Are you hungry for something different? Something weird? Horrific? Funny? Uncomfortable? Surreal? Try a slice. A man opens his door to a most unusual salesman, whose wares are not quite what they seem... A writer on a retreat discovers a talking insect, and a tree bearing fruit that looks just like cats... A demented clown acts as one poor soul's daily alarm clock... A man Are you hungry for something different? Something weird? Horrific? Funny? Uncomfortable? Surreal? Try a slice. A man opens his door to a most unusual salesman, whose wares are not quite what they seem... A writer on a retreat discovers a talking insect, and a tree bearing fruit that looks just like cats... A demented clown acts as one poor soul's daily alarm clock... A man in a homemade spaceship encounters a terror he never could have expected - something that wasn't in his guidebook... A professional eater starts to crave the most forbidden food... A man on the verge of suicide begins cutting, and in doing so, finds a reason to exist... These and many more Tales of Bizarro and Absurdist Horror.
Slices: Tales of Bizarro and Absurdist Horror
Are you hungry for something different? Something weird? Horrific? Funny? Uncomfortable? Surreal? Try a slice. A man opens his door to a most unusual salesman, whose wares are not quite what they seem... A writer on a retreat discovers a talking insect, and a tree bearing fruit that looks just like cats... A demented clown acts as one poor soul's daily alarm clock... A man Are you hungry for something different? Something weird? Horrific? Funny? Uncomfortable? Surreal? Try a slice. A man opens his door to a most unusual salesman, whose wares are not quite what they seem... A writer on a retreat discovers a talking insect, and a tree bearing fruit that looks just like cats... A demented clown acts as one poor soul's daily alarm clock... A man in a homemade spaceship encounters a terror he never could have expected - something that wasn't in his guidebook... A professional eater starts to crave the most forbidden food... A man on the verge of suicide begins cutting, and in doing so, finds a reason to exist... These and many more Tales of Bizarro and Absurdist Horror.
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Janie C. –
This is one of the most bizarre and delightful collections of (very) short stories that I have ever read. I say delightful, because the strange, the impossible and the stream of consciousness form of writing all blended together into an abstract, found-object style of creative literature makes me happy. The author employs samples from Skinny Puppy. He likes metal, the movie The Tenant and experimental music. If you find these facts delightful, you're going to love this book. It tastes like salam This is one of the most bizarre and delightful collections of (very) short stories that I have ever read. I say delightful, because the strange, the impossible and the stream of consciousness form of writing all blended together into an abstract, found-object style of creative literature makes me happy. The author employs samples from Skinny Puppy. He likes metal, the movie The Tenant and experimental music. If you find these facts delightful, you're going to love this book. It tastes like salami.
Emm C² –
“There are moments in life when ideas are shifted, priorities get rearranged, and entire worldviews flip upside down. This was one of those moments. Everything I had known up to that point suddenly changed with a taste of my own arm.” Slices plays amongst delirium and absurdity as a child of their species, in their world without borders between real and false. This book has optical nerves and wild hands collecting nightmares out of the little corners forgotten out of fear. It reshapes them and sa “There are moments in life when ideas are shifted, priorities get rearranged, and entire worldviews flip upside down. This was one of those moments. Everything I had known up to that point suddenly changed with a taste of my own arm.” Slices plays amongst delirium and absurdity as a child of their species, in their world without borders between real and false. This book has optical nerves and wild hands collecting nightmares out of the little corners forgotten out of fear. It reshapes them and sautés them until a breathing buffet table of dreams is all that’s left for you. It is a collection that makes you smile, even if it uses a needle and thread to make sure that you do. Quality over quantity wins every time. Slices is not a heavy piece for a regular or even an unleaded book-glutton, at a bit over 100 pages, but so much original idea and care has been put into every story that when it’s like finding a rare bird dead on the road when it ends so suddenly. There is an overarching body horror vibe, if you didn’t get that from the bologna arm flanking the cover, but this twists into body humor just as often. I loved the title story “Slices of Me”, about a man who discovers he has no blood but his skin makes rather nice appetizers, as well as “Hole”, and ‘Playtime”. “Multi-Crabs” and “God” poke a razor-nailed finger at the blatant coldness of consumer culture and gimmicky ads, but my real favourite has to be “Violins For Sale”. “Violins For Sale” reminds me so much of Neverwhere, I think because it captures that same eerie-yet-delightful eldritch stalker feeling that the villains of that novel had, and it’s great. All-in-all, Slices is definitely its own type of meat, but a delicious and rare meat nonetheless.
Marvin –
"The first mistake Landau made was choosing a helmet made entirely of tuna salad." Surrealism and Bizarro are close cousins. But if I had to differentiate between the two in my own subjective manner, this is what I would say. The surrealist says, "I am trying to get to our deep subconscious by creating loosely associated, sometimes random dreamscapes". The Bizarro writer says, "We are already living in a loosely associated, sometimes random dreamscape. I'm just going with the flow." Scott Cole is "The first mistake Landau made was choosing a helmet made entirely of tuna salad." Surrealism and Bizarro are close cousins. But if I had to differentiate between the two in my own subjective manner, this is what I would say. The surrealist says, "I am trying to get to our deep subconscious by creating loosely associated, sometimes random dreamscapes". The Bizarro writer says, "We are already living in a loosely associated, sometimes random dreamscape. I'm just going with the flow." Scott Cole is one of the newer Bizarro writers on the horizon. His SuperGhost was one of the big surprises for me in 2015. In that novel, he exhibited a strange but accessible humor along with an almost casual sense of the bizarre and impossible. In Slices: Tales of Bizarro and Absurdist Horror he does the same with 33 brief stories. Most qualify as flash fiction while a few go on for slightly longer. They can all be called surreal or bizarro and they all delve into impossible scenarios. (except for "Rough Night" which accurately describes how I feel most mornings). The most distinctive thing about Slices is that these tales are more horror related than that of SuperGhost. Many dwell on biological transformation or what is know as Body Horror. In fact, there are a lot of exploding body parts. I think it may be a Cole trademark. The best one word description of a Scott Cole short fiction work is "mindblowing". No matter how short or long, he usually captures you with the first sentence, like the one at the beginning of this review which is from "Landau Made Some Mistakes". You are pretty much hooked from there in. Some stories are straight on surrealism as is the first story," The Degenerates". Others like "Violins for Sale" resembles more of a normal horror story, with "normal" being a relative term. While I find the flash fiction exhilarating, I am more drawn to the slightly longer stories like "Cat Tree Summer", "A Field of Poppies", and "666 Baby Jesuses, Give and Take," a story that should appeal to anyone who have ever had the collector bug. But if you go for a more visceral and uncomfortable type of horror, you should not miss "Slices of Me" where a man is determined to share his delicious flesh with the world. I like the writings of Scott Cole because he always surprises. In this case, we have 33 little surprises. If I had to compare this book to anything else I might call it a horror version of Italo Calvino's CosmicComics. If i had to issue a warning, it would be that some of the biological horror may be a little too much for sensitive stomachs. The author has a way of making the horrific both scary and amusing. it's a trick I hope he holds on to. Overall, Slices is a nice introduction to a very imaginative, if weird, mind.
The Grim Reader –
Truly absurd, but fun. Review soon.
Tom Lucas –
An entertaining read that puts Cole’s imagination on full display. With an effortless bounce, he takes us from the absurd and surreal to the horrific and bizarre with what I picture is a big, sloppy grin on his face. A solid collection of flash and short stories – the author shows range and confidence as a storyteller for sure, but his true strength is his ability to paint with wild imagery -- creating a lucid set piece and dressing it with strange and wonderful accoutrements. He’s so effective An entertaining read that puts Cole’s imagination on full display. With an effortless bounce, he takes us from the absurd and surreal to the horrific and bizarre with what I picture is a big, sloppy grin on his face. A solid collection of flash and short stories – the author shows range and confidence as a storyteller for sure, but his true strength is his ability to paint with wild imagery -- creating a lucid set piece and dressing it with strange and wonderful accoutrements. He’s so effective at this that it makes one wish that he was not only a writer but a filmmaker. There were a couple of stories that hung with me for days, these being terrifying “Violins for Sale” and playful yet pensive “We Built the Moon.” I enjoyed his first book SuperGhost thoroughly but he works even better in short form and these two pieces have that secret sauce that make them, for me, stellar examples of Cole when he’s firing on all cylinders. Highly recommended.
Nick –
One of the strangest collections I've ever read. Its funny, bizarre, surreal, gross and creepy. All the ingredients for a good time. One of the strangest collections I've ever read. Its funny, bizarre, surreal, gross and creepy. All the ingredients for a good time.
Alex Norcross –
Recently finished reading Slices by Scott Cole and must tip my hat to his talent. This collection of stories moves from the laugh-out-loud ridiculous to contemplative gross out and back again. A worthy read to challenge your stomach and stretch your imagination.
J. Peter W. –
A collection of stories ranging in size and absurdity. I laughed, I cringed, I smiled at the violence. Highly recommend if you are new to this author.
Kimberly Young –
kevin stewart –
Shawn O'Brien –
Samantha –
Deborah G. deAlteriis –
OTIS –
Ryon –
Gina Renzi –
Chuck Buda –
Jesse Bollinger –
Kent Corlain –
John Boden –
Melissa Hayward –
Tom –
Kevin Ash –
Ekel Adolf –
Cody –
Effie Mazes –
David Barbee –
Rodney –
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Pam Jones –
Sheila Hall –
Pedro Proença –
Arthur Graham –
Jonathan Sergotick –
Keith A –
Norma Slattery –
Eddie Faro –
Ryan O'connell –
Miguel Bizarre –
Brian Tasler –
Nicole Beeman-Cadwallader –
Josh Dormammu –
Alice –
Veera –
Rachel –