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Freaky Briefs: 75 Short Absurdities
From the madman who brought you Gleefully Macabre Tales, Dead Clown Barbecue, Everything Has Teeth, and Candy Coated Madness comes Jeff Strand’s latest and most twisted Freaky Briefs. This time, all of the stories are flash fiction—very short stabs of pitch-black hilarity. Includes fan favorites like “The Douchebag Who Reneged on the Death Pact,” along with brand-new stories like “A Story For the Dude on the Plane Who Keeps Looking at My Laptop Screen.” Seventy-five tales in all, proving that you can pack of a lot of grisly fun into small packages.
260 pages, Paperback
Published July 21, 2022
171 people are currently reading
253 people want to read
About the author
Jeff Strand
229 books2,210 followersBram Stoker Award-winning author of a bunch of demented books, including PRESSURE, DWELLER, CLOWNS VS. SPIDERS, AUTUMN BLEEDS INTO WINTER, MY PRETTIES, the official novelization of ATTACK OF THE KILLER TOMATOES, and lots of others!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
September 20, 2022
Full review available at The Mort Report:-
https://www.uncomfortablydark.com/bla...
Everyone who follows my reviews know I am a huge fan of this writer. For me, his combination of humor and horror puts him right at the top of comedy-horror – and he now has a Stoker Award, so I am not the only one who feels that way.
Now, for those of you who has not subscribed to his monthly free newsletter – go ahead, do it right now: http://eepurl.com/bpv5br - he gives you an original short story every month. This is a compilation for those who need to catch up or those who just want to enjoy them all over again.
They are short, often violent, sometimes silly and always entertaining. With titles like THE DOUCHEBAG WHO RENEGED ON THE DEATH PACT; THE NIGHT I REALIZED HALFWAY TO THE PAVEMENT BELOW THAT I WAS NOT, IN FACT, SUPERMAN; THE SOUPVILLE STABBER PRACTICES SOCIAL DISTANCING and THE TRAGIC TALE OF SLAPPY McWANKERVILLE, to name but a few, I can promise you there will be belly laughs in this one.
Now, I am not going to lie and say that all 75 Short Absurdities worked for me, but I can forgive him the 3 that I thought was below par and tell you that, percentage wise, any book that can entertain me for 96% percent of the time is an absolute winner.
And I am going to end with a few quotes from the book:
“The Cavern of Wolves contained only one wolf, but it sounded scarier plural.”
“I’m going to do everything in my power to make my severed head say something creepy. It’ll haunt you forever. I may even cackle. Are you secure enough in your sanity that you can handle a severed head cackling at you?”
“I’m not a monster. I understand that these bugs are just trying to get through the day, like anybody else. They have families. And drowning is a horrific way to die. So when I stop cackling, I make sure to lower my head in prayer.”
Just get this one and, every time you have to put it down, imagine Jeff Strand standing in the arena in a skirt, screaming:
“Are you not entertained?!”
5 STARS
https://www.uncomfortablydark.com/bla...
Everyone who follows my reviews know I am a huge fan of this writer. For me, his combination of humor and horror puts him right at the top of comedy-horror – and he now has a Stoker Award, so I am not the only one who feels that way.
Now, for those of you who has not subscribed to his monthly free newsletter – go ahead, do it right now: http://eepurl.com/bpv5br - he gives you an original short story every month. This is a compilation for those who need to catch up or those who just want to enjoy them all over again.
They are short, often violent, sometimes silly and always entertaining. With titles like THE DOUCHEBAG WHO RENEGED ON THE DEATH PACT; THE NIGHT I REALIZED HALFWAY TO THE PAVEMENT BELOW THAT I WAS NOT, IN FACT, SUPERMAN; THE SOUPVILLE STABBER PRACTICES SOCIAL DISTANCING and THE TRAGIC TALE OF SLAPPY McWANKERVILLE, to name but a few, I can promise you there will be belly laughs in this one.
Now, I am not going to lie and say that all 75 Short Absurdities worked for me, but I can forgive him the 3 that I thought was below par and tell you that, percentage wise, any book that can entertain me for 96% percent of the time is an absolute winner.
And I am going to end with a few quotes from the book:
“The Cavern of Wolves contained only one wolf, but it sounded scarier plural.”
“I’m going to do everything in my power to make my severed head say something creepy. It’ll haunt you forever. I may even cackle. Are you secure enough in your sanity that you can handle a severed head cackling at you?”
“I’m not a monster. I understand that these bugs are just trying to get through the day, like anybody else. They have families. And drowning is a horrific way to die. So when I stop cackling, I make sure to lower my head in prayer.”
Just get this one and, every time you have to put it down, imagine Jeff Strand standing in the arena in a skirt, screaming:
“Are you not entertained?!”
5 STARS
April 11, 2024
DNF 67% was all I could take.
February 1, 2023
I love Jeff Strand's sense of humor, so when I found out he had released this collection of absurd, hilarious little stories, I knew it was right up my alley. Freaky Briefs definitely did not disappoint! I mean, if it tells you anything, I got some weird looks at the doctor's office yesterday because I was giggling while reading this in the waiting room. I definitely recommend it for anyone who enjoys horror-comedy, especially really silly, dark, satirical humor!
✨ Content warnings for:
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✨ Content warnings for:
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twitter | booktok | bookstagram | blog
September 3, 2022
There's a lot of great flash fiction in this collection. No bad stories, although a few would've been better if they were filled out more. Then they wouldn't be flash fiction, so there is that aspect. I've been following the author's career since the beginning and his writing voice has steadily progressed to what we now know and expect: great, quirky characters and stories, usually from a different angle than we'd expect. Loved it.
July 23, 2022
My favorite of 2022!
There isn't a bad story in the bunch! And yep...it's just as funny as you'd expect a collection called FREAKY BRIEFS to be.
Available NOW in Kindle and paperback editions.
There isn't a bad story in the bunch! And yep...it's just as funny as you'd expect a collection called FREAKY BRIEFS to be.
Available NOW in Kindle and paperback editions.
August 17, 2022
Jeff Strand is freaking hilarious!! All of these shorts are downright odd and fantastic. My favorite being Fresh Fish and Cast one In.
I plan to read many more books by Strand!
I plan to read many more books by Strand!
October 24, 2023
A goofy, campy, hilariously WICKED good time! As always, Strand is brilliant. So many quotable shorts!
“Do you know what I’m still mad about?” Bob asked. I shook my head. “What?” “Weekend at Bernie’s II. Why’d they have to introduce a supernatural element into the franchise? Wasn’t the dead body enough?” “Maybe they ran out of ideas for hijinks.” “That’s a bunch of crap. If they hadn’t jumped the shark, they could’ve gotten seven, eight movies out of that concept, easy. Bernie on a plane. Bernie becomes president. See? That’s two right there, and I’m not even a Hollywood executive.” “At some point, his corpse would rot too much for it to keep being humorous.” “I completely disagree,” said Bob. “That would take it to a whole new level. Think of all the gangrene jokes they missed. I can think of a half-dozen gangrene jokes right off the top of my head, and I’m not even a Hollywood screenwriter.” “You can’t put gangrene jokes in a PG-13 mainstream studio comedy.”
I appreciate that many of these showcase the same sort of ridiculous conversations I’d have with my friends… can we normalize these sorts of conversations being prioritized over small talk? 😆 If the series “I think you should leave” is fucking hilarious to you, you’ll definitely appreciate Strand’s sense of humor. This is definitely showcased in “pull my finger”, Crazy Ralph’s Used Car Emporium” and “fresh fish”. Jeff Strand and Tim Robinson should write sketch comedy together… I would watch the EVER LIVING SHIT OUT OF THAT . (Whatever man, sometimes dreams come true… a guy can hope…)
Beaks-if you thought Alfred Hitchcock’s “Birds” was horrifying, Strand was like “hold my beer”. Holy shit this story was disgusting and awesome.
The Tell Tale Heart II: Aftermath: the narrator of Edgar Allen Poe’s original tale realizes he has made a HUGE mistake in his admission of his crimes, and attempts to walk it back… 🤣
So many good stories a can’t pick just a few. Pick this one out. Would be a perfect short story bathroom companion.
“Do you know what I’m still mad about?” Bob asked. I shook my head. “What?” “Weekend at Bernie’s II. Why’d they have to introduce a supernatural element into the franchise? Wasn’t the dead body enough?” “Maybe they ran out of ideas for hijinks.” “That’s a bunch of crap. If they hadn’t jumped the shark, they could’ve gotten seven, eight movies out of that concept, easy. Bernie on a plane. Bernie becomes president. See? That’s two right there, and I’m not even a Hollywood executive.” “At some point, his corpse would rot too much for it to keep being humorous.” “I completely disagree,” said Bob. “That would take it to a whole new level. Think of all the gangrene jokes they missed. I can think of a half-dozen gangrene jokes right off the top of my head, and I’m not even a Hollywood screenwriter.” “You can’t put gangrene jokes in a PG-13 mainstream studio comedy.”
I appreciate that many of these showcase the same sort of ridiculous conversations I’d have with my friends… can we normalize these sorts of conversations being prioritized over small talk? 😆 If the series “I think you should leave” is fucking hilarious to you, you’ll definitely appreciate Strand’s sense of humor. This is definitely showcased in “pull my finger”, Crazy Ralph’s Used Car Emporium” and “fresh fish”. Jeff Strand and Tim Robinson should write sketch comedy together… I would watch the EVER LIVING SHIT OUT OF THAT . (Whatever man, sometimes dreams come true… a guy can hope…)
Beaks-if you thought Alfred Hitchcock’s “Birds” was horrifying, Strand was like “hold my beer”. Holy shit this story was disgusting and awesome.
The Tell Tale Heart II: Aftermath: the narrator of Edgar Allen Poe’s original tale realizes he has made a HUGE mistake in his admission of his crimes, and attempts to walk it back… 🤣
So many good stories a can’t pick just a few. Pick this one out. Would be a perfect short story bathroom companion.
January 25, 2023
Book 9/100 for 2023. Happened upon this purely by chance on Kindle and was very entertained by it. Good flash fiction, more often than not, is like a good joke - a short tale with a punchline. Sometimes you see the punchline coming, sometimes it swerves on you, and if you hear enough of them in a row, sometimes tracking the variations in the formula is amusing in its own right.
December 18, 2022
3.85 stars.
August 27, 2022
Laugh out loud horror? You betcha! Always good to laugh after a creepy shiver runs up your spine.
October 10, 2022
good thing there were so many
These short and hilarious tales are amazing. Right on Jeff Strand Brand. The combo of humour and horror is my jam and Jeff executes it so flawlessly!
These short and hilarious tales are amazing. Right on Jeff Strand Brand. The combo of humour and horror is my jam and Jeff executes it so flawlessly!
May 6, 2023
I enjoyed this.
[This has been a freaky brief review of Freaky Breifs]
[This has been a freaky brief review of Freaky Breifs]
September 23, 2022
You’ll laugh; you’ll cry; you’ll want to grab your chainsaw. Jeff Strand is a master of the short short, and you’ll find everything from the darkly serious to the hilariously gory in these pages.
August 24, 2022
Hilarious brief stories that have a horror element, just a genuinely chuckle-inducing read. Ok maybe one or two groans thrown in because... Jeff Strand.
The Kindle version had some extra stories at the end, absolutely appreciated ALL OF IT!
The Kindle version had some extra stories at the end, absolutely appreciated ALL OF IT!
August 15, 2022
collection of quick reads and short stories some good more not, that is why 4 instead of 5
October 11, 2022
Freaky Briefs was minimally entertaining. Author Jeff Strand has cranked out a series of ultra-short stories (seventy five plus two bonus stories) and they are just as advertised-absurdities abound. I just expected more from a Bram Stoker award winner. I expected to find at least one story that I could point to and say “Here is the gem of this collection” but that did not happen. Mediocre.
October 5, 2022
Nobody does horror comedy like Jeff Strand
December 29, 2022
Jeff Strand is an author I adore. He's got this great slapstick voice that really comes off the page, and it's on full display in his newest collection, Freaky Briefs. They were so funny I had to read them to my partner when she got home from work.
September 25, 2022
Now I need a physical copy for the bathroom. Also a sketch show or movie in the same format of ABC's of Death or Kentucky Fried Movie.
September 20, 2022
fun Strandecdotes
This book was what I expected, a bunch of short stories that have lost one to many of their marbles. If you know this author, you probably know what I mean by that. Check it out!
This book was what I expected, a bunch of short stories that have lost one to many of their marbles. If you know this author, you probably know what I mean by that. Check it out!
September 18, 2022
Good book
I don't like writing reviews but had to for this. Book .easy quick fun reading ... have to write 5 words more
I don't like writing reviews but had to for this. Book .easy quick fun reading ... have to write 5 words more
August 30, 2023
Dear Goodreads,
Please stop force closing when I’m in the middle of writing reviews. Ffs.
Anyway, I don’t feel like typing all the stuff I just wrote, so here’s my favorite stories:
The First Cannibals
The Guy Who Didn’t Want To Murder Anyone With A Hammer
Bradley Goes Crunch
Dusted
Telemedicine
Last One In
Santa Claus Kills 2020
Please stop force closing when I’m in the middle of writing reviews. Ffs.
Anyway, I don’t feel like typing all the stuff I just wrote, so here’s my favorite stories:
The First Cannibals
The Guy Who Didn’t Want To Murder Anyone With A Hammer
Bradley Goes Crunch
Dusted
Telemedicine
Last One In
Santa Claus Kills 2020
August 5, 2022
Freaky Briefs is a very entertaining series of 75 short horror comedy stories. These stories touch on many aspects of horror, some familiar and some things I hadn't thought to combine in a horror story (no spoilers, but the story involving Holmes and Watson was unexpected and a great mashup!). I absolutely love Jeff Strand's writing, and Freaky Briefs is another great read!
August 1, 2022
Love
I love these insane silly stories. I have yet
to read a book of Jeff strands that I dislike. Read them all.
I love these insane silly stories. I have yet
to read a book of Jeff strands that I dislike. Read them all.
August 5, 2022
Completely nuts but such a good time! More than a few chuckles while reading it. Would recommend.
August 12, 2022
Well-written and (mostly) funny, I’d recommend this collection to anyone who enjoys dark humor and flash fiction.
August 15, 2022
God, these stories go on and on, each one just reams and reams of....
Oh, wait, wrong book
Short sweet and funny for the duration.
Oh, wait, wrong book
Short sweet and funny for the duration.
May 3, 2023
Bibliophilia Templum review at https://bibliophiliatemplum.wordpress.com/2023/05/03/freaky-briefs/
Clever, witty, dark, and frustrating, the flash fiction stories of Jeff Strand’s Freaky Briefs: 75 Short Absurdities are pure reading entertainment. You need this in your life.
I’m not going to write a commercial for Jeff Strand here because he is well-known for his masterful dark humor and impactful, irreverent wit. Well, this collection is the embodiment of that. It is a love letter to his fans and a welcome aboard greeting to his about-to-be fans.
How in the world is this a love letter to fans?
It’s brazen. It’s twisted. It’s everything we love about Strand’s work. Some of the stories are blatantly funny. Some have a more subtle, darker humor (maybe Jeff seeing if you are paying attention because you need to pay attention). Some are flagrant gotchas, like a joke between Strand and the reader (good one, by the way, Jeff). Some are really dark, some actually horrifying (dentistry horror is always horrifying, no mater how much clever, humorous dialogue you inject into it, Jeff!). But all of them are clever and entertaining.
If you are having a rough day (week, month) as one does, this collection is sure to make feel better, if only for a while. Let’s face it, the story titles alone range from giggle-worthy (“The Tragic Tale of Slappy McWankerville”) to intriguing (“The Douchebag Who Reneged on the Death Pact”). Even the cover art by the lovey and talented Lynne Hansen—I mean, come on, it’s a skeleton doing a sexy pose in boxer briefs. That alone has got to make your day.
I love this collection. I think you will love it too.
You want this.
Clever, witty, dark, and frustrating, the flash fiction stories of Jeff Strand’s Freaky Briefs: 75 Short Absurdities are pure reading entertainment. You need this in your life.
I’m not going to write a commercial for Jeff Strand here because he is well-known for his masterful dark humor and impactful, irreverent wit. Well, this collection is the embodiment of that. It is a love letter to his fans and a welcome aboard greeting to his about-to-be fans.
How in the world is this a love letter to fans?
It’s brazen. It’s twisted. It’s everything we love about Strand’s work. Some of the stories are blatantly funny. Some have a more subtle, darker humor (maybe Jeff seeing if you are paying attention because you need to pay attention). Some are flagrant gotchas, like a joke between Strand and the reader (good one, by the way, Jeff). Some are really dark, some actually horrifying (dentistry horror is always horrifying, no mater how much clever, humorous dialogue you inject into it, Jeff!). But all of them are clever and entertaining.
If you are having a rough day (week, month) as one does, this collection is sure to make feel better, if only for a while. Let’s face it, the story titles alone range from giggle-worthy (“The Tragic Tale of Slappy McWankerville”) to intriguing (“The Douchebag Who Reneged on the Death Pact”). Even the cover art by the lovey and talented Lynne Hansen—I mean, come on, it’s a skeleton doing a sexy pose in boxer briefs. That alone has got to make your day.
I love this collection. I think you will love it too.
You want this.
February 7, 2023
I Can ALWAYS Read A Jeff Strand Book!
I love Jeff Strand books! If I'm not sure what I'm in the mood to read...I choose one of his books. I mean that as a whole-hearted compliment to the author.
This author is funny, clever and has a child-like quality to his writing. Not to say that the author is a simpleton but his books remind me of the goofy stuff my brother and I could have come up with as kids telling stories back and forth. Again, I mean this as a compliment. Although, my brother and I wouldn't have been sophisticated enough to think of some of the clever twists his stories can take. (Also, we were more naive about any 'sex stuff'....not that Jeff Strand writes torrid 'sex stories')
I've also read some of the author's books more suspenseful and serious. I was impressed. Hey, I discovered an author with a range from hilarious to nail-biting in plot.
All I'm really trying to say here is that if anyone hasn't read anything by Jeff Strand, give his books a try. I hope you enjoy his stories as much as I do!
Thanks, Jeff, keep 'em coming and I'll definitely keep reading your stories! ---From one of your biggest fans!
I love Jeff Strand books! If I'm not sure what I'm in the mood to read...I choose one of his books. I mean that as a whole-hearted compliment to the author.
This author is funny, clever and has a child-like quality to his writing. Not to say that the author is a simpleton but his books remind me of the goofy stuff my brother and I could have come up with as kids telling stories back and forth. Again, I mean this as a compliment. Although, my brother and I wouldn't have been sophisticated enough to think of some of the clever twists his stories can take. (Also, we were more naive about any 'sex stuff'....not that Jeff Strand writes torrid 'sex stories')
I've also read some of the author's books more suspenseful and serious. I was impressed. Hey, I discovered an author with a range from hilarious to nail-biting in plot.
All I'm really trying to say here is that if anyone hasn't read anything by Jeff Strand, give his books a try. I hope you enjoy his stories as much as I do!
Thanks, Jeff, keep 'em coming and I'll definitely keep reading your stories! ---From one of your biggest fans!
November 7, 2022
I met Jeff Strand at KillerCon 2022 and he autographed a copy of Freaky Briefs for me. This is the first book by Jeff Strand that I have read. It contains 75 short stories of varying lengths; some are a short paragraph in length, while the longest story is less than 5 pages. I won’t give away any storylines or endings. My favorite story is called Headspin and includes only 2 characters, a brother and a sister. They play a game in the comfort of their own home. As Jeff Strand writes, “It went poorly.”
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews