What do you think?
Rate this book
Bizarro Starter Kit
The Bizarro Starter Kit
There's a new genre rising from the underground. Its name: BIZARRO. For years, readers have been asking for a category of fiction dedicated to the weird, crazy, cult side of storytelling that has become a staple in the film industry (with directors such as David Lynch, Takashi Miike, Tim Burton, and Lloyd Kaufman) but has been largely ignored in the literary world, until now. The Bizarro Starter Kit features short novels and story collections by ten of the leading authors in the bizarro genre: D. Harlan Wilson, Carlton Mellick III, Jeremy Robert Johnson, Kevin L Donihe, Gina Ranalli, Andre Duza, VIncent W. Sakowski, Steve Beard, John Edward Lawson, and Bruce Taylor.
236 pages, Paperback
First published April 18, 2006
32 people are currently reading
1312 people want to read
About the author
Carlton Mellick III
119 books2,168 followersCarlton Mellick III (July 2, 1977, Phoenix, Arizona) is an American author currently residing in Portland, Oregon. He calls his style of writing "avant-punk," and is currently one of the leading authors in the recent 'Bizarro' movement in underground literature[citation needed] with Steve Aylett, Chris Genoa and D. Harlan Wilson.
Mellick's work has been described as a combination of trashy schlock sci-fi/horror and postmodern literary art. His novels explore surreal versions of earth in contemporary society and imagined futures, commonly focusing on social absurdities and satire.
Carlton Mellick III started writing at the age of ten and completed twelve novels by the age of eighteen. Only one of these early novels, "Electric Jesus Corpse", ever made it to print.
He is best known for his first novel Satan Burger and its sequel Punk Land. Satan Burger was translated into Russian and published by Ultra Culture in 2005. It was part of a four book series called Brave New World, which also featured Virtual Light by William Gibson, City Come A Walkin by John Shirley, and Tea from an Empty Cup by Pat Cadigan.
In the late 90's, he formed a collective for offbeat authors which included D. Harlan Wilson, Kevin L. Donihe, Vincent Sakowski, among others, and the publishing company Eraserhead Press. This scene evolved into the Bizarro fiction movement in 2005.
In addition to writing, Mellick is an artist and musician.
Mellick's work has been described as a combination of trashy schlock sci-fi/horror and postmodern literary art. His novels explore surreal versions of earth in contemporary society and imagined futures, commonly focusing on social absurdities and satire.
Carlton Mellick III started writing at the age of ten and completed twelve novels by the age of eighteen. Only one of these early novels, "Electric Jesus Corpse", ever made it to print.
He is best known for his first novel Satan Burger and its sequel Punk Land. Satan Burger was translated into Russian and published by Ultra Culture in 2005. It was part of a four book series called Brave New World, which also featured Virtual Light by William Gibson, City Come A Walkin by John Shirley, and Tea from an Empty Cup by Pat Cadigan.
In the late 90's, he formed a collective for offbeat authors which included D. Harlan Wilson, Kevin L. Donihe, Vincent Sakowski, among others, and the publishing company Eraserhead Press. This scene evolved into the Bizarro fiction movement in 2005.
In addition to writing, Mellick is an artist and musician.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
May 25, 2011
The Bizarro Starter Kits are designed to introduce people to the Bizarro genre. I, on the other hand, bought it so I could read The Baby Jesus Butt Plug in public without people harassing me. Here are some of the wonders contained within the Bizarro Starter Kit (Orange):
The collection starts with a collection of D. Harlan Wilson short stories. Cops & Bodybuilders was my favorite. What would you do if a bodybuilder showed up in your living room and started posing and wouldn't leave?
The Baby Jesus Butt Plug by Carlton Mellick III In a bizarre future, babies are kept as pets and baby jesuses are the most popular, though some people use them for nefarious sexual purposes. Mary and her husband are such a couple until their baby jesus has ideas of its own...
Yeah, this was pretty damn bizarre. Ever have your significant other ask you what you're laughing about and not daring to tell him or her? There's a lot of that in this one.
Extinction Journals by Jeremy Robert Johnson After a nuclear exchange, Dean wanders the ruins of the US in his suit made of cockroaches. Will he find any other survivors?
Aside from mentioning how disgusting/awesome the suit made out of cockroaches was, I can't say much else about this one without spoiling the plot. "Great post apocalypic tale with the added bonus of prominently featuring suit-forming symbiotic insects" is about the only thing I have to add.
The Greatest Fucking Moment in Sports by Kevin Donihe: Oscar Legba, insect enthusiast and America's big hope in the Tour de Saucisse-Dommages bicycle race, suffers the death of his coach the night before the big day. Can Legba prevail?
The Greatest Fucking Moment in Sports nicely illustrates the exaggerated importance America puts on sports and is hilarious.
The collection also includes several other novellas and short stories. All things considered, it's a good Bizarro collection but I preferred Bizarro Starter Kit (Purple).
The collection starts with a collection of D. Harlan Wilson short stories. Cops & Bodybuilders was my favorite. What would you do if a bodybuilder showed up in your living room and started posing and wouldn't leave?
The Baby Jesus Butt Plug by Carlton Mellick III In a bizarre future, babies are kept as pets and baby jesuses are the most popular, though some people use them for nefarious sexual purposes. Mary and her husband are such a couple until their baby jesus has ideas of its own...
Yeah, this was pretty damn bizarre. Ever have your significant other ask you what you're laughing about and not daring to tell him or her? There's a lot of that in this one.
Extinction Journals by Jeremy Robert Johnson After a nuclear exchange, Dean wanders the ruins of the US in his suit made of cockroaches. Will he find any other survivors?
Aside from mentioning how disgusting/awesome the suit made out of cockroaches was, I can't say much else about this one without spoiling the plot. "Great post apocalypic tale with the added bonus of prominently featuring suit-forming symbiotic insects" is about the only thing I have to add.
The Greatest Fucking Moment in Sports by Kevin Donihe: Oscar Legba, insect enthusiast and America's big hope in the Tour de Saucisse-Dommages bicycle race, suffers the death of his coach the night before the big day. Can Legba prevail?
The Greatest Fucking Moment in Sports nicely illustrates the exaggerated importance America puts on sports and is hilarious.
The collection also includes several other novellas and short stories. All things considered, it's a good Bizarro collection but I preferred Bizarro Starter Kit (Purple).
March 11, 2012
The First (?) of the Bizarro Starter Kits. In it we have some fantastic pieces, some gross pieces, some pretty horrific scenes, and - unfortunately - some pretty boring pieces. As an introduction to the genre, I'm not sure it works as well as it could. Yes, it does give a nice sense of the range of material that can be written and the styles that they are written in - not everything is humorous, in fact, most of the stories are not - but I would hope they would have chosen the best those subgenres have to offer. If they did ... then the anthology works great for giving a sense of the types of Bizarro that I enjoy and the types I don't (and would do the same for YOU!). If not, then the anthology shortchanged itself and that's a shame.
Overall, I found a few authors that I want to read more of and a few that I wish I could have read less of. It was nice to see the range of Bizarro in a way that the NBAS (still only read the seven New Bizarro Author Series books from 2011) didn't quite do. Plus, it's like $10. A true deal if any of the below are up your alley.
[Below are the mini-reviews I wrote for each section while reading it. Note that I used this anthology to read inbetween finishing other books, so the mindset I was in for reading section 1 is very different than the mindset I was in for reading section 10.]
Section 1: D. Harlan Wilson's short stories.
6 short stories open the volume. Each of them have their own twisted sense of humor (although, that is probably to be expected in a volume that calls itself Bizarro) that I loved and bought into quickly. Given my profession (teacher) I found the attack on Academia ("Classroom Dynamics") to be very funny and one of the more enjoyable pieces. Then again, "Hairware Inc." also hit close to home; facial hair is something I think about quite a bit. All in all, this is a nice intro to the types of thinking and humor prevalent in the Bizarro category (if the NBAS series is any indication, that is). I look forward to seeing if there is non-comedy Bizarro, but something about the genre demands that the author lampoons just how over-the-top they go.
Section 2: The Baby Jesus Butt Plug by Carlton Mellick III.
Novella that starts off incredibly blasphemous and contains some of the strangest phrasing (our main character rips ON a shirt?) I've ever read. I just don't know what to do about this one. I mean, really? This may be too out there for me.
Section 3: Extinction Journals by Jeremy Robert Johnson.
Ahh, finally a bizarro story that doesn't rely on humor to get its point across. Although this does fall into most of the post-apocalyptic cliches that I've found through that sub-genre (and doesn't do as good a job explaining them as in other books), I still found the novel enjoyable. I left disappointed at the end ... the climax was too fast, resolution too quick and epilogue too vague (and too different from the rest of the novel) to really sate what I had been longing for. As a primer on what bizarro can do, though, I see why this was included in this starter kit.
Section 4: The Greatest F'in Moment in Sports by Kevin L. Donihe.
Not since The Triplets of Bellville has bicycle racing been made as exciting and fun! In many ways, this is a tame bizarro story, but don't worry, the bizarro is still there. After all the communing with dead bugs and people and harnessing the powers of the walrus, there's still more little twists and turns that push this over the edge. I have to say, though, the Ninja subplot was distracting and not fully fleshed out. The rest of it, though, reads like Battle Royale meets Death Race 2000 on the Tour de France ... and really, can you get much better than that?
Section 5: Suicide Girls in the Afterlife by Gina Ranalli.
This is a exploration type story. That is, put some character in a new place and have them explore until Ta-Da! the great reveal! You know, like Ringworld or Damned ... only this one has even less story. Even the exploration piece is a little weak. I mean, there are many rooms and floors left unexplored and unexplained. All we see of the bottom floor is a man who is forced to fornicate with dead babies and Lucifer "Lucy's" room. I think this could have been a lot more interesting if the author had stopped trying to offend and started telling a story beyond "discover where you are."
Section 6: Don't F(beep)K With The Coloureds by Andre Duza.
Darker and less forgiving. Intriguing that, halfway through this collection, they throw in something so unforgiving and punishing
(style of bizarro: Brutality Chronic). In essence we are looking at a glimpse into the world where "cartoons" (who prefer the term Coloureds) are real beings that have been invading our consciousness for years. Only these babies make the weasels in Who Framed Roger Rabbit look like the gentlest beings in the world. I don't feel that the story was completely ended or started for that matter. Too much going on, not enough of a cohesion between all the different pieces. Could have been real neat.
Am I just getting really picky here, or are the "story" aspect of these pieces not included? Are these horribly edited to fit into the edition?
Section 7: 3 Stories by Vincent W. Sarkowski.
We take a quick break from the novels and return to the short stories. At least, two stories and then a novella of sorts. The stories are little scenes more than stories. Yet, in the Short Story format (or even flash fiction, though these may be a bit too long for that), that is ok. The Bizarro-style explored here is slightly more graphic and less pleasant. Any humor is so dark as to become obscured. The novella, "It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Ragnarok," is a lot of fun in a very dark and angry sort of way. In many ways, that story seemed to hit the core of what this Starter Kit has been about: these are stories about common people in very uncommon situations and they are just as nasty and brutish as people in common situations can be. That is, All happy families are happy for the same reasons, but there are even more reasons for families to be unhappy in the Bizarro universe. Yeah, this was a nice section and revives my hope for the genre and this starter kit.
Section 8: Survivor's Dream by Steve Beard.
Dream logic galore in a strange setting where the blending of time and possibilities somehow makes it all work. Think Jacob's Ladder directed by David Lynch and you pretty much have this. I liked it. It set out to explore the dream scene and tell a story that may or may not be reality mixed with symbolism and worked. I think I shouldn't like this one nearly as much as I did. Something about it just kept me intrigued from start to finish. Cool!
Section 9: Truth in Ruins by John Edward Lawson.
If finding the horrific is your thing, then this is for you. It's as if Lawson tried to craft sentences that were more grotesque and disturbing than the last throughout this entire novella. Unlike other novels included, this one felt too long, as if it actually needed some more editing down and could have been a much better, if not short story, at least shorter novella. The world that was created was interesting enough ... but it soon got so extra dark (and the problem with giving away who the murderer(s) are so early is that it gets boring waiting to see if anyone else figures it out) and surprisingly boring that I just didn't care anymore. I guess there is a level of over the top disgusting that is beyond where I am and this one pretty much excels at it.
Section 10: 4 Short Stories by Bruce Taylor.
What a refreshing way to finish! These are some really wonderful shorts that play around with an idea, explain just enough of it to make it clear, and then end the story. In each case, I was left feeling satisfied and yet, willing to have read another page or two of the strange worlds that he created (the last of the shorts, "City Streets," is a complete story though and I think he ended it at just the right moment). It's unclear whether the stories are true Magic Realism (well, except for "City Streets") or facsimiles of MR when thrown through the Bizarro blender. Whatever they are, they were fantastic.
Overall, I found a few authors that I want to read more of and a few that I wish I could have read less of. It was nice to see the range of Bizarro in a way that the NBAS (still only read the seven New Bizarro Author Series books from 2011) didn't quite do. Plus, it's like $10. A true deal if any of the below are up your alley.
[Below are the mini-reviews I wrote for each section while reading it. Note that I used this anthology to read inbetween finishing other books, so the mindset I was in for reading section 1 is very different than the mindset I was in for reading section 10.]
Section 1: D. Harlan Wilson's short stories.
6 short stories open the volume. Each of them have their own twisted sense of humor (although, that is probably to be expected in a volume that calls itself Bizarro) that I loved and bought into quickly. Given my profession (teacher) I found the attack on Academia ("Classroom Dynamics") to be very funny and one of the more enjoyable pieces. Then again, "Hairware Inc." also hit close to home; facial hair is something I think about quite a bit. All in all, this is a nice intro to the types of thinking and humor prevalent in the Bizarro category (if the NBAS series is any indication, that is). I look forward to seeing if there is non-comedy Bizarro, but something about the genre demands that the author lampoons just how over-the-top they go.
Section 2: The Baby Jesus Butt Plug by Carlton Mellick III.
Novella that starts off incredibly blasphemous and contains some of the strangest phrasing (our main character rips ON a shirt?) I've ever read. I just don't know what to do about this one. I mean, really? This may be too out there for me.
Section 3: Extinction Journals by Jeremy Robert Johnson.
Ahh, finally a bizarro story that doesn't rely on humor to get its point across. Although this does fall into most of the post-apocalyptic cliches that I've found through that sub-genre (and doesn't do as good a job explaining them as in other books), I still found the novel enjoyable. I left disappointed at the end ... the climax was too fast, resolution too quick and epilogue too vague (and too different from the rest of the novel) to really sate what I had been longing for. As a primer on what bizarro can do, though, I see why this was included in this starter kit.
Section 4: The Greatest F'in Moment in Sports by Kevin L. Donihe.
Not since The Triplets of Bellville has bicycle racing been made as exciting and fun! In many ways, this is a tame bizarro story, but don't worry, the bizarro is still there. After all the communing with dead bugs and people and harnessing the powers of the walrus, there's still more little twists and turns that push this over the edge. I have to say, though, the Ninja subplot was distracting and not fully fleshed out. The rest of it, though, reads like Battle Royale meets Death Race 2000 on the Tour de France ... and really, can you get much better than that?
Section 5: Suicide Girls in the Afterlife by Gina Ranalli.
This is a exploration type story. That is, put some character in a new place and have them explore until Ta-Da! the great reveal! You know, like Ringworld or Damned ... only this one has even less story. Even the exploration piece is a little weak. I mean, there are many rooms and floors left unexplored and unexplained. All we see of the bottom floor is a man who is forced to fornicate with dead babies and Lucifer "Lucy's" room. I think this could have been a lot more interesting if the author had stopped trying to offend and started telling a story beyond "discover where you are."
Section 6: Don't F(beep)K With The Coloureds by Andre Duza.
Darker and less forgiving. Intriguing that, halfway through this collection, they throw in something so unforgiving and punishing
(style of bizarro: Brutality Chronic). In essence we are looking at a glimpse into the world where "cartoons" (who prefer the term Coloureds) are real beings that have been invading our consciousness for years. Only these babies make the weasels in Who Framed Roger Rabbit look like the gentlest beings in the world. I don't feel that the story was completely ended or started for that matter. Too much going on, not enough of a cohesion between all the different pieces. Could have been real neat.
Am I just getting really picky here, or are the "story" aspect of these pieces not included? Are these horribly edited to fit into the edition?
Section 7: 3 Stories by Vincent W. Sarkowski.
We take a quick break from the novels and return to the short stories. At least, two stories and then a novella of sorts. The stories are little scenes more than stories. Yet, in the Short Story format (or even flash fiction, though these may be a bit too long for that), that is ok. The Bizarro-style explored here is slightly more graphic and less pleasant. Any humor is so dark as to become obscured. The novella, "It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Ragnarok," is a lot of fun in a very dark and angry sort of way. In many ways, that story seemed to hit the core of what this Starter Kit has been about: these are stories about common people in very uncommon situations and they are just as nasty and brutish as people in common situations can be. That is, All happy families are happy for the same reasons, but there are even more reasons for families to be unhappy in the Bizarro universe. Yeah, this was a nice section and revives my hope for the genre and this starter kit.
Section 8: Survivor's Dream by Steve Beard.
Dream logic galore in a strange setting where the blending of time and possibilities somehow makes it all work. Think Jacob's Ladder directed by David Lynch and you pretty much have this. I liked it. It set out to explore the dream scene and tell a story that may or may not be reality mixed with symbolism and worked. I think I shouldn't like this one nearly as much as I did. Something about it just kept me intrigued from start to finish. Cool!
Section 9: Truth in Ruins by John Edward Lawson.
If finding the horrific is your thing, then this is for you. It's as if Lawson tried to craft sentences that were more grotesque and disturbing than the last throughout this entire novella. Unlike other novels included, this one felt too long, as if it actually needed some more editing down and could have been a much better, if not short story, at least shorter novella. The world that was created was interesting enough ... but it soon got so extra dark (and the problem with giving away who the murderer(s) are so early is that it gets boring waiting to see if anyone else figures it out) and surprisingly boring that I just didn't care anymore. I guess there is a level of over the top disgusting that is beyond where I am and this one pretty much excels at it.
Section 10: 4 Short Stories by Bruce Taylor.
What a refreshing way to finish! These are some really wonderful shorts that play around with an idea, explain just enough of it to make it clear, and then end the story. In each case, I was left feeling satisfied and yet, willing to have read another page or two of the strange worlds that he created (the last of the shorts, "City Streets," is a complete story though and I think he ended it at just the right moment). It's unclear whether the stories are true Magic Realism (well, except for "City Streets") or facsimiles of MR when thrown through the Bizarro blender. Whatever they are, they were fantastic.
August 6, 2021
Way better than the Bizarro Starter Kit (Blue) edition. The best authors are on display right out of the gate and its great story after great story. I've been going back through and buying books from each of the authors afterward because they impressed me so much.
November 5, 2010
You may not like bizarro. It may not be your cup of tea. I decided to read the two bizarro starter kits after having read a small dosage of it in a few other forms and wanted to be immersed in it, to really understand what it is all about. After reading both kits, I have decided that trying to extract a particular logic or style of writing from the various authors who participated in these books is a futile effort. Bizarro may not make sense on a traditional level of thinking, but I think the main thing is that it makes sense in whatever realm or universe the story that is created inhabits.
I have seen some bizarro that seems to be heavy with symbolism while other tales perhaps don't have any more depth than a lark the author decided to take off on, but some of it is quite beautiful and obscene at the same time. I probably haven't read enough of this style of writing to be an honest judge of it, and haven't read enough of what influences its authors, which is conveniently posted in the bio of each of them in both of the starter kits, but I know that I can go from enraptured to repulsed within the same tale with more frequency in bizarro than anywhere else. And I think that is a key element of this type of work-it is something that doesn't allow you to relax, or rest as you breeze through passages that are interconnected with regular, everyday logic. Instead, you are forced to remain vigilant, observant of every word, every phrase, because within may lie a totally different experience, a different exposure to something unique and strange.
I have seen some bizarro that seems to be heavy with symbolism while other tales perhaps don't have any more depth than a lark the author decided to take off on, but some of it is quite beautiful and obscene at the same time. I probably haven't read enough of this style of writing to be an honest judge of it, and haven't read enough of what influences its authors, which is conveniently posted in the bio of each of them in both of the starter kits, but I know that I can go from enraptured to repulsed within the same tale with more frequency in bizarro than anywhere else. And I think that is a key element of this type of work-it is something that doesn't allow you to relax, or rest as you breeze through passages that are interconnected with regular, everyday logic. Instead, you are forced to remain vigilant, observant of every word, every phrase, because within may lie a totally different experience, a different exposure to something unique and strange.
October 24, 2016
This is a terrific introduction to the wonderful Bizarro genre of fiction. It's worth checking out!
July 16, 2020
This is a good start if you are interested in Bizzaro fiction!
December 25, 2024
20 stories. Rated each one. Average 4.175 so it's a strong 4 stars which for an anthology is great!
I love bizarro. It's weird as fuck, is entertaining and can make you think. I should read it more often.
I love bizarro. It's weird as fuck, is entertaining and can make you think. I should read it more often.
October 16, 2011
I'm cagey about saying I like Bizarro since it's a genre which includes some writers I absolutely love and some I just can't get into at all - in roughly equal proportions. I have been following the scene for years though and it keeps on throwing up writers I like so I'm happy to take a chance on an anthology like this.
I'm not going to rate the short stories which make up this anothlogy individually - I'll just say nothing was really stand out for me, but there was nothing terrible, either. Some stories are zany and dumb, some are very dark and unsettling - a fair amount of mood-whiplash.
As an anthology, however it's a great way to experience a range of authors, I particularly like the way each contributor gets a page to introduce themselves before their stories. For me it contained some familiar names and some unfamiliar ones, which was exactly what I wanted. It's probably not the book I'd give to a friend who asked for an introduction to Bizzaro (I'm biased, I admit - I'd give them some Steve Aylett) but I'm glad I bought it and I'll be reading the Blue Bizarro Starter Kit next
I'm not going to rate the short stories which make up this anothlogy individually - I'll just say nothing was really stand out for me, but there was nothing terrible, either. Some stories are zany and dumb, some are very dark and unsettling - a fair amount of mood-whiplash.
As an anthology, however it's a great way to experience a range of authors, I particularly like the way each contributor gets a page to introduce themselves before their stories. For me it contained some familiar names and some unfamiliar ones, which was exactly what I wanted. It's probably not the book I'd give to a friend who asked for an introduction to Bizzaro (I'm biased, I admit - I'd give them some Steve Aylett) but I'm glad I bought it and I'll be reading the Blue Bizarro Starter Kit next
February 7, 2010
Finally... My introduction to Bizarro Fiction.
If you love weird, non-linear, unconventional fiction, if you like to really dig around in the world of literature and find the things that are really just intelligent and "out there", then this is probably a part of what should be your introduction to BIZARRO: A genre that showcases all of these things.
I'd say that most of the works contained in these pages were smart and very enjoyable, but my stand-out favorites were the story "Classroom Dynamics" by D. Harlan Wilson, "The Baby Jesus Butt Plug" by Carlton Mellick III (which reminded me very much of the films of David Lynch), "Extinction Journals" by Jeremy Robert Johnson, and "Suicide Girls in the Afterlife" by Gina Ranalli (which was probably my favorite in the volume and read like an abridged, Bizarro version of "The Divine Comedy").
This one is a must read for anyone interested in the Bizarro Movement or anyone who loves the weird, strange, and extraordinary.
If you love weird, non-linear, unconventional fiction, if you like to really dig around in the world of literature and find the things that are really just intelligent and "out there", then this is probably a part of what should be your introduction to BIZARRO: A genre that showcases all of these things.
I'd say that most of the works contained in these pages were smart and very enjoyable, but my stand-out favorites were the story "Classroom Dynamics" by D. Harlan Wilson, "The Baby Jesus Butt Plug" by Carlton Mellick III (which reminded me very much of the films of David Lynch), "Extinction Journals" by Jeremy Robert Johnson, and "Suicide Girls in the Afterlife" by Gina Ranalli (which was probably my favorite in the volume and read like an abridged, Bizarro version of "The Divine Comedy").
This one is a must read for anyone interested in the Bizarro Movement or anyone who loves the weird, strange, and extraordinary.
May 19, 2008
I really like this book. I think bizarro is the best thing to come out of the bookstores since splatterpunk. I recommend this to people who like weird fiction that is well-written and enjoyable to read. Every author has their own unique spin on the genre. Some write very bizarre horror fiction, others write absurd humor, others write irreal fantasy, but some of the best bizarro works combine all of these things. If you like weird fiction then you'll like this book. If you don't then there's no point in reading it.
May 5, 2009
There were some really interesting aspects of this book, a collection of a bunch of short novels and short stories, but in the end, I don't think bizarro is for me. I never actively "quit" reading this one, but just sort of wandered off and didn't come back. Perhaps the format of all these short, totally crazy stories just allowed me to do so. Nothing against the authors, it's just...well, it would be a lot more fun as performance art than as words on paper.
February 17, 2008
Strange, Intriguing, Annoying... An entire plethora of tales in this book. Most of them are worth reading, though if you're like me you have to read the entire book despite how bad it gets at times.
July 20, 2010
This is a great collection and I was delighted with the pieces I was familiar with just as much as the ones I wasn't.
July 13, 2011
Oh man, I wish all authors would write stories this bat-shit crazy.
November 16, 2010
I hoped The Bizarro Starter Kit would help me figure out if I'd like bizarro fiction, a genre self-defined by a loose collective of writers with a shared love of cult/trash cinema. It didn't. The Bizarro Starter Kit makes the case that there's too much going on for me to dismiss it, and too much going on for me to say that I "like" the genre as a whole. The starter kit includes stories and/or novellas by 10 writers, several of which, as far as I can tell, were previously published as stand-alone books.
A sextet of short stories by D. Harlan Wilson opens the collection. Wilson is big on present tense, and characters with attributes instead of names: "the man in the silver handlebar mustache", "the little boy", "a bodybuilder in a purple spandex G-string." He favors dream-like illogic over anything resembling coherent plot. His prose is often very concrete and mechanical: "[He] sniggered, then began moving his tongue around the insides of his mouth so that his cheeks poked out." Wilson claims Kafka as in influence to the extent that he titled a short story collection The Kafka Effect, but nothing drives these stories the way Kafka's paranoia and the tension between the individual and society/The State drove his. None of them really grabbed me.
Bizarro first came to my attention via the impressively lurid titles of Carlton Mellick III's novellas, here represented by The Baby Jesus Butt Plug. It's probably not a bad litmus test: the titular object is not a molded toy-in-the-shape-of, it's an actual clone of the Savior, and if this seems simply too offensive or too mechanically improbable, then Mellick is probably not for you. The shock-for-its-own-sake aspect leaves me cold, but beyond that the obvious metaphor of (ahem) internalizing belief systems and its consequences on a couple whose beliefs become disparate is explored with something approaching emotional resonance. Meanwhile the nightmarish milieu doesn't make sense to me, but it seems to make sense to Mellick's narrator; there's something approaching internal consistency. I might cautiously experiment further with Mellick.
I didn't enjoy Jeremy Robert Johnson's Extinction Journals while I was reading it, but its grotesque imagery has stayed with me more than anything else in the book. And I have to admit that while marrying the hoary last-man-and-woman-in-post-apocalyptic-wasteland cliché with the popular notion that cockroaches are the critters most likely to survive a nuclear holocaust struck me as a tad obvious (not to mention really gross), I had never read anything quite like it.
Kevin L. Donihe's The Greatest Fucking Moment in Sports was for me the anthology's first clear win. It has some weak spots -- the back and forth between a pair of news commentators seemed trite, but on the whole it was surprising and held my interest. I may have a soft spot for it in part because the "sport" is cycling (and not, as the title might have led you to expect, copulation).
Gina Rinalli's Suicide Girls in the Afterlife seemed a bit too familiar -- a bit of Neil Gaiman, a dash of Kelly Link, a dollop of Beetlejuice -- but if it's maybe too indebted to obvious sources, I like those sources. Promising.
Andre Duza's Don't F(beep) with the Coloureds goes in quite a different direction than its inflammatory title might suggest. It reminded me a lot of a 1988 film, only (naturally) darker, and grosser. I liked the story-in-story structure (although I would have liked to see it pushed a little further) and thought some of the expository chunks could have been more smoothly integrated, but give it a qualified thumbs up overall.
Vincent Sakowski offers up one two short-shorts, one of which feels a bit like a Robyn Hitchcock song rendered in prose, and one which is tired and vile, and the pretty nifty long short story "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Ragnarok." Its embittered modern couple, Vogue and GQ, have just enough depth to be more than tropes, and the intrusion of mythic elements offered a few interesting twists. The mood reminded me a bit of Leslie What's "The Goddess is Alive, And, Well, Living in New York City," only (naturally) darker and grosser. I may seek out more from Sakowski, although the story I really disliked leaves me somewhat distrustful.
I was a little annoyed by a persistent tic of Steve Beard's Survivor's Dream: it uses a boatload of definitive articles, maybe to evoke a childlike narrative voice: "She was hiding in this ship", "It had a domed roof held up by these thick white pillars," et cetera. It seemed excessive, but afterward it occurred to me that plenty of writers from the lit'ry side of the street play with not dissimilar tactics, e.g., Kathy Acker or even Vonnegut's "So it goes." (Of course I'm sometimes annoyed by those, too). Other than that, Beard manages a kind of impressive balancing act between multiple, contradictory narrative threads tied together by a pervasive mood and Beard's flat, unmusical prose. I would have liked it better if it had been shorter.
John Edward Lawson's Truth in Ruins is one of the most hyperbolic entries in the entire anthology. In Lawson's grim future humanity is divided into serial killers and profilers, with genetically engineered "Humanzees" poised to take over after humanity's failure. It's self-consciously, cartoonishly, uber-violent, and narrative chunks are jammed together in ways that emphasize their incongruities, like a movie made of nothing but jump cuts. I sort of liked it, although I had to skim over some stomach-turning bits.
Three of Bruce Taylor's short stories, "The Breath Amidst the Stones" and "A Little Spider Shop Talk," and "Of Tunafish and Galaxies" are perhaps the most conventional entries in the collection: weird, for sure, but coherent, reminiscent of Leiber and Lafferty. I liked them. I thought the last, "City Streets" was less successful.
A sextet of short stories by D. Harlan Wilson opens the collection. Wilson is big on present tense, and characters with attributes instead of names: "the man in the silver handlebar mustache", "the little boy", "a bodybuilder in a purple spandex G-string." He favors dream-like illogic over anything resembling coherent plot. His prose is often very concrete and mechanical: "[He] sniggered, then began moving his tongue around the insides of his mouth so that his cheeks poked out." Wilson claims Kafka as in influence to the extent that he titled a short story collection The Kafka Effect, but nothing drives these stories the way Kafka's paranoia and the tension between the individual and society/The State drove his. None of them really grabbed me.
Bizarro first came to my attention via the impressively lurid titles of Carlton Mellick III's novellas, here represented by The Baby Jesus Butt Plug. It's probably not a bad litmus test: the titular object is not a molded toy-in-the-shape-of, it's an actual clone of the Savior, and if this seems simply too offensive or too mechanically improbable, then Mellick is probably not for you. The shock-for-its-own-sake aspect leaves me cold, but beyond that the obvious metaphor of (ahem) internalizing belief systems and its consequences on a couple whose beliefs become disparate is explored with something approaching emotional resonance. Meanwhile the nightmarish milieu doesn't make sense to me, but it seems to make sense to Mellick's narrator; there's something approaching internal consistency. I might cautiously experiment further with Mellick.
I didn't enjoy Jeremy Robert Johnson's Extinction Journals while I was reading it, but its grotesque imagery has stayed with me more than anything else in the book. And I have to admit that while marrying the hoary last-man-and-woman-in-post-apocalyptic-wasteland cliché with the popular notion that cockroaches are the critters most likely to survive a nuclear holocaust struck me as a tad obvious (not to mention really gross), I had never read anything quite like it.
Kevin L. Donihe's The Greatest Fucking Moment in Sports was for me the anthology's first clear win. It has some weak spots -- the back and forth between a pair of news commentators seemed trite, but on the whole it was surprising and held my interest. I may have a soft spot for it in part because the "sport" is cycling (and not, as the title might have led you to expect, copulation).
Gina Rinalli's Suicide Girls in the Afterlife seemed a bit too familiar -- a bit of Neil Gaiman, a dash of Kelly Link, a dollop of Beetlejuice -- but if it's maybe too indebted to obvious sources, I like those sources. Promising.
Andre Duza's Don't F(beep) with the Coloureds goes in quite a different direction than its inflammatory title might suggest. It reminded me a lot of a 1988 film, only (naturally) darker, and grosser. I liked the story-in-story structure (although I would have liked to see it pushed a little further) and thought some of the expository chunks could have been more smoothly integrated, but give it a qualified thumbs up overall.
Vincent Sakowski offers up one two short-shorts, one of which feels a bit like a Robyn Hitchcock song rendered in prose, and one which is tired and vile, and the pretty nifty long short story "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Ragnarok." Its embittered modern couple, Vogue and GQ, have just enough depth to be more than tropes, and the intrusion of mythic elements offered a few interesting twists. The mood reminded me a bit of Leslie What's "The Goddess is Alive, And, Well, Living in New York City," only (naturally) darker and grosser. I may seek out more from Sakowski, although the story I really disliked leaves me somewhat distrustful.
I was a little annoyed by a persistent tic of Steve Beard's Survivor's Dream: it uses a boatload of definitive articles, maybe to evoke a childlike narrative voice: "She was hiding in this ship", "It had a domed roof held up by these thick white pillars," et cetera. It seemed excessive, but afterward it occurred to me that plenty of writers from the lit'ry side of the street play with not dissimilar tactics, e.g., Kathy Acker or even Vonnegut's "So it goes." (Of course I'm sometimes annoyed by those, too). Other than that, Beard manages a kind of impressive balancing act between multiple, contradictory narrative threads tied together by a pervasive mood and Beard's flat, unmusical prose. I would have liked it better if it had been shorter.
John Edward Lawson's Truth in Ruins is one of the most hyperbolic entries in the entire anthology. In Lawson's grim future humanity is divided into serial killers and profilers, with genetically engineered "Humanzees" poised to take over after humanity's failure. It's self-consciously, cartoonishly, uber-violent, and narrative chunks are jammed together in ways that emphasize their incongruities, like a movie made of nothing but jump cuts. I sort of liked it, although I had to skim over some stomach-turning bits.
Three of Bruce Taylor's short stories, "The Breath Amidst the Stones" and "A Little Spider Shop Talk," and "Of Tunafish and Galaxies" are perhaps the most conventional entries in the collection: weird, for sure, but coherent, reminiscent of Leiber and Lafferty. I liked them. I thought the last, "City Streets" was less successful.
June 6, 2020
Hit or miss, like a lot of anthologies. With a genre like Bizarro, it’s can be hard, at first, to distinguish good writers from hacks. Good and bad writing, good and bad stories, god and bad characters.
That said, it rated lower because of logistics: there was no mention of where and what the pieces came from. Was ‘Baby Jesus Buttplug’ the beginning/middle/end/nothing of the book of the same name? Were the smaller stories parts of a group, stand-alone pieces, one-offs, or throwaways? Who knows. Perhaps that ties into and feeds off of the whole Bizarro schtick.
Or not.
That said, it rated lower because of logistics: there was no mention of where and what the pieces came from. Was ‘Baby Jesus Buttplug’ the beginning/middle/end/nothing of the book of the same name? Were the smaller stories parts of a group, stand-alone pieces, one-offs, or throwaways? Who knows. Perhaps that ties into and feeds off of the whole Bizarro schtick.
Or not.
December 10, 2022
I'm so happy the bizarro genre exists and that literature this weird, edgy, and unhinged is able to be published. However, I think I've decided that, while I enjoy weird and edgy, it's just not the genre for me. While there were a few gems in here - 'Extinction Journals' by Jeremy Robert Johnson being my fave - I tended to get surprisingly bored with many of the stories and it feels as though bizarro might be a genre that's generally more fun to write than it is to read. In any case, for anyone curious about it and wanting to get a decent taster, you can't really go wrong with this.
February 5, 2023
The book that got me started on the road to bizarro (slipstream) fiction.
November 4, 2021
Wonderfule love it 😊😊😊😊😊😊
March 8, 2012
Bizarro publishers combine forces to produce several starter kits. This kit (Orange) consists of work from the first wave (if such a term can be used for a genre that’s less than a decade old) of Bizarro authors.
D. Harlan Wilson – The collection starts with six short stories from Wilson. The first is a dark tale, while the rest reside on the light-hearted side. My favorite (being a professor) was “Classroom Dynamics,” in which Dr. Beebody is told to stop hugging his students. So he starts carrying weapons to class. Hilarity (or the Bizarro equivalent) ensues.
Carleton Mellick III – Based on the title of this novella, one might think that “The Baby Jesus Butt Plug” is about a baby Jesus being used as a sex toy. In fact, the story is about, well, actually, yeah, that’s what the story is about. Although the title makes the story sound like a cheap attempt at being edgy, Mellick does have some interesting social commentary floating in this story.
Jeremy Robert Johnson – “Extinction Journals” is a post-apocalyptic tale about a man who survives nuclear war (and eventually finds love) by wearing a suit made of cockroaches.
Kevin L. Donihe – Imagine a bicycle race in which one of the riders is the Black Knight. This is Donihe’s “The Greatest Fucking Moment in Sports.” (And when I say the black knight, I mean the one from Monty Python’s Holy Grail.)
Gina Ranalli – Ranalli’s “Suicide Girls in the Afterlife” is probably the most normal tale in this collection. (Is that an insult for a bizarro writer?) It’s a fun tale of one Pogue Eldridge’s first few hours after dying.
Andre Duza – “Don’t F(beep)k With the Coloureds” tells the true story about animated characters in exactly the way that Who Framed Roger Rabbit didn’t.
Vincent W. Sakowski – Sakowski’s contribution is two short stories (“The Screaming of the Fish” and “Peel and Eat Buffet,” which can be found online) and the novella “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Ragnarok.” In the novella, a married couple are given the chance to survive Armageddon, as long as they don’t kill each other—and even if they do.
Steve Beard – “Survivor’s Dream” is a (challenging) tale of Dead Girl’s near-death experience.
John Edward Lawson – “Truth in Ruins” is another post-apocalyptic tale; this one involving much more disturbing characters than Johnson’s “Extinction Journals.”
Bruce Taylor – Several short stories from Taylor finish off this collection: “The Breath Amidst the Stones,” “A Little Spider Shop Talk,” “Of Tunafish and Galaxies,” and “City Streets.” The stories involve talking walls, spiders, and stoves; in other words, typical Bizarro.
If you want to get a good feel for the world of Bizarro literature, this is a good place to start.
D. Harlan Wilson – The collection starts with six short stories from Wilson. The first is a dark tale, while the rest reside on the light-hearted side. My favorite (being a professor) was “Classroom Dynamics,” in which Dr. Beebody is told to stop hugging his students. So he starts carrying weapons to class. Hilarity (or the Bizarro equivalent) ensues.
Carleton Mellick III – Based on the title of this novella, one might think that “The Baby Jesus Butt Plug” is about a baby Jesus being used as a sex toy. In fact, the story is about, well, actually, yeah, that’s what the story is about. Although the title makes the story sound like a cheap attempt at being edgy, Mellick does have some interesting social commentary floating in this story.
Jeremy Robert Johnson – “Extinction Journals” is a post-apocalyptic tale about a man who survives nuclear war (and eventually finds love) by wearing a suit made of cockroaches.
Kevin L. Donihe – Imagine a bicycle race in which one of the riders is the Black Knight. This is Donihe’s “The Greatest Fucking Moment in Sports.” (And when I say the black knight, I mean the one from Monty Python’s Holy Grail.)
Gina Ranalli – Ranalli’s “Suicide Girls in the Afterlife” is probably the most normal tale in this collection. (Is that an insult for a bizarro writer?) It’s a fun tale of one Pogue Eldridge’s first few hours after dying.
Andre Duza – “Don’t F(beep)k With the Coloureds” tells the true story about animated characters in exactly the way that Who Framed Roger Rabbit didn’t.
Vincent W. Sakowski – Sakowski’s contribution is two short stories (“The Screaming of the Fish” and “Peel and Eat Buffet,” which can be found online) and the novella “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Ragnarok.” In the novella, a married couple are given the chance to survive Armageddon, as long as they don’t kill each other—and even if they do.
Steve Beard – “Survivor’s Dream” is a (challenging) tale of Dead Girl’s near-death experience.
John Edward Lawson – “Truth in Ruins” is another post-apocalyptic tale; this one involving much more disturbing characters than Johnson’s “Extinction Journals.”
Bruce Taylor – Several short stories from Taylor finish off this collection: “The Breath Amidst the Stones,” “A Little Spider Shop Talk,” “Of Tunafish and Galaxies,” and “City Streets.” The stories involve talking walls, spiders, and stoves; in other words, typical Bizarro.
If you want to get a good feel for the world of Bizarro literature, this is a good place to start.
September 4, 2024
When I was 16 years old, I stumbled across this book in a bookshop that doesn't exist any more and was drawn to the fact that here were some people who seemed to be as weird as I was, trying to do something new and unique and launch a new genre upon a world that's already seen it all.
Fast forward 16 years later, when I found this book in the back of a cupboard while moving house. I recall the book with fondness from my teenage years, but I'm not sure if I ever read the entire thing and even if I did, I feel that the book deserves to be examined through my older, better educated and more critical eyes.
The verdict, now that I've read the whole thing, is that it's very hit or miss.
Some of it is absolutely brilliant - my favourite stories were Suicide Girls in the Afterlife, Survivor's Dream and rather surprisingly, The Baby Jesus Butt Plug.
Most of it is very, very funny and akin to having a friend wake up and tell you about the insane and amusing dream that they just had.
Unfortunately, some of it just didn't work for me. I was often reminded of William S. Burrough's Naked Lunch which I still consider to be one of the worst books I've ever read.
A lot of it is what in modern times I'd be inclined to refer to as 'low effort meme tier writing', which is trying to be shocking and bizarre but instead of being amusing and entertaining, it just elicits eyerolls.
All in all though, this was a positive experience. I love seeing people trying something new and reading experimental fiction - even if some of it misses the mark.
I'm torn between giving it 3 or 4 stars, but I'm leaning toward 4 stars because despite its flaws, I think that Bizarro as a concept and as a genre is something that should be encouraged and I'm very grateful that I was ever able to stumble across this strange mutant of literature.
Fast forward 16 years later, when I found this book in the back of a cupboard while moving house. I recall the book with fondness from my teenage years, but I'm not sure if I ever read the entire thing and even if I did, I feel that the book deserves to be examined through my older, better educated and more critical eyes.
The verdict, now that I've read the whole thing, is that it's very hit or miss.
Some of it is absolutely brilliant - my favourite stories were Suicide Girls in the Afterlife, Survivor's Dream and rather surprisingly, The Baby Jesus Butt Plug.
Most of it is very, very funny and akin to having a friend wake up and tell you about the insane and amusing dream that they just had.
Unfortunately, some of it just didn't work for me. I was often reminded of William S. Burrough's Naked Lunch which I still consider to be one of the worst books I've ever read.
A lot of it is what in modern times I'd be inclined to refer to as 'low effort meme tier writing', which is trying to be shocking and bizarre but instead of being amusing and entertaining, it just elicits eyerolls.
All in all though, this was a positive experience. I love seeing people trying something new and reading experimental fiction - even if some of it misses the mark.
I'm torn between giving it 3 or 4 stars, but I'm leaning toward 4 stars because despite its flaws, I think that Bizarro as a concept and as a genre is something that should be encouraged and I'm very grateful that I was ever able to stumble across this strange mutant of literature.
October 2, 2012
Bizarro is the genre of the weird. Inside the Bizarro Starter Kit (Orange), you will find a large sampling of the most entertaining, the strangest, quite possibly the most unique stories to ever see print. This book was my introduction to the genre, and it should be yours as well.
Featuring work by Carlton Mellick III, Gina Ranalli, Steve Beard, Andre Duza, Ray Fracalossy, John Edward Lawson, Vincent W. Sakowski, D. Harlan Wilson, Jeremy Robert Johnson, Kevin L. Donihe, and Bruce Taylor, the BSK (Orange) is a excellent value. No fewer than four novellas are included, along with selections from large works, and stories unique to this volume.
From Ragnarok, to mutually assured destruction, to a trip into the afterlife, the BSK (Orange) covers so many themes and plots it is near impossible to give them the treatment they deserve in such a short space of words. Suffice it to say that even if you don't like some of the stories, there will be at least one that sticks with you if not more.
The incredible part of this book is the price. All together, purchasing each of the books that most of these stories appear in could set you back at decent sum. Yet here it is less than fifteen dollars, sometimes less depending on the venue you choose to purchase it from.
Beyond the content value, the most important part is the amazing quality of the stories. They are much like cult films, lots of work and careful attention paid to create unique experiences that may not be extremely popular, but should be.
You can not go wrong with this one. If you find you like what the Bizarro Starter Kit (Orange) has to offer it is also the easiest way to share with your friends. All in all, an awesome tome by some of the best writers you've never heard of.
Featuring work by Carlton Mellick III, Gina Ranalli, Steve Beard, Andre Duza, Ray Fracalossy, John Edward Lawson, Vincent W. Sakowski, D. Harlan Wilson, Jeremy Robert Johnson, Kevin L. Donihe, and Bruce Taylor, the BSK (Orange) is a excellent value. No fewer than four novellas are included, along with selections from large works, and stories unique to this volume.
From Ragnarok, to mutually assured destruction, to a trip into the afterlife, the BSK (Orange) covers so many themes and plots it is near impossible to give them the treatment they deserve in such a short space of words. Suffice it to say that even if you don't like some of the stories, there will be at least one that sticks with you if not more.
The incredible part of this book is the price. All together, purchasing each of the books that most of these stories appear in could set you back at decent sum. Yet here it is less than fifteen dollars, sometimes less depending on the venue you choose to purchase it from.
Beyond the content value, the most important part is the amazing quality of the stories. They are much like cult films, lots of work and careful attention paid to create unique experiences that may not be extremely popular, but should be.
You can not go wrong with this one. If you find you like what the Bizarro Starter Kit (Orange) has to offer it is also the easiest way to share with your friends. All in all, an awesome tome by some of the best writers you've never heard of.
December 18, 2008
Most bizarre story: Steve Beard's Survivor's Dream
Most enjoyable:
D Harlan Wilson's short stories.
Carlton Mellick III's Baby Jesus Butt Plug (worth it for the title alone)
Kevin L. Donihe's Greatest Fucking Moment in Sports
Andre Duza's Don't F(beep)k with the Coulereds
Vincent W. Sakowski's short stories (particularly It's beginning to look a lot like Ragnarok)
Bruce Taylar's short stories
Honorable Mention:
Gina Ranalli's Suicide Girls in the Afterlife (I don't normally like stories involving the christian mythos, but this was worthwhile)
John Edward Lawson's Truth in Ruins
Least Favorite:
Jeremy Robert Johnson's Extinction Journals (This story just didn't do much for me.)
Over all, the publishers should have paid a little more attention to the editing and proofreading, but I don't hold that against them. Some of the stories had characters that were either unsympathetic or not fully fleshed out. But this was an enjoyable book, and I look forward to reading more Bizarro.
Most enjoyable:
D Harlan Wilson's short stories.
Carlton Mellick III's Baby Jesus Butt Plug (worth it for the title alone)
Kevin L. Donihe's Greatest Fucking Moment in Sports
Andre Duza's Don't F(beep)k with the Coulereds
Vincent W. Sakowski's short stories (particularly It's beginning to look a lot like Ragnarok)
Bruce Taylar's short stories
Honorable Mention:
Gina Ranalli's Suicide Girls in the Afterlife (I don't normally like stories involving the christian mythos, but this was worthwhile)
John Edward Lawson's Truth in Ruins
Least Favorite:
Jeremy Robert Johnson's Extinction Journals (This story just didn't do much for me.)
Over all, the publishers should have paid a little more attention to the editing and proofreading, but I don't hold that against them. Some of the stories had characters that were either unsympathetic or not fully fleshed out. But this was an enjoyable book, and I look forward to reading more Bizarro.
June 24, 2010
Wow…not only a fun romp through the absurd, but also a great introduction to a previously unknown (for me) genre.
So, imagine all of the great (and not-so-great) cult films influencing a generation of authors to do exactly what those movies did: shock, awe, and inspire a new way of looking at how you perceive a story.
Many of the authors in this collection admit to enjoying the visual works of David Lynch and the authorial extrapolations of Kafka.
I think while reading this collection, many readers may have to stop and realize that what is going on in these stories is just how their world works—it is beyond Magical Realism. This collection is a landscape that covers unexplored areas of the avant-garde.
The only reason I am not giving it 5 stars is simply because two of the stories I did not like all that much. One just seemed like a visceral version of Who Censored Roger Rabbit? In addition, the other story had no organization whatsoever.
I have the other collection (Blue) and I can hardly wait to start reading the many surprises it will have to offer.
So, imagine all of the great (and not-so-great) cult films influencing a generation of authors to do exactly what those movies did: shock, awe, and inspire a new way of looking at how you perceive a story.
Many of the authors in this collection admit to enjoying the visual works of David Lynch and the authorial extrapolations of Kafka.
I think while reading this collection, many readers may have to stop and realize that what is going on in these stories is just how their world works—it is beyond Magical Realism. This collection is a landscape that covers unexplored areas of the avant-garde.
The only reason I am not giving it 5 stars is simply because two of the stories I did not like all that much. One just seemed like a visceral version of Who Censored Roger Rabbit? In addition, the other story had no organization whatsoever.
I have the other collection (Blue) and I can hardly wait to start reading the many surprises it will have to offer.
April 29, 2008
Some of the authors in this anthology were recommended to me by someone I chatted about Chuck Palahniuk with at a bar.
I'm sorry but nearly all these stories flat-out sucked. I like to be shocked and titillated as much as the next guy (probably a lot more actually) but being 'controversial' and 'shocking' by attacking one of the easiest targets out there (religion, as in the abysmally stupid "Baby Jesus Buttplug") is just.. I dunno. Boring.
It's all downhill from there as the reader is treated to increasingly violent, inane, and weird for the sake of being weird bullshit. That's the best word I can use to describe almost every story in the book. It's bullshit. I have nothing against excessive violence, non-linear plot progression, or any of the other things heaped into every story in this book by the handful.
What does offend me is poor writing and a lack of respect for the reader and this book has that in spades. Skip it.
I'm sorry but nearly all these stories flat-out sucked. I like to be shocked and titillated as much as the next guy (probably a lot more actually) but being 'controversial' and 'shocking' by attacking one of the easiest targets out there (religion, as in the abysmally stupid "Baby Jesus Buttplug") is just.. I dunno. Boring.
It's all downhill from there as the reader is treated to increasingly violent, inane, and weird for the sake of being weird bullshit. That's the best word I can use to describe almost every story in the book. It's bullshit. I have nothing against excessive violence, non-linear plot progression, or any of the other things heaped into every story in this book by the handful.
What does offend me is poor writing and a lack of respect for the reader and this book has that in spades. Skip it.
December 17, 2008
This introduction to Bizarro fiction is intentionally eclectic, so it's hard to say one thing about all of the stories. Some grabbed me more than others. Some didn't grab me at all. Most of the stories were angry, mocking, sarcastic and so seemed morbidly funny, transgressive and sometimes a little forced. Some of the stories were beautiful, many were ugly, but powerful. Some were weak and forced and disgusting without much to redeem them. You'll probably disagree with me on which ones were which.
Like videotaping a birth, if you're not nauseas at some point you probably aren't paying attention, but if you look away you will miss something real.
I won't say this book isn't for the easily offended. This book is for people who will be surprised to find they can still be offended but will still appreciate the story regardless.
Like videotaping a birth, if you're not nauseas at some point you probably aren't paying attention, but if you look away you will miss something real.
I won't say this book isn't for the easily offended. This book is for people who will be surprised to find they can still be offended but will still appreciate the story regardless.
October 21, 2012
The Bizarro Starter Kit (Orange) is fucking brilliant at times, and utterly awful on occasion. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. Obviously stories about baby jesus buttplugs or cockroach suits don't make for epic-level classic literature, but certainly that isn't what bizarro is aiming to do. This kit succeeds in doing what the subgenre does best: entertain and create wonder.
There were several stories in this block of short works that deserve praise, and, quite honestly, are some of the most creative, hilarious, and down-right barf-tastic short fiction that I have ever read. I only skipped one author and story completely, because I just couldn't follow along with it and it was too boring.
For anyone looking for an excellent and wide spread of bizarro literature, I would highly recommend The Bizarro Starter Kit (Orange). I can't wait to read the other two.
There were several stories in this block of short works that deserve praise, and, quite honestly, are some of the most creative, hilarious, and down-right barf-tastic short fiction that I have ever read. I only skipped one author and story completely, because I just couldn't follow along with it and it was too boring.
For anyone looking for an excellent and wide spread of bizarro literature, I would highly recommend The Bizarro Starter Kit (Orange). I can't wait to read the other two.
March 31, 2014
I expected to like this collection more than I did, because I really enjoyed the first Bizarro novel I read some time ago and have since come to understand that several other short stories that I've enjoyed were, upon reflection, also somewhat Bizarro. Still, it seems that while I dig some styles of Bizarro others just don't do it for me at all. For instance, I greatly enjoyed Bruce Taylor's stories of magical realism.
Other stories that I'd rate highly include:
The Man in the Thick Black Spectacles (a strange story in a strange office)
Classroom Dynamics (with a university professor feeling too much for his students)
The Baby Jesus Butt Plug (creepy with some really unsettling moments reminiscent of 'Eraserhead')
Extinction Journals (post-apoc story of a man in a cockroach suit trying to survive)
Other stories that I'd rate highly include:
The Man in the Thick Black Spectacles (a strange story in a strange office)
Classroom Dynamics (with a university professor feeling too much for his students)
The Baby Jesus Butt Plug (creepy with some really unsettling moments reminiscent of 'Eraserhead')
Extinction Journals (post-apoc story of a man in a cockroach suit trying to survive)
August 4, 2015
Esta colección de cuentos y novelas cortas promete algo que no logra cumplir: Literatura.
Según los autores de bizarro, este género no se basa en lo raro por lo raro, sino que lo raro debe cumplir con alguna función más allá de impactar, no obstante, con la excepción de la novela Extinction Journals (que ya he reseñado), nos encontramos ante un puñado de obras nihilistas donde lo raro por lo raro abunda, sin que tenga un significado más profundo.
Algunos textos son divertidos, y eso es todo. Pero otros, la mayor parte, no son ni siquiera absurdos o surrealistas, sino tonterías pueriles.
Sólo es recomendable para conocer el género bizarro, pues aquí están representados sus mayores exponentes.
Según los autores de bizarro, este género no se basa en lo raro por lo raro, sino que lo raro debe cumplir con alguna función más allá de impactar, no obstante, con la excepción de la novela Extinction Journals (que ya he reseñado), nos encontramos ante un puñado de obras nihilistas donde lo raro por lo raro abunda, sin que tenga un significado más profundo.
Algunos textos son divertidos, y eso es todo. Pero otros, la mayor parte, no son ni siquiera absurdos o surrealistas, sino tonterías pueriles.
Sólo es recomendable para conocer el género bizarro, pues aquí están representados sus mayores exponentes.
November 30, 2013
"Suicide Girls in the Afterlife" and "Extinction Journals" were both very enjoyable for me. I'd say The Bizarro Starter Kit is worth reading for those two. The rest of the stories were very hit and miss for me. Some I couldn't get into at all as they were too strange for my personal reading tastes, but they may be perfect for other readers. I'd certainly recommend this book as a good place to start for readers looking to dip their toes in the waters of bizarro fiction since it offers a good variety of stories by different authors.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews