What do you think?
Rate this book
Any Resemblance to a Coincidence Is Accidental
(281 Word Synopsis) 1. Noloso Chushingura returns to the wretchedness of Mucha Nieve, Nueva Jork and is shocked by what he sees. He then flees Mucha Nieve, crossing the border by bus into Kanuckya. 2. Pavlina Perestroika, The Man in the 1975 Buick Regal and “A Guest” drive to Miasma Falls. Pavlina later meets her friend Bobby Bluetooth. 3. Klarissa Koontberger, Gloria "Gigi" Evil-Lynne Gigglefoock Koontberger and their disturbed children reside in the Crew-Ella de Parkay Villa in Douchebag, Nueva Jork. 4. Pavlina Perestroika and her Guest physioanimate to the Marie Versailles Trailer Park to visit Trailer Number Nine. 5. Giovanni Zsazsasky escapes the Puta Jork bar “Vulture” and travels to Brrrlin, Doucheyland. At a Beast Village bar called Schmack, go-go boy Kristofer Petrograd Falkland and stripper Helio resolve their differences. 6. Homo hotties speak out against gay shame. Bobby and Tommy live their obsession with rainbow flags. 7. Elfindaabaah Glindaabaah, high school musical star, founds the "Weak-Ed Fan Club" for teenage girl fans of the Fraud-Gay musical "Weak-Ed". 8. Sheena Horrorshow Princess chides aging Bohemians who refuse to adapt to gentrified Puta Jork. 9. Jean-Nette The Jet Lag Fag Hag reveals, to The Grrrlfriends, the reasons why she sacrificed her career. She then travels with The Grrrlfriends to the Marie Versailles Trailer Park. The Grrrlfriends experience a nightmare inside of Trailer Number Nine. 10. Dolores the Day Glo Drag Queen commands The Grrrlfriends to destroy Jean-Nette the Jet Lag Fag Hag. The Girlfriends gratefully accept this responsibility. 11. Noloso Chushingura and his entire body of work are condemned by a mysterious group of art critics. 12. The Collected, Completed and Unfinished Works of Noloso Chushingura. 13. Reviews of “Art Is Dead: The Anti-Book”.
Please refer to the Blog Posting on the Stephen C. Bird Author Profile Page for Quotes from Reviews for "Any Resemblance To A Coincidence Is Accidental".
Please refer to the Blog Posting on the Stephen C. Bird Author Profile Page for Quotes from Reviews for "Any Resemblance To A Coincidence Is Accidental".
128 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 16, 2015
65 people are currently reading
8793 people want to read
About the author
Stephen C. Bird
5 books380 followersStephen C. Bird is a fiction writer and visual artist. He has written the following books: "Hideous Exuberance" (2009, 2013); "Catastrophically Consequential" (2012); "Any Resemblance to a Coincidence is Accidental" (2015); "To Be to Is to Was" (2018); and "From G to PG to R to X" (2022). He was born in Toronto and grew up in Erie County, New York. Mr. Bird has lived in New York City for most of his adult life.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews
January 27, 2016
Masterpiece. State of the union address for the concerned outsider in 2016. Hack through the thick jungle of puns and phantasmagoric wordplay, and you will laugh with characters struggling with the constraints of a stifling small-town America, or with the constraints of rapidly gentrifying big-city America, with micro environments where one can find casual hookups but not love. Characters whose chances for love may have passed them by. You will experience Facebook as you probably already experience it, and meet a motley assortment of cold-hearted careerists, jet set open micers, and popular, in-crowd gays. Casual fans of the standard paperback thriller or harlequin romance novel may struggle with this one, but those in the know will get it immediately as well as find things to be challenged by in it. Well worth the effort and the time.
December 11, 2016
A quick, but (unfortunately, at least for me) difficult read.
I didn't dig it. Why didn't I dig it? Like with Night Vale podcasts, or recent Neil Stephenson novels, or bad comedians, I felt like the entire time I was being bludgeoned with self-indulgence. Even after only 20 pages, it was too damn much. I pressed forward, but after the half way point I had to stop.
Why does this happen? Think about comedy teams, how at least one person provides contrast by being the "straight man/woman". These folks know that wackiness can't be an unrelenting stream; instead, it's doled out in a timed release, offering a bit of respite between the laughs. Without
contrast, it's just endless pie-in-the-face ridiculousness, and holy shiz, that gets old very quickly.
There's a social commentary somewhere in this book, but unfortunately I couldn't get past its packaging. Talk about distracting.
I'm sure I'm just missing something here. Returning to the Night Vale comparison...I know lots of folks worship at the alter of Night Vale, and I tried, I really did, but I just can't handle it. That's on me. The suspension that I need to get through Night Vale's supersaturation-of-wacky is missing from my system. I'm guessing the same suspension is required to get through this book. Clearly, most of the other people that reviewed it have what it takes to appreciate it. I, unfortunately, did not. Can't win 'em all, I guess.
Final thought, primarily directed at indie authors and small presses: unless you are McSweeney's or Chip Kidd or Mark Danielewski, please, for the love of all creatures great and small, stop dinking with the interior design of your books. There are reasons why the interiors of books look the way they do. If you do things like swap serif fonts for sans serif fonts or change ellipses from three dots to five or mess with leading or dink with indentations or make endlessly long paragraphs, you're not being edgy, you're just making your book harder to read. There's a difference.
Argh.
I won this book as a Goodreads Giveaway in exchange for an honest review. Sorry.
I didn't dig it. Why didn't I dig it? Like with Night Vale podcasts, or recent Neil Stephenson novels, or bad comedians, I felt like the entire time I was being bludgeoned with self-indulgence. Even after only 20 pages, it was too damn much. I pressed forward, but after the half way point I had to stop.
Why does this happen? Think about comedy teams, how at least one person provides contrast by being the "straight man/woman". These folks know that wackiness can't be an unrelenting stream; instead, it's doled out in a timed release, offering a bit of respite between the laughs. Without
contrast, it's just endless pie-in-the-face ridiculousness, and holy shiz, that gets old very quickly.
There's a social commentary somewhere in this book, but unfortunately I couldn't get past its packaging. Talk about distracting.
I'm sure I'm just missing something here. Returning to the Night Vale comparison...I know lots of folks worship at the alter of Night Vale, and I tried, I really did, but I just can't handle it. That's on me. The suspension that I need to get through Night Vale's supersaturation-of-wacky is missing from my system. I'm guessing the same suspension is required to get through this book. Clearly, most of the other people that reviewed it have what it takes to appreciate it. I, unfortunately, did not. Can't win 'em all, I guess.
Final thought, primarily directed at indie authors and small presses: unless you are McSweeney's or Chip Kidd or Mark Danielewski, please, for the love of all creatures great and small, stop dinking with the interior design of your books. There are reasons why the interiors of books look the way they do. If you do things like swap serif fonts for sans serif fonts or change ellipses from three dots to five or mess with leading or dink with indentations or make endlessly long paragraphs, you're not being edgy, you're just making your book harder to read. There's a difference.
Argh.
I won this book as a Goodreads Giveaway in exchange for an honest review. Sorry.
September 27, 2023
(500 Word Synopsis) Chapter One: An anonymous female “Fakebook spokesperson” deconstructs sociological manifestations of popular culture, as they occur on Fakebook. She ends her lecture by introducing the central character of Noloso Chushingura. Chapter Two: Noloso Chushingura returns to the wretchedness of Mucha Nieve and is shocked by what he sees. Dreams, fantasy, nightmares and memories are his only comfort. Noloso flees Mucha Nieve, crossing the border by bus into Kanuckya. Chapter Three: An anonymous narrator addresses Noloso Chushingura, in a dream, preaching about the pros and cons of gay life and identity that influence Noloso’s existence. Chapter Four: Pavlina Perestroika, tough and pragmatic resident of Palin-Town -- Embarks on a mysterious journey through Eerie County with "The Man In The 1975 Buick Regal". Chapter Five: Koontessa Klarissa Koontberger and Gloria "Gigi" Evil-Lynne Gigglefoock Koontberger reside in the Crew-Ella de Parkay in Douchebag, Nueva Jork. Their disturbed children lurk in the shadows. Troubled Gigi looks to Miyuh Hiyuh Powuh for guidance. Chapter Six: Pavlina Perestroika, The Man in the 1975 Buick Regal and “A Guest” drive to the border of Amourrica Profunda and Kanuckya in Miasma Falls. Pavlina returns after her “Trip” to meet her friend Bobby Bluetooth at the Palin Street Software Cafe. Chapter Seven: The Hillbilly Clairvoyant recounts the tale of his vigilante parishioners pursuing "The Baby-Killing Laidie". Pavlina Perestroika and her Guest physioanimate to the Marie Versailles Trailer Park to visit Trailer Number Nine. Chapter Eight: Fakebook Girlfiend updates the reader on her latest social media activities and adventures with self-help books. Chapter Nine: Giovanni Zsazsasky escapes the Puta Jork bar “Vulture” by window shopping on Ebay and traveling to Brrrlin, Doucheyland. At a Beast Village bar called Schmack, go go boy Kristofer Petrograd Falkland and fellow stripper Helio resolve their differences. Chapter Ten: Homo hotties speak out against gay shame. Bobby and Tommy embellish everything they own with the colors and stripes of rainbow flags. Chapter Eleven: Elfindaabaah Glindaabaah, former high school musical star, founds the "Weak-Ed Fan Club" for teenage girl fans of the Fraud-Gay musical "Weak-Ed". “The Ten Commandments of The Obsessed Weak-Ed Fan” must be strictly observed. Chapter Twelve: Sheena Horrorshow Princess chides aging bohemians who cannot, or will not, adapt to the ongoing gentrification of Nueva Jork, including its new and younger generation. Chapter Thirteen: Jean-Nette The Jet Lag Fag Hag reveals to The Grrrlfriends why she has sacrificed her career. Jean-Nette travels with The Grrrlfriends to the Marie Versailles Trailer Park. The Grrrlfriends enter Trailer Number Nine and find themselves in an increasingly nightmarish fantasyscape. Chapter Fourteen: Dolores the Day Glo Drag Queen commands The Grrrlfriends to pursue and destroy Jean-Nette the Jet Lag Fag Hag. The Girlfriends gratefully accept this responsibility. Chapter Fifteen: Noloso Chushingura and his entire body of work are universally condemned by the decree of a mysterious committee of supposed art critics. Chapter Sixteen: The Collected, Completed and Unfinished Works of Noloso Chushingura. Chapter Seventeen: Reviews of “Art Is Dead: The Anti-Book”.
November 9, 2016
Nope.
- Full disclosure: I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review. -
Longest run-on stream of consciousness ever. Unreadable. I tried to give this a fair shake and read much longer than I would have had I just come across this randomly. Usually a stream-of-consciousness will at least have themes it runs through, or even a character of sorts to follow through their experience. This was just nonsense, and after several "chapters" I was done trying. Here's the thing, an author only gets so long to bring the reader into the created world and give them something to identify with, or be fascinated by. This failed to do that.... hell it didn't even create a world, or a freaking character for that matter. I tried three times to push my way through it in the hopes of finding something, anything at all, that might set up a narrative, or anything that could be grasped onto. All I can remember now is the so-called chapter beginnings were illustrated w/ some kind of boring border art.
It really pisses me off shit like this gets printed. Trees died, people got paid without merit, and the public will get ripped-off, thus furthering the idea that reading is a boring, sucky way to spend one's time. Seriously, what the hell are you guys doing? Good stories exist and are left languishing, but someone spent time from their life to get this utter shite into print. Stories by grade-schoolers about unicorns have more substance.
Seriously, whole boards of people need to be fired without severance for midwifing this tripe.
- Full disclosure: I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review. -
Longest run-on stream of consciousness ever. Unreadable. I tried to give this a fair shake and read much longer than I would have had I just come across this randomly. Usually a stream-of-consciousness will at least have themes it runs through, or even a character of sorts to follow through their experience. This was just nonsense, and after several "chapters" I was done trying. Here's the thing, an author only gets so long to bring the reader into the created world and give them something to identify with, or be fascinated by. This failed to do that.... hell it didn't even create a world, or a freaking character for that matter. I tried three times to push my way through it in the hopes of finding something, anything at all, that might set up a narrative, or anything that could be grasped onto. All I can remember now is the so-called chapter beginnings were illustrated w/ some kind of boring border art.
It really pisses me off shit like this gets printed. Trees died, people got paid without merit, and the public will get ripped-off, thus furthering the idea that reading is a boring, sucky way to spend one's time. Seriously, what the hell are you guys doing? Good stories exist and are left languishing, but someone spent time from their life to get this utter shite into print. Stories by grade-schoolers about unicorns have more substance.
Seriously, whole boards of people need to be fired without severance for midwifing this tripe.
January 7, 2016
IN short: funniest satirical attack of fB (and More) I have ever read: LOA! BE my Frenimie!
This is Steve Birds most assessable and funniest book. His last books were good, but one, or at least, I did not catch all the satire; it took work. This is Steve Bird for Dummies if you will; easy like Sunday morning, Sure he will take you into some dark rooms ( disclaimer: a woman is chased and set on fire with a flame thrower. BUT there no way you wont laugh in the first 10 pages. Like Franzens and David Edger's last books, steve reflects on modern techno culture: (mostly face book) , Farnzens and Egers's books were of course interesting and good, but dare I say: Steve is funnier? Could it be. I have no agenda, I self publish humor books too, so was critical reading it, but he is such a talent it is humbling. The pros are excellent; Steve is a literary craftsman that can go head to head with many; with great imagery and attention to detail. I could not wait to read this every AM until I was done with it. ( 3 days) THen I missed it. It wsa friend.
It made me sad, 20 years ago this would caught the eye of a main stream publisher and this would be a best a seller: buy it, read it.
This is Steve Birds most assessable and funniest book. His last books were good, but one, or at least, I did not catch all the satire; it took work. This is Steve Bird for Dummies if you will; easy like Sunday morning, Sure he will take you into some dark rooms ( disclaimer: a woman is chased and set on fire with a flame thrower. BUT there no way you wont laugh in the first 10 pages. Like Franzens and David Edger's last books, steve reflects on modern techno culture: (mostly face book) , Farnzens and Egers's books were of course interesting and good, but dare I say: Steve is funnier? Could it be. I have no agenda, I self publish humor books too, so was critical reading it, but he is such a talent it is humbling. The pros are excellent; Steve is a literary craftsman that can go head to head with many; with great imagery and attention to detail. I could not wait to read this every AM until I was done with it. ( 3 days) THen I missed it. It wsa friend.
It made me sad, 20 years ago this would caught the eye of a main stream publisher and this would be a best a seller: buy it, read it.
January 19, 2016
Originally gave it up on page 50 - however, after pushing through I found that the book really starts up great and makes more sense pass page 62; I got this as a goodreads giveaway and sometimes the language can be confusing and frustrating (particularly if you are sensitive to swearing) though, in my opinion the book is funny and has little hints about how you should live life in it. It's like a comical self-help book about people who live life on the edge and fall off the world, basically.
January 31, 2016
Any Resemblance to a Coincidence is Accidental (Paperback)
I have read all of Mr. Birds' previous books and feel this is his best work yet. The book has a feel of a modern day Alice in Wonderland looking at the world of social media in a very funny, bizarrre and satirical way of thinking. Every time I read it, I could not wait to see what the next chapter would bring.
Mr. Bird is a very talented author and his writing ability is able to reach beyond all boundaries, which is truly amazing. The book is also relatable to everyone who thinks social media has gone to the areas beyond ridiculous.
I recommend this book for an anyone looking for a fun, comical way of seeing the world we live in now..This book will truly take you on that adventure!!
I have read all of Mr. Birds' previous books and feel this is his best work yet. The book has a feel of a modern day Alice in Wonderland looking at the world of social media in a very funny, bizarrre and satirical way of thinking. Every time I read it, I could not wait to see what the next chapter would bring.
Mr. Bird is a very talented author and his writing ability is able to reach beyond all boundaries, which is truly amazing. The book is also relatable to everyone who thinks social media has gone to the areas beyond ridiculous.
I recommend this book for an anyone looking for a fun, comical way of seeing the world we live in now..This book will truly take you on that adventure!!
August 29, 2018
Ok, this is a Goodreads win. I love Goodreads wins because it gives me a chance to experiment with authors, styles, whatnot. Some are good, some are excellent even, some, well, not so much. I did manage to get through this one, I think primarily because I read one review that said it got better. If, indeed, it did get better, I could not find where.
The book was chaotic, nonsensical. There was no plot that I could find, all characters were shallow to be polite. Reading it was an experience and in a way I'm glad I did finish it. It gave me a view of a completely alien line of thought process.
The book was chaotic, nonsensical. There was no plot that I could find, all characters were shallow to be polite. Reading it was an experience and in a way I'm glad I did finish it. It gave me a view of a completely alien line of thought process.
July 4, 2016
I received this book as a giveaway in return for an honest review.
I'm sorry to say I couldn't get through it. It was just a lot of complaining/mocking and poking fun at everything, I mean everything. I couldn't even find the story. I found myself thinking ok I get it, you hate everything. I got halfway through but it's just not for me.
I'm sorry to say I couldn't get through it. It was just a lot of complaining/mocking and poking fun at everything, I mean everything. I couldn't even find the story. I found myself thinking ok I get it, you hate everything. I got halfway through but it's just not for me.
February 22, 2018
I won this book on a Goodreads Kindle give-away. I don't think I was a good person to win it, because the style of the book is not my cup of tea. It is tongue-and-cheek and sardonic in a stream of consciousness style. I did note some clever word-play and insights.
I am willing to pass this book on if anyone is interested (Kindle version).
I am willing to pass this book on if anyone is interested (Kindle version).
March 5, 2016
I received this book as part of a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
What on earth did I just try to read? I guess, unlike the other reviewers, I just didn't get it. I read 2 chapters and couldn't take it anymore.
What on earth did I just try to read? I guess, unlike the other reviewers, I just didn't get it. I read 2 chapters and couldn't take it anymore.
November 28, 2019
This book is my type of weird. Clearly not for everyone, by looking at the ratings. However, for me, the text danced along from page to page. I found the satirical commentary hilarious, but again, it is not for everyone.
July 23, 2016
Received a copy of the book in a promotional giveaway. I was unable to finish. The style just wasn't for me.
February 5, 2025
It has truly been a long time since I’ve struggled through a book this hard. I found myself needing to force myself to focus nearly every sentence and once I did I was reminded of my desire to do anything else immediately. I am no stranger to poetry and stories that are a delightful, lyrical experience full of description and prose and little plot but this was just heinous. I can’t fathom how an editor was possibly involved as I would imagine they were handed these sheets of paper and simply asked “what is this?”. I don’t feel the need to pull up a thesaurus for my vocabulary for this review which greatly differs from anyone who was compelled to give this writing a higher review (I’m sure in their need to say “oh no I got it of course, I’m just so smart you see”). A book that relies on spelling words weird to seem quirky and the occasional toss of slurs and insulting language into the pot, I could not imagine ever coming across an individual I would suggest this to.
April 1, 2024
This is my 2nd Goodreads Giveaway win for this author. I enjoyed this book much more than Catastrophically Consequential. I enjoy being stretched and taken out of my comfort zone as a reader. I am a bit of a masochist in that way. I would not have gotten through this book or understood some of Bird's puns and references (there are many) without help from my Kindle. I laughed out loud during most chapters of this book. Sometimes, I'm laughing at myself when I figure out his "language" and spelling of words, and then I would reread that page to get the most meaning out of it. I love your outside the box way of thinking!
September 22, 2024
Hands down, this is the strangest book I have ever read. It was like watching a train wreck. You don't want to see it but you can't look away. I didn't want to read this book but I couldn't put it down. I didn't understand the story or even why it was written the way it was. Not a book for the faint of heart. #GoodreadsGiveaways
February 20, 2025
This is a DNF for me. Maybe it’s for someone else. Just not for me. I really tried to keep going but I found myself saying “wtf” and “what is the author trying to do here?” So much that I became disinterested.
October 28, 2025
Good book
October 27, 2024
I enjoyed this book quite a lot. I won it in a Goodreads giveaway.
It was very different from what I expected from the title. There were some funny parts, some brutal ones, and some that I did not really understand at all. I especially liked the invented spellings.
It was very different from what I expected from the title. There were some funny parts, some brutal ones, and some that I did not really understand at all. I especially liked the invented spellings.
April 11, 2021
"If all else fails and you're unable to turn off the chattering of your sociopathic voices, then pray to the Universe..."
I have been a fan of the bizarro rant, if that's a genre (I know it when I see it), although more recently I have reassessed my tolerance for material that is offensive. I think bizarro rants are inherently offensive. It's just what they need to be. It's an effect of total disinhibition, with which it puts one in a certain headspace that one otherwise might never be in. Like being very drunk and also lucidly analytical at the same time. That is "fine," as far as it goes, for the art being exactly what it is and for one's own experience of the art being what it is. This sort of disaster monologue was eye-opening at one time for me. It is just maybe not exactly what I want for myself right now anymore. On the one hand, these days I am impressed by people who have made the effort to figure out how not to be offensive or how to use words that are more constructive rather than destructive. On the other hand, if the very purpose of the words is to destroy the edges of consciousness and blur it with primary-colored fingerpaint, well — what we have here is still impressive and appropriately destructive. And how else will we truly pray to the Universe if we've silenced the chattering of our sociopathic voices?
It ought to go without saying that if someone does (or does not) want to be offended then, once they are briefly advised where the offense is to be found, they know what to do to indulge (or shield) themselves. Do what you wanna do. Manage yourself and your own reading list.
I have been a fan of the bizarro rant, if that's a genre (I know it when I see it), although more recently I have reassessed my tolerance for material that is offensive. I think bizarro rants are inherently offensive. It's just what they need to be. It's an effect of total disinhibition, with which it puts one in a certain headspace that one otherwise might never be in. Like being very drunk and also lucidly analytical at the same time. That is "fine," as far as it goes, for the art being exactly what it is and for one's own experience of the art being what it is. This sort of disaster monologue was eye-opening at one time for me. It is just maybe not exactly what I want for myself right now anymore. On the one hand, these days I am impressed by people who have made the effort to figure out how not to be offensive or how to use words that are more constructive rather than destructive. On the other hand, if the very purpose of the words is to destroy the edges of consciousness and blur it with primary-colored fingerpaint, well — what we have here is still impressive and appropriately destructive. And how else will we truly pray to the Universe if we've silenced the chattering of our sociopathic voices?
It ought to go without saying that if someone does (or does not) want to be offended then, once they are briefly advised where the offense is to be found, they know what to do to indulge (or shield) themselves. Do what you wanna do. Manage yourself and your own reading list.
LIFE'S A BITCH FOR EVERYONE — NOT JUST FOR PEOPLE WHO FEEL SHAME! WE'RE ASHAMED TO BE TALKING ABOUT SHAME — EVEN THOUGH WE DON'T HAVE SHAME. BUT IF WE DID — OUR SHAME OF OUR SHAME WOULD BE OUR SECRET SHAME! WE'RE ASHAMED THAT WE EVEN ADMITTED THIS TO YOU!I sort of feel that this book does not want to be 5-starred. Like, in its soul, it would be offended by having too many stars. It hates capitalism and wants to vomit some stars into the oily edge of the canal.
"Pavlina had always been fascinated by the occult. In fact, her favorite tarot card was La Mort [although she didn't understand it, she admired the Old World romanticism of the French language and preferred her deck to be en français]." * * * "Please don't get mad at me you guys! I love you all to death! And by death — I mean that good kind of tarot death! You guys are so great!"I received this book for free through a Goodreads giveaway.
February 11, 2016
Stephen C. Bird is back with another leap into a linguistically twisted netherworld populated by an underworld of various sex-obsessed down-on-their-luck-like-they-ever-had-any basket cases, with a smattering of magickal beings and fantastick occurrences. At first this book seems like it might be a bit more grounded in reality than Bird's previous works, Hideous Exuberance and Castastrophically Consequential. A good deal of the "action" takes place in towns standing in for various upstate New York locales, some identifiable, some baffling: Miasma Falls, Douchebag (in the western Cats-Kills), Mucha Nieve; and there we often get some kind of anchoring to a bleak, gritty, wintry reality. Other scenes are in Puta Jork, Nueva Jork, i.e. NYC. There is some carry-over of the entities in his previous books: Earth is still the blue green planet, Germany is Doucheyland, the United States has morphed for whatever reason from Amurycka Profunda to Amourrica Profunda. But don't count on an excess of realism. Still strange things happen. Grisly miraculous revenge fantasies are enacted, and sometimes taken back. And once again this is more a pastiche than a novel. But there are plenty of laugh-out-loud bits in this new one, more than in the first two. The first chapter is a hilarious exploration of one character's idea of Fakebook etiquette. Someone has won the Hieronomus Boscar for Best Obscene Design. There's a TV spinoff called Benjy the Articulate Porn Star. It is easier in this one to acclimate to Bird's unique style than in the first two, and so it's kind of a breeze to get through, and actually qualifies as a Fun Read.
July 24, 2022
I won this book through a Goodreads Giveaway.
This was a bizarre and surreal satire that never focuses on any one character for too long. The book jumps around from a man witnessing the murder of a woman by a group of homeless men to a woman who suddenly transports to a shrine dedicated to Bast to a redneck telling a story about a group of other rednecks who tried to hunt down a woman who had an abortion to a girl admitting through a "Fakebook" post that she's actually an alien to a man lamenting that his hook-up lifestyle has prevented him from learning how to create and maintain loving relationships. And that doesn't even touch on a third of the things that happen in this book. The book so easily switched between satire and sincerity and horror and just flat out bizarreness (often within the same chapter) that I could never figure out where exactly the story was going or even really what was the story was about. I hope that doesn't make it sound like I didn't enjoy the book because nothing could be further from the truth. I very much loved the entire strange romp. I laughed out loud in numerous places and I enjoyed deciphering the renaming/misspelling of things and places (I must admit it took me far too long to realize that Fraud-Gay was Broadway). I really couldn't wait to find out what each of the subsequent chapters would bring. I highly recommend it anyone and everyone.
This was a bizarre and surreal satire that never focuses on any one character for too long. The book jumps around from a man witnessing the murder of a woman by a group of homeless men to a woman who suddenly transports to a shrine dedicated to Bast to a redneck telling a story about a group of other rednecks who tried to hunt down a woman who had an abortion to a girl admitting through a "Fakebook" post that she's actually an alien to a man lamenting that his hook-up lifestyle has prevented him from learning how to create and maintain loving relationships. And that doesn't even touch on a third of the things that happen in this book. The book so easily switched between satire and sincerity and horror and just flat out bizarreness (often within the same chapter) that I could never figure out where exactly the story was going or even really what was the story was about. I hope that doesn't make it sound like I didn't enjoy the book because nothing could be further from the truth. I very much loved the entire strange romp. I laughed out loud in numerous places and I enjoyed deciphering the renaming/misspelling of things and places (I must admit it took me far too long to realize that Fraud-Gay was Broadway). I really couldn't wait to find out what each of the subsequent chapters would bring. I highly recommend it anyone and everyone.
May 17, 2016
I think I'll likely read this several more times, as I did with Hideous Exuberance and Catastrophically Consequential. As with his two earlier novels, ARTACIA is a deft collage of anguished voices, weirdly reassuring if you're as attracted/alienated by social media as he is -- or as the opening narrator is, rather.
If you follow Mr. Bird on Feignbook (tm) you'll recognize his self-and other-lacerating social media voice, herein dilated and sharpened and pushed as far into excess as sexual activity and other forms of "depravity" are in HE and CC. Addiction haunts his fiction, and it's in full bore here. So is narcissism, a maybe-inevitable, culture-wide phenomenon from which nobody seems immune.
He includes some one-panel artworks in it, too. Which, oddly, lend themselves to social media format, some of which he debut-ed there and on Tumblr.
Noloso Chishingura is a great epic. I read parts of it aloud to a friend. There's good dialogue, more restrained than the prose, which is funny in itself somehow. I didn't know whether he intends this, but it's fun to read out loud. Relentless rhythm. I will pass it along to very few people, and demand it back.
If you follow Mr. Bird on Feignbook (tm) you'll recognize his self-and other-lacerating social media voice, herein dilated and sharpened and pushed as far into excess as sexual activity and other forms of "depravity" are in HE and CC. Addiction haunts his fiction, and it's in full bore here. So is narcissism, a maybe-inevitable, culture-wide phenomenon from which nobody seems immune.
He includes some one-panel artworks in it, too. Which, oddly, lend themselves to social media format, some of which he debut-ed there and on Tumblr.
Noloso Chishingura is a great epic. I read parts of it aloud to a friend. There's good dialogue, more restrained than the prose, which is funny in itself somehow. I didn't know whether he intends this, but it's fun to read out loud. Relentless rhythm. I will pass it along to very few people, and demand it back.
July 28, 2016
For the record, I am stoned as five hippies in a tree.
I am an insane fan of Catastrophically Consequential. I loved Hideous Exhuberance despite the wordplay which drove some readers insane.
In ARTACIA, I lol'ed on his first chapter on Fakebook, But further in, I began to wonder if this was a long "status update" with the author's unique wordplay.
I can't remember all SCB's wordplay meanings, even tho I read and even memorized parts of Hideous Exhuberance which I performed to great success. So.. It could be me. Maybe Mr. Bird didn't need to use the wordplay in this book? Honestly, it was hard for me to read bc I was wracking my brain to remember a certain malaprop (I'm thinking is the correct word).. instead of focusing on the story. Then having to reread having forgotten the plot(s). frustrating.
Full Disclose: the pot is medicinal so brain is not entirely fit.
I always have Any Resemblance.. by my bedside. You can flip around, as it is short stories. Sometimes a little dose of Stephen C Bird can set me right.
I am an insane fan of Catastrophically Consequential. I loved Hideous Exhuberance despite the wordplay which drove some readers insane.
In ARTACIA, I lol'ed on his first chapter on Fakebook, But further in, I began to wonder if this was a long "status update" with the author's unique wordplay.
I can't remember all SCB's wordplay meanings, even tho I read and even memorized parts of Hideous Exhuberance which I performed to great success. So.. It could be me. Maybe Mr. Bird didn't need to use the wordplay in this book? Honestly, it was hard for me to read bc I was wracking my brain to remember a certain malaprop (I'm thinking is the correct word).. instead of focusing on the story. Then having to reread having forgotten the plot(s). frustrating.
Full Disclose: the pot is medicinal so brain is not entirely fit.
I always have Any Resemblance.. by my bedside. You can flip around, as it is short stories. Sometimes a little dose of Stephen C Bird can set me right.
September 19, 2016
I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway, and was looking forward to it, as I'd heard a few things about this author's style being unique. I have to agree, that the style, and story were both unique, but found that in trying so hard to be unique, and utilize satirical names, for various places/celebrities/shows, ultimately ended up taking away from the story line itself. I also had a friend read it, to determine whether my intellect was just not up to the task at hand, or whether, they too felt torn on the border, of where clever tongue-in-cheek writing ended, and where this became overkill. In trying just a little too hard, to throw in as many "punny" nouns as possible, we both found it leaves the reader sometimes having to regroup to determine where they are in the plot. Toned down a few notches, I believe this would have been much more humourous, and appealing.
June 3, 2018
***I won this book via the Goodreads Giveaway program. This has not influenced my review.***
There is a disclaimer before the table of contents that lets the reader know there will be names, pronouns, and place names that have exaggerated spellings. This is true for verb conjugations, as well. Ok - how creative!
After reading the first few pages of this, I was so lost. Maybe I'm too old, maybe I'm not hip enough, maybe I'm not cultured enough. What the heck is going on here?
I found the sentences and paragraphs to be too long. I lost track of what was being said and where we were going. The names were hard to grasp, as were the places, I think because they were exaggerated and not just brand new names. I appreciated the references to pop culture - but I didn't see how they related in the reference.
This is just not for me.
There is a disclaimer before the table of contents that lets the reader know there will be names, pronouns, and place names that have exaggerated spellings. This is true for verb conjugations, as well. Ok - how creative!
After reading the first few pages of this, I was so lost. Maybe I'm too old, maybe I'm not hip enough, maybe I'm not cultured enough. What the heck is going on here?
I found the sentences and paragraphs to be too long. I lost track of what was being said and where we were going. The names were hard to grasp, as were the places, I think because they were exaggerated and not just brand new names. I appreciated the references to pop culture - but I didn't see how they related in the reference.
This is just not for me.
Read
December 9, 2021 Any Resemblance to a Coincidence is Accidental often left me confused or completely lost. I like the premise of it, but the sentences can be difficult to follow. It reminds me of the Victorian writing style in that there are many descriptors, qualifiers, and half thoughts in each sentence. Some people probably like that style. I am not one of them.
The description of the book calls it "surreal," "non-linear," and, "over the top." I agree with those wholeheartedly. It all depends on the reader's taste whether those styles sound good to read.
I can't make a recommendation on reading or not reading this book. There are people who will love the strange, sometimes silly, sometimes deep book. It's just not my cup of tea.
The description of the book calls it "surreal," "non-linear," and, "over the top." I agree with those wholeheartedly. It all depends on the reader's taste whether those styles sound good to read.
I can't make a recommendation on reading or not reading this book. There are people who will love the strange, sometimes silly, sometimes deep book. It's just not my cup of tea.
June 4, 2017
A most enjoyable read! This book was quite different , in many aspects, from what I normally read. While humorous at times, it was complimented by dark sides it was a fast read & wished it could've been longer, but I believe it's considered a novella. I'm hoping the author writes a longer book with similar qualities, or a full size based from this book. Having mixed genres, blending together well in this small size "package" was a delight & a new reading experience for me
I'd highly recommend this book. I won this in a Goodreads giveaway, in return for an honest review. Thank you to the author & Goodreads
I'd highly recommend this book. I won this in a Goodreads giveaway, in return for an honest review. Thank you to the author & Goodreads
February 12, 2020
Interesting
The title got me in. But To begin with it seemed just another mediocre juvenile rant replete with gratuitous bad language - of both types. I almost stopped reading it - which I rarely do once started on a book. But I persisted. Had an hour to spare. Glad I did. It slowly morphed into something intelligent and illuminating. Albeit trying a little bit too hard to be extreme. Gurdjieffian mannerisms. Occultist themes. Pop culture. SF. Clubs. Fetish. An exuberant irrepressible hyper-sexuality. Confusing and disjointed - by design. Just gulp it down and see what it tastes like.
The title got me in. But To begin with it seemed just another mediocre juvenile rant replete with gratuitous bad language - of both types. I almost stopped reading it - which I rarely do once started on a book. But I persisted. Had an hour to spare. Glad I did. It slowly morphed into something intelligent and illuminating. Albeit trying a little bit too hard to be extreme. Gurdjieffian mannerisms. Occultist themes. Pop culture. SF. Clubs. Fetish. An exuberant irrepressible hyper-sexuality. Confusing and disjointed - by design. Just gulp it down and see what it tastes like.
June 7, 2017
I received this book in a Goodreads giveaway.
Oh boy, where do I start? The font size was so large I had to hold the book so far away that my arms got tired super quickly. I got a headache after reading for this book for 30 minutes.
I understand the author is trying to be extreme but they could have dialed it down a little bit. Why change all the names of cities? I couldn't keep track of half the streets in the last bit I read because nothing made sense.
I understand that this is suppose to be humorous but it simply missed the mark.
Oh boy, where do I start? The font size was so large I had to hold the book so far away that my arms got tired super quickly. I got a headache after reading for this book for 30 minutes.
I understand the author is trying to be extreme but they could have dialed it down a little bit. Why change all the names of cities? I couldn't keep track of half the streets in the last bit I read because nothing made sense.
I understand that this is suppose to be humorous but it simply missed the mark.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews