Strategies Against Nature

by Cody Goodfellow

Aging punks recapture the greatest show of their youth through barbaric rituals. The lone survivor of a hellish Interstate pile-up follows an otherworldly sound to its source. A father desperate to cure his daughter’s condition uncovers a multinational corporation’s unspeakable plan for solving world hunger. In these eleven stories, Cody Goodfellow explores the bizarre and the deeply human, using the kaleidoscopic language only he is capable of.

“Brutal, breakneck, and brilliant—Strategies Against Nature grabs you by the throat and drags you under. Don’t even try to resist.”
—Daniel H. Wilson, author of ROBOPOCALYPSE

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Bizarro Fiction, Fiction, Lovecraftian, Ebooks, Weird Fiction

279 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 15, 2015

About the author

CODY GOODFELLOW has written nine novels and five collections, and has won three Wonderland Book Awards for Bizarro Fiction. He wrote, co-produced and scored the short Lovecraftian hygiene films Stay At Home Dad and Baby Got Bass, which have become viral sensations on YouTube. He has appeared in numerous short films, TV shows, music videos and commercials as research for his previous novel, Sleazeland. He also edits the hyperpulp zine Forbidden Futures. He “lives” in San Diego. Find out more at codygoodfellow.com.

Reviews

[Janie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A masterful collection of cosmic and cranial horror that attacks the reader in their safest spot, revealing what they fear the most. These stories are written with crosshair precision to shatter the mind and disrupt the gut. All it takes is one glimpse beyond the mundane, and there is no turning back.

[Andy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The world might be going to hell. Most movies, music and TV suck. But this is *the* best time to be a weird fiction fan. It wasn't better during Weird Tales' "Golden Age;" I've read various issues of "The Unique Magazine" from the 20's-50's and they're fun (even when they're bad), but let's be honest -- there was a lot chaff if you're reading cover-to-cover.

Today there's so much top-quality work being produced by great writers. Simon Strantzas, Daniel Mills, Gemma Files, Michael Cisco, Glen Hirshberg, Scott Nicolay, and many others. It's an embarrassment of riches.

But let me cut to the chase -- this is probably the best collection of weird fiction I've read in a year. I haven't been this consistently impressed in a long time. I knew this book was getting five stars when I was only half through it. And that's in part because this is one of the rare books that's actually worth the price of admission for just a few choice stories.

Goodfellow eschews a overly surreal, dream-like style for more straight-forward storytelling with original and innovative ideas and themes. "Waiting Room" has an idea so compelling, yet so simple I almost wonder why I haven't read something like it before. Goodfellow often mixes social commentary in his stories without being overtly didactic; this is done best in "Nature's Mother" and "Fat of the Land" which both have a dystopian/corporate horror angle. "Morning Coming Down" and "Wasted on the Young" are shorter and display a visceral, violent prose style. There's a lot to like here, but my favorite was "A Summer on A Quiet Island," it's an incredible story, great atmosphere and quite horrific.

Morning Coming Down - Wow, this is visceral stuff, fast-paced and exciting. Very interesting concept here. A man serving his community service time is picking up garbage when a very weird apocalypse begins.

At The Riding School - Wow, another excellent piece of weird fiction, very strange, original and thoroughly interesting. It has a bit of a feminist vibe....or...is it the opposite? Mwa-ha-ha! A veterinarian for a unique, secretive horse farm and girls school gets a strange call during the night.

What The Gods Eat - Not among my top three or four, but certainly this is a powerful piece. Also political overtones here, but as in the previous story it's kept intriguingly ambiguous, I love that bitterly cynical ending! A Mayan, bitter at the colonization of his land and people's calls on an old god for revenge, but learns there's a big price to be paid.

Waiting Room - This is one of the best stories in the collection, so well-told, innovative and original ideas throughout, carried to unpredictable conclusions. A meth-head meets a man with some wild theories about psychic vampirism.

A Summer On Quiet Island - This is one of the best pieces of weird fiction I've ever read. It's something that deserves to be read, re-read and considered an important contribution to the genre. It has an Innsmouth feel to it, with queasy sexual themes and it's own distinct atmosphere. A young man goes to live with distant relatives on an island, with some very strange rituals and ways.

Wasted On The Young - This is a really intense story, not among my tip-top favorites here but it's certainly got great concept. A man tries to introduce some street kids to something "old school," wilder than anything they've ever seen.

Nature's Mother - I'm not a huge sci-fi fan, but yet again, this is such excellent writing, overflowing with innovative ideas. It reminds me a little of some pulp adventure/sci-fi stories I've read, but it's far more sophisticated, and much better. In a future dystopia where corporations have destroyed the environment and are seeking to repopulate Earth, a little-known group who have populated the asteroid belt wish to have a meeting.

Flea Circus - Yet again, an exceedingly great piece of weird fiction. This one overflows with imagination and eeriness. One of my personal favorites here. A talent scout meets a burnt out exterminator who puts on the most amazing show she's ever seen.

Wishing Well - I have to admit, this one confused me, King in Yellow stories often do. But I was reading it during a power outage by a lantern, so forgive me. BTW, doing that makes almost any story creepier. It's still a great story, re-reading a few sections cleared up some details. The whole idea of creepy children's shows is intriguing -- notice how many "creepypastas" have been written about them. A man is traumatized after he receives a tape in the mail of a surreal children's show he starred on.

Girl On Girl - Another story with some social commentary, with a weird/sci-fi bent. Probably my least favorite in the book. A porn director experiments with a powerful form of subliminal control to get his girlfriend to try girl-on-girl sex.

Fat Of The Land - Once again: WOW. Yeah I liked some others slightly more than this one, but this is a great way to end the collection. This one effectively combines social commentary, corporate horror and a big helping of body horror. In trying to uncover what has made his daughter sick, a man discovers a world of conspiracies and terror.

[David Agranoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cody Goodfellow is easily my favorite writer of our generation, he is one of the authors that as soon as something is released I make sure I get in my paws as soon as possible. Strategies Against Nature is Goodfellow's third collection ( Silent Weapons for Quiet Wars and All Monster Action) and last the previous entires it is fantastic. It was bound to happen as I started to follow Cody's entries in magazines and collections, but the funny thing is I read many of these stories before.

Many things make Cody Goodfellow such an excellent writer, it is best for me to sum them up than to just try an explain what happens in the book. Cody is both intelligent and in a storytelling sense insane. My two favorite pieces in the collection ones I had read/heard Cody perform before were Wasted on the Young and Nature's Mother. None the less I enjoyed re-reading those as much as the two stories that were new to the collection.

Wasted on the Young is great example of what makes Cody special. It is a short story but presents several powerful ideas. The story of a annual punk show that is populated by posers abducted and forced to see the real thing. This punk horror tale has to be be the product of modern writer, but grew-up on the fringes but also is highly literate and accomplished writer. That is what Cody balances.

Goodfellow is a Lovecraft expert, and as such he has been falsely stereotyped as a Lovecraftian author. At times he is but Nature's Mother is great example of very different influences. It is a political smart sci-fi freak out that shows more influence from Philip K. Dick and Cyberpunk math genius Rudy Rucker.

I will tell you to to buy just about anything with Goodfellow's name on it, but this collection is a great introduction. Wasted on Young is one of my favorite short stories of all time. of course this is fantastic horror. Many of the stories take place here in San diego, heads up locals...

[Benoit Lelièvre · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really want to give this collection less than 5 stars for critical integrity's sake. I really do, but it wouldn't be honest. STRATEGIES AGAINST NATURE is just another great short story collection I've read in 2015. While it's difficult to identify an overarching theme, I'd say it's men against their environment and the meaning we're putting into things that wouldn't have any if it wasn't for us. How human consciousness can change the course of things.

There are several great stories in STRATEGIES AGAINST NATURE, but the standout material was AT THE RIDING SCHOOL (completely bonkers and not for everyone), WAITING ROOM, WASTED ON THE YOUNG and FAT OF THE LAND. Cody Goodfellow is a unique and fascinating author deserving of your attention.

[David Barbee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, Cody Goodfellow presents a collection of stories populated by creatures and kooks, told by a madman and signifying… well, maybe everything. Goodfellow writes weird fiction that wrecks. He writes lines that amount to heavy artillery, stories that blast and tunnel through mountains as the author gleefully whistles while he works. These stories are not only fantastic, hard-edged weirdness, they have an attitude that combines gritty meanness with a psychotic veneer (it’s no surprise many of them are set in Los Angeles). We get corporate evolution in the far off future, the primal gods of modern civilization, and a high octane car pileup written like a symphony of violence. If you enjoy stories with massive amounts of muscle, brains, and cajones, Goodfellow comes highly recommended.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another gonzo collection of stories that could only come from Cody Goodfellow. Included here is the sublime 'Wishing Well' that I had read in Joe Pulver's King in Yellow anthology "A Season in Carcosa," and it was still amazing the second time around. These stories have Cody's trademark blend of SF, body horror, and logically extrapolated high concepts that deliver on all levels. I loved this book and would suggest it for those who like truly weird fiction and/or hallucinatory science fiction that might make you queasy sometimes.

[Finnn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Man, I love Cody Goodfellow and the weird, twisted, bizarre worlds he creates. Some of these stories are so out there I couldn't believe it, but his writing still makes it feel so accessible. I just love being drawn into these insane little worlds.

[Waffles · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid short story collection. The standouts for me were Waiting Room, Wasted on the Young, and Wishing Well. Like a fine wine snob (which I'm not because I like beer and not that IPA hipster crap) I detected hints of Barron, traces of Ligotti, and aftertastes of Wagner and Pugmire. Make of that what you will. Or don't. I don't care.

[Ronald · Rating 4 out of 5]

My ratings for the stories in this book averages to 3.90, thus rounding to the nearest whole number.

The stories are speculative fiction, and in some of them the author shows a great sense of humor.

My review of the stories can be seen in this thread, posts 298 to 308:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[David Bridges · Rating 5 out of 5]

Man this book is outstanding. It took me a long time to read it not because it's difficult to understand or isn't reader friendly but by choice. Goodfellow's writing is so incredible because it's so distinct. The prose is stratified with darkness, humor and grotesqueness and I really wanted to absorb and appreciate what I was reading. I did not read more than one story in a day because i really couldn't stop thinking about what I'd just read to fully appreciate another story in the same reading session. I loved every story in the book but "What The Gods Eat" and "A Summer On A Quiet Island" are hands down two of the most mind blowing short stories I have ever read. I can't recommend this book enough. Cody Goodfellow has definitely solidified a spot in my top 10 favorites writers ever in the history of ever. Dudes some kind of genius with the words. It's that real! Also a super strong start from King Shot Press who I look forward to reading more from in the near future.

[Christian]

3.5 ⭐️

[Lou · Rating 5 out of 5]

These tale come from a great factory of creation, potent prose, myriad of peoples and horrors, nature things laid down one word after the other with a distinct style, voice, and word usage.
With this collection he successfully writes works with horror addressing many real fears, tapping into the subconscious of the reader with memorable masterly crafted stories.

Notable tales to mention:

Morning Coming Down

A car incident, there will be mayhem, terrible scenes with original prose style.

At The Riding School

This one was selected for The Best of the Best Horror of the year, edited by Ellen Datlow.
Mythology in the narrative, girls, women, horses and a Madame taking care of girls, hunters raised to kill, with something to go wrong in the tale with this breeding of destruction.

In my interview with him he said about this tale:

“At The Riding School” came out of a girlfriend’s obsession with horseback riding. She once remarked that she knew a lot of girls who breached their maidenheads in the saddle, and having recently read chunks of The Golden Bough, I somehow came up with this idea of a chastity cult that finds a very unusual technique for empowering young girls.

“Madame’s school—the Hunt and the Mysteries—made these cast-off girls into women the rest of the world respected, envied. It empowered them to reach for undreamed of heights, and liberated them from ever becoming a man’s creature. And I guess I was one of them, from the day I killed my husband.”

What The Gods Eat

The wilderness, nature in battle with the concrete world, a mans intuition to sculpture something grande, a skill passed down from forefathers.
The rage and anger at the cities despoiling and abuse of nature, and what become of the land, corruption and capitalism of it, and so a darker force unleashed in reply.
Hate borne into creation, creation into destruction, destruction into captivity.

“Maceo Nahuat Xijun had lived in the jungle interior of the Yucatan all his life, and because nobody had ever promised him anything better, he believed that he was happy.”

“The indestructible plastic bottles and wrappers that rained on the ground were not merely trash, but seeds—diabolical harbingers of the alien ecology of metal and plastic and advertising that had already swallowed the coast.”

“Maceo hated the city. His eyes burned with tears that would never quite bloom, and his heart filled with cold lead at the sight and smell of it. The absence of green was an obscenity; the starved, smoke-stained trees in rows along the avenue looked like captives from a genocidal war. The stone of the city was the worst outrage.”

Wasted On The Young

Youth with underground experience a truly out of this world extreme extravaganza awaits new blood.

“My neighbors all hate and fear the kids who hang out in our complex, but I treat them with respect, because I know what they’re about. Where others see wasted potential and wanton self-destruction, I see the essence of orphaned, aborted youth, striving—without love, hope or a voice—to express itself. I see what they could become, given half a chance, and the right moment.”

Fat of The Land

Father and daughter are pawns in a sinister play on corporate corruption and consumerism manipulation and inception of American lives.
The adage we are are what we eat suits this down to a tea.

Also @ More2Read

Read my recent Interview with this author.

[Tim Sharp · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyably insane and incredibly imaginative collection of short stories. A few of these tales are all-time weird fiction classics (What The Gods Eat, Nature's Mother, Wishing Well), some are fun tales of energetic splatterpunk madness (Morning Coming Down, Wasted On The Young, Fat Of The Land), some are hilariously high-concept (Waiting Room, Flea Circus) and a couple are genuinely creepy tales of Lovecraftian horror (At The Riding School, A Summer On Quiet Island). Only one real misfire in the bunch (Girl On Girl), but that's an extraordinary hit-to-miss ratio. One of the most out-and-out entertaining reads I've had in a while.

[Lavi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Half-way through this became unreadable.

[Jesse Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t know about you, but Cody Goodfellow has quickly attained the status of “best kept secret in the horror/speculative fiction business” in my estimation. After having my mind thoroughly obliterated by the imaginative, terrifying, and hilarious epic Unamerica earlier this year (and I highly, highly, HIGHLY recommend that anyone reading this review check that book out immediately if this kind of fiction is your jam), I scooped up just about every work the man has written that is available right now, and now I’m in the process of working through the rest of his bibliography, Strategies Against Nature being my next choice after Unamerica.

SAN is further proof that Cody is a mad scientist of the written word, dreaming up intricate and complex tales of otherworldly monsters, mutant abominations, and technology gone horribly wrong. And not only are the story concepts fascinating, Cody is a masterful writer, too, spinning out expertly-crafted sentences permeated with detailed beauty and horror that will make you tremble in their wake. Out of all of the stories here, these are my particular favorites:

Morning Coming Down: A morning spent picking up trash by the side of the freeway is shattered by an apocalyptic pile-up of cars with a very mysterious (and ultimately heartrending) cause behind it.

At The Riding School: A doctor harboring some disturbing secrets makes an unexpected late-night visit to an arcane all-girls school where the attendees learn to ride beasts of a very unusual nature.

A Summer On Quiet Island: A teenage boy spends on a summer on an island with his relatives, all of whom have strange birth defects, where he learns of the secret surrounding the longstanding rituals of the island’s inhabitants and ancient creatures that dwell in the waters around them.

Wasted on the Young: An older man brings some cocky teenagers to a punk rock show unlike anything they’ve ever seen. You know how parents through the ages have regarded rock music as being “dangerous” or “corrupting”? This story is their worst fears come to life.

Nature’s Mother: A feral inhabitant of a corporate-run nature restoration project is chosen to serve as ambassador to a rogue biosphere. The visuals painted in this particular story of a hybrid between nature and futuristic technology are absolutely breathtaking — your brain will feel as though it’s gotten a thorough workout after it’s over.

Flea Circus: A talent agent is introduced to a unique show involving a flying swarm of glowing dots that are much less benign than they initially appear. The descriptions of the destruction the dots cause to the human body, as well as the nightmarish holographic circus they conjure, linger long in the mind.

Fat of the Land: Bags of infected dog food eventually lead to the beginning of a new world order. One of Cody’s strongest suits, as demonstrated in Unamerica, is coming up with stories involving corporate skullduggery and the pure, unadulterated chaos that unfolds as a result of it. For that reason, I’d have to say that this story is the crowning jewel in the collection — a real showstopper, so to speak.

If you’ve read this far, then what are you waiting for? Purchase this book for yourself either here or on the website for King Shot Press, and prepare to have your mind altered.

[Dylan Baldwin-Delaney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Weird, fringe counter-culture with a dose of Lovecraft. From the old gods of many cultures to the technological advancements of many futures, Goodfellow uses his silver tongue and black humor to harness a variety of themes exploring the depths of human bleakness. A couple of my favorite stories were Wasted On The Youth, Waiting Room, and Girl On Girl.

Like many of my favorite metal records, the cover art was a large part of the reason I checked this book out, as well as interest in it from a friend with good taste (who fittingly enough illustrates metal records). Sometimes you should judge a book by the cover.

[Joseph Cope · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are some intense trippy stories here. Also some clever and darkly funny stuff too. Some that very much got under my skin. A couple that lost the plot. This sits happily outside the mainstream I think, ploughing a weird weird furrow. Often unsettling and horrific, though happily not particularly pessimistic or depressing, there is an uplifting note of defiance (?against reality...) running through. Slightly insane, but i'll be back for more.

[Ray Hibbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard to find bizarro fiction that doesn't have both barrels aimed directly at 16 year old semi-literate lads (gets them reading so who'd complain!). This one has some meat on its bones and the acne replaced by the scars of multi-decade life battles. Borders on the Lovecraftian at times but definitely some refreshing ideas.

[Mulkurul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Morning Coming Down ☆☆☆
At the Riding School ☆☆☆☆☆
What the Gods Eat ☆☆☆☆
Waiting Room ☆☆☆☆☆
A Summer on Quiet Island ☆☆☆☆☆
Wasted on the Young ☆☆☆
Nature's Mother ☆☆
Flea Circus ☆☆☆
Wishing Well ☆☆☆☆☆
Girl on Girl ☆☆☆
Fat of the Land ☆☆☆☆☆

[Ivy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some good concepts but really marred by being "edgy" especially relating to rape and underage sex.

[Chris King · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good but not top shelf Cody Goodfellow. In terms of imagination though, nobody touches this guy, even in his "lesser" material.

[Jimmy Melnarik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Didn't realize this was an anthology going in, but was pleasantly surprised to find a gaggle of gag inducing horror rags. Lots of grotesqueries, but also funny!

[Manuel Garcia · Rating 3 out of 5]

solid premises, some stories work better atmospherically than structurally

[John Palisano · Rating 5 out of 5]

A top notch collection from Mr. Goodfellow, which means it's equal parts strange, imaginative, illuminating, and well-written. The works go beyond the New Lovecraftian and veer into the weird and, most fascinating, the philosophical. Terrific stuff.