fantasy
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Review of Predator: Badlands
A New Type of Hunt, For Better and Worse This movie is a strange beast to critique. If you go in for a good time, looking for action and clever kills, you’ll get your money’s worth. But if you’re a fan of the Predator series, it might not scratch your…
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Review of It by Stephen King
A gratuitous lump of a novel about an amorphous entity that prefers to appear as a clown in order to torment kids and vulnerable adults, often but not always murdering them in the most shlocky ways imaginable. The main characters are kids for a lot of the book, and when…
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Review of All God’s Angels, Beware! by Quentin S. Crisp
QSC’s output is typically speculative. His stories do not fit into typical categories otherwise. This rare edition includes some gems. For the first 3 tales, I was not enthralled. I found them lumbering, dreamy, wistful. They take place in Britain. A lot of the extraneous description and interior monologue might’ve…
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Review of The Sons of Ishmael by George Berguño
An eclectic collection by a master of the short story form, thankfully rescued by Snuggly Books from its former out-of-print state. The Introduction constitutes a tenth story in the volume, relying on the supremacy of the anecdote to elaborate the author’s mindset. The final section ‘About the Stories’ can be…
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Review of The Sad Eyes of the Lewis Chessmen by George Berguño
Taking inspiration from Icelandic sagas, mixing in old-fashioned atmospheric horror tale aesthetics, as well as provincial, unsettling conversations at far-flung cafés, the reading experience may be enhanced if you enjoy the work of Bulgakov and Flaubert. The Sad Eyes of the Lewis ChessmenFlaubert’s AlexandrineThe Leviathan at RifskerThe Son’s CrimeBilly Goat…
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Review of Alice Through the Needle’s Eye: A Third Adventure for Lewis Carroll’s Alice by Gilbert Adair
Overall, a diverting bedtime story. Where you might get mightily lost in the original duology and vibrant Disney film, this reads less like a worthy successor and more like a valiant side-quest. Ample punning propels our precocious protagonist into petty arguments with pompous anthropomorphized plot devices in the form of…
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Review of The Onyx Book of Occult Fiction by Various
The first modern anthology brought to you by Snuggly Book in their definitive series, numbering 6 volumes thus far. The editor is none other than the pre-eminent author of the occult working today. In his introduction, Damian Murphy invokes a wide-range of authors tangential or central to his understanding of…
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Review of Warrior Wolf Women of the Wasteland by Carlton Mellick III
One of his longest works, something labored over for longer, it seems, and continued in an equally long sequel, I found myself at times missing the brief length of his accustomed method and not necessarily wanting it to go on as long as it did. It had its moments, but…
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Review of The Blood-Guzzler and Other Stories by Rachilde
An interesting introduction to Decadent literature. Or a good choice for those already familiar with the genre.Rachilde is apparently a big deal in the genre, having sparked much controversy in her time. I wonder why I hadn’t heard of her until recently.Bravo to Snuggly books for making readily available, a…
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Review of The Boy Who Lost Fairyland (Fairyland, #4) by Catherynne M. Valente
Gorgeous beyond belief. Her diction and vocabulary rarely misstep. She ensorcells with glittering scoops of wordplay piled high. It’s a rodeo show of intriguing imagery starring absurdly well-read children.We start out with the changeling scenario. A troll boy’s feeble attempt to pass as a human child. When he meets a…
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Review of Beasts by Joyce Carol Oates
A more succinct example of Dark Academia than The Secret History, and in my opinion, better. Better yet, it can be read in one sitting. The only criteria I require a book to fulfill to earn a five-star rating from me is that I can’t stop reading. And this book…
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Review of Catastrophe: And Other Stories by Dino Buzzati
The author depicts the daily travails of individuals encountering bizarre and unexplainable phenomena. The details of the stories accumulate in subtle shifts of tone, always sliding toward uncanny doom. The consequences the hapless heroes face are sometimes uncertain – the tales are often abandoned at the perfect moment, when the…
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Review of Memoirs and Misinformation by Jim Carrey
The average star rating of this book is under 3 stars. I’m one of the few who enjoyed it and couldn’t put it down. It can only be compared to the works of Mark Leyner and Antkind by Charlie Kaufman (who plays a role in the book). If it had…
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Review of The Book of Love by Kelly Link
This book is brutally unfocused, so many characters thinking, saying and doing things which are unrelated to previously done, said and thought things. Pseudo-explanations for post-magical situations seemingly added after the fact. A lot of talk about magic but not a lot of magic happening.Characters are quirky in the extreme.…
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Review of The Big Meat by Carlton Mellick III
A fever dream. A journey into a superorganism. Mellick delivers another disturbing post-apocalyptic scenario with fantastic imagery and survival tale constraints. The sheepish main character joins a crew in charge of excavating the remains of a kaiju. It might remind you of Kaiju No. 8. But unlike the manga, this…
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Review of Goblins on the Other Side by by Carlton Mellick III
A memorable read. CM3 seems fond of depicting twisted afterlife scenarios, as in his Boy with a Chainsaw Heart and Ugly Heaven. He may be another atheist borrowing heavily from Christian imagery, but he has a unique imagination which is always striking, managing to revitalize tired tropes with elegant imagery…
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Review of The Sleep of the Assassins and Other Stories by Damian Murphy
The stories in this collection are some of his most varied work. Each offering is a succulent delight to read. He is one of the most consistent authors I follow. His work possesses an uncanny depth, always poised between aesthetic acuity and imagistic splendor. While they are subtly or overtly…
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Review of A Conversation With an Errant God: Distorted Reflections on the Kerker-Kreis by Damian Murphy
I have written many other reviews on the majority of Murphy’s work. Each time I finish one of his stories or novellas I am slightly saddened by the fact that I have one fewer pieces of his left to encounter for the first time. This piece takes the form of…
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Review of A Voyage to Arcturus by David Lindsay
Sublime and magnificently ornate visions. A startling voyage through bizarre and fantastic imagery. Reminded me of the film Fantastic Planet, and of course Out of the Silent Planet. I also thought it bore some similarity to the expansive scope of Starmaker by Olaf Stapledon. A beguiling allegory about Man’s search…
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Review of Maison Ikkoku Collector’s Edition, Vol. 1 by Rumiko Takahashi
This adorable sitcomic comedy by the inimitable Rumiko made for diverting reading. I will be continuing with the series. While lacking in supernatural elements, I was at once taken by the cozy atmosphere. Most of the scenes take place in the eccentrically populated titular rooming house, where the quintessential collegial…
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Review of Why I Married a Clown Girl From the Dimension of Death by Carlton Mellick III
Another bizarro novella from Carlton Mellick, who is nearing his 70th book. This was, like a few previous ones, an un-subtle commentary on society through the fantasy lens of clown-people invading from another dimension. It tackles questions of xenophobia, homelessness, and the current destruction of natural resources, the family unit,…
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Review of You Always Try to Kill Me in Your Dreams by Carlton Mellick III
Solid storytelling in this novella, with some slasher concepts a la Nightmare on Elm St. His books of late have all had a Goosebumps for Adults vibe, which is not a disparagement. In YATTKMIYD, CM3 satirizes the distinctly American college-age pursuit of perpetual drunkenness. He is a good writer in…
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Review of The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
Listened to the audiobook. No idea how to spell the names of any characters. The narrative was compelling, though the second person perspective sections felt unnecessary. Earth-based magic system, caste systems, dystopian world, social commentary. This kind of complex world-building almost makes me want to take a break and go…
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Review of Glass Children by Carlton Mellick III
A book to finish in one sitting. One with a purposely transparent message. CM3 airs a lot of grievances about today’s generation gaps, while lobbying for some semblance of understanding between divided Americans. He includes a bloodbath for the sake of the Bizarro label. It seems more like an episode…
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Review of When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill
I picked up this book because Cat Valente mentioned it in an interview. I admit the premise intrigued me. The style was easy to read but in my opinion, not innovative or eccentric enough for my liking. There is nothing wrong with a conventional style, but as I listened to…
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Review of The Appearance of Death to a Hindu Woman by Rick Harsch
This is the 2nd book set in India Rick Harsch wrote, and after finishing it, I am eager to read the other one, called Arjun and the Good Snake. This is a story of an American making his way from Madras to Calcutta and journeying through surrounding areas, mostly on…
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Review of Tales From the Hereafter by Ted Myers
I am a fan of short stories taking place in the afterlife. I recently read a book called Snuggly Tales of the Afterlife, which I would not necessarily recommend. They were less out-there than I imagined they would be. I want my alternate worlds to be unexpected. That is why…
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Review of Bubblegum by Adam Levin
Reminded me of when I read David Foster Wallace for the first time. Passing through phases of amusement to annoyance to disgust, then subtly sliding into intrigue, fascination and finally settling on the far side of appreciation, but only through much readerly turmoil, many near-death-by-boredom experiences. If you like Adam…
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Review of White Cat, Black Dog: Stories by Kelly Link
Kelly Link’s fourth (or fifth?) collection was a surprise. I remember liking less than half of her stories from her previous collections and I liked only half of these. But taken as a whole, reading the entirety of her work is worth the effort. Though I find the quality inconsistent…
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Review of The Menstruating Mall by Carlton Mellick III
Dear Carlton Mellick III,Feel free to use any of the following titles for one of your upcoming books. I greatly look forward to your next release. Suggestions for future Bizarro Titles: Douchebags of the ApocalypseKentucky Fried FetusesThe Church of Edible ChildrenPoint-and-Click Dimension ZeroThe Monopoly Man MurdersAutomaton MetropolisTime Bandits from AsslandElephant…
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Review of The Girl with the Barbed Wire Hair by Carlton Mellick III
Some CM3 books are not really bizarro. This falls into that category. There is the usual horror, gore, sex and supernatural stuff, but none of it is particularly avant-guarde punk. The barbed wire hair visuals are slightly bizarro, but not really. Aside from faltering when it comes to conjuring a…
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Review of A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L. Peck
Admittedly, I have asked ChatGPT to write plenty of sequels to “The Library of Babel.” I have thought about the story ceaselessly. I have written my own fan fictions here and there. Borges was quoted as saying “I imagine Heaven as a kind of library.” The author of this book…
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Review of Of Kings, Queens and Colonies by Johnny Worthen
Humans have relocated to a ten-planet system called Coronam. Each planet has its drawbacks and advantages. Various factions proceed to war over the resources and ownership. This is an epic with medieval warfare, space ships, and political subtexts. Told through 16 points of view, the tale could get a little…
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Review of by Crystals of Empire Trilogy by M. Poyhonen
The Crystals of Empire is an immersive fantasy tale with a steep learning curve. In time, the pieces fall into place, but the beginning eased me in with a recognizable setting steeped in mythological undertones and relatable character interaction. While I did not get on with the dialects, the dialogue…
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Review of Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman
2 stars for Neil Gaiman and 6 stars for old Norse authors. A glance at the cover would lead one to believe that Neil Gaiman wrote this book. He is the “author” after all. But what did he actually do? He retold the tales. His language is entertaining, but he…
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Review of The Breast by Philip Roth
A plot worthy of Woody Allen initially turned me off, but I’m reevaluating my impression toward Roth, and this was short enough to read in one sitting. Pristine prose stylings are why I read this author. Not always polished to a high gleam, not Nabokov, but well-rhythmed, easy to read,…
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Review of The Green Child by Herbert Read
This bizarre novel was broken into three disparate parts, and by ‘broken,’ I mean ruined. For part one, he might merit 5/5 stars, for part 2, 2/5, and part 3, 4/5. The longest middle section is a droll account of the main character’s life story, his toppling of a dictator,…
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Review of Unclean Jobs for Women and Girls by Alissa Nutting
The most creative short story collection I have ever read. While technically belonging to the bizarro genre, this collection passes itself off as literary fiction. The author has, by now, established herself as a literary figure. It always bothers me how a slight literary polish makes all the difference between…
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Review of The Golden Ass by Apuleius
Whenever someone says Don Quixote was the first novel ever written, one-up them with this one. Same if they claim Tale of Genji was first. Other novels, poems, and fragments might claim to be the first, but none are so convincing a contender as The Golden Ass. Supposedly, other Roman…
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Review of Necromancy Cottage, Or, The Black Art of Gnawing on Bones by Rebecca Maye Holiday
Right in time for Halloween, Necromancy Cottage is a very readable and unconventional bildungsroman. The tone and atmosphere inspire a cozy kind of fright, as you might glean from the title. How many times, as a kid, did I conjure in my imagination a secluded second life on a desert…
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Review of Gunnerkrigg Court, Volume 4: Materia (Gunnerkrigg Court #4) by Thomas Siddell
A continually surprising series. Meshing classical myth with original ideas, this kid-friendly series of light adventures and comical mishaps often stumbles into darker territory, heady themes, and far-reaching consequences. While I long for more maturity, it is nice to see rich character development throughout each volume. The players change subtly,…
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Review of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Oz, #1) by L. Frank Baum
As whimsical and intriguing as the film. As timeless and humorous and charming. As off-kilter and unique. But can it sustain the delicate balance of childish wonder, nostalgia, and creepy subtext, the Alice and Wonderland dreaminess, for a dozen books? This splendid series has spawned a recognizable aesthetic, probably due…
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Review of The Marvelous Land of Oz (Oz, #2) by L. Frank Baum
The darkly amusing saga continues in this slightly less consistent sequel to the classic children’s tale of Oz. We are back in the magical land, but without Dorothy and the frame story. Noticing quite a few differences between this and Return to Oz, the film, I can tell that they…
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Review of Ozma of Oz by L. Frank Baum
Very much in line with the film, Return to Oz, a personal favorite of mine. Rife with weird objets d’art and dramatic situations void of any real danger. The underground fortress and faint-hearted exploration were reminiscent of Narnia, which is to say I was entertained and sometimes absorbed. It boils…
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The Arden Finalist in Indi Book Awards 2022 Awards
We are pleased to announce our Book, the Arden was a finalist in the Indie Book Awards 2022 in the science fiction genre.
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Review of The Wayfarer by Zachary Kekac
The Wayfarer begins the way all of my favorite fantasy novels tend to: with a compelling world map that draws me into the world. While there is a learning curve for most world-building accomplishments like this one, I think Wayfarer’s is relatively enjoyable to climb.Perhaps the most intriguing aspect it…
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Review of Tekkon Kinkreet: Black and White by Taiyo Matsumoto
One of the few masterpieces of ‘realistic’ manga. By which I mean it contains whimsical touches, flights of fancy, imagination, heart, and friendship without succumbing to any of the cheap thrills so often associated with this medium like giant robots. ghost hunters, or revealing costumes. A genuinely admirable and affecting…
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Review of The Past Is Red by Catherynne M. Valente
A shortish novel from one of the top three most bleeding edge writers of fantasy in this day and age. I lump this author above most modern fantasy authors because of the range of her ideas and her psychological distaste for clichés. With a vast body of work already beneath…
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Review of Small Town Problems by Chris Ritchey
Small Town Problems, from the title, might elicit expectations of a sitcom drama. In a sense, you would not be entirely wrong. But at its heart, it is a fun, popcorn novel about people running into and responding to trouble, where their innate curiosity plays as big a part as…
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Review of Hettie and the Ghost by Becca De La Rosa
In this richly descriptive and atmospheric novel, I was pleased to find intricate sentence structure and mature characters. Many of its descriptions have an old-fashioned elegance. It is a nuanced ghost story with an intriguing premise, tackling central concepts of spiritualism, the afterlife, and growth. The language is always surprising…
L. S. Popovich 