Slap Happy Fun Time

Fast Times At Cine Mega Plex High 5/5 stars                                                         This has been on my to be read list since it first came out, but then I got a bit sidetracked which happens more than I care to admit. As I looked through my Kindle app I rediscovered this and I began to read. Vaughn is a talented guy. He knows how to create these weird, sick stories, but they're well written, and laced with the right amount of black humor that you can't help but laugh at. It's a short story collection where all the stories are linked together, and influenced by various film genres. Thing is, Vaughn has put his own little spin on each genre so it becomes something a bit darker and far more twisted.        While it may offend some readers, if you're a fan of weird fiction, this is a classic that spoofs some ...

Boobageddon - Jimmy Pudge & Jack Savage 5/5 stars                                                                  I'm a huge fan of Pudge's and was bummed out when he decided to stop writing. When I heard he was co-writing a book with Jack Savage I was excited and then sad to hear that this may in fact be the last book we see from the king of white trash fiction. It was great to see a final release, and it's nice to see that nothing has changed. It's still white trash fiction filled with larger than life characters and two heroes who are clueless, and then slowly turn into a pair of bad asses.  Pudge and Savage have created a fun book that will never be considered classy fiction, but who cares? These may be the only authors who have created a drinking game to go along with their book. Every time you see boobs...

    Haunt - Laura Lee Bahr  5/5                                                         Haunt could easily be described as an anti novel. It takes pride in not existing in just one genre. The strength of Haunt is in the writing itself. Bahr has a gift for creating a story that takes the reader on a journey that doesn't follow routine story telling. If you love books that break new ground this is a book that you will no doubt devour, and come back to just see if there's something you may have missed. For those that like books that follow routine story telling are going to find this frustrating, but that's okay. At its core is a narrative that flows well and you feel as if you're a part of the story even at its most confusing, but in the end everything comes together.         The question is how do you revie...

Cripple Wolf - Jeff Burk 5/5                                                                         How do you describe Cripple Wolf? It's bizarro with hints of horror, and it's a book that would make a great introduction to classic bizarro. The kind of bizarro you just don't read anymore. As I read it I was reminded of how great this genre was and still can be. This short story collection starts off on a high note and just doesn't let up. There's not a bad story here and Burk is a great story teller that isn't so out there that you can't grasp the concept of the stories. Each story here is amusing, and well written. The lead off story Cripple Wolf feels like a classic B-rate horror film. It's got gore, and best of all a werewolf that happens to be in a wheelchair. For those with an aversion to the holid...

     The  Intermission Book 2 (Gore Carnival Box Set) - Various Authors 5/5 stars                                                                 I have to tell you that when I think of an intermission I'm thinking about a break. A chance to stretch your legs a little, hit the bathroom, and grab the snacks. At the Gore Carnival it's not a break from anything. In fact, book one was really just a taste of what's in store for you in later books. Intermission is truly not for the easily offended and offers only one mild story in the form of Let's Go To The Circus. It's an interesting take on the already tired zombie genre and focuses on clowns. It's stories like these that I enjoy the most because it takes something we have fond memories of and promptly destroys it. This is not for those who have coulrophobia...

     The Ball Washer - Lance Manion 4/5   https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/244563                                                 When you pick up a free book you really have no reason to complain. You took a risk and now there you are looking at your Kindle or tablet screen in either indifference or anger. The Ball Washer is a collection of flash fiction stories that range from out right hilarity to cringe inducing. There's no middle ground in Manion's collection and that's not a bad thing. He offers no apologies and you shouldn't ask for them because the book is free. It's an opportunity to check out a new writer and if you don't like it well you're not out anything. I had actually read this awhile ago and thought I'd check it out again. Sometimes a book just deserves a second read.      Manion's collection isn't for ev...

    The Violators - Vincenzo Bilof  5/5                                                                        I received a copy of The Violators quite a few months ago but I sat on it because I wanted to wait until the release date to review it. I got this in December and knew that it wasn't going to be released for another two months! Officially this is released on the 23rd of February, but I have yet to see any any pre-order info but It'll be there I promise. Once that info becomes available you should hit the pre-order button and this review will explain exactly why you should do that. Trust me, this is a book you want to purchase and forget the Kindle version. The cover alone deserves to be purchased as a paperback.      The Violators is a novel that destroys everyt...

     Texas Chainsaw Mantis - Kevin Strange 5/5                                               No matter what you may think of Kevin Strange or his writing style the guy is doing exactly what he wants without any care or concern for the mainstream and you know what? Thank God for Kevin because I think Mantis may in fact be the very first splatter/bizarro/insect novel. It seems like the craziest idea, and I couldn't even imagine the time he spent researching the praying mantis. That is true dedication to the craft. You have elements here that take from so many influences and styles that even the most jaded horror fan will actually devour this book. If this didn't feature a praying mantis I bet more people would actually read this. It isn't the kind of story that most horror or even bizarro fans would touch, but you should.        Kevi...

A BigBoobenstein Family Christmas - Jeff O'Brien 5/5   http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B018CWL4Q6?keywords=Jeff%20O%27Brien&qid=1450492916&ref_=sr_1_2&sr=8-2                                                                       'Tis the season to be jolly and what better way to chase away those blues than with a twisted Christmas tale? During the holidays I try and read as many Christmas themed stories as I can, but this year I am way way behind on reviews. I did want to read a couple of stories though and I had to check out O'Brien's latest tale of the Boobenstein saga. This is the kind of book you should read while sipping eggnog and wearing an ugly sweater.       Here's the deal. O'Brien writes like a twelve year old with ADD and that's not a bad thing....

Benjamin - Pedro Proenca 5/5    http://www.amazon.com/Benjamin-Pedro-Proen%C3%A7a-ebook/dp/B0172PA8VG                                                    If you look at my Goodreads reviews you'll see that I was a huge fan and supporter of Bizarro fiction. I had become bored with popular fiction and bizarro was exactly what I had been looking for. It was insane and didn't follow any rules. Unfortunately I began to drift away from the genre but occasionally I'd peek back in when the right book came along.      Pedro was kind enough to give me a copy of Benjamin and I have to say that this guy truly loves this genre and it shows in his writing. Instead of emulating his heroes in the genre he takes that influence and creates something unique and truly bizarre. This is why I started reading bizarro. As a debut it's quite stro...

     Jason Wayne Allen - Ichthyic in the Afterglow 5/5                                                               JWA was gracious enough to give me a copy of Afterglow in exchange for an honest review. This is a surreal novella that blends in a variety of influences while staying original and bizarre. Allen has a knack for creating a world that you would only see in nightmares, and while you would expect the story itself to ramble incoherently it makes a great of deal of sense. This is where Allen thrives. He looks beyond the normal themes that lie scattered around the bizarro genre and creates something that you would only see while you're tripping on acid It's a nod to Lovecraft and while it has elements of violence it isn't over done and fits in with the theme of the novella.   ...

Tables Without Chairs  #1 Brian Alan Ellis, Bud Smith and Waylon Thornton 5/5                                                                                                                                                                                   I haven't been into the bizarro scene for quite some time, but occasionally I'll drop back in for a visit just to see what's going on. Brian actually posted a picture of the cover to this on Facebook and it looked like someone ate a bunch of cotton candy and then got pedigreed...

How To Successfully Kidnap Strangers  - Max Booth III  5/5                                                                       Max was gracious enough to give me an advanced reading copy of his latest book in exchange for an honest review, but after reading it I'm not even sure I can be honest. What if I end up kidnapped and shoved in a trunk with a bag full of severed heads? I don't want to be kidnapped because I wrote a bad review. Actually that's the premise of the book and the kidnapping and everything else that happens in Booth's book is a direct result of a sheer panic and indecision. If you're actually using this as a a guide to kidnap people you have serious issues and the book isn't even a guide that you can use,     This is my fourth Booth book and I haven't read a bad nove...

 Clown Fellas - Carlton Mellick III  3/5                                                       I received the latest CMII novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.      I've just finished an advanced copy of the latest CMIII novel and I have to admit I'm still not sure what to write. I've been a fan of bizarro for almost five years and I often wondered what would happen if mainstream publishers decided finally start releasing bizarro titles. We now have the answer. Carlton's latest release is being published by the Random House imprint Hydra, and I have mixed feelings about this one. On one hand this Carlton Mellick III. The guy's an underground legend and I delved into this with the idea that it would be an instant classic. Problem is this doesn't feel like a Mellick book. This is being touted as ...

      Vampire Strippers From Saturn 5/5                                       I know what you're thinking. Another vampire novel? This isn't you're ordinary run of the mill vampire tale though. Bilof's has a knack for invading other genre's and blending them all together into something unique. With Strippers you have horror, sci-fi, and bizarro melding together with excellent results. As a writer you just need to take risks and Strippers is the kind of book that will at times seem to make no sense at all, but as the story progresses you begin to see pieces fall into place and the story overall is like an B-movie from the fifties force fed a bunch of really good drugs and allowed to run amok.       I loved the overall idea of the novel. The strippers are here to destroy earth but nothing is ever easy and this is where the book really shines. ...