The Bizarro Starter Kit

Bizarro Starter Kit

by Steve Aylett (Contributor), Bradley Sands (Contributor), Jeremy C. Shipp (Contributor)

There's a new genre rising from the underground. Its name: BIZARRO. For years, readers have been asking for a category of fiction dedicated to the weird, crazy, cult side of storytelling that has become a staple in the film industry (with directors such as David Lynch, Takashi Miike, Tim Burton, and even Lloyd Kaufman) but has been largely ignored in the literary world, until now. The Bizarro Starter Kit features short novels and story collections by ten of the leading authors in the bizarro genre: Ray Fracalossy, Jeremy C. Shipp, Jordan Krall, Mykle Hansen, Andersen Prunty, Eckhard Gerdes, Bradley Sands, Steve Aylett, Christian TeBordo, and Tony Rauch.

Genres: Bizarro Fiction, Short Stories, Horror, Fiction, Anthologies, Fantasy, Science Fiction

244 pages, Paperback

First published December 18, 2007

About the author

Steve Aylett is a satirical science fiction and weird slipstream author of books such as LINT, The Book Lovers and Slaughtermatic, and comics including Hyperthick. He is known for his colourful satire attacking the manipulations of authority. Aylett is synaesthetic. He lives in Scotland.

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Bizarro Starter Kits are designed to give newcomers a nice sampling of the bizarro genre. Here are just a few of the wonders The Bizarro Starer Kit (blue) contains:

The Longheads - Jordan Krall: Tommy Pingpong and his partner Jake are looking to buy some guns for a heist, all the while evade their former partner, a diaper wearing bastard named Peachy Keen. But why are the Longheads buying up all the guns?

The Longheads, insane and deformed war veterans, go on a homicidal rampage on the streets of Thompson, New Jersey, in this story but it's mostly in the background. The main part of the story is the pursuit of Tommy and Jake by Peachy. Throw in an image of Barbara Stanswick in the sky and a serial killer that draws comic strips on the backs of his victims and you have quite a tasty morsel of bizarro noir on your hands.

Monster Cocks! - Mykle Hansen: An inadequate IT professional takes male enhancement too far and his mutant penis takes on a mind of its own...

Wow. I had a feeling the lead's penis would grow out of control but I had no idea as to what extent. Holy crap. On a non-Bizarro note, the depiction of IT workers was spot-on.

The Devastated Insides of Hollow City - Andersen Prunty:
Shell, a detective, is hired to find Pearl, Queen of the Hollow City. Can he survive the slag plague long enough to find her and bring her back to the Rotting Man and collect his fee?

This story was a bit of bizarro noir, a grotesque journey through a plague-ridden city to find the queen, a diminutive girl named Pearl. I should have guessed where Pearl was but I didn't. I need to track me down some more Andersen Prunty soon. I like his style.

Cheesequake Smashup - Bradley Sands: In a battle for fast food dominance, McDonalds, Burger King, White Castle, and scores of other chains enter a building demolition derby. Gunning for a promotion, office worker Monty Catsin enters his employer, NGA, into the derby as well. Who will emerge as the sole provider of fast food in America?

Cheesequake Smashup is mother-whoopieing hilarious. Combine an absurd office, complete with an octogenerian sexpot, a giant goldfish, a gorilla, and lots of mobile buildings smashing into one another, and a heaping helping of absurd humor and you've got a winner on your hands. I'd say Cheesquake Smashup was worth the price of admission on its own.

All this awesomeness and more can be found in Bizarro Starter Kit (Blue.) Get out your credit card and head over to Amazon.com today!

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Bizarro genre was brought to my attention during my endless meanderings on this website. So thanks Goodreads for being my own personal online, literary equivalent to crack cocaine...um...I guess.

For those who are unaware of the Bizarro genre, it sprang up in the late 90's as a refuge for the writers whose work was considered "too weird" for other publishers. This genre would most likely appeal to the folks, like me, who spent an astoundingly sad percentage of their lives reading outside of the literary canon. Everyone whose reading list has a high concentration of Burroughs, Ballard, Mark Leyner, and the odd Dada or Surrealist (Magic or otherwise), I'm looking at you. The intro of this book actually provides the best definition of the Bizarro genre:

"Bizarro is:
Franz Kafka meets Joe Bob Briggs
Dr. Seuss of the post-apocalypse
Alice in Wonderland for adults
Japanese Animation directed by David Lynch".

This work is a collection of short stories from ten writers that have an association with Bizarro, and thus serves as a good starting point for anyone that wants to learn more. There is also a 'Starter Kit - Orange' that features ten additional writers working in the genre.

With collections like these, everyone is going to have their own personal favorites. Here are mine, with accompanying blurbs...

Jeremy Shipp - 'Flapjack': The wordplay going on here is amazing. I was very confused during the first chapter, but slid into it easily after that. Similar to 'A Clockwork Orange', some of these phrases attempted to creep into my daily language for a few days after. There is also something really interesting going on here with character gender. Though I will have to revisit this story again, methinks the girls have dangly-bits, while the boys have...the other thing. Full disclosure: Jeremy is one of my Goodreads friends, but this occurred as I was finishing this story. He's good people, you should be friends with him too.

Mykle Hanson - 'Monster Cocks!': A lowly IT guy feels slightly inadequate below the belt and turns to the Internet for assistance. One of the things that I loved about his story is that Hanson totally nails three of the IT employee stereotypes. Anyone who has ever worked in an office will recognize at least one of these characters. I must warn you gentlemen, that the scenes involving the application of certain male enhancement products will make you squirm as much as the time that you were given the blow-by-blow account of a vasectomy operation.

Andersen Prunty - 'The Devastated Insides of Hollow City': A detective story involving a strange disease that is sweeping through a city. The citizens are helpless because their queen, who is only eighteen inches tall, is missing. Prunty's writing style is very tight. I believe that he is another author that frequents Goodreads.

Bradley Sands - 'Cheesequake Smash-Up': Several buildings belonging to fast food franchises are equipped with wheels in order to compete in a massive demolition derby. The winner of the contest receives sole monopoly rights to the American fast food industry.

Steve Aylett - 'Shamanspace': Tired of all of the penis and pop culture references thus far? Looking for something a little more family oriented? This story involves a shadowy, special forces type unit (think Blade Runner) that are conspiring to murder...um...God. Aylett's prose is truly beautiful. This is another story that I will need to read several more times to pick up on things that I missed.

Obviously a reader is going to be either very enthusiastic or very weary of this genre right off the bat. Personally, I feel that it works best with the longer pieces. There were a few instances of flash fiction sized pieces that I thoroughly enjoyed while reading, but remembered nearly nothing of the next morning. While I don't think that I could read Bizarro exclusively, I am happy that I now know about its existence and will dip my toe into that side of the pool from time to time.

[Laurie (barksbooks)]

Hmmm, I guess I'm not in the mood for this right now. I tried reading three different stories in this collection and just couldn't stay focused on any of them. Men in diapers and men with sexual "problems" couldn't even keep me focused. I'm surprised because I like and mostly get David Lynch, Takashi Miike and all of those weirdo film makers. Maybe I like my bizarro more in the format of a film? Maybe I'm just too lazy to work this hard when I'm reading? Maybe I'm just friggin' dead inside. I don't know, I was left feeling fuzzy and confused but maybe that's the point and I'm too tired to get it. . .

[P.D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Of the two, the blue Bizarro Starter Kit is a better collection of stories than the orange, though they are both worthwhile and have somewhat different flavors to correspond to their colors. Some of the stories contained in this volume help to explain why people should pay attention to the bizarro genre.

This volume opens with short stories by Ray Fracalossy. Ray has a way with amusing and quirky oddities, and an ear for wordplay that puts me in mind of Richard Brautigan.
His stories help to establish a delightful mood for the reader.

Jeremy C. Shipp is definitely an author to watch out for. He is a very capable writer who will someday produce a Great novel, if he has not already. In Flapjack, he creates an imaginative world populated by species that might be human and might not. For this novella, he has even developed a new dialect, ala Anthony Burgess, which is both amusing in itself and essential to the story and the psychology of the characters. But it is the ending of this story that really sets it apart, as we finally learn what the flapjack is and who these species are.

Next we find Jordan Krall's Longheads, which is a very amusing story involving a caste of twisted and warped criminals, vets with deformed heads, a dead donkey that gives birth to the mythical Little Bing Bong, and Barbara Stanwyck transformed into a giant goddess.

This is followed by Mykle Hanson's Monster Cocks. In this story, men who suffer from inadequacy complexes turn to the latest gimmick for penis enhancement. The gimmick works all too well, and soon giant monster cocks run amok, raging across the countryside fucking everything in sight. There is also some computer geek humor thrown in here. But the story is ultimately an object lesson in why men should not think with their dicks. Mykle Hanson is a very funny writer.

After this, we have the Devastated Insides of Hollow City, by Anderson Prunty. Prunty has a way of blending noir and humor with bizarre surrealism and absurdity. This is a detective story about an investigator named Shell who is sent to slag-infested Hollow City to find Pearl, the girl who is the Queen of the Town. The story is full of interesting characters, absurd events and grotesque horror.

Eckhard Gerdes' Nin & Nan is also big on word play. This novella is packed full of absurdities and twisted logic. At times, Gerdes's writing reminds me of the work of Samuel Beckett, or even Gertrude Stein. Other times, it is reminiscent of Kenneth Patchen. Emperor Pinocchibush is a gem, and his nonsensical speeches remind me of a President we once had. How the boys deal with the Emperor is worth the price of admission.

Bradley Sands' Cheesequake Smashup is a delightful story packed with absurd humor, wherein levitating fast food franchises take part in a demolition derby. The main character is a phone operator who has surreptitiously entered his employer into the derby. There also a group of very bizarre terrorists intent on destroying the McDonalds franchise. Top this off with a McDonalds manager who wants to introduce long pork to the menu. This is simply a fun story to read. Give me a McDonner burger.

Steve Aylett delivers the deepest story in the collection, in his piece titled Shamanspace. This story may require multiple readings. The main character is a shamanic hitman who takes a contract to put a hit on god. I have never before read a story that is so strongly existential yet at the same time absurd. There is a lot of background behind this story, enough to fill a book in itself, including various sects and cults. The story is supplemented by a history of the Internecine reaching back four thousand years. Also included is an Internecine bibliography, for those interested in joining the order.

Christian Tebordo's Order of Operations concerns a man who is repeatedly wounded, the woman who nurses him, and a little boy offering him the blood of Jesus. I'm afraid I brushed through this story. It is a well written piece, but I'm just not a fan of stories involving the Christian mythos.

The book ends with the stories of Tony Rauch. These are largely existential romps reminiscent of Kafka. Rauch's stories tend to be lighter than Kafka, with more humor than horror. Where Kafka's stories are full of disturbing alienation, Rauch's work is much more jovial in its absurdity. We could call this Kafka light, with sugar on top.

All in all, this collection is a fine introduction to the Bizarro genre.

[Patrick D'Orazio · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up the Bizarro Starter kit, both Blue and Orange, at the recommendation of a friend who has written bizarro and felt that these two books were excellent primers on this genre. I have not read the orange yet but am looking forward to it. I have read one full length bizarro novel by Andre Duza and another short story by Carlton Melick III, both related to zombies, but little else. I have read a wide array of unique and strange fiction throughout my life, but bizarro is certainly in a class by itself.

A definition, or rather, definitions of bizarro appear at the beginning of this book, so I won't attempt to expand on them. What I can say is that based on the ten different authors, all with very unique stories, is that bizarro is not just the genre of the weird-it is a genre that allows us to step alternately into worlds of the surreal, humorous, and horrific, sometimes all at the same time. Every story in this book was stylistically different than the rest-there was no solidifying theme running through the book. They challenged me as a reader to keep up with what the author was creating at every step. It seems that in a bizarro story, things can turn dramatically on a single sentence, even when some elements are used repetitively to bring a point across. This is not a genre to hop into assuming that you will be able to relax and casually blur over certain passages and retain full comprehension of what is going on.

I won't lie and say that I "got" it with every story written here, but I was entertained by most of these efforts, amused, repulsed, and intrigued, which means that these stories kept my interest, even if I wasn't sure of the exact path that I was being led down by each author.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

This takes me through the full set (I think) of these volumes and I'd really have trouble picking a favorite. Like the other two volumes, this one showcases some really good writing in a huge number of different styles and approaches. I think that's one of the best features of this series, the way it illustrates so many possibilities. No two authors in this series seem to approach bizarro in quite the same way, and I love that. I don't necessarily dig each and every story, but I can appreciate them as good writing and like getting to experience them. The editors of this series did a really great job bringing all that variety under one roof.

[Bradley · Rating 3 out of 5]

My novella, Cheesequake Smash-up, is in this. Book definitely deserves half a star more.

[Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

My novella THE LONGHEADS is in this book...

[Mykle · Rating 4 out of 5]

My novella "The Five Hundred And Sixteen Men Who Didn't Rape Me In Prison: Their Amazing True Story!!!" is not in this collection. But it does contain awesome short stories by Ray Francalossy!

[Douglas Ogurek · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entries in this bizarro anthology range from brilliant (i.e, Bradley Sands's "Cheesequake Smashup," about a demolition derby involving buildings rather than cars) to incomprehensible. The lesson to writers: your content can be quite strange, but clarity is essential.

[Zandt McCue · Rating 2 out of 5]

My least favorite Bizarro read so far. Personally, I felt they put the weakest writer first. The quality of the pieces was too varied. Disappointed but I'll try again with the Orange kit.

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m so glad I found this book. I find myself recommending Aylett more and more these days.

[Emory · Rating 5 out of 5]

Continuing the tradition of the core Bizarro publishers in presenting a sampling of what the genre has to offer, The Bizarro Starter Kit (Blue) gives us ten fresh authors from the depths of the weird.

This time the reader is introduced to the work of Jeremy C. Shipp, Ray Fracalossy, Jordan Krall, Mykle Hansen, Andersen Prunty, Eckhard Gerdes, Steve Aylett, Bradley Sands, Christian TeBordo, and Tony Rauch. All of the authors represented have completely unique styles, and all are extremely fun and entertaining.

It should be noted that where the BSK (Orange) was very fun, and at times an easy but entertaining read, the BSK (Blue) is more... cerebral. The stories presented are far more thought-provoking and in places difficult. There are a few lighter, more fun pieces (Mykle Hansen and Ray Fracalossy's offerings come to mind), but overall the BSK (Blue) presents a strong argument for the literary merit of the genre.

Once again, the value of this book can not be overstated. Like it's predecessor, the works are samplings and in some cases whole novellas from larger works. The beauty of this edition is that one need not read the BSK (Orange) first. The starter kit series is meant to be read in no particular order and serves simply as a great way to familiarize oneself with the genre.

Again, this book is just plain amazing. The weirdness flows forth, taking you along with the deluge. Fun, thought-provoking, ultimately entertaining, this is an anthology worthy of a place anyone's shelf.

[Steven Rage · Rating 5 out of 5]

With an introduction into the world of Bizarro, the Starter Kits intitiate with extreme prejudice. Daring you to dive head-first into this world of stunning imagery without the exclamation point, because the subderal hematoma induced walking stage-fright dreams hold sway and what you think is real truly is. Bizarro as a genre is coming in to its own. So jump on board and don't get left behind. There's something waiting that might just eat you, my pretty. Jordan Krall's 'Longheads' stands out. I also really ate the hell out of Andersen Prunty's "Devastaed Insides of Hollow City".

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

This anthology pales in comparison to the Bizarro Starter Kit (Orange) and I actually couldn't finish a couple of the stories. Some of it was because of the writing style and some of it was complete nonsense; like the author was trying to string together as many big descriptive words as possible, whether they worked or not. Although on the whole it was not great, there were 2 authors I liked, Hansen and Gerdes, and a few I would give another shot: Fracalossy, Prunty, and Rauch.

[Derek · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as solid as the first starter kit, but I certainly appreciate the vastly different styles of bizarro literature. Several stories stood out for me, a few were okay, and a few were practically unreadable. Overall, a continuing story of the development of this unusual sub-genre that I can't get enough of. My interest in bizarro has recently been renewed and I hope to read these stories alongside the greatest works of literature written by mankind.

[Patrick McCartney · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh, it was ok. I was warned that depending on taste, I'd probably either like Orange and Purple, or Blue. I can see why. Orange was stronger, and hopefully Purple will meet up to Orange. Monster Cocks and Cheesequake Smashup were both excellent, and The Devastated Insides of Hollow City was good, but the other 7 authors did not strike me. Almost the opposite of Orange where there were 2 or 3 I didn't care for and the rest were excellent.

[Vivian Metzger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creative collection of genre I wasn't familiar with called BIZARRO. Some very good, funny stories, some not as good - others seemed "weird" just for the sake of being weird. It is a STARTER KIT, so good for me as an introduction. Good place to discover Bizarro authors if you are interested. I will follow up on a few of the authors like Jeremy C. Shipp and Andersen Prunty.

[Andersen Prunty]

My story, "The Devastated Insides of Hollow City," is in this collection.

[Andrew Taylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bizarro is a genre typified by high eccentricity and low standards. 80% of it is terrible, but the 20% of it that isn't terrible is not to be missed.

[Lori]

free download from erasurehead pub.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

More good than bad.

[Randy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning!

[Robert · Rating 2 out of 5]

When it's good it's good!

[Stevie Tee · Rating 4 out of 5]

a little something for everyone... that is a fan of bizarro.

[Riley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hi

[Dustin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I only gave this a 2 which has nothing to do with the book I never like short story that much I still getting all of the starter kit this will most likely be the only one I read