A Second, Less Capable, Head and Other Rogue Stories

by James Hanna

GOLD MEDAL WINNER-READERS' FAVORITE INTERNATIONAL AWARDSSILVER MEDAL WINNER-INDEPENDENT PRESS AWARDSA Tea Party activist discovers that he is growing another head. A playboy befriends a woman who is only six inches tall. A rape victim confronts her assailant in a maximum security prison. James Hanna is a prolific writer whose stories have appeared in over thirty literary journals. Drawing from his experiences as an adventurer in Australia, a counselor in an Indiana prison, and a San Francisco probation officer, James offers a variety of themes in these nineteen aberrant tales. His stories range from a deadly experiment ("Fruits") to a manhunt in the dead of winter ("The Break"). From a flasher in search of the perfect pose ("Exposed") to a diseased schizophrenic mind ("Hunter Bear"). Darkness abounds in these cryptic tales. And reading becomes dangerous again.

Genres: Anthologies

259 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 7, 2016

About the author

Independent Press Awards gave A Second Less Capable Head and Other Rogue Stories a Distinguished Favorite Award. Electronic copies of A Second, Less Capable Head, The Siege, and Call Me Pomeroy are available to select readers interested in posting a review.

James Hanna wandered Australia for seven years before settling on a career in criminal justice. He spent twenty years as a counselor in the Indiana Department of Corrections and has recently retired from the San Francisco Probation Department, where he was assigned to a domestic violence and stalking unit.

James’ short stories have appeared in Old Crow Review, Sandhills Review, Edge City Review, Fault Zone, Eclipse, The Literary Review, Red Savina Review, The California Writers Club Literary Review, Zymbol, The Sand Hill Review, and Empty Sink Publishing, which has serialized some of the Pomeroy stories. Three of James’ stories were nominated for the Pushcart Prize.

James first published novel, The Siege, depicts a hostage standoff in a penal facility. It is available on Amazon in both print and Kindle versions. Call Me Pomeroy is James’ second published book.

Reviews

[Marta Tandori]

A Second, Less Capable Head: and Other Rogue Stories is a collection of satirical, irreverent, contradictory, blasphemous and above all, amusing short stories by writer, James Hanna, a veteran of the criminal justice system. Hanna doesn’t write about Happily Ever Afters or about the afterglow of lovemaking. His stories reflect real life seen with the blinders off, warts and all. He writes about characters that are sometimes pro-government, non-conformist and anti-establishment, who try and make their small mark on a society that is, at best, decidedly neutral. With imaginative titles such as A Second, Less Capable Head, Honey Bunny, Jimmy Likes Mermaids and Cheating the Jail Out of Time, they give immediate insight into the author’s mindset and hint at the subject matter of each story that ranges from the sublime to the ridiculous and to more serious subjects, thanks to the author’s longstanding career as a counselor in the Indiana Department of Corrections. Not everyone’s cup of java to be sure. However, for those readers searching for a refreshing take on today’s society, A Second, Less Capable Head is the book for you.

[Glen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I won this book in a goodreads drawing.

The author is a baby boomer, who is a retired parole officer in San Francisco, California. The stories are pretty much what you'd expect someone with such a background to write.

Nothing special. Your mileage may vary.

[SusanAhh · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The bits of good we might have done fade like yesterday’s news. And sins long forgotten assail us, leaving us wary as thieves."

The above quote taken from this collection of stories by James Hanna entitled, "Cheating the Jail Out of Time". It's significance to me as a reader defining this collection of stories I will further elaborate upon...but first...I need to express just how long it took me to process what I learned from these humorous, satirical, philosophical and revelatory of the author, stories. And...in this the first reason for reading this entertaining collection reveals itself. It affords the reader an exercise of the mind. Thinking rationale minds are called for especially now, the times in which we live.
Anyone versed on the subject, always exhorts a writer to write what they know. It is plain that this writer is well familiar with the career criminal and the aberrant mind that dwells within. I daresay he has something to say about aberrant minds and aberrant thinking criminal or otherwise.
He is particularly artful in his understanding of the " stalker mentality".
"ASK ANY SHRINK or probation officer, “What is the most troubling kind of client?” You will hear the same answer every time: stalkers. Not the run-of-the-mill stalker—the jilted boyfriend type—but the schizo who obeys no authority save the voice inside his head." - "The Sicilian"
There are more than one story in this collection that brings to light this "personality" that places his/her sense of the "absolute" squarely on the voice inside their head.
The hazards of the writer's intimate knowledge of the stalker and his former profession in law enforcement are also brought to light when the character being stalked finds himself "turning the tables" on his stalker.
"When fighting monsters, Nietzsche warned, be careful you do not become one. But who but a fallen angel can fathom the criminal mind. If you choose to conquer what lurks in the void, you had best be a monster yourself. I decided to cyberstalk him and put him in fear for his life." - "The Sicilian"
To this reader, some of the stories, while "fiction" seem almost autobiographical. The quote with which I began my review brought this melancholic theme to some of the read for me. It is as if there is something that this writer needs to get off of his chest?
I love the references to literary works considered classic and if you are not familiar with a particular reference, take the time to look it up...it will add another level of richness to your reading experience.
I need to say that this is heavy testosterone laced reading. The female characters were either bitchy, slutty (not in a sexy way), too skinny or "haunts", vapid, needed rescuing or protection or narcissistic criminals - not a normal blameless well-rounded in body, mind, spirit or form woman ever mentioned? I would take a troubled one with some redeeming value. So as a sensitive female who has had her share of crap so copiously dealt out by...well....I suppose the writer writes of what he/she knows, which brings me to my final point.
I wholeheartedly encourage this writer with his openness and unique bend of mind to continue writing for us and delivering to us the pieces of redeeming "truth" for us and for himself, that he may newly encounter in this suddenly (or maybe not so) changed world.
In memory of John M. McNaughton.
"All gave some. Some gave all."

[Tajwar Shakir · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Second Less Capable Head & Other Rogue Stories by James Hanna is a modern fiction. It contains 257 pages and consists of 18 stories. The very title of the book is the first story of the book. As a book lover, I am really choosy in my selection of the books to read. I am always attracted to bizarre literature or the thrillers otherwise the literature that contains realism. This book has given me all in one package after the read. The moment I started reading “A Second Less Capable Head” story it gave me what I was looking to read in it. I found myself completely spellbound to this book from the very first page till the last one.





The book is cleverly woven in intriguing stories especially the six to eight stories are extremely entertaining, hilarious and bizarre. They all contain the element of mystery and ambiguity in them. The reader at times compels to feel like a part of the dramatic irony of these stories. I would not like to create spoilers for the readers by going into the details of all the stories but here I would like to write which I have found interesting and why? As most of the other rogue stories are actually drawn from the writer’s personal experience of being a probation officer in domestic violence and stalking unit.





The first story is about Virgil who happened to be growing a second head. Yes! It does seem ridiculous to think of even, but that was a very element of the story that created both humour and a satire for the readers. We are living in a world where we like to feel a supernatural being after watching many science-fiction movies of Aliens. So here, in the story, the author James has presented such a human being who can grow an extra head. The story revolves around how Virgil seemed too determined to get rid of it while his girlfriend considered it cute and even named the second head “Alf”. I found this story a political satire that how even government was supporting the idea of growth of that head and how much the people actually idealize this idea of having another head. While to me it is a satire on its own that we all do have the second less capable heads when we have the two parts of our brain actually i-e right & left hemispheres. But we consider and mostly prefer to use only one part out of the two throughout our lives. The story’s end really made me laugh out loud when actually which head got the chance to live and which was cut off Virgil’s neck. That is the suspense for all the readers to find out for sure.





The second story entitled “The Guest”. The story revolves around a daughter and a father. The father has arranged a doll for his daughter to accompany her. This doll is not just a doll but a dwarf or the modern version of Thumbelina. What’s exciting about the story is the man’s hatred for the doll when it had got too friendly with the daughter. There was another important point that doll needed to be taught a few words of humans’ language by the end of two weeks’ time period to have the eligibility to own it for the lifetime. Whether it really learnt the word or not or how did it get on with the father-daughter duo that is for the readers to find out. But the story ends really in an open-ended way again at the element of ambiguity. Here I think the doll has been the allegorical figure for the father and the writer has created a good satire about the father’s hatred for the females with the help of the doll’s character.





The next story in a row is “The Exposed”. It’s one of the shortest stories but really deep in its meaning and context. As the very title suggests that something has been exposed that is actually the personality of someone from the story. We often feel attracted to the people in our lives based on their appearances but we forget this fact as well that appearance is deceptive at times too. Similar kind of thing is being revealed in this story by the writer James as well. I really was reminded of the phrases like the "hollowness of the modern man" and "beauty should be skin deep" after reading this story. The writer has very cleverly drawn our attention to these two dilemmas of modern times. These lines really made a strong mark upon me while reading:





“She stared without expression. It was the gaze of a cretin—a creature more animal than human. A beast feasted on carrion and never pondered the stars. Never had a face looked more churlish. Never had eyes looked more dead.”





The next to come is the story “Stalker”. This really excited me because this has been the issue of modern times as well that people love to stalk and being stalked as well. As the title is enough to reveal that the man used to stalk a lady and that was not a normal kind of stalking on the internet or so but he actually happened to be inside the woman’s house every morning. This really sounded too weird and scary to me but what was the most bizarre element of the story was that why the woman instead of complaining the police actually started enjoying that stalker’s company? This question I would like to put on to the readers to find after reading it. I would like to mention here that the rest of most rogue stories are based on the issue of stalking.





There is another story “Honey Bunny” about the two girlfriends who happened to be too attached to each other that nothing could separate them in life. The ending was totally unexpected to the reader but a poetic justice has been done on the writer’s part. It does happen when we become too attached to the person that even we cannot detach them from ourselves until being dead. I think that was the example of sacrificial love that true love is always self-sacrificing. The girl in order to save her friend from the evil people in her life has taken the action that was bizarre in the eyes of the people but was actually justifiable to the friends.





With this, I come to the final story that has blown my mind and heart in this book entitled “Fruit”. It seems delicious but actually, the fruit was really deadly. The story is a modern version of ‘Frankenstein’ in my point of view. The readers are well aware of this classical mad scientist’s story already. But I would like to share here that this story has been realistic to its core because of the ending. We live in a materialistic world after all. The heroine, although disgusted by the theories of this mad chemist, ended up with him at the end. This is up to the reader to find out how and why? What I would like to add here are some of the really great lines by this mad character that really sounded convincing to me:





 “I’m a jaded man darling….., I am drunk with power, poisoned with knowledge, callous to all that I touch. But the people, without even trying, are far greater monsters than me.”



“Look into the abyss, and the abyss will look into you.”





In short, the writer James Hanna has done a remarkable job in this book and all the stories. It truly is a book to be read in this modern era of materialism, hatred and false perceptions. These are some of the stories that kept me spellbound to the book. But there are many others to find as well for all the readers. If there is anything that allows me to rate this book 4 out of 5 stars that is some of the stories seem repetitive on the theme of stalking. But still, as they were from the writer’s personal experience are justified at the end. I feel if there were only 12-15 stories then they would be good enough too but having 18 stories and some on the same issue made it a bit lengthy for a reader like me who found it kind of monotonous. Otherwise, this book is highly recommended from me to those who are the fans of bizarre and ambiguous fiction like me.





In conclusion, this book deserves a read by the maximum number of book readers around the world. I found two to three typo errors and the rest there has not been any problem in the reading, as the text is easily comprehensible with a perfect font. The writer has written it in simple English with good characterizations like the doll in the form of modern Thumbelina, Virgil being obsessed with the second actually capable head, Ollie who was a professional stalker, Jeb Judson the mad chemist & Molly the material girl. Whether they were the inseparable Honey Bunnies friends or Jimmy Wong the girls’ stalker who married the judge. These stories are really going to leave the readers in awe and lifetime imprints on their mind. So go ahead grab “A Second Less Capable Head” for this weekend’s read. 

[Rosie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Second, Less Capable Head (and Other Rogue Stories) is a collective group of suspenseful short stories, each of which will break the mould surrounding each genre. Described as ‘hilariously horrifying,’ each story carries its own theme, which builds to a shocking conclusion. Collectively, you will read about small, rapidly-growing growths, palm-sized Thumbelinas, a flasher, a visiting vagrant, a farmer with sinister ambitions, and much more.

Although I was very much unsure of what to expect in A Second, Less Capable Head (and Other Rogue Stories), I am glad that I delved into this particular publication. Each incredible story which unfolds, keeps you guessing of what the outcome might be, until the very last paragraph or, in some cases, the very last word. While I am not usually a fan of short stories, these particular tales took me back to the days of watching spine-chilling television shows such as The Twilight Zone, where nothing is what it appears to be. A Second, Less Capable Head (and Other Rogue Stories) would be ideal for those who like mystery thrillers without the horror factor, and who enjoy the suspense of each literary tale. James Hanna’s unique writing style is so gripping that it lures the reader in, building an anticipation of where the story is might possibly take them. Every tale is more unique and thrilling than the next, and I cannot recommend James Hanna’s incredible tome enough, as I seek out more of his unique, unusual and bizarre stories to tantalize my literary taste buds.

- Rosie Malezer for Readers’ Favorite

[Noel Diem · Rating 5 out of 5]

James Hanna is a master of storytelling and intruigue with this fantastical collection of short stories. Each one stretches the boundaries of what you think can happen in literature, toeing the line carefully between bizarre and believable, fantastical and true. Each page has something that will make you want to reread it - whether that is a sentence, a phrase, or even a gorgeous piece of imagery.
Even better, the surrealism used throughout it something so very rare. It doesn't feel heavy handed or put on, it seems like a natural part of the writer's dialogue. Even better, there are parts where the surrealism breaks through and provides commentary on our society, politics, and morality in general.

Hanna really seems like a Jack of All Trades, intricately weaving stories that are written with a sort of experience and professionalism that is hard to find in short stories. It is obvious that copious amounts of research were involved in his writing process. Each story is better than the one before it, standing out clearly in your mind.

This isn't the type of book that you sit and read through one time. Instead, you must put the book away and reflect on what you just read - it is that impactful. Still, the writing is high quality and enjoyable.

[Karyn H · Rating 5 out of 5]

James Hanna has successfully found a way to keep readers entertained. One technique he used that I loved is the way he treated real-life issues using bizarre scenery. In the story A Second, Less Capable Head he successfully explored how different people react to different situations.
While Virgil Ploughright was more concerned about removing the extra head growing on his neck, he had noticed, he was met with varying opinions from different angles. First from the doctor who was more concerned about upholding rights and stated down laws but cares less about people dying every day in the hands of the government.
Secondly, his girlfriend who was more concerned with the comfort she gets from playing with the tiny head.
This is one book that has successfully discussed both personal and political issues. Hanna used the personal life of Virgil Ploughright to point out the condition of our world today.
It is seemingly funny how we rarely see the problems when they are right under our nose. This is a highly intelligent book. It's one book I can always draw fresh meaning from every day.
Edit

[Keith · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really didn't expect a collection of mostly prison guard, parole officer and criminal scum stories especially after the title story being about an epidemic of second heads growing on people's bodies. None of the endings were really happy. I guess that's okay if you're aiming for true to life stories but I honestly want a lift from my casual reading. If I want a downer or bad news I'd have kept the newspaper delivery coming and I'd watch the news more often. I was fairly disappointed in this collection. Most of the characters were crude, rotten and a section of society I'd be happy to never mingle with. This goes for quite a few of the parole and law enforcement personnel. The author also seems somewhat obsessed with the male genitalia, something I found quite a bit off putting. I finished the collection but I had to work at it and in the end I really didn't enjoy it. Not something I'd recommend.

[Shanell Meek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intrigue and excitement with every turn of the page.

A Second, Less Capable, Mind is another success for James Hanna. From mental wards to prisons he guides me through his personal Disturbia one story at a time. His stories keep me interested and wondering what will happen next, each time knowing I’ll have a new mental illness to explore when I turn the page. James Hanna has a knack for creating characters that intrigue and disturb me at the same time while keeping me turning the pages to see what new predicaments his characters will be troubled with next and what the next scenario will be. If you like reading about the inner workings of the criminally mentally ill this is definitely the book for you. His experiences working in the system have definitely given James Hanna plenty to write about! He has gained another fan of his exciting writing style that’s for sure! I look forward to seeing more from him soon!

[Rachel Kester · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel by James Hanna is a collection of numerous short stories you can enjoy. Each short story tells the tale of various people, each who have their own problems and situations they need to face. For instance, in one story you’ll read about an activist who suddenly starts to grow another head! Besides this one, you’ll also find stories like “The Outback”, “Honey Bunny”, and “The World Baseball League”.
These political satire stories will make you laugh with their ironic humor. The characters that Hanna created are well-developed and add a superb effect to the stories. Many of these stories are based off of Hanna’s life experiences which makes them even more interesting.
This book is great for anyone looking for a unique read. It’s 259 pages long, which might be a little long for some, but the stories are filled with interesting plots and characters which will only make those pages fly by.

[Moná · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is filled with rouge stories of various topics, most controversial subjects that are extremely outlandish. In “A Second, Less Capable, Head: And Other Rouge Stories”, author James Hanna leads us into the first story, about an epidemic of individuals across the globe growing an external appendage, that forms into a head on their necks. The way the ending was written was the most shocking moment in the book that would leave your jaw dropped. Every short story had a twisted ending of scenarios that you would least expect. No two stories are the same, which can leave room for your imagination to wander while thinking if there’s a possibility for things to happen in the real world. Some moments invoked emotions of curiosity, humor, cringe-worthiness, and a bit of skepticism. I recommend everyone to give this book a read, not only will you be surprised, but it offers a wonderful reading experience.

[Merry Miller moon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Goodreads for the free book! Also thank you to James Hanna for the personalized inscription. This is a collection of short stories. I loved the first story, A Second, Less Capable, Head. But that was not my favorite story by far, I really enjoyed reading 'Exposed' the story of a flasher. He truly enjoyed his 'art'. Very interesting take on exhibitionism, seen as an art form. Also, I liked 'The Stalker' , in which a random person shows up in someone's kitchen one day, and although the person does everything in their ability to help make the person disappear from their life, the person keeps on returning. Hanna has a great ability to keep his stories flowing and keep you interested. In 'Another Will Take Your Place', he mentions Indiana State University, my alma mater! This made me happy! Go Trees! :) I will continue to read James Hanna stories.

[Challa Fletcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

A disturbing collection of tales.
Each short story is its own voice and twisted tale of crime and criminally insane. Some stories are darker than others and it is a must to say some trigger warnings (for disturbing imagery, implied violence and rape). Though some of the stories are hard to read they grab your attention. Hanna does a great job taking the focus away from these hard elements and focus on the story that is hidden behind these events.
I enjoyed some stories more than others. "The Vial" and "A Body in the Bay" are amongst my favorite. But other stories such as "Fruit" were so disturbing I wanted to put the book down.
This collection is suitable for those who like disturbing stories that are more absurdity than reality.

I received a free copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.

[Pegboard · Rating 3 out of 5]

James Hanna obviously writes about the significant things he had experienced. Some of these short stories have to do with the times he wandered Australia. Because of his satire it is hard to tell what part is real and what is fabricated.
The majority of his short stories seem to associate with his work in the law enforcement years. He has seen people at their worse and warping stories around stalkers and criminals seem to be his forte. His dark humor can be amusing when you know it is apparent, but some seems to hit a little too close to the true nature of humans.
I would say the signature story, A Second, Less Capable, Head, would have to be my favorite story. Preferred probably because I didn’t expect such an ending, and it was the funniest.

[Kate Brackett · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is actually a collection of fascinatingly weird short stories. For those looking for something that will grab and keep your attention and that is located off the beaten path, this is the book for you. Each story has some heaviness to it, but the scope of storytelling ranges far and wide from a man with another head growing to weird experiments. These stores are unsettling and yet you can't help but continue reading. James Hannah combines horror and humor for a chaotic experiences you cant help but like and want more of. Keep in mind that if you have a weak stomach, these stories may not be for you. Enjoy solid writing in tales that will keep you up tonight.

[Ivan Hecimovic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Novels like A Second, Less Capable Head, written by James Hanna are types of novels that you either love or hate. Some people will perceive these novels as ‘weird’ and will throw them away without even trying to read and to see what lies ‘underneath the weirdness’. Some readers (like me) will be attracted by the title of the novel and will ‘look inside’ the second, less capable head.
And of course, I’m an avid lover of ‘weird, spooky, unknown and mysterious’ and because of that I was very attracted to this “book’’. It is not a book; it is actually a collection of short stories where each of the stories written by Hanna (as he calls them “Rogue stories’’) are written in a similar, creepy and weird way, which I personally like.
If you want to read something that has a weird combination of ‘weirdness’ and ‘scariness’ and if you love King’s work, together with The Twilight Zone then “A Second, Less Capable Head’’ will fit ‘like a glove.’

[Tom Nguyen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always like stories with an underlying theme, and I found that here in all the stories. Every story offered something I could think about beyond the story itself, an issue worth considering, and that's the most exciting part. Hanna also delivers something I really crave, tragedy, which on its own is usually enough for me to like a book, and it's here in every story. Awesome stories here, and I will be re-reading some of the most captivating stories over and over again.

[Danielle Urban · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Second, Less Capable, Head by James Hanna is a brilliant collection of short stories. Each one ranging in topic. A variety of charcaters and lives lived. Dark, engaging, and thrilling with every turn. I was intrigued. James Hanna definitely knows how to write well. A Second, Less Capable, Head is suspenseful, frightening, and hilarious. There's so much to enjoy in this collection. I highly recommend it to readers everywhere.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy of the book and am voluntarily writing a review

Well, what can I say about this book of rogue stories? I found them quirky, engaging and somewhat disturbing. The stories move along quickly and have some nice twists and unexpected turns. Quite a few times I'd think "You can't just end it there"!

As a whole it was thoroughly enjoyable and good for reading in bed so you don't feel to guilty about reading just one more chapter :)

[D. L. (Dave) LaRoche · Rating 5 out of 5]

I find Janes Hanna an imaginative writer with a boundless mind and a life experience that sends him off to wonderful places to produce these stories, often outrageous. They are funny, weird, and completely surprising, and you can make what you will of them metaphorically, as the message beyond simple entertainment is a mystery. His stories make no demands. they are easy to read and not very long--a pure enjoyment--and I suspect as much fun to write as to read and I'm not finished yet, with him.

[Bella · Rating 5 out of 5]

A more ridiculous, enjoyable and absurd collection of stories I've never read. It takes great skill to develop interesting characters in the space of a short story, and James Hanna has that skill in spades. A collection that will leave you scratching your head, shaking with laughter, and querying the world around you. Brilliantly executed, and does not disappoint for a moment.

[terry schultz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable

Each story has a similar theme about someone who lives there own world and doesn’t get others. Some would had been more interesting if there was more to the story. A couple were raw and too explicit for my Taste. I would probably read more of the authors works.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not usually a big fan of short stories, but this collection drew me in and kept my attention all the way to the last story. Check out my full review here: https://forums.onlinebookclub.org/vie...

[Bonnye Reed]

TheFussyLibrarian

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book wasn’t for me. The writing itself was good but the stories didn’t keep my interest. I found myself skimming until I just gave up.

[Suanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hanna has put out another collection of quirky short stories that exhibit his typical wry, twisted sense of humor and command of crime-related scenarios.

[Jacob · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Second, Less Capable, Head is a book of short stories, many of which follow a character named Tom Hemmings—a man whose life seems to largely be a fictionalized version of the author's own experiences in Australia and as a probation officer in San Francisco. The other stories follow a variety of other characters, from an aging, schizophrenic thief to a bored librarian looking for love and adventure far from home.

The majority of the stories carry strong existentialist undertones, with circumstances often seeming random or meaningless, and the characters frequently faced with the hopelessness of doing anything but continuing along their current path. A couple of the stories have fantastical elements, but for the most part any weirdness is merely a product of living in a world populated by real people.

Overall I enjoyed the book, but I did feel that it dragged a bit in the middle. The section in which a pair of penal officers track escaped prisoners in particular took a fair effort to push through—perhaps this was intentional, as the focus character in that chapter was tired of the hunt but resigned to following it through to completion. Either way, it took something away from the experience of the book for me.

Throughout the book, Hanna demonstrates a keen insight into the human condition. The book is (mostly) a fascinating read, and I recommend it.

[Biljana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Orwell meets “Twilight Zone’s” Ray Bradbury

What a nice surprise it is when I discover a great writer of short stories!

Not only they are my favorite genre due to the writer’s challenge but I also enjoy reading them more than novels lately. And it is true what they say about writing: it is complex to make a point in fewer words. This is why I just love how James Hanna does it. His quirky stories about a two-headed passive-aggressive man; a pervert but an artistic flasher; a creepy, silent and a harmless stalker, a peculiar marriage deal and more, strike an unpleasant shadow or, better to say light to the way things are positioned in our lives nowadays.

The author imbues with writer’s confidence giving fantastical and grotesque dimensions to the characters. Still, they are not just thrown in the mix but serve a larger purpose. These short gems often left me with a wry smile or with an unpleasant taste in the mouth. Describing them as weird is more than understatement and it does the author no good. Without tossing his satirical views to the side, I must give proper credit to the plain fun of the events turnaround. Smart and awesome, it takes quite a wit to be able to warp serious things in the way Hanna does it. Nice work!

[Kmgilbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a rather quirky set of short stories that surprised me. Their description as “aberrant tales” is apt; the characters are deeply flawed, but utterly human (even those with two heads). Unlike some other short story collections that I’ve read, A Second, Less Capable, Head really kept my attention. I was drawn into every story, although I naturally have my favorites, the title story being one of them. All were extremely well written. James Hanna is no lightweight, and this is real literature. Just a pleasure to read. Hanna has an incredible ability to get you into a character’s mind in a short amount of time. If you enjoy contemporary literature and want to treat yourself to something a little different, I would definitely recommend this book. My only complaint is that the Kindle version is lacking a decent table of contents – it includes a list of the stories, but no page or location numbers. So it’s difficult to go back and find specific stories unless you manually bookmark them.

[Ian White · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Second Less Capable, Head is a collection of short stories that have all the ingredients you would wish for in a storybook. Each story in the collection stands for itself and has a plot that is well thought. The Author employs a wide selection of characters who are compelling and with a solid plot. The stories tackle real issues that are affecting the society. The suspense is great so that you can’t predict what is to happen next. The first story about a malady only referred to as supernumerary cranial syndrome that caused thousands of Americans to grow auxiliary heads was so hilarious. I was consumed and won’t put down the book for anything. Having read his two other novels, “The Siege” and “Call Me Pomeroy” I can categorically state that James Hanna is a pro who masterfully brings out his story humorously and intelligently. He’s among a few authors I’ve come across that are gifted entertainers. Though in my opinion, some words he’s used can be scratchy to some readers. I recommend this first class book.