Yule Do Nicely

by Rhys Hughes

A small book of stories that have been assembled in their present form in order to celebrate the festive season. They include work from the span of the past quarter century. The first twenty-four tales form a weird and ghostly advent calendar from December 1st to 24th. Then it is Christmas Day and time for the stocking and the twenty-eight peculiar little tales inside it. Merry Xmas!

Genres: Christmas

92 pages, Paperback

First published November 17, 2017

About the author

A writer of Speculative Fiction who uses fantasy and comedy to explore unusual concepts. Known for his original ideas, intricate plots, love of paradox, and entertaining wordplay.

Reviews

[Karl]

Contents:

07 - The Hidden Sixpence
07 - Three Friends
10 - Down in the Park
12 - The Chocolate Princess
15 - Loafing Around
18 - The Duvet Thief
22 - My Beetroot Brow
24 - The Moon and the Well
25 - His Unstable Shape
29 - The Cakes of Gehenna
34 - Double Atlas
35 - The Dirtiest Ararat
40 - Zucchini Overdrive
43 - Suttee and Sweep
48 - The Strongest Monster
50 - Cats' Eyes
51 - Fringes and Bangs
55 - Monsieur Choux
57 - A Corking Tale
58 - Don't Shoot the Messenger
59 - All the Waiting
63 - The Wrong Lamp
64 - The Pancake Hurler
66 - The Precious Mundanity
69 - The Shocking Stocking

[Grady · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Puddings can be lethal this time of year’ - Fresh winks for the season

Five years ago Rhys Hughes gifted the reading public with a set of short stories focused on the Christmas season - YULE DO NICELY: A GHOSTLY AND WEIRD ADVENT CALENDAR. Now this newly edited (and supplanted) book takes things a step further, maintaining the weird paranormal - as well as some ‘normal’ - twenty-four little stories that accompany the Advent Calendar, and then embellishing with twenty-eight stories (plus a couple more) that celebrate Christmas Day.

It would be difficult to imagine a collection of odd tales that better serves our need to react and laugh and wonder as well as these strange little stories: with each page a discovery is made and a smile grows more full. In a tale titled ‘The Hideous Cackle’ Rhys writes, “Come in to my spider,” said the pantry to the ghost.’ Just a little ‘for instance’ that indicates the fun contained with in the covers (or iPad surface) of this tome for the season. Even culinary gifts are present: ‘Sun Soup - This is my recipe for sun soup. First take a sunflower, and then carefully cut away the flower, leaving the sun. Put the sun in a cauldron and add a deep ocean. Garnish with moonstones and it’s ready! The best thing about the sun soup is that it goes down beautifully.’

Perfect little stocking stuffer, this, especially if it is for your own stocking. Relax and enjoy the fine art of Rhys Hughes for Christmas.

[Katherine Loyacano · Rating 3 out of 5]

Weird, but enjoyable Advent Calendar book; fun to read each day leading up to Christmas. Then, more story delights in the stocking opened on Christmas Day to enjoy throughout the remaining days of December.

[Diana Eberhardt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, that was weird! A few of the pieces were funny, but a lot of them were just weird.

[Max Rudd · Rating 3 out of 5]

A curious volume of short surreal fiction. Maybe I should have saved it for this December, but even so didn't let that spoil the enjoyment. It was nice to see the author reference some of his influence by name, including the Russian surrealist Daniil Kharms (who deserves all the exposure he can get imo).

A good read, thank you Rhys.

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book - absurdist, new weird short stories and micro/flash-fiction that combine horror, humor, philosophical questions, clever word play, inventive story twists and the transcendentally bizarre, all put in a blender and mixed up into something new and strange. The two Daniil Kharm homages had me laughing out loud. Loved. It.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute.

[jj Grilliette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quirky and fun