Boy Oh Boy

by Zachary Doss

Boy Oh Boy is a collection of queer fabulist stories and flash fictions told via second person, asking readers to share Doss’s explorations of joy and longing. Your boyfriend is many boyfriends, possibly all the boyfriends you’ve ever had or will have. But you must ask yourself whether you have them or they have you. Your boyfriend plays jokes on you—plays jokes on the world. He is forever unattainable, and still you love your boyfriend, even when it hurts you. Doss explores how relationships can be all-consuming, how we transform ourselves to fit within their contour. Eventually, you might change so much that you don’t even fit inside your own body. This book is so much about space—the physical, emotional, and mental spheres that everyone inhabits. Doss uses humor to deal with the isolation that each of us experiences—not because we’re alone, but because we’ve become detached from ourselves, our needs, and our desires. Boy Oh Boy is our chance to understand Zachary Doss, as well as our strangest selves.

Genres: Short Stories, LGBT, Gay, Short Story Collection

192 pages, Paperback

First published June 2, 2020

Reviews

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a great book--the stories are funny, they're sad, they're smart, they're stupid. It's the kind of text that ought to be studied: to understand the craft of how it uses second-person narration, to investigate how it twists reality to such brilliant effect, to admire how the book balances so neatly on about six simultaneous emotional tightropes. Zachary Doss really was that writer, and this book really is that book.

[Amy Biggart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very fun!! Very well written. I wish there was a little more of an arc to the stories, but it was exactly what it says it is.

The kind of silly fabulist humor you’d find in Temporary by Hillary Leichter, but queer and entirely in the second person

[Emrys Donaldson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenal collection of second-person fabulist stories about your boyfriend. Never seemed repetitive! Each section contained its own rhythm.

[Seras23 · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, second person narration isn’t bothering me for once, so points for that.

It's super weird, but I also like it quite a lot. My favorite is "Put a Ring On It", followed by "Trash Pope." I love that the Trash Pope makes an appearance in another story. That’s the only clear connection between any stories. It’s hilarious. I’m not sure though that I would have understood anything if I hadn’t read a little about fabulist fiction first, so if you haven't read fabulist writing before, maybe read up on it first so you know kind of what to expect.

[Torie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Your boyfriend is assassinated on the campaign trail, and your boyfriend keeps throwing away your shit, and your boyfriend is everyone you see, and your boyfriend was raised by sexy, sexy wolves, and your boyfriend lives nestled under you skin next to your ribcage, and your boyfriendbot really is an older model- have you considered upgrading to a fully custom one?

This was so cool.

[Christopher Alonso · Rating 4 out of 5]

These stories are absurd, dark, and full of unexpected humor. They touch on the anxieties of inhabiting a body and how those feelings might manifest in odd, strange, sometimes deadly ways.

[Lucas Lanza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uma coleção de nanocontos (ou flash fiction, em inglês) repleta de simbolismos e de significado. Tristeza enorme ao descobrir que o autor, jovem e promissor, não está mais vivo.

[Hayden Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

just perfect. gone too fuckin' soon.

[Joseph Dante · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full disclosure: Zach was a friend. While we never had the opportunity to meet in real life, we wrote to each other all the time. We'd share works-in-progress, offer feedback, and commiserate about rejection. I remember when he first shared an early version of his story "The Blood Mouth" with me, which is featured in this collection.

These stories are strange, haunting, and completely original. I've never read anyone quite like Zach before. I suppose you might compare him to writers like Aimee Bender (who he was studying under at his time of death), Carmen Maria Machado, and Kelly Link, but he is very much always himself. While these stories all feature the character of "your boyfriend," they never feel repetitive and never outstay their welcome. It's impressive how he maintains the second-person perspective without it becoming cloying or gimmicky (I know A LOT of writers just abhor second-person on principle). While some stories may verge on the silly and overly whimsical side (something that is usually a turn-off for me as a reader), there is always this dark undertow tugging at the odd premise presented to us. One of my favorites in this collection, "Embodied," is about a boyfriend who literally lives inside your body. While the story itself is barely two pages long, the surreal metaphor is so poignant and strong and stays with you. Of course, there is also the story at the heart of this collection, "Bespoke," which is incredible as well. It tells the story of an era in which robot boyfriends have become legitimate life companions that are completely lifelike, and ones that you can customize to your every liking. Of course, sometimes things don't go according to plan. While many of the characters in these stories may insist on their happiness, you can tell how maybe they protest a little too much.

Holding this book in my hands elicits bittersweet feelings. On the one hand, I am so glad it was able to be published (check out that gorgeous cover too!) and now more people can be exposed to Zach's fiction. On the other, rereading his writing makes me miss him all over again, reminding me again of how the world is now deprived of his words.

[Molly Roach · Rating 3 out of 5]

Boy Oh Boy: Stories by Zachary Doss

Ok so like I didn’t get this book but also I think that was kind of the point. Calling this a book of stories is a stretch, it’s more like a book of weird dreams you had after going on a bender. Some were more enjoyable that others, but most were just ‘eh.’ I did like the second person narrative, it’s not done often and it was fun.
I’m plot driven, less with short stories than full length fiction but I still like the basic plot structure, so I didn’t get a lot from this collection, but you might!
2.5/5⭐️

[Becky Robison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I briefly met Zach Doss at the 2016 AWP Conference in D.C.—just a few weeks before he died. He was funny and clever—his reading had me laughing aloud. His posthumous story collection Boy Oh Boy reflects that spirit. Written in the second person, these mostly flash stories tell bizarre, hilarious, heartbreaking, and sometimes gross stories about “your boyfriend.” Think Kelly Link meets Amelia Gray spying on a fictional gay couple, or couples. I loved this book—you should absolutely pick it up.

This review was originally published on my blog.

[Jessica Coyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bumped up from 4.5 stars.

I’m so sorry this author died! This was his debut collection of short stories, and you get the impression he could’ve done a lot more. A loss.

I would compare the experience of reading this to running down a corridor of parallel worlds, in which each parallel world is somewhat about a boyfriend. The stories are funny, silly, touching, irreverent, weird, sad, and strange. I recommend this little book and I wish we could’ve had more from this author.

[Kain · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really struggled to get through this collection of short stories. While some I loved, like Sadland, others were a little trickier. If I knew more about fabulist literature, I might have appreciated it more. Doss explores longing/love/lust and our relationships to our physical bodies and those of others.

[Erin]

So much short fiction has too much gravitas. These stories get it right. Wish I could DM Zach.

[AJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful, funny, magical-- simply one of the most evocative collections I've read. Rest in power, Mr. Doss.

[Kaitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredibly glorious, profound and self-aware. What a romp that read was.

[Megan Borrel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Using second person is said to be a risk in storytelling, but it really works in this book. I enjoyed these fun, warm, and magical stories.

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful and dreamy and strange

[Dol Leander · Rating 5 out of 5]

These stories crawled under my ribcage and started tugging at me before curling up in the warmth of my organs

[aiyonna · Rating 5 out of 5]

a new fave this book is a lovely combination of silly and intense and real

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Jonathan Finkelstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was equal parts strange, entertaining, funny and horrifying. It’s written in a way that hypnotizes you into its structure and variations on its core theme.