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LOSERS AND FREAKS

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A pixie and werewolf plan to thwart a prophecy; a medical mannequin attempts to foil a viral attack. A girl befriends a spider; a janitor stalks a ghost; and Cupid makes a deadly mistake. LOSERS AND FREAKS is a 45K #OwnVoices short story collection. Exploring the psychology-and humanity-of outcasts, C's second full-length release is worthy to its predecessor, SLUTS AND WHORES, which helped earn the author a grant from the Alberta Foundation for the Arts.



Welcome back to the Big City, where you find magic-and friends-in the strangest places.

272 pages, Paperback

Published June 28, 2024

3 people are currently reading
12 people want to read

About the author

C.E. Hoffman

7 books30 followers
C.E. Hoffman is a grant winner, Elgin Award nominee, Silver Honourable Mention in the Writers of the Future Award, Honourable Mention in the Muriel’s Journey Poetry Prize, and winner of the 2022 Defunct May Day Chapbook contest.
Current releases include SLUTS AND WHORES (Thurston Howl Publications, 2021), GHOSTS, TROLLS, AND OTHER THINGS ON THE INTERNET (Bottlecap Press, 2022), NO ACTUAL SIN (May Day Press/Defunct Magazine, 2023), LOSERS AND FREAKS (Querencia Press, 2024), and BLOOD, BOOZE, AND OTHER THINGS IN NATURE (extended edition, Bottlecap Press, 2025.) SKELETONS AND OTHER THINGS IN MY CLOSET is forthcoming from Anxiety Press. A 5th Anniversary edition of SLUTS AND WHORES is forthcoming from Querencia Press. Find more weirdness at cehoffman.net

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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
Profile Image for Dale Stromberg.
Author 9 books22 followers
April 6, 2025
An emotionally earnest collection of short stories and microfiction that wears its emotionalilty on its sleeve. Three pieces most appealed to me: “Cobwebs” is a fable-like portrayal of the gossamer intertwining of mental unwellness and one’s sense of selfhood; “Skin Deep” sets an extended metaphor on the outsider artist’s struggle within some enjoyably bonkers worldbuilding; and “First Last Time” blends the awkward ardency of early love with some of the tropes of vampire stories in a manner that reminds me of many of the pieces in yves.’s collection Something’s Not Right.
Profile Image for L Powers (Bookish_Mum).
833 reviews29 followers
June 19, 2024
Losers and Freaks: Short Stories by C.E. Hoffman
Rating: 4/5
Release Date: 28 June 2024

LOSERS AND FREAKS, a 45,000-word #OwnVoices short story collection, delves into the intricacies of outcasts, exploring their psychology and humanity. In this anthology, a pixie and a werewolf conspire against a foretold prophecy, while a medical mannequin strives to thwart a viral attack. Meanwhile, a young girl forms an unlikely friendship with a spider, a janitor embarks on a mission to confront a ghost, and Cupid's misstep leads to deadly consequences.

I thoroughly enjoyed this collection of short stories; it kept me entertained from start to finish. This was my first experience reading C. E. Hoffman's work, and I am now eager to delve into their previous book, Sluts and Whores.

The stories in this collection are beautifully written, showcasing Hoffman's talent for crafting engaging narratives with a seamless flow. Each story strikes a perfect balance between humour and heartfelt moments, making the reading experience both enjoyable and emotionally resonant. The characters are well-developed and relatable, allowing me to connect with their struggles and triumphs on a deep level.

Hoffman's ability to take readers on unexpected journeys is truly remarkable. Each story offers a unique and surprising twist, keeping me on the edge of my seat and eager to see what happens next. The themes explored in these stories are both thought-provoking and poignant.

By the end of the collection, I felt a profound sense of being understood and seen in a positive light. Hoffman's writing not only entertained me but also left a lasting impact.

I highly recommend this collection to anyone looking for a captivating and meaningful read, and I can't wait to see what else C. E. Hoffman has in store.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Querencia Press, and the author, C.E. Hoffman, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review.
Profile Image for Kristin Deichman.
59 reviews2 followers
June 29, 2024
So I do not usually read short stories. Before this I had not heard of this author and I have to say this did not disappoint me . I really enjoyed the different stories. I love the fantasy world of the stories. The different “freaks” all had a specific sense of humor that I really enjoyed . Some of the humor can be dark but that is my favorite kind of humor. This is my first time reading her work and I am wanting to read the other collections. I found that each story kept you engaged and I really flew through it the minute I picked it up. This collection was so unique and I think almost everyone could find that most stories had relatable characters. It truly was a one of a kind piece.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!
Profile Image for Missy.
174 reviews4 followers
August 10, 2024
3⭐️, I got a copy of this arc from NetGalley. This book is a collection of short stories (and maybe poems) about all different things but they all (most) have a futuristic or mystical vibe to them, I did enjoy that and the authors note was really brave/touching.

The end of the authors note says “this one’s for the weirdos” and I think it’s very fitting in the best way, the writing style was very poetic and I think I would read more from this author especially an extension on some of the short stories in this book.
Profile Image for Sam.
397 reviews27 followers
July 31, 2024
Disclaimer: I received an e-ARC from netgalley in exchange for a review.

I have never read something by this author before and so maybe I went into this expecting the wrong things? Either way I found myself disappointed throughout most of the collection. This is probably because this 212 pages collection features 38 seperate pieces, including stories/poems/little essays and the longest piece is around 40 pages, so you can imagine what that means for the remaining 37.
There were some short stories I liked such as the 3 Suicide Notes included, which were emotional and beautiful, full of pain and love and hate and both heartbreaking and interesting to read. The lenght also worked for them. I also enjoyed Schrodinger's Cat, a haunting short story about what to do if your cat ran away into a parallel universe and your girlfriend went after it to bring it back and explores the question of if you can be sure who returned. I also enjoyed Chasing Bill, where a sentient mannequin foils the terrorist plans of a med student. And lastly I enjoyed Help Us, a very short but interesting look into a world ravaged by a virus and two young lovers, who seem to be immune, it gets quite dark towards the end and I enjoyed that! This is one of the short stories that worked really well, despite being so short.
Unfortunately the number of stories I didn't really connect to (mostly due to lenght (or you know, the lack thereof)) is a lot higher than the number of stories I enjoyed. There's a story in there that just feels like a retelling of Cabinet Man by Lemon Demon. But set in a museum. There's many stories about abusive man, lost and hurt women, a variety of ghosts (also ghost pirates in space!) that should have made me feel more than they did, but just didn't work for me due to being so incredibly short that I just couldn't really feel anything for the characters. Often the ends were abrupt, the stories low on detail and very dialogue heavy and the characters thus often stereotypical or underdeveloped.
And then there where two stories I disliked, including "Stockholm Syndrome A Love Story" a trite beauty and the beast retelling where the beast turns out to be abusive afterwards as well. It doesn't add anything to the genre and was incredibly boring and predictable. I also disliked "Adam's Apple", where a virus is spread through contaminated toilet paper that turns humans uncaring and is currently causing the apocalypse through turning them into stereotypical stoners. This would be no problem, if it didn't also include the fatphobic stereotype of "humanity grows fat and lazy and that's why they go extinct".
All in all I do believe that some of these short stories could have done better if they had been extended and there are quite a few promising ideas in here, but I think that throwing all of them into one collection together did them a disservice. I really did love the idea of ghost pirates. In Space! But I didn't connect to the story a lot due to it being so short and low on detail. I do think that the writing and the plot ideas have a lot of potential though and if you are interested in flash fiction you might get more out of this collection than I did.

Trigger warnings for suicide, rape, domestic abuse, suicide, medical abuse, vomiting, fatphobia and ableism.
Profile Image for Dave Higgins.
Author 28 books53 followers
December 6, 2024
Hoffman combines a grasp of multiple genres with nuanced characters, starkly revealing the paradox that our differences are both an obstacle we create and the only reason to overcome.

This collection contains thirty-four short fictions and one novella, each focused on outsiders, the disadvantaged, or the excluded, along with copies of three of the author’s suicide notes.

The stories cover a number of genres from overtly speculative tales of alien infiltration or werewolves foiling dark magic to an achingly real narratives of school bullying and parental pressure. Hoffman draws on the tropes of each without being constrained by them, giving each story the sense of happening within the world—albeit sometimes one very different from what we consider the real world—rather than being a mere stereotype or spectacle. In addition to the engagement of individual stories, this variety greatly reduces the chance of the book starting to feel stale or samey if read in one or two sittings.

Hoffman’s characters are united in being outcasts but, echoing the sentiments of Dostoyevsky, are each outcast in their own way, facing different situations and facing them in different ways. This makes each feel like a rounded person who, whether or not the reader agrees with their choices, seems to make their choices from a consistent—if sometimes flawed or conflicting—set of drives or beliefs. These multiple portrayals of marginalisation also add both connection and complexity to the book as a whole, creating a common thread of non-conformity making life harder yet also being the only thing that makes life worth doing, and offering up contrasting examples of how protagonists might solve their problems but don’t.

A few of the stories include the revelation that the narrator is not the species they seem. Depending on reader perspective, this might make the cruelty of otherness hit harder by the realisation they have been empathising with someone who is not actually human. Whether or not it does, Hoffman provides a reasonable amount of foreshadowing that the narrator might not be what a reader might assume and does not indulge in active misdirection.

While the inexact boundary between flash fiction and short story means readers might differ on exactly how many of these works sit in each category, the contents slants strongly toward the shorter end of the scale in terms of word-count. Hoffman displays a good understanding of this limited space, providing enough detail that the reader gets a good picture of events and characters while avoiding things a reader doesn’t need to know or can infer. Thus, readers who enjoy short fiction—especially those who also enjoy stories where wider truths remain mysterious—are likely to find these works generally well paced.

Where readers might be more divided is on endings: although none of the stories stop in the middle of the action, some do conclude with wider issues still clearly unresolved. Depending on reader perspective, this might increase the sense of protagonists whose lives aren’t under control and who have no expectation of a happily ever after, or create the occasional sense of the payoff being not quite there.

The notes that Hoffman wrote while intending suicide contrast with the rest of the works; and yet they also embody the same perspective: the life of an outsider is more often banal and messy than an epic existential conflict.

Overall, I enjoyed this collection. I recommend it to readers seeking stories of characters who don’t always make good decisions or win in the end.

I received a free copy from the author with a request for a fair review.
Profile Image for Emi.
259 reviews1 follower
July 10, 2024
Publishing date: 28.06.2024
Thank you to Netgalley and Querencia Press for the ARC. My opinions are my own. 

The book as a meal: I treated myself to a chocolate pudding cup today, but I accidentally dropped it
The book left me: Thinking "what the hell?" and "hell yeah" at the same time

Negatives:
Somewhat sudden endings to each story

Positives:
Surprisingly thought provoking
Feels like a safe space
Kept and fulfilled its promises

Features: 
It is indeed filled with losers and freaks, "I choose the bear" embodied in a book, real suicide notes, poems and short stories

Why did I choose this one?
Can we just appreciate the gorgeous cover for a moment? Alright, moving on. I was really captured by the title and description here. Just mad enough to really get me excited to read it. It promised a lot of stuff that is right up my alley. 

Pick-up-able? Put-down-able?
In between. The different length of these stories could both drag and speed up my progress in the book. It was best enjoyed over a couple of days I feel, then I could absorb the different stories and get really into them. 

What was the vibe and mood?
Black Mirror and Twilight Zone combines. This is a very creative book with widely different stories. What got me and kept me comforted was the fact it felt like a safe space. This book is the bear, and I willingly chose it. This is the "conversation with your best friend in a coffee shop" kind of book. This is gossip in book form. It is insane, sad, comforting, and absolutely bonkers all at the same time. 

Final ranking and star rating?
4 stars, A tier. What an acid trip of a book. This has left me shooketh. This is such a cool and creative collection of stories and I don't quite know what to do with all of them in my head. There are stand outs here (see the final story), and there are some forgettable stories. I have dropped it by a single star simply because I have forgotten most of the stories by this point. Otherwise, a stunner. Will recommend, might even buy for my shelf. 

Favorite stories: 
STOCKHOLM SYNDROME: A LOVE STORY
BULLYING 101
CHASING BILL
ARCHER'S PARADOX
FIRST LAST TIME
THIS HAPPENED #3 (BECHDEL TEST) 
ONE LAST STOP
BORN MEAT
199 reviews1 follower
June 30, 2024
This book is the bear. It's the safe space in the world for women where we can talk about the experiences we have and it's safe and be a little weird while doing it.

C.E. Hoffman writes a collection of short stories that range from fantasy, to sci-fi, to raw suicide notes. The stories are all short and only take a few minutes to read, which gives the reader a casual, delightful read that never feels like you're rushing to the finish line. The stories all have a Twilight Zone vibe, but all carry that underlaying secret that all women know.

The style of writing is unique and conversational, and the whole book feels like having a conversation with a close friend where you both have inside jokes and your own slang. Each story has it's own little twist, which feel familiar and foreign all at once.

This was my first C.E. Hoffman book, and I really can't wait to read another.


#LOSERSANDFREAKS #NetGalley
Profile Image for Melissa.
208 reviews6 followers
September 25, 2024
This is a very diverse collection of short stories that range from very personal and intimate stories (including three of the author’s suicide notes) to funny and outlandish stories such as stories about aliens aiming to eliminate all cats, a twist on the beauty and the beast tale, and a story about killer space ghosts. I really appreciated the amount of stories included in this collection and the variety of tales. There’s definitely something for everyone!

Unfortunately the writing of this one did not work for me. I found the majority of the stories to fall flat and be forgettable. There were definitely a few standouts for me including First Date #5, Stockholm Syndrome: A Love Story, Ghosts Everywhere, and Vibrationis Vibrissae.

I think this collection will work for a lot of people and I’m sad I did not connect more to it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Querencia Press for access to this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Profile Image for Rachel.
616 reviews40 followers
November 8, 2024
I really enjoyed C.E. Hoffman's short story collection Sluts and Whores, so when I saw in a newsletter from Querencia Press that there would be a new short story collection by them, I knew I had to have it. The stories in this collection deal with heavy topics, but Hoffman puts in a little bit of humor and a lot of empathy. As the title points out, these stories are all about the people who are at the bottom of the ridiculous and stupid hierarchy and therefore considered worthless. Some stories are fantasy and/or scifi. All of them convey the message that people need kindness, care and compassion from other people. I'm excited to read more from C.E. Hoffman.
205 reviews3 followers
August 10, 2024
This was emotionally hard to read. Knowing parts were authentic and autobiographical made it even more vulnerable. I think sharing this type of heartbreak is admirable. It did feel off kilter, but I feel as though that's because it is short, chapter-length stories.
Profile Image for Kat Hogan.
20 reviews1 follower
January 1, 2025
Lots of great short stories! The last one really gets you :)
Profile Image for Robyn MacKinnon.
3 reviews
April 19, 2025
An excellent spiritual successor to "Sluts and Whores" - old stories woven through new. Hypothetical/fictitious/mythological scenarios made vividly, painfully, wonderfully real.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews

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