tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37324005425956015832024-03-13T14:52:32.567-07:00Death by KillingReviews of Short FictionChris Rhatiganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05769089157184374652noreply@blogger.comBlogger409125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3732400542595601583.post-27594939723412201382014-03-08T01:39:00.000-08:002014-03-08T06:21:09.614-08:00All Due Respect Issue 2: Featuring Owen Laukkanen<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We're proud to have thriller author Owen Laukkanen on board for issue 2. He has a hell of a story about deep sea fishing, plus an interview with Chris F. Holm and a great non-fiction piece about his days out on the seas.<br /><br />We've also got some seriously dark fiction from CS DeWildt, David Siddall, Joseph Rubas, Eric Beetner, Liam Sweeny, and Scott Adlerberg. And we continue our quest to review every Hard Case Crime book. <div>
<br />If you like your fiction hardboiled/noir, this is your magazine. At <a href="http://www.amazon.com/All-Due-Respect-Issue-2-ebook/dp/B00IQKDHQU/ref=sr_sp-atf_title_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393831657&sr=8-1&keywords=all+due+respect+issue+2">Amazon US</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/All-Due-Respect-Issue-2-ebook/dp/B00IQKDHQU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1393831999&sr=8-1&keywords=all+due+respect+issue+2">Amazon UK</a>. <br /><br />Praise for All Due Respect:<br /><br />"All Due Respect... is full of bars and beatings, guns and grifters, not necessarily the kind of crime to cozy up with by the fire, unless it's one of those burning cars on the side of the road." -- David James Keaton, author of Fish Bites Cop<br /><br />"This is perhaps the best collection of noir and crime short stories I’ve come across." -- Big Al's Books and Pals</div>
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Chris Rhatiganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05769089157184374652noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3732400542595601583.post-22441105167413090162013-09-20T21:00:00.001-07:002013-09-20T21:00:40.850-07:00Out Now: Manifesto Destination by Alec Cizak<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Full Dark City Press has given a home to ADR founding editor Alec Cizak's wonderful novella, a strange blend of Philip K. Dick and Raymond Chandler.<br />
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Go check it out at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Manifesto-Destination-ebook/dp/B00F98KU44/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379735964&sr=8-1&keywords=manifesto+destination">Amazon</a>--six bucks for the paperback and two for the ebook. </div>
Chris Rhatiganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05769089157184374652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3732400542595601583.post-77119821083704660162013-08-30T10:26:00.001-07:002013-08-30T10:26:27.760-07:00The NEW All Due Respect<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
ADR is becoming a quarterly digital and hard copy magazine. And now we pay. <a href="http://all-due-respect.blogspot.in/2013/08/the-new-all-due-respect.html">Check it out.</a></div>
Chris Rhatiganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05769089157184374652noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3732400542595601583.post-27638994362771995612013-08-28T08:11:00.002-07:002013-08-28T08:11:10.912-07:00"Other People" at Disenthralled<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Got a bizarro piece up at Disenthralled, <a href="http://disenthralled.net/other-people/">"Other People."</a> <div>
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Here's a little bit from it: "I am a person of my word. This is something other people need to know about me. If I give my word, I do not go back on it. Unless I have a good reason to. Or I feel like it. Then I go back on my word very quickly."</div>
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Chris Rhatiganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05769089157184374652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3732400542595601583.post-19157929156944556602013-08-27T09:36:00.001-07:002013-08-27T18:22:25.544-07:00the kind of friends who murder each other<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Huge thanks to Mike Monson for<a href="http://mikemonson.org/2013/08/26/review-the-kind-of-friends-who-murder-each-other-by-chris-rhatigan/"> this</a> very sharp review of my book. He points out that it's the kind of book for people who like to read about bad shit going down--that's the kind of thing that makes you laugh makes you giddy. You're that kind of person, this is your book.<br />
<br />
I'm not much at promotion, but you can buy a cheap paperback <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kind-Friends-Murder-Each-Other/dp/061581039X/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1377621062&sr=8-7&keywords=chris+rhatigan">here</a> or go to Smashwords for the free version (link over there on the sidebar -->).</div>
Chris Rhatiganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05769089157184374652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3732400542595601583.post-84405989263592590572013-08-17T00:28:00.001-07:002013-08-17T01:54:46.158-07:00DangerRAMA by Danger Slater<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Czga_VXhO0Y/Ug8Zy2kUsZI/AAAAAAAAAdk/qvXtGinmxyk/s1600/danger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Czga_VXhO0Y/Ug8Zy2kUsZI/AAAAAAAAAdk/qvXtGinmxyk/s200/danger.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
Danger Slater's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/DangerRAMA-ebook/dp/B00DTFR9TS/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_kin?ie=UTF8&qid=1376729648&sr=8-1&keywords=dangerrama">latest collection of three bizarro novellas</a> is both wildly entertaining and intensely thoughtful.<br />
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My favorite of the bunch is "Knights of the White Castle." A mad scientist, recently fired from his job as a middle school science teacher, is taking a little breather from all that mad science to chow down some square burgers. But his detour ends up being apocalyptic when a gap is ripped in the space-time continuum (or something). I think Danger uses this as a vehicle to drop his characters into as much weird stuff as he can think of--including having Abraham Lincoln get to third base with Hitler and, of course, a defecating sky. <br />
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Each of these stories involves a surreal journey in which the characters are forced to ponder the big questions in life: Is saving humans worth sacrificing humanity? Are we making concious decisions or just following a track that someone else has set for us? If my hand becomes detached from my body and becomes personish, is sex with it/him still masturbation, gay, or something else?<br />
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Yeah, I could read this stuff all day.</div>
Chris Rhatiganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05769089157184374652noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3732400542595601583.post-17175768496834429792013-08-07T06:25:00.003-07:002013-08-07T06:25:47.374-07:00At Beat to a Pulp<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Charles Gramlish has two poems and a piece of prose-poetry that are just devastatingly good over at Beat to a Pulp.<br />
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What are you still doing here? <a href="http://www.beattoapulp.com/pulp.htm">Go check it out!</a></div>
Chris Rhatiganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05769089157184374652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3732400542595601583.post-51089487782318683692013-07-26T20:59:00.003-07:002013-07-26T20:59:17.918-07:00Criminal Love by Mike Monson<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
This short story collection starts off with two I published at All Due Respect, so I'm hardly an unbiased reviewer. That said, I chose those two because they do exactly what I look for at ADR--stories about criminals from a criminal's perspective. They ooze with grimy atmosphere and dark humor.<br />
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I had read many of these before, but enjoyed them on a second go around. In particular, "Heritage Classic," one of the more literary of the bunch that deals with identity crisis, proves to be a moving, detailed piece and one of my favorite short stories of the year.<br />
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This is a fast, fun read--a perfect way to kill a boring commute or a wait at the dentist's office. Check it out on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/CRIMINAL-LOVE-Other-Stories-ebook/dp/B00DT5KVUM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1374896955&sr=8-2&keywords=criminal+love">the Amazon's</a> for 99 cents.</div>
Chris Rhatiganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05769089157184374652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3732400542595601583.post-80401702317695722622013-07-20T22:29:00.003-07:002013-07-20T22:29:42.827-07:00Thunderbird by Jon Konrath<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BzIdh_BpWq0/UetxTaX9ORI/AAAAAAAAAcw/pAyDondPKp0/s1600/thunderbird.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BzIdh_BpWq0/UetxTaX9ORI/AAAAAAAAAcw/pAyDondPKp0/s200/thunderbird.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
Where the hell did this dude come from?<br />
<br />
Just the titles are jaw-dropping: "The Long John Silver Vinegar Douche Abortion Attempt Situation," "Bearded Women Shitting on Glass Tables Is Sort of My Thing," "Vehicular Handjobs and Pirate Hooks," "Fratboy Brad and the Clamato Aquarium of Doom."<br />
<br />
From that you should know whether this book is for you.<br />
<br />
Each story is from a first-person perspective--the narrator being some version of the author. The effect is that this reads more like a novel, except without a plot and only one character instead of a cast of characters. Nevertheless, the result is remarkably cohesive, each story a gallon of gonzo, fever dream insanity inside of a Sizzler's buffet of obscure American cultural references.<br />
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It's hard to put my finger on why this book is so damn good, but I think part of it is the details Konrath mines. Check out the opening line to "The Manuel Noriega/Yo Yo Ma UFC Matchup": "I was playing miniature golf with Diane Keaton and Kim Jong Il in a Dubai Montgomery Ward store and we stopped to eat a sheet cake off the ass of Orson Welles, meticulously decorated by a Kroger cashier to say 'Shove it up your cunt/you are so dumb' in thick gel frosting letters."<br />
<br />
YEEESSSSS!<br />
<br />
Soon as I finished <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Thunderbird-ebook/dp/B00DD04SQQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374384522&sr=8-1&keywords=thunderbird+jon+konrath">Thunderbird</a> I wanted to re-read it. Instead I went out and got another collection of his short stories, Fistful of Pizza, which was every bit as good.<br />
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Chris Rhatiganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05769089157184374652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3732400542595601583.post-41474601022688157132013-07-19T23:27:00.002-07:002013-07-20T22:06:57.785-07:00All Due Respect Updates<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So it's been too fucking long since I last posted, but you know, I'm a busy man or something.<br />
<br />
Anyway, go check out Steve Prusky's sharp, sad Vegas story <a href="http://all-due-respect.blogspot.in/2013/07/issue-56-july-2013.html">"Willy's Complaint"</a> and Ryan Sayles's deeply disturbing <a href="http://all-due-respect.blogspot.in/2013/07/issue-55-july-2013.html">"Push, Push, Push."</a><br />
<br />
And the All Due Respect team has doubled (from one to two!) with the addition of Mike Monson. Mike joined the online scene last year (I think...) and he's had a story up at the site and in the anthology. He also recently released a collection of short fiction, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/CRIMINAL-LOVE-Other-Stories-ebook/dp/B00DT5KVUM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374301467&sr=8-1&keywords=criminal+love+mike+monson">Criminal Love</a></i>, which you should pick up.<br />
<br />
I'll have a couple of exciting projects to announce and some reviews in the near future, so stay tuned. <br />
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Lastly but not leastly, if you're want to hone your short fiction chops, check out <a href="http://litreactor.com/classes/publish-or-perish-with-steve-weddle-august-2013">this class</a> with Needle Editor Steve Weddle over at LitReactor on how to best tailor your work for editors. I don't normally plug this kind of thing, but Steve edits what I consider the best crime fiction zine out there. Not to mention that he's an excellent writer and a class act. </div>
Chris Rhatiganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05769089157184374652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3732400542595601583.post-55907319559430023172013-06-13T09:29:00.002-07:002013-06-13T09:36:08.680-07:00Screw the Universe by Eirik Gumeny and Stephen Schwegler<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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A little while back I said something about how it's difficult to write funny. While that's true, Jersey Devil Press reliably produces very funny shit.<br />
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I found Danger Slater's <i>Love Me </i>and Eirik Gumeny's <i>Exponential Apocalypse </i>both hilarious, and <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Screw-the-Universe-ebook/dp/B005D2M7AQ/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_kin?ie=UTF8&qid=1371140919&sr=8-1&keywords=screw+the+universe">Screw the Universe</a> </i>is every bit as good.<br />
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The authors say they're glad the creators of <i>Futurama </i>didn't sue. It does have some overlap with that excellent TV show--a group of misfits bumble around space and shenanigans ensue--but <i>Futurama </i>never got one tenth this weird. I wasn't even sure what exactly was happening half the time, but that didn't matter because of the absurdist humor and constant stream of dick jokes.<br />
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This is chaotic, gory, sex-filled sci-fi bizarro that moves at the speed of, you know, something fast. I burned through it on the last couple of hours of an excruciatingly long flight--I don't think there's any better way to spend your 99 cents. </div>
Chris Rhatiganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05769089157184374652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3732400542595601583.post-38436667328343053002013-06-03T10:01:00.000-07:002013-06-03T10:01:06.586-07:00Exponential Apocalypse by Eirik Gumeny<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NITAHPQrvSQ/UarjIa36HsI/AAAAAAAAAcA/el62jp6Qfv4/s1600/exponential.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NITAHPQrvSQ/UarjIa36HsI/AAAAAAAAAcA/el62jp6Qfv4/s200/exponential.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002PDOQFA/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002PDOQFA&linkCode=as2&tag=jerdevpre-20">Exponential Apocalypse</a> is a train wreck of awesome. A cast of characters that includes a Norse god who works at a New Jersey hotel, a squirrel with telekinetic powers, and the clones of past minor American presidents and Queen Victoria. And a world that's undergone robot, zombie, werewolf apocalypses and just keeps on truckin toward inevitable death.<br />
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The first half of the novel is a collection of funny snippets in which we get to know the characters (or something). Then it morphs into every movie plot from the last twenty-odd years--insane supervillain intent on ending the world through destruction and, therefore, a ragtag team of not-quite-super heroes has to save the day. <br />
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Luckily this part is still quite original due to its sense of the absurd--and regardless of its originality it's as much fun as you can have with an electronic tablet. The final battle scene between good and evil proves to be one of the funniest parts of a very funny book.<br />
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Exponential Apocalypse is a glorious celebration of all that is weird. If you dig Andersen Prunty, Danger Slater, or Kevin Strange, then venture out into the ether for this one too.</div>
Chris Rhatiganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05769089157184374652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3732400542595601583.post-78811602503056577652013-06-01T19:23:00.000-07:002013-06-01T19:23:07.270-07:00At All Due Respect: Eddie McNamara<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Man, do I have a fucking story for you.<br />
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Run, don't walk, over to All Due Respect and check out <a href="http://all-due-respect.blogspot.in/2013/06/issue-53-june-2013.html">"The Days of Swine and Roses"</a> by Eddie McNamara. What an original voice this dude has. <br />
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If you're done with that and you have like nothing else to do (loser) you can stroll over to <a href="http://www.outofthegutteronline.com/2013/05/chris-rhatigan-no-respect-not-even_31.html">Out of the Gutter </a>where Ryan Sayles and I throw around juvenile humor and occasionally talk writing.</div>
Chris Rhatiganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05769089157184374652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3732400542595601583.post-10359435896637313332013-05-24T06:46:00.000-07:002013-05-24T06:46:28.781-07:00Story at Shotgun Honey<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I've got one up at Shotgun Honey today, <a href="http://www.shotgunhoney.net/2013/05/interview-with-an-asshole-by-chris-rhaigan.html">"Interview with an Asshole."</a> And, indeed, the story delivers on its title.<br />
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I've always harbored a hatred for job interviews. Such a bunch of bullshit. This story sprung from my hatred of the question, "Why do you want to work here?"<br />
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It also features an asshole boss, perhaps my favorite stock character.</div>
Chris Rhatiganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05769089157184374652noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3732400542595601583.post-86739234127241930632013-05-21T22:21:00.001-07:002013-05-21T22:21:46.448-07:00Why Free?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
So some people have asked why I give my books away for free.<br />
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The answer is simple: Writing is not my job.<br />
<br />
But this has a big payoff--I get to write whatever the hell I want. I'm not concerned about demographics or marketing or target audiences or blah blah blah. I just write stuff that I would like to read, then put it out in the world. It's cool when other people stumble upon my books and dig them too.<br />
<br />
A couple of the anthologies I've worked on have a made few bucks to cover expenses and that kind of thing, but, at this point, I don't have any intention of making money off my writing. Not because I'm some kind of artistic purist, that's just not where I'm at right now.<br />
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Writing is not work to me. Selling my writing is work, and I don't need to do any more work than I already do.<br />
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Anyway, here's my novella, <i><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/310929">The Kind of Friends Who Murder Each Other,</a> </i>and a book of short stories, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Watch-You-Drown-ebook/dp/B0070BFZW0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1369199925&sr=8-1&keywords=watch+you+drown">Watch You Drown.</a> </i>They're both free.<i> </i></div>
Chris Rhatiganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05769089157184374652noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3732400542595601583.post-91572177135260757992013-05-19T02:44:00.001-07:002013-05-19T09:17:52.294-07:00Robamapocalypse by Kevin Strange<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5HJTYuSdaE0/UZieZd1ThTI/AAAAAAAAAbM/gtP5KayVxYc/s1600/roboma.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5HJTYuSdaE0/UZieZd1ThTI/AAAAAAAAAbM/gtP5KayVxYc/s200/roboma.jpg" width="128" /></a></div>
Sometimes you know how fucking great a book will be just from its premise. A not-too-distant future giant robot Lord Obama controls the masses through zombie ultimate fighting.<br />
<br />
Yeah, let's do that.<br />
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I heard about this book on Chris Boyle's <a href="http://bizarrocast.blgospot.com/">Bizarrocast </a>and went out into the ether and bought it. It's every bit as enjoyable and nutty as I anticipated.<br />
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In his intro, Strange makes it clear that this is an apolitical work. And surely this is a bizarre expedition into a parallel reality that leaves politics or anything else boring*, far behind. This read like a great, old school video game--a fast, furious adventure filled with non-stop carnage. <br />
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Don't confuse this with your typical post apocalypse book that takes itself way too seriously and is all dark and brooding and crap. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Robamapocalypse-Kevin-Strange/dp/1480231851/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1368956464&sr=8-1&keywords=robamapocalypse">Robama Pocalypse</a> just kicks ass.<br />
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* I'm a politics and government teacher, but I like to keep my politics reading and my fiction reading separate.</div>
Chris Rhatiganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05769089157184374652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3732400542595601583.post-1237828392548431292013-05-08T08:36:00.001-07:002013-05-08T08:37:44.264-07:00Mastodon Farm by Mike Kleine<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vbCouBhNH24/UYpv7sZFg1I/AAAAAAAAAac/DElPvWPXRLw/s1600/mastodon+farm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vbCouBhNH24/UYpv7sZFg1I/AAAAAAAAAac/DElPvWPXRLw/s200/mastodon+farm.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0099HF43S/ref=cm_cr_mts_prod_img">Mastodon Farm</a> </i>is an experience.<br />
<br />
It is about you. You are famous. Or at least you hang out with many famous people. You always listen to music when you drive your Ferrari. You like the band Vampire Weekend. You go places and do things and then go other places and do other things or the same things.<br />
<br />
That's about it.<br />
<br />
This book is simultaneously vague (there is no reason why you do these things, or even detailed descriptions of what you are doing) and specific (almost everything you do is linked to some pop culture material, a band, an actor, a clothing company, an author).<br />
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Each mention of one of these pop culture bits brings a flood of images and thoughts and feelings to mind, but then each one is hardly ever more then mentioned, each has no significance to it. This got me thinking that we falsely associate significance with pop culture material, when in reality these things tell us nothing about a person's (or a character's) identity. I don't know if that was Kleine's intention, but that's what I got out of it.<br />
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I also felt overwhelmed. The pure sensory experience of thinking of so many pop culture things made me exhausted, but in a strangely satisfying way.<br />
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Someone who blurbed the book said it was like watching twelve hours of TV on a Sunday. That seems apt to me--I was entertained, did nothing, then felt tired after doing it.<br />
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This is a smooth, lightning fast blaze through land of the absurd and one of the best bizarro books I've read.</div>
Chris Rhatiganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05769089157184374652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3732400542595601583.post-8467217319479736412013-05-04T05:10:00.000-07:002013-05-04T05:10:09.957-07:00A Bouquet of Bullets by Eric Beetner<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Nothing goes together better than flowers and crime fiction.<br />
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I think.<br />
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Wait, that doesn't seem right.<br />
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Whatever.<br />
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Anyway, Eric Beetner's short story collection, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bouquet-Of-Bullets-Eric-Beetner/dp/1478333731">A Bouquet of Bullets</a></i>, in many ways harkens back to golden age of pulp writers. This is narrative-driven stuff flavored with cordite and regret.<br />
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I had read several of these before, such as "My Asshole Brother," "What the Dog Saw," "Countdown," and "Why Are Mommy and Daddy Fighting?", but they proved entertaining and interesting the second time around. Beetner's smooth storytelling style is a joy to read and I burned through these quickly.<br />
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He has a knack for the classic stories that would be boring in a less capable writer's hands. Two stories about that well-worn subject, the hit man's retirement--"The Last Bullet" and "Hit...Me"--proved to be some of the best in the collection. At his best, Beetner's work is moving without being sentimental.<br />
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This is particularly true of the closing story, "Without a Body, There Is No Crime." The term chilling is over-used, but if you read this story, I think you'll agree that at the end, you feel physically colder than when you started it. It's probably the most convincing "harmless teenager morphs into killer" story that I've read.<br />
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This one from Snubnose Press is a steal at only <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bouquet-Of-Bullets-Eric-Beetner/dp/1478333731">$1.99 at Amazon</a>. </div>
Chris Rhatiganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05769089157184374652noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3732400542595601583.post-7570772397249403452013-04-29T07:05:00.000-07:002013-04-29T07:05:48.611-07:00The Kind of Friends Who Murder Each Other<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I'm going to level with you: This is the best thing I've written.<div>
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It's out today. And it's free.</div>
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It's about how three friends confess crimes to each other for no reason, then become really unhinged. It's about smoking and instant coffee and terrible bosses. It's about angry assholes and mopping floors. </div>
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<i>The Kind of Friends Who Murder Each Other</i> is now available <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/310929">here</a>. </div>
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Or you can pay $3 for a nice paperback from <a href="http://kuboapress.wordpress.com/kuboa-series-2/">KUBOA</a>. </div>
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Here's what some writers I respect are saying about it:</div>
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"There are a number of writers out there who are playing with noir fiction and bending and shaping it in new ways. Think John Rector, Eric Beetner or Heath Lowrance. If they’re writers you dig, you should add Chris Rhatigan to the list. He has his own style and that comes to the fore in <i>The Kind Of Friends Who Murder Each Other</i>. Truth be told, I was bowled over by the end of the first chapter; from then on he just kept on hurling the balls at me and his characters until things had to end. This book is taut, strong and put together like an old classic. Don’t miss out." -- Nigel Bird, author of <i>Smoke</i> and <i>In Loco Parentis</i><br />
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"The storytelling is in the nuance here. It strolls along with a gritty, flat-line pulse, lulling the reader with paranoid details and untrustworthy narration. Then comes the hay maker and Rhatigan owns the moment. Over and over again." -- Ryan Sayles, author of <i>The Subtle Arts of Brutality</i><br />
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"<i>The Kind Of Friends Who Murder Each Other</i> is filled with losers, from the narrator Simon to his pals Mackey and Slade, all the way down to the bartender who no doubt enjoys Springsteen's 'Born To Run,' so much so that it plays four times before the first page is gone. The thing about these losers, though? We know each and every one of them. Some of us may even be them, in one form or fashion. And that's what makes the book hit like a sledgehammer between the eyes. Read it and weep, kids." -- Christopher Grant, Editor/Publisher of <i>A Twist Of Noir</i></div>
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Chris Rhatiganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05769089157184374652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3732400542595601583.post-78798986000778885522013-04-17T09:05:00.000-07:002013-04-17T09:05:21.074-07:00Five You Can't Miss: Brian Panowich<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Considering I’m such a noob to the online crime fiction community, I still find myself lurking around the dark corners of the Internet trying to find the best stories out there. This column (Five You Can't Miss) has been invaluable for turning me on to some of the best writing I’ve ever seen, so I invited myself over to maybe return the favor.<br /><br />1. Hatpin By Jen Conley <br />Ms. Conley has consistently turned out some of the best fiction on the planet, and this one over at Shotgun Honey is where my love affair with her stuff began. It’s full of hard as nails female characterization and a lesson in making every word count. Mary Mulligan is my dream girl. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.shotgunhoney.net/2012/05/hatpin-by-jen-conley.html">http://www.shotgunhoney.net/2012/05/hatpin-by-jen-conley.html</a> <br /><br />2. Seeds By Chris Leek <br />Chris can throw dialogue into any situation, or timeframe, like it’s nobody’s business. From the world of a hardened black jack dealer in <a href="http://tirbd.com/grift/?p=833">Pigeon</a>, over at Grift Magazine, to trailer trash jargon like <a href="http://www.outofthegutteronline.com/2012/07/redheaded-woman_12.html">A Redheaded Woman</a>, at The Flash Fiction Offensive, but nothing compares to the old western revenge tale Seeds, at The Big Adios. You would think Mr. Leek grew up on a mountain learning how to talk by listening to his uncles and cousins while they brewed up another batch ‘o shine. As good or better than any script Sergio Leone worked from. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.thebigadios.com/2013/02/seeds-by-chris-leek.html">http://www.thebigadios.com/2013/02/seeds-by-chris-leek.html</a> <br /><br />3. Pit Stop By Les Edgerton <br />I bought the first issue of Noir Nation Magazine on a whim, not knowing who Les Edgerton was. It included his story Pit Stop and I read it in a fever. It was full of matter-of-fact straight talk that bowled me over. Not once did it feel like “writing”. That shit is what I had been looking for. Lucky for me (and you) the story was an excerpt from the BEST BOOK I’ve read in years called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Just-Like-That-Les-Edgerton/dp/0615572227/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1361726988&sr=8-5&keywords=les+edgerton">JUST LIKE THAT</a>. Buy it. Read it. Break something. You’re welcome.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Noir-Nation-International-Journal-ebook/dp/B005JTMIPW/ref=la_B000APH7SI_1_15?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1361726865&sr=1-15">http://www.amazon.com/Noir-Nation-International-Journal-ebook/dp/B005JTMIPW/ref=la_B000APH7SI_1_15?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1361726865&sr=1-15</a> <br /><br />4. Folded Blue By John Rector<br />I know this story was written in 2011, but it’s new to me, so I’m breaking the rules a bit. Sometimes a story taps into something so raw and primal that the reader has no choice but to carry it around with them forever. There’s no un-ringing the bell. It’s yours now, whether you want it or not. That’s Folded Blue by John Rector over at Shotgun Honey. It’s the literary equivalent to a layer of greasy film you can’t scrub off. It’s brilliant.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.shotgunhoney.net/2011/05/folded-blue-by-john-rector.html">http://www.shotgunhoney.net/2011/05/folded-blue-by-john-rector.html</a> <br /><br />5. Push, Push, Push By Ryan Sayles<br />I’m going to catch a little grief for including Ryan on this list, considering he’s a good friend of mine, and we’ve written a few books together (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cmon-Do-Apocalypse-Brian-Panowich/dp/0615760821/ref=la_B00963YW2E_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1361729126&sr=1-1">SEE HERE</a>), but you know what? Fuck ‘em. The guy can write. I’m going to bend the rules a little further by recommending a story no one has read yet except the editors who keep rejecting it. (Yes, it’s that good.) In 2011, Sayles and I both submitted some stories to an anthology that was kicking off, and we both got rejected. I asked him to send it to me, and I can see why it keeps getting turned down.<br /><br />Because it’s fucking brilliant. <br /><br />Sometimes the world needs time to catch up to genius, or maybe they’re just scared. The story is one huge chunk of dread that sits on your chest and squeezes the life out of you. You know what’s coming. You know you can’t stop it. And as horrific as the ending is, it had to be that way. It makes sense. The world is a fucked up place. Anyway, all you editors looking for the next greatest thing, go read Push, Push, Push by Ryan Sayles and publish it, so the rest of the whole can be in the know. You can reach him at his personal email address <a href="mailto:ryan.sayles@gmail.com">ryan.sayles@gmail.com</a> or his private cell phone number 510-379-8640. Again, you’re welcome.</div>
Chris Rhatiganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05769089157184374652noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3732400542595601583.post-31605167001809347862013-04-13T23:28:00.001-07:002013-04-13T23:34:59.940-07:00Who Is Killing the Great Capes of Heropa? by Andrez Bergen<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Andrez Bergen is an interesting cat. His first three books, in many ways, are very different from one another.<i> </i>One's a classic detective fiction dystopia mash up; the next is an exploration into the nether regions of the afterlife; and his most recent, <i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/WhoIsKillingTheGreatCapesOfHeropa">Who Is Killing the Great Capes of Heropa?</a></i>, is an homage to comic books and draws from the work of Philip K. Dick.<br />
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Actually, homage isn't really what's going on here--it's almost an investigation of the assumptions comic books are based on. You see, Heropa is a futuristic virtual reality set up with super heroes, villains, and blandos (all the people who super heroes save). The world has become such a terrible place that people have totally given up on it and they journey to Heropa mentally, if not physically. Heropa is a fundamentally (and mechanically) broken place, where the super heroes and the blandos resent each other and everything seems to be falling apart.<br />
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Bergen uses this premise as a vehicle to poke at a bunch of interesting questions: What does being a super hero mean? Would a world with super heroes be better or worse? What about all those people who the super heroes "save"? Are they real people or just objects? Can virtual reality be as important as reality?<br />
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And this is what I dig about Bergen's work in general--he takes entertaining plots and characters and uses them to explore deeper issues. Yet he's never didactic or navel-gazing; he walks the tight rope expertly.<br />
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After three books, it's clear that Bergen doesn't confine himself to one genre. In fact, he prefers to mix and blend genres with gleeful abandon. Y<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">et </span>there is consistency. He creates some of the most wildly imaginative places you will ever encounter in fiction. He has perfect pitch for witty dialog and cultural references. And his characters are fascinating people who you'll want to hang out with.<br />
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<i>Who Is Killing the Great Capes of Heropa?</i> is both an entertaining and challenging read for comic book lovers and the rest of us alike.</div>
Chris Rhatiganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05769089157184374652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3732400542595601583.post-19576354582336198012013-04-09T05:57:00.001-07:002013-04-09T06:01:44.202-07:00I wrote a book<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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So my book, <i><a href="http://kuboapress.wordpress.com/kuboa-series-2/">The Kind of Friends Who Murder Each Other</a>, </i>is now available through KUBOA Press for pre-order. The print version is only $3. There will be a free ebook available April 30.<br />
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I'm terribly excited about this. First of all, I've wanted to work with Pablo D'Stair ever since I read the ridiculously good Trevor English series, and I was thrilled when he decided to make my little novella part of KUBOA's 2013 catalogue. Second, I think this book is the best representation of my work.<br />
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It's at the intersection of bizarro and crime. It's about the arbitrary nature of, well, everything. It's about the fall from the curb to the gutter. It's about clock-watching, friendship, smoking, minimum-wage jobs, nihilism, bad coffee, generic America, and boss-hating. At the end of this book, you will have learned zero life lessons and will probably feel like shit.<br />
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Rather than summing up the plot, I'll let AJ Hayes tell you about it in perhaps the best blurb ever written, which is really more of a story in and of itself:<br />
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"It was one of those nights that Raymond Chandler talked about in the opening paragraph of Red Wind. You know those nights, the ones that make you realize you've done the same things on the same night with the same guys for what seems an eternity. The ones where even the air is thick and still and motionless. Where everything moves slow and turgid and without purpose. And you get the feeling that none of the here you inhabit is real. You get the feeling that you and those guys are like bugs in amber. That a thousand years from now you and those guys will be sitting there, at the same time, on that same night, stuck. That kind of night.<br />
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Then one of you says something. Tells you something so unexpected it sets in motion events none of you ever dreamed could happen. And that surety of sameness shatters. And the roller coaster crests the first hill and down down down you go, getting slammed every which way in the turns, feeling the world end in the drop aways and all the while, picking up a velocity that you know is as terminal as a magnum round to the forehead.<br />
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Yeah, <i>Friends Who Murder Each Other</i> is like that. Just like that. And it's one helluva ride."</div>
Chris Rhatiganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05769089157184374652noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3732400542595601583.post-43134252467786721152013-04-06T00:18:00.000-07:002013-04-06T00:18:08.447-07:00C'mon and Do the Apocalypse by Brian Panowich and Ryan Sayles<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Zelmer Pulp is putting out the kind of books that I have always assumed would gain popularity with the advent of electronic books--short, entertaining collections of novellas (or novelettes or whatever the hell you want to call them), something that the big publishing houses will never do.<br />
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<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cmon-And-Apocalypse-Volume-ebook/dp/B00APIEK12">C'mon and Do the Apocalypse</a> </i>is two zombie stories (FREE this weekend) I thoroughly enjoyed. Brian Panowich's "My Wife Dawn...and the Dead" takes a standard suburban family and plops them in the center of the apocalypse. One would assume this would lead to social critiques of suburban life and consumerism and blah blah blah, but Panowich follows a different path, instead making these everyday people flawed and likeable. Despite the ensemble cast, I found myself rooting for these characters to beat the odds. The violence is controlled and real--especially when a calloused teenager has to take out her own sister. And the ending is touching without any sentimentality... or, for that matter, hope.<br />
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Ryan Sayles brings the nasty (even for a zombie story) in "28 Days of Mutilated Zombie Whores Later." It's about Nelson who (appropriately enough...) runs a brothel of zombie whores. This is a classic zombie blood bath complete with a bunch of unredeemable characters who probably didn't have a shred of humanity before the apocalypse. It's all good, pulpy fun--and delivers a completely disgusting, satisfying ending.<br />
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Zelmer Pulp has also released <a href="http://www.amazon.com/That-Robot-Baby-Volume-ebook/dp/B00BW6KWHC/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1"><i>Hey, That Robot Ate My Baby</i>,</a> with five sci-fi stories that promise to be both mind-bending and offensive. </div>
Chris Rhatiganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05769089157184374652noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3732400542595601583.post-57646413691890793812013-03-23T21:05:00.001-07:002013-03-23T21:05:24.194-07:00The Monstrous Ego of Ryan Sayles: Five You Could Miss<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i>Ryan Sayles sent me the garbage that I have deposited below. In his staggering megalomania, he somehow thought that he was supposed to write about five of <b>his own</b> stories. I wasn't going to publish it, but then I realized that by publishing it I was providing a public service--letting the world know NOT to read anything by this dangerously insane manchild.</i></div>
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<i>Proceed at your own risk...</i></div>
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I’m a cop. The other night I dealt with a dude who was hurting bad for a fix and ready to throw down because I was the only man standing in his way. I told him he didn’t want to push this thing any farther because I don’t lose.<br /><br />Later that night, he called me to apologize. Because he lost. Anyways, the point is, he recognized (Urban Dictionary: 1) respect; give honor by public acknowledgement… 3) When you disrespect someone, and they in turn burn your ass, you must "RECOGNIZE". Sometimes followed by a quick "HELL YEAH!"). As he should. As all people should. Because I am incredible.<br /><br />However, it got me thinking. Above all else, there is one man who must recognize my glory in all things. There is one man who, without a constant reminder of my vast set of skills and abilities, might one day fall short. That man is me. If I don’t take the time out to really reflect on what I have done for mankind, how my presence has brought joy and wonder to a bleak world, how can I expect-nay, demand, that others do the same?<br /><br />So, it’s recognizing time. Hell yeah. You’re welcome, because this is a gift.<br /><br />28 Days of Mutilated Zombies Whores Later – Fellow author Brian Panowich and I made a pact to give the world the greatest zombie stories ever. He failed, but that’s understandable. He’s not me. I delivered. My story, set two years after a worldwide zombie apocalypse, is about a man who runs a zombie harem and sells the undead prostitute’s services to scavengers in return for survival goods. One man decides to pay with a living woman and everything, well, stops running smoothly. This story rules because when people finish it, they ask, “What the f*ck is wrong with Sayles?”<br /><br />By which, of course, they mean no disrespect. They better not.<br /><br />They’re recognizing my ability to baffle them with incredibleness. It’s all in the plot twists, baby.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.thecrimefactory.com/2011/12/issue-7/">The Roach Motel Reputation</a> – This is under the pen name Derek Kelly. At the time I was a stage dancer (a lot of lesser dudes complain about how the T-backs can really cut into your ass but I enjoyed the burn) and it made sense to write under my glitter name. This story features my private detective Richard Dean Buckner (why yes, I did write a novel about him) as he storms a bar that caters to sexual deviants. He’s looking for a murderer, blah blah blah. This story rules because—and I don’t care who you are—any story based around abusing child molesters deserves the story version of a steak dinner and a happy ending.<br /><br />People recognize my ability to exude testosterone and all that is deliciously manly. It’s all in my musk, baby.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.shotgunhoney.net/2012/06/grease-monkey-bokor-by-ryan-sayles.html">Grease Monkey Bokur</a> – When I say something, it’s true. Even if that means people have to realize what they’ve believed all along is false simply because I just contradicted it. So, let me put Al Gore at ease and say global warming doesn’t exist.<br /><br /><div>
There. Because I said it, Mother Nature will recognize and stop heating up. Sorry Al, better luck with whatever hippie religion you start next.<br /><br />In this story, I state that mechanics are better than doctors. What people found so shocking about that absolute fact was I only needed 700 words to make it true (EL James wrote three entire novels claiming some torture porn douche was what all women wanted and that never made it true). Sorry doctors, better luck with paying off those school loans while simultaneously learning how to work on a transmission if you want to continue being “a healer.”<br /><br />People recognize my ability to make it so by sheer act of will. It’s all in my “I am because I am,” baby.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.fictionontheweb.co.uk/2012/07/junior-detective-by-ryan-sayles.html">Junior Detective</a> – Some of the great satire of our time—The Office, The Onion, The Biggest Loser—needs me before they are simply written off by history as “the poor man’s Junior Detective.” In this gem of literature (or, for me, what is considered my daily warm-up) I dissect the inner workings of the Common Man, embodied here as a humble hospital security officer who is working against the odds to save the day. Seinfeld, Jon Stewart, The New Yorker, you guys can learn something about your craft here. Hell, you’ll get your doctorate here.<br /><br />People recognize my ability to acutely capture the iconic human spirit in ways so fresh and invigorating that it makes both Leo Tolstoy and Mark Twain look like bitches. It’s all in the unique perspective, baby.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.outofthegutteronline.com/2012/09/collection.html">Collection</a> – I like this story because the last few paragraphs bother people on a deep, deep level. Some folks spend their whole lives hoping, praying for the opportunity to affect just one person. Just one. Just plant one little seed that might grow into a fruitful experience. Just one? Ha. One is for losers who don’t deserve to share the same sunlight as me. I affect millions. I make it happen. Every day when I wake up and snap the waistband of my tightie-whities (I retired the T-backs along with my always-used-out-of-context Mueller Runner’s Lube and rape whistle) people exhale in relief that I’m still around to give them purpose. That’s when you know you’ve had an effect on people, when they consider suicide the only option if you’re not there to inspire them.<br /><br />People recognize my influence towards a better world. It’s all in being a guiding light, baby.</div>
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Chris Rhatiganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05769089157184374652noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3732400542595601583.post-59735832285585128452013-03-18T05:27:00.002-07:002013-03-18T05:27:35.931-07:00Mrs. Yu Sheng at Bizarrocast and ADR<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I have a story over at Bizarrocast, <a href="http://bizarrocast.blogspot.in/">"Mrs. Yu Sheng." </a>I've never heard one of my stories read aloud before, so this was pretty cool. Chris Boyle does a splendid job, as always.<br />
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I received a spam email from a Mrs. Yu Sheng and thought, "Hmm... what if this was all true?" And a story was born. I think it's one of my funnier stories and I hope you enjoy it.<br />
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AND a fantastic story by Mike Monson at All Due Respect, <a href="http://all-due-respect.blogspot.in/2013/03/issue-48-march-2013.html">"Victor Blank is a Sonofabitch."</a> It's the kind of trashy noir I can't get enough of.</div>
Chris Rhatiganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05769089157184374652noreply@blogger.com1