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Greasepaint & .45s
Clowns are like politics; everyone has an opinion on them. In this collection of short stories, you’ll find numerous takes on the world of the painted harlequin. Often maligned in today’s day and age, the institution of the clown means something to everyone.
And sure, most of these clowns are armed. They’re less than concerned about the moral ramifications of their actions. Hell, they might be demonic. We’ve got it all. Clown cars, rodeos, adultery, robbery, mayhem, balloon animals, self-immolation, big red noses, cremation chambers, a funeral, and kids TV shows, just to name some.
But for a dad who dresses as the most infamous clown ever to sneak into his son’s party, or a woman who uses her costume as a ruse to rob and cheat, to a man whose lifelong companion is a clown apparition, the hair and make-up are just a means to an end.
An untimely end.
Edited by Ryan Sayles and featuring stories by Patricia Abbott, J.L. Abramo, Jen Conley, Jeffery Hess, Grant Jerkins, David James Keaton, Ed Kurtz, R. Daniel Lester, Marietta Miles, Warren Moore, Chuck Regan, Scotch Rutherford, Liam Sweeney, Richard Thomas, James R. Tuck, and Lono Waiwaiole.
And sure, most of these clowns are armed. They’re less than concerned about the moral ramifications of their actions. Hell, they might be demonic. We’ve got it all. Clown cars, rodeos, adultery, robbery, mayhem, balloon animals, self-immolation, big red noses, cremation chambers, a funeral, and kids TV shows, just to name some.
But for a dad who dresses as the most infamous clown ever to sneak into his son’s party, or a woman who uses her costume as a ruse to rob and cheat, to a man whose lifelong companion is a clown apparition, the hair and make-up are just a means to an end.
An untimely end.
Edited by Ryan Sayles and featuring stories by Patricia Abbott, J.L. Abramo, Jen Conley, Jeffery Hess, Grant Jerkins, David James Keaton, Ed Kurtz, R. Daniel Lester, Marietta Miles, Warren Moore, Chuck Regan, Scotch Rutherford, Liam Sweeney, Richard Thomas, James R. Tuck, and Lono Waiwaiole.
244 pages, Paperback
Published May 5, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 26, 2020
I wasn't sure of what to expect. Clowns & crime? I was hesitant, since I find clowns disturbing. Maybe it's all the bad press like Gacy, or Pennywise, or that legitimate weekend ruiner Capturing the Friedman's, but whenever I'm faced with some schmo covered in paint and cavorting like the town drunk on payday, my chest tightens and I get queasy. Maybe it’s the fact that the eyes behind the mask belong to a human being. But not a regular human being, a human being who is also a clown. And there's something strangely upsetting about that. I know I'm not alone.
With that limited personal experience with clowns, I picked up a copy of this book and thought, if I hated it only the scant few of my Goodreads buddies would even know I tried it and failed.
Of all of life's pleasures, being surprised is one to be cherished. I think approaching this material not knowing what to make of it, may be the best avenue to drive your clown car down, it keeps the surprises coming. And yeah, those surprises maybe doused in confetti, and honk when you squeeze them, but Greasepaint & .45's is a fresh, funny, poignant and sometimes heart breaking collection of surreal tales of crime. And like all noir stories, it's gritty in all the right places.
I break down each story over at EconoClash Review. If you don't make it over there, just know that I really enjoyed this anthology and so can you.
With that limited personal experience with clowns, I picked up a copy of this book and thought, if I hated it only the scant few of my Goodreads buddies would even know I tried it and failed.
Of all of life's pleasures, being surprised is one to be cherished. I think approaching this material not knowing what to make of it, may be the best avenue to drive your clown car down, it keeps the surprises coming. And yeah, those surprises maybe doused in confetti, and honk when you squeeze them, but Greasepaint & .45's is a fresh, funny, poignant and sometimes heart breaking collection of surreal tales of crime. And like all noir stories, it's gritty in all the right places.
I break down each story over at EconoClash Review. If you don't make it over there, just know that I really enjoyed this anthology and so can you.
December 24, 2019
In a word, hilarious
In two words, wicked hilarious.
Every story has the goofy surrealness of clown humor with a dash of violence and trauma thrown in. Some stories have more to do with clowns than others, but all are garunteed a mention of the carnival faced comedians.
Every story was well executed with the right amount of empathy. Some clowns were horrific, some were pathetic, some were saviors, all were painted.
Some criticisms though. The robbing a bank motif was in at least three stories. While that was a let down, the rest of the stories really touched all corners of clown stories so generally it didnt disappoint. Editing could be improved as there many copy edit errors scattered throughout. Despite that, neither criticism detracts from my enjoyment of this collection.
I feel like this collection hit all of my aesthetic buttons in the right way. Psychosis, clown horror, trauma, neon lights. All of it beautiful, brilliant. And hilariously wicked.
I will be reading this again.
In two words, wicked hilarious.
Every story has the goofy surrealness of clown humor with a dash of violence and trauma thrown in. Some stories have more to do with clowns than others, but all are garunteed a mention of the carnival faced comedians.
Every story was well executed with the right amount of empathy. Some clowns were horrific, some were pathetic, some were saviors, all were painted.
Some criticisms though. The robbing a bank motif was in at least three stories. While that was a let down, the rest of the stories really touched all corners of clown stories so generally it didnt disappoint. Editing could be improved as there many copy edit errors scattered throughout. Despite that, neither criticism detracts from my enjoyment of this collection.
I feel like this collection hit all of my aesthetic buttons in the right way. Psychosis, clown horror, trauma, neon lights. All of it beautiful, brilliant. And hilariously wicked.
I will be reading this again.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews