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Beautiful/Grotesque
Five authors of strange fiction, Roland Blackburn ( Seventeen Names For Skin ), Jo Quenell ( The Mud Ballad ), Katy Michelle Quinn ( Winnie ), Joanna Koch ( The Wingspan of Severed Hands ), and Sam Richard ( Sabbath of the Fox-Devils ) each bring you their own unique vision of the macabre and the glorious violently colliding. From full-on hardcore horror to decadently surreal nightmares, and noir-fueled psychosis, to an eerie meditation on grief, and familial quiet horror, Beautiful/Grotesque guides us through the murky waters where the monstrous and the breathtaking meet.They are all beautiful. They are all grotesque.
- GenresHorrorShort Stories
138 pages, Paperback
First published February 15, 2021
5 people are currently reading
211 people want to read
About the author
Sam Richard
45 books109 followersSam Richard is the author of several books including The Still Beating Heart of a Dead God and the award-winning To Wallow in Ash & Other Sorrows. He has edited ten anthologies, including the cult hits Profane Altars: Weird Sword & Sorcery and The New Flesh, and his short fiction has appeared in over forty publications. Widowed in 2017, he slowly rots in Minneapolis where he runs Weirdpunk Books. You can stalk him @SammyTotep across most socials or at weirdpunkbooks.com
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
March 9, 2021
BEAUTIFUL/GROTESQUE brings together five authors of strange fiction.
The first story – GOD OF THE SILVERED HALLS by Roland Blackburn - and the fifth story – THE FRUIT OF A BARREN TREE by Sam Richard - are good and solid.
The third story – THE QUEEN OF THE SELECT by Katy Michelle Quinn – is by far the highlight of this collection for me. While it gives a rather strong message about trans women and their bodies, it never lost sight of the actual story being told.
The second story – THRENODY by Jo Quenell – is a rather difficult story to rate. It send a clear message about grief and loss, but it becomes problematic with all the hints to more of a back story which never gets explained or resolved.
While I am a fan of open endings and, to some extent, room for interpretation, this story gives you such a small view of the actual picture, it is difficult to decide whether you would like the picture or not. There’s just too much that’s not being said, and in my opinion it leaves the reader feeling cheated for wasting their time by getting clues to a puzzle, but never the answer.
I will also say that I reread this one, especially after reading some of the glowing reviews on Goodreads, but it is not something I can wrap my head around. This story failed to entertain and frustrated me in the end.
The fourth story – SWANMORD by Joanna Koch – is the first story in a very long time which I actually hated. I don’t use that word lightly. I could not make heads or tails of what was going on in this one. If it is an extension of something I am not familiar with, I will apologize for my ignorance, but nothing made sense. I was as lost from the start on the fourth reread of the first page as I was initially.
Here’s how I try to look at it:
While I may not be the brightest Skittle in the packet, I do read a fair amount and consider myself a fairly free thinker.
I love art, especially darker, Gothic art, but for the most part I prefer realistic art. There are few things as beautiful as a pencil-sketch which looks like a photograph. And while I can appreciate something surreal like a Salvador Dali painting, abstract art does very little for me. If someone took a hand full of paint, held it up to his face and sneezed, I would probably believe them if they told me it is a Pollock.
Is that the problem? Am I just too dense to get this kind of writing?
Whatever the case may be, I almost felt offended that this story managed to make me feel stupid. Like I said, I had no idea what was going on in this one.
With that said, there may be others who like this, but as a reviewer I am unable to give this book a good rating – considering I greatly disliked 40% of this product.
I wish the authors luck and hope for their sake others are more open to these stories.
(1.5 Stars)
*Originally reviewed at IndieMuse
* https://www.myindiemuse.com/author/mo...
The first story – GOD OF THE SILVERED HALLS by Roland Blackburn - and the fifth story – THE FRUIT OF A BARREN TREE by Sam Richard - are good and solid.
The third story – THE QUEEN OF THE SELECT by Katy Michelle Quinn – is by far the highlight of this collection for me. While it gives a rather strong message about trans women and their bodies, it never lost sight of the actual story being told.
The second story – THRENODY by Jo Quenell – is a rather difficult story to rate. It send a clear message about grief and loss, but it becomes problematic with all the hints to more of a back story which never gets explained or resolved.
While I am a fan of open endings and, to some extent, room for interpretation, this story gives you such a small view of the actual picture, it is difficult to decide whether you would like the picture or not. There’s just too much that’s not being said, and in my opinion it leaves the reader feeling cheated for wasting their time by getting clues to a puzzle, but never the answer.
I will also say that I reread this one, especially after reading some of the glowing reviews on Goodreads, but it is not something I can wrap my head around. This story failed to entertain and frustrated me in the end.
The fourth story – SWANMORD by Joanna Koch – is the first story in a very long time which I actually hated. I don’t use that word lightly. I could not make heads or tails of what was going on in this one. If it is an extension of something I am not familiar with, I will apologize for my ignorance, but nothing made sense. I was as lost from the start on the fourth reread of the first page as I was initially.
Here’s how I try to look at it:
While I may not be the brightest Skittle in the packet, I do read a fair amount and consider myself a fairly free thinker.
I love art, especially darker, Gothic art, but for the most part I prefer realistic art. There are few things as beautiful as a pencil-sketch which looks like a photograph. And while I can appreciate something surreal like a Salvador Dali painting, abstract art does very little for me. If someone took a hand full of paint, held it up to his face and sneezed, I would probably believe them if they told me it is a Pollock.
Is that the problem? Am I just too dense to get this kind of writing?
Whatever the case may be, I almost felt offended that this story managed to make me feel stupid. Like I said, I had no idea what was going on in this one.
With that said, there may be others who like this, but as a reviewer I am unable to give this book a good rating – considering I greatly disliked 40% of this product.
I wish the authors luck and hope for their sake others are more open to these stories.
(1.5 Stars)
*Originally reviewed at IndieMuse
* https://www.myindiemuse.com/author/mo...
August 22, 2021
A brilliant collection of five short stories. I love the Beautiful/Grotesque concept as it is an idea that I find fascinating (fun fact: many moons ago the topic of my dissertation for my degree was something similar). This anthology features work from hugely talented authors. I thought each story was excellent and the interpretations of the theme were all so different in both story content and writing style. This is a very slim volume but contains some very potent stuff.
April 21, 2021
Beautiful/Grotesque is something of a different anthology for WeirdPunk Books than the previous Misfits, G.G. Allin, and David Cronenberg inspired anthologies. This is an anthology assembled and edited by Sam Richard, with the image of a Zdzisław Beksiński work “Untitled Drawing, 1968.” The idea was that approached some of his friends and authors formerly published by WeirdPunk Books to write stories on this theme. The five stories in this anthology really showcases the level of talent and horror that WeirdPunk Books is consistently releasing. I have read and reviewed all by one of these authors and it is fitting to just go through each story.
“God of the Silvered Halls” by Roland Blackburn
The author of Seventeen Names for Skin, starts off the collection with a strong, traditional horror story. I could see this as comparable to someone like Joe Hill or Josh Malerman. Blackburn delivers a strong, well written, and fun horror story about a medical examiner who gets too involved with a strange case of a woman hit by a train.
“Threnody” by Jo Quenell
Jo Quenell offers a story about a woman hired to sing at a dead child’s funeral. The story is about transition and grief, and if you have read Jo Quenell’s novella, Mud Ballad, you will recognize that there is a little bit of grime in every story that she tells.
“The Queen of the Select” by Katy Michelle Quinn
I have read one story by Katy Michelle Quinn (“Mall Goth Lazerdick Explode-A-Thon III” in the anthology LAZERMALL.) Her entry here, “The Queen of the Select” follows a cop who goes to private parties to have sex with transgender women and the guilt and anger he feels about this desire, makes for a gut-wrenching, devastating extreme horror story. It is hard to choose my favorite story in this collection, but this is the one that brought the most emotions out of me.
“Swanmord” by Joanna Koch
This is by the author of The Wingspan of Severed Hands, and based on this novella, I expected it to be surreal, confusing, and stunning. I was not disappointed. This is the story of Hayden and Trillious, partners in a slippery narrative about love and transformation. Koch’s writing is difficult yet rewarding in the ability to make you think long after the story is over.
“The Fruit of a Barren Tree” by Sam Richard
The final story in this short collection is by Splatterpunk Award-winning author Sam Richard. Most of his writing is saturated with grief and loss, but he has a way of writing that makes us feel all of the things the characters are feeling. This is the most quiet story in the collection, and a great way to end the anthology.
As a whole, if you have read any of these authors or any of the books published by WeirdPunk Books, Beautiful/Grotesque fits right in with the rest. If you have not read these authors before, I can say that this is a great representation of the types of stories that they tell. Sam Richard has said before that he is going to be working on more, shorter anthologies like this, and if he continues gathering stories with this level of quality, he will continue to find success as one of the premiere indie publishers of great horror.
“God of the Silvered Halls” by Roland Blackburn
The author of Seventeen Names for Skin, starts off the collection with a strong, traditional horror story. I could see this as comparable to someone like Joe Hill or Josh Malerman. Blackburn delivers a strong, well written, and fun horror story about a medical examiner who gets too involved with a strange case of a woman hit by a train.
“Threnody” by Jo Quenell
Jo Quenell offers a story about a woman hired to sing at a dead child’s funeral. The story is about transition and grief, and if you have read Jo Quenell’s novella, Mud Ballad, you will recognize that there is a little bit of grime in every story that she tells.
“The Queen of the Select” by Katy Michelle Quinn
I have read one story by Katy Michelle Quinn (“Mall Goth Lazerdick Explode-A-Thon III” in the anthology LAZERMALL.) Her entry here, “The Queen of the Select” follows a cop who goes to private parties to have sex with transgender women and the guilt and anger he feels about this desire, makes for a gut-wrenching, devastating extreme horror story. It is hard to choose my favorite story in this collection, but this is the one that brought the most emotions out of me.
“Swanmord” by Joanna Koch
This is by the author of The Wingspan of Severed Hands, and based on this novella, I expected it to be surreal, confusing, and stunning. I was not disappointed. This is the story of Hayden and Trillious, partners in a slippery narrative about love and transformation. Koch’s writing is difficult yet rewarding in the ability to make you think long after the story is over.
“The Fruit of a Barren Tree” by Sam Richard
The final story in this short collection is by Splatterpunk Award-winning author Sam Richard. Most of his writing is saturated with grief and loss, but he has a way of writing that makes us feel all of the things the characters are feeling. This is the most quiet story in the collection, and a great way to end the anthology.
As a whole, if you have read any of these authors or any of the books published by WeirdPunk Books, Beautiful/Grotesque fits right in with the rest. If you have not read these authors before, I can say that this is a great representation of the types of stories that they tell. Sam Richard has said before that he is going to be working on more, shorter anthologies like this, and if he continues gathering stories with this level of quality, he will continue to find success as one of the premiere indie publishers of great horror.
July 8, 2021
I loved this collection. The writing is so genuinely good. The Zdzislaw Beksinski artwork serves as a great starting point and it’s fascinating to see how each author ran with the prompt. Now I wanna read more from each writer. Huzzah to Weird Punk for conducting this neat little “experiment.” I hope there are more to come.
March 31, 2021
A series of polaroid images housed within a gallery, painting universes steeped in the sickening and the transformative. A really goddamn good collection from all involved.
March 11, 2021
Beauty is only skin deep, or you can find beauty in everything.
Which one is it? What makes something Beautiful to one person but Grotesque to another?
This is an Anthology of 5 writers, Roland Blackburn, Jo Quenell, Katy Michelle Quinn, Joanna Koch and Sam Richard. This is my first experience with Roland Blackburn and Katy Michelle Quinn, hopefully it won’t be my last, because their 2 stories stuck out the most with me in this collection. We will get into those here shortly.
The idea behind this anthology is based on an Untitled 1968 illustration by Polish artist Zdzislaw Beksinski, and Sam Richard decided to give some homework to his group of writers that basically make up the current foundation of Weird Punk Books right now. Their task was to come up with something that sort of represents the picture, the way they interpret it. And this is what we get within Beautiful/Grotesque.
These are all written beautifully in that Grotesque kind of way. Some written in an abstract sort of way, allowing you to interpret how you wish.
Let’s start off with Roland Blackburn: "God of the Silvered Halls." This is a tale of a Coroner who may, or may not have found the secret ingredient to look younger again. It’s like Benjamin Button. It shows a bit of the 7 deadly sins, where the main character just wants to look and feel younger again, and the extreme measures she goes through to do so jeopardizes not only her career, but her life. Roland Blackburn has a nice descriptive narrative allowing you to really feel the coldness of the shiny metals and see the colors of the world. You feel for the main character because she follows through with something I think a lot of people would if given the chance.
Joanna Koch: "Swanmord." This one is very abstract to me, unfortunately almost to the point where I can’t truly follow what’s happening. On one hand it’s a nice artsy story, almost written poetically but on the other hand I feel like there is something missing that is preventing me from really understanding what is happening. And that could very well just be me. I’m not really sure.
Sam Richard: "The Fruit of a Barren Tree." This is solidly written from the point of view of someone who is grieving the loss of a loved one, and they don’t seem like they want to move on, but a discovery makes them think maybe they don’t need to. This one is written very intimately and emotionally.
Katy Michelle Quinn: "The Queen of the Select." This one I feel is the top story in this collection in both the storyline and the way it is put together. This one gets a bit extreme at times, with a few cringeworthy moments. But It’s strong overall. Phenomenally written.
Finally we have Jo Quenell with "Threnody." This one is a bit hard to get a full handle on. It’s the shortest story in the collection, but I really think it has the most potential of the stories. I mean that in a way that I can definitely see this one being expanded a lot, expanded into a novelette or maybe even a Novella. I think this one has the makings to be a stand alone novella by itself. I just got a sense the whole time reading it there was so much more to it. I felt like we were missing a major part that would make it all make more sense. There are 2 parts in it I wish we knew the backstory of.
Overall, I've become a fan of Weird Punk Books. They seem to want to take chances and attempt entertainment with various topics, making the stories interesting and involved.
Which one is it? What makes something Beautiful to one person but Grotesque to another?
This is an Anthology of 5 writers, Roland Blackburn, Jo Quenell, Katy Michelle Quinn, Joanna Koch and Sam Richard. This is my first experience with Roland Blackburn and Katy Michelle Quinn, hopefully it won’t be my last, because their 2 stories stuck out the most with me in this collection. We will get into those here shortly.
The idea behind this anthology is based on an Untitled 1968 illustration by Polish artist Zdzislaw Beksinski, and Sam Richard decided to give some homework to his group of writers that basically make up the current foundation of Weird Punk Books right now. Their task was to come up with something that sort of represents the picture, the way they interpret it. And this is what we get within Beautiful/Grotesque.
These are all written beautifully in that Grotesque kind of way. Some written in an abstract sort of way, allowing you to interpret how you wish.
Let’s start off with Roland Blackburn: "God of the Silvered Halls." This is a tale of a Coroner who may, or may not have found the secret ingredient to look younger again. It’s like Benjamin Button. It shows a bit of the 7 deadly sins, where the main character just wants to look and feel younger again, and the extreme measures she goes through to do so jeopardizes not only her career, but her life. Roland Blackburn has a nice descriptive narrative allowing you to really feel the coldness of the shiny metals and see the colors of the world. You feel for the main character because she follows through with something I think a lot of people would if given the chance.
Joanna Koch: "Swanmord." This one is very abstract to me, unfortunately almost to the point where I can’t truly follow what’s happening. On one hand it’s a nice artsy story, almost written poetically but on the other hand I feel like there is something missing that is preventing me from really understanding what is happening. And that could very well just be me. I’m not really sure.
Sam Richard: "The Fruit of a Barren Tree." This is solidly written from the point of view of someone who is grieving the loss of a loved one, and they don’t seem like they want to move on, but a discovery makes them think maybe they don’t need to. This one is written very intimately and emotionally.
Katy Michelle Quinn: "The Queen of the Select." This one I feel is the top story in this collection in both the storyline and the way it is put together. This one gets a bit extreme at times, with a few cringeworthy moments. But It’s strong overall. Phenomenally written.
Finally we have Jo Quenell with "Threnody." This one is a bit hard to get a full handle on. It’s the shortest story in the collection, but I really think it has the most potential of the stories. I mean that in a way that I can definitely see this one being expanded a lot, expanded into a novelette or maybe even a Novella. I think this one has the makings to be a stand alone novella by itself. I just got a sense the whole time reading it there was so much more to it. I felt like we were missing a major part that would make it all make more sense. There are 2 parts in it I wish we knew the backstory of.
Overall, I've become a fan of Weird Punk Books. They seem to want to take chances and attempt entertainment with various topics, making the stories interesting and involved.
April 22, 2022
The last story was beautifully done. My favorite. The others did not disappoint either. An eclectic mix of interpretation and artistry, building a well rounded anthology by multiple authors. This would receive a 3.5 if possible, due to personal tastes vs critiques.
January 20, 2022
It isn’t really possible for me to rate the book without breaking down each individual story. I haven’t read many books with multiple stories within, so I feel like I need to rate each story to come up with a rating overall. The first and last story were so solid for me, but the three in the middle definitely fell short for me.
God of the Silvered Halls - 4/5 - Such a creepy story, but a similar concept to something I’ve seen done before. The last two pages were BRUTAL. The ending was very expected, but still so full of gore.
Threnody - 3/5 - Started off strong, both suspenseful and heart breaking, but very quickly went a weird direction and didn’t really go anywhere after that. It went off in a random direction with hints towards a deeper back story but no back story was given to back it up.
The Queen of the Select - 1/5 - I don’t know wtf I just read. Like I really don’t have much more to say. After reading the author’s note for this one I understand the point so much more. The message was strong (and very important), but the execution was just not it for me.
Swanmord - 1/5 - Again I don’t know what I just read because this time I literally couldn’t understand it. So wordy and just so confusing. I mean I was so so confused. I feel like I can’t even give it a proper rating because I don’t understand what happened.
The Fruit of a Barren Tree - 4/5 - This one was heart breaking. Such an interesting concept, and something I have never seen before. Definitely unique!
God of the Silvered Halls - 4/5 - Such a creepy story, but a similar concept to something I’ve seen done before. The last two pages were BRUTAL. The ending was very expected, but still so full of gore.
Threnody - 3/5 - Started off strong, both suspenseful and heart breaking, but very quickly went a weird direction and didn’t really go anywhere after that. It went off in a random direction with hints towards a deeper back story but no back story was given to back it up.
The Queen of the Select - 1/5 - I don’t know wtf I just read. Like I really don’t have much more to say. After reading the author’s note for this one I understand the point so much more. The message was strong (and very important), but the execution was just not it for me.
Swanmord - 1/5 - Again I don’t know what I just read because this time I literally couldn’t understand it. So wordy and just so confusing. I mean I was so so confused. I feel like I can’t even give it a proper rating because I don’t understand what happened.
The Fruit of a Barren Tree - 4/5 - This one was heart breaking. Such an interesting concept, and something I have never seen before. Definitely unique!
December 3, 2022
I would say the big highlight of this collection is The God of Silvered Halls, Threnody and Fruit of a Barren Tree.
These 3 stories pack a good dose of horror, grief and creative writing and make up for the other stories that, in my opinion are not very well thought.
I'm sure there's a good story hidden somewhere beneath the weird prose and strange gothic scenery of The Queen Of The Select, however, I find the trope of secret societies of rich people gathering to perform dark ambiguous rituals very tiring, it doesn't help that the rest of the story is aimless and lacks a proper ending.
I don't have words for "Swanmord". I don't know what I read. It seems like random drabbles of an idea scattered together with the hopes of the reader to pick them up and make a story up in their heads. Nothing makes me more angry than when an author does a story without a clear direction and makes the reader feel stupid for not understanding it. After re-reading it a couple times I can safely say is a hollow fever dream of beautiful prose and no real purpose. Its presence really taints the rest of the stories in this collection.
These 3 stories pack a good dose of horror, grief and creative writing and make up for the other stories that, in my opinion are not very well thought.
I'm sure there's a good story hidden somewhere beneath the weird prose and strange gothic scenery of The Queen Of The Select, however, I find the trope of secret societies of rich people gathering to perform dark ambiguous rituals very tiring, it doesn't help that the rest of the story is aimless and lacks a proper ending.
I don't have words for "Swanmord". I don't know what I read. It seems like random drabbles of an idea scattered together with the hopes of the reader to pick them up and make a story up in their heads. Nothing makes me more angry than when an author does a story without a clear direction and makes the reader feel stupid for not understanding it. After re-reading it a couple times I can safely say is a hollow fever dream of beautiful prose and no real purpose. Its presence really taints the rest of the stories in this collection.
April 11, 2024
Various (Editor: Richard, Sam) - Beautiful / Grotesque
Mixed assemblage of the body poetic.
Roland Blackburn’s “God Of The Silvered Hall” occurs in the loveliest of settings, the coroner’s morgue. The torso was a shredded ruination, yet Patience spied the small tattoo that appeared to be - really - a recipe.
“Threnody” by Jo Quenell is a song of guilt by Lydia, who understands she is not responsible – this time.
“The Queen Of The Select” showcases the tourists, timid degenerates, venturing into the deep end of depravity, ignorant of the restless pit dwellers.
"Swanmord" gave me a headache. Enough.
Editor Richard’s own tale, "The Fruit Of A Barren Tree", is an excursion into the grief that never fades, does not ebb, yet when watered, flourishes.
Mixed assemblage of the body poetic.
Roland Blackburn’s “God Of The Silvered Hall” occurs in the loveliest of settings, the coroner’s morgue. The torso was a shredded ruination, yet Patience spied the small tattoo that appeared to be - really - a recipe.
“Threnody” by Jo Quenell is a song of guilt by Lydia, who understands she is not responsible – this time.
“The Queen Of The Select” showcases the tourists, timid degenerates, venturing into the deep end of depravity, ignorant of the restless pit dwellers.
"Swanmord" gave me a headache. Enough.
Editor Richard’s own tale, "The Fruit Of A Barren Tree", is an excursion into the grief that never fades, does not ebb, yet when watered, flourishes.
January 9, 2024
All of these stories are strikingly unique, both in general and in that they are distinct from each other. The first story, "God of the Silvered Halls," almost turned me off to the whole collection -- it's male gaze heavy to the point that I hope it's satire. But the others are captivating, haunting, and graphic. "The Queen of the Select," as some other readers have noted, is particularly explicit. I'm very impressed when a story can make me feel horrified and sick, and that one certainly did. My favorites were "Swanmord" and "The Fruit of a Barren Tree." Buy this if you're into body horror and the grotesque, and support this small publisher.
May 20, 2022
While I really liked the first and last story in this anthology, I found the three stories in the middle to be somewhat lacking, and the third story (The Queen of the Select) was too much. I understand the authors intentions with the piece and it was very well written, it was just too graphic for me. Though I enjoy horror fiction, I personally have a hard time reading descriptions of drugging and SA.
February 22, 2023
All of the stories went places I was not expecting and most of the stories are not for the faint of heart. It is incredible that all the authors had the same prompts and yet the stories are vastly different. All are beautifully written. Not all were to my tastes, but I am still interested in seeking out more by these authors. If you go in with an open mind, I don’t think you will be disappointed.
June 26, 2021
I loved God of the Silvered Halls, The Queen of the Select & it’s take on trans embodiment and especially The Fruit of a Barren Tree, I did find Swanmord difficult to get to grips with and follow as a story but I still think that it has great moments of descriptive horror
March 15, 2024
DNF, I read the first and second stories and only favored the first story. The second story was bland and didn't have anything special about it. The beginning of the third story had transphobia that was not preempted and I will immediately stop reading things like that.
May 24, 2021
I enjoyed reading all the stories. I highly recommend.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews