka's bug transformation and makes your life just about as hard. I can be a pretty jaded reader--I read a lot and have always done so and after awhile you get hard to surprise. I like to be surprised but I strongly dislike "weird for weird's sake" and Hunt's books never strike me this way (well, all three that I have read so far). They are weird--don't get me wrong--but in a really good way--in a real way. I never get the sense that she's just throwing shit at the wall to see what sticks (sorry, it was right there--I had to.) Her imagination is spectacular and at the same time she manages in short works to develop characters enough that I care what happens to them and to make the utterly bizarre seem very possible. I have to say that I truly envy her imagination and her ability to coherently put it down in print. Super impressed yet again. Highly recommend. Also...I can't believe I forgot to put this in...there is a bearded lady named Belinda...BAM.

[☼Bookish in Virginia☼]

Well. How to describe OTHER PEOPLE'S SHIT.

It's a short 96 pages, and most likely it's not going to be what you expect --which can be a delightful thing, depending on whether you're open to something edgy.

This isn't about waking up in the morning and finding out that IT'S happened, and that the streets are now filled with zombies. No, OPS is about waking up Clown. About what it's like to be at the very bottom of the socio-economic ladder.

Now, personally clowns creep me out, so it wasn't hard to believe that those cursed with clown-looks would find themselves pariahs. And so the story flow made sense to me.

The author did a great job of fleshing out the characters, and I found that I cared for them --although I didn't like them. The narrator, for example, was a jackass. But that was his role and he played it to the hilt. (Lucky Tina)

There's action in OTHER PEOPLE'S SHIT. (Shit happens.) But I think I'd classify this as a 'mood' piece. OPS has a gritty voice.

Well written --yes, I NEVER once thought it needed an editor-- this is book that successfully to me to another world.

*Not a book for your granny. Profanity extravaganza, sex, non-graphic torture....

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine waking up one morning and you're a clown. Face paint, floppy shoes, the whole bit. No one knows why it happened and no one really cares because everyone hates clowns. That is only half the story though.

The other half deals with clowns disappearing and mysterious bicycle riders that have Christmas lights on their bikes. In a 96 page book you would assume that at some point this story would collapse like a clowns whoopie cushion but it doesn't and even throws in one of the most unlikely villains you'll ever enounter.

This is a bizarro tale that truly captures your attention because C.V. Hunt had given us a well written tale that may be short but it is far from boring. This is the type of bizarro story that isn't overly offensive or bizarre. Granted a story that revolves around clowns may seem pretty out there but it actually isn't.

Other People's shit is well written and handles the subtle plot changes really well. The characters may seem a bit crude and rough around the edges and Isaac may in fact be a bitter bastard but he woke up one morning and he was a clown so I can understand why he's a bit bitter.

C.V. Hunt has given us an interesting novella that won't really help of you're scared of clowns or will it help of you're sexually attracted to clowns. It does happen to be a great addition to the bizarro genre so if you're a fan then pick this up.

[Eric Barry · Rating 5 out of 5]

A real bangarang bonanza of creativity. Not advisable to give this book to your 100-year-old relatives. But most non-squares will enjoy it immensely.

[Katey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another enjoyable tale from C.V. Hunt. At least our current pandemic isn't turning people into clowns. The circus kind from nightmares, that is.

[timj26 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hilarious and absurd in the best possible way
Well narrated and a good life lesson I highly recommend this to any Bizaro fan
I received a free review audiobook and voluntarily left this review

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Never thought I'd say such a thing, but: a story about a pandemic where a bunch of people turn into clowns hits closer to home than you'd ever expect.

[Kirk · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was a teenager, fresh out of high school, I helped my dad replace septic tanks one summer. I'm well versed in other people's shit. I've shoveled out leach fields while standing knee deep in it. I've seen tampons as big around as basketballs. I lived in a small town, so all the neighbors would come over to watch. They wanted to see other people's shit, too.

For some reason, when I picked up this book I thought it was going to be about kleptomaniacs. I thought people were going to steal a bunch of shit from other people.

Instead, it was about me. It was about clowns cleaning up other people's shit. And I, who shoveled shit for a summer, got schooled on excremental terminology. I learned about the "downtown brown." I have heard about cleveland steamers, dutch ovens, upper deckers, and all that jazz. But downtown brown was new to me. That alone made the book worth it for this reader, but let me take further measures to persuade you to read this book.

There are looners. Like Northwest Looner:




For me that'd be enough to draw me into the digital folds of this book, but there's more

Like a murderous Fred Savage:




On a serious note, while this book is humorous (construing guys riding 10-speed bikes adorned with christmas lights as menacing, for example) there's also something serious going on under the surface. When it comes right down to it, we're all clowns dealing with other people's shit. While a realization like that would normally be pretty depressing, and such a disposition is usually considered bleak, Hunt masks it with enough humor so that it isn't quite as painful as such a realization should be. After all, as my mother used to say, you only have two options. Either you laugh at life or cry. There's really no middle ground. But laughter can help make bleak reality seem a little less painful.

Somehow, this book finds the middle ground. The bleak reality is completely metaphorical so as to spare you the pain of reality. But it's there. Under the surface it is there, waiting for you.

And that's how a good book should be. It should be fun throughout the entire read, then slap you with rubber clown shoe after you read it.

Other People's Shit hurts so good after the fact. But that's only if you really want it to hurt. It will love you however you choose upon reading. And you can take that to the bank.

[Shannon Yarbrough · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read almost all of CV Hunt's books. I enjoy them so immensely because they are short novellas packed with interesting characters and anecdotes. I have yet to be disappointed by her. I know I'm in for a shock and I want to be shocked.

In OPS, we are faced with a somewhat odd epidemic. Not zombies. Clowns! At random, people wake up and they've changed into clowns. Their livelihood is completely ruined. Spouses pack up and leave. Children disown their parents. They lose their jobs.

But unlike typical apocalyptic stories where we are trying to figure out what happened or we are trying to survive, Hunt's characters accept their fate and OPS becomes a slice-of-life story about a bunch of clowns. Yep, it's pretty disturbing.

So what is a surplus of clowns supposed to do to make a living? They become public custodians. Yep, they get to clean up other people's...ahem...just as the title suggests. Let's face it. S**t's funny!

And Hunt does not hold back. She paints a (brown) picture of a bunch of clowns cleaning up a public toilet. Dirty humor abounds! But the author doesn't stop there with just toilet humor... Clown bars. Drag queens. Toy vomit. Cyclists lit up like Christmas trees. Even Fred Savage. Yep, that Fred Savage.

I got completely wrapped up in the "silly" story line and kept reading because I wanted to see where this was going. As I said, Hunt doesn't disappoint. Yeah, OPS is somewhat dark and dirty, but you have to respect a book about a clown epidemic that isn't only disturbing, but says a lot about the way we treat people in general based on who they are or what they do.

At some point in our life, we all have to clean up other people's...

[Steve Kemp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five Stars ! Why ? Because there are not Six ! Once I started this book ,every time I tried to put it down it called me back !! C.V. Hunt has a new fan ! Going to have to pick up all of her other works ,ASAP ! The book was well written, impossible to put down, it appealed to me personally in so many ways. What more could you ever ask for ? While the book is not for prudes and other butt munch clueless tight asses , for those who know how shitty reality really is it is a must read ! Shocking, Thrilling, well laid out ,and fucking hillarious too . When I review fictional books I try to avoid giving away too much ,as some reviews give away the goodies ....and that just sucks ! But heres the gist of it : What if you woke up tomorrow and had been transformed into a clown , no taking off the makeup and shoes . In this story people are being transformed into clowns ,the police and government could care less about them . Then they start disappearing at alarming rates . A group of these clowns and a few special friends are off to find out what is happening to the clowns ,and what /who they find is behind it is shocking . In a hillarious way ! I will STFU . Go get it and enjoy ! Remember , this isn't "The Wonder Years" though ! lol. Thanks C.V.Hunt ,you made my night !

[Lucie Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

"There's a pandemic. People are turning into clowns. Society isn't interested in finding a cure or treating the infected as humans. But when unconventional couriers begin to harass the contaminated, and clowns start disappearing, a band of transformed coworkers set out to find answers."

This book is worth it just for the Fred Savage "cameo" : "Fred Savage limped over to me, holding his dick, and spoke in a hoarse whisper, "You don't fight fair ya janky-toothed fuckstain."


I enjoyed this freaky story. Mostly people think clowns are freaky but I like the way the author made us sympathetic for the clowns, freaks as they are. This bizarro world of clowns that were once ordinary "norms" woke up to find themselves dressed as clowns and capable of an assortment of circus tricks. The clowns are scorned by society and are forced to take dead-end jobs such as cleaning toilets, hence the title of this darkly- humourous book.

It's well-written and isnt overly offensive or too bizarre.

Isaac is the main character, telling the story in first-person narrative. He is bitter and crude but very funny. A great read.

[Russell Holbrook · Rating 5 out of 5]

A story of hanging tough and overcoming the odds? Possibly. A story of unexpected love and redemption and finding magic and meaning in the most unlikely of places? Maybe. A cool as hell story filled with action, metaphor, and some of the best one-liners of all time? Definitely!
C.V. Hunt brings the awesome with an uncanny tale of personal transformation and diabolical child stars run amok. You may love this book so much that you give up everything you own and leave home. But, whatever you do, just don't take the hinges with you.

[Stay Fetters · Rating 4 out of 5]

No matter what you do in life, there is always someone above you and you must deal with their shit.
Working minimum wage jobs, the shit you deal with isn't worth it. Especially when someone shits on the floor and rubs it all over the stall or even drops a deuce in the elevator. (actually happened)
And Fred Savage, that clown hatin son of a bitch.

[David Cluck · Rating 3 out of 5]

Send in the clowns...