Fear and Loathing and Bad Hair Days and Bunny Rabbits and Something...
Discover a curated reading list for fans of quirky, unsettling fiction—from fear, loathing, and bad hair days to bunny rabbits. Explore standout titles like *Fourtold* by Michael Stone, *Heart of Stone* by C.E. Murphy, and *Teddy Bear Cannibal Massacre*, plus gripping short stories and classic mysteries. Perfect for readers seeking dark humor, strange tales, and offbeat literary journeys.
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God Laughs When You Die
by Michael Boatman
A host of drug dealers meets a foe they cannot kill. The president accidentally invites demons into the country and watches the pope turn into a sabertooth tiger. A man, dead since 1920, lives again in present day Los Angeles to satiate a malevolent goddess. These tales by Michael Boatman will disturb, terrify and traumatize you. Boatman grabs you by throat and drags you kicking and screaming through his prose. With a dash of Lansdale and a smattering of Martina's Wild Cards, the tales within inhabit the dark and nasty side of our souls, and throughout Boatman infuses it all with a keen wit and an eye for detail. And when he lets you up to breathe, like God, you might just find yourself laughing. This is the sort of stuff I like to read as the bells sound midnight. Paul Haines award-winning author of Doorways for the Dispossessed Boatman's debut collection will knock you down and kick you in the teeth. Alternatingly hysterical, grotesque, bizarre, and fantastic, Boatman's collection is a must-read for anyone itching to get their hands on fresh new fiction that pulls no punches. Ronald Damien Malfi, author of The Nature of Monsters and The Fall of Never Michael Boatman writes like a visitor from hell. Someone out on short term leave for bad behavior. I love this stuff. He's one of the new, and more than promising, writers making his mark, and a dark and wonderful mark it is. Joe R. Lansdale
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Merely Mary Ann
by Israel Zangwill
Lancelot stood at the hall door looking for a moment after his friend--the friend he had tried to cast out of his heart as a recreant. A rush of tender thoughts whelmed the musicians soul. Yes, life was sweet after all; he was a coward to lose heart so soon, and fame would yet be his.
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Under My Roof
by Nick Mamatas
The world of twelve-year-old telepath Herbert Weinberg explodes into chaos when his single father implants a nuclear device within a garden gnome on their front yard, an act of defiance after which their home becomes a sanctuary for malcontents and a target for government troops. Original.
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Fourtold
by Michael Stone
Four novellas of dark and darker fantasy from Michael Stone. Foreword by World Fantasy Award-winner Garry Kilworth.
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Heart Of Stone
by C.E. Murphy
Starred Review. Public defender Margrit Knight is enjoying a midnight run in Central Park when a strange man accosts her. Her instincts take over, and she flees. Later that night, she learns that a woman has been murdered near the site of the encounter. The prime suspect: Alban Korund, the man who approached her. The situation escalates as more women are found dead, and Alban seems to be stalking Margrit. He insists that he is not guilty and asks Margrit for her assistance. The hitch? Alban isn't human--he's a gargoyle, one of the five Old Races, and he can't take his case through the human legal system. Margrit has her doubts, but she enjoys a challenge and takes the case. However, clearing Alban's name means navigating a network of djinn, dragons, vampires, selkies, and gargoyles, all living among the humans of New York City--and they aren't always cooperative. There are enough dead ends, misdirection, and shady characters to keep mystery fans satisfied; the mild romantic elements will draw in romance readers; and fantasy aficionados will appreciate Murphy's (Urban Shaman) careful world-building. A satisfying beginning to a promising new urban fantasy series; highly recommended.--Nanette Donohue, Champaign P.L., IL Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
