The Best of Bizarro Fiction: Vol. 2 by Planet Bizarro

The Best of Bizarro Fiction: Vol. 2 Reviews

• 
  Matthew

  Is it a mixed bag? Sure, all anthologies are, especially ones from a variety of different authors.
  
  But it can especially be a mixed bag because "Bizarro," as a genre, is so broad. If you're unfamiliar, this means fiction that is primarily interested in just being weird. At least one story, The "Jigrugsaw," is surprisingly wholesome. (Note: It is alone in this. The vast majority of these stories are quite unwholesome.) "THERE IS ONLY ONE REAL GOD AND YOU WILL NOT LIKE HIM" is, I think, an extremely effective horror piece while still being real weird. Some, like "Gutworm Hentai," seem very deliberately written for absurd humor, and effectively strike a tone so alien and bizarre that even their offensive humor is (somewhat) neutered. (But the humor in "Gutworm" in particular is about as offensive as it sounds from the title)
  
  A sort of nihilistic comedy tends to be where the vast majority of stories fall. The anthology starts us off with this with "CTHULHU COMMETH" and "David Goes Running," presenting stories that really don't value or believe in their characters in a way that is likely intentional. "The Oxymoron Salesman" is bizarro at its most bizarre, so intangible in its core topic that it quickly becomes about sheer unpredictability at its core. We return to nihilistic humor for three stories, "Giant Sphincter Growing on my Wall," "Tacos" and "Everyone Smile: It's Epy's Doo-dooseum and Glucy's Pooscapes." The latter may be divisive for its choice to use absolutely insane made-up vocabulary, combined with its sheer length. I knew what I was getting in for, and this story still pushed me. "The Pornographer's Tears" doesn't push the bizarro angle as hard (in that it doesn't have as many weird, disparate elements combining), but can still be a fun comedy-revenge story in which a sleazeball gets what's coming. "Mortal Coil," written by the anthology's editor, is also surprisingly not *that* weird. It's an apocalypse story written about an extremely unscientific what-if, and has a full-blown tragic ending.
  
  In short: not for the easily offended. Often grotesquely graphically sexual in ways that are far from erotic. But very often hilarious if you have a twisted sense of humor.
  
  "The Jigrugsaw" might be my favorite, and I think I'd like to see more weird stories like this that have a sentimental heart. Though as a horror fan I also loved "THERE IS ONLY ONE GOD..." (etc) and I think it was a great ending.
• 
  Monica

  Full review pending.
• 
  Margaret Hamnett

  As always the bizarro world does not disappoint. Although there were ones that stood out like the jigrugsaw which was ultimately a sweet love story in the end there was plenty of the usual things. Fatal coil springs, a chick magnet parasitic worm(not a euphemism), a horny Cthulhu and a strange sphincter anomaly on someone’s apartment wall.
  My personal favourite was by Peter Caffrey, the pornographer’s tears. A great story about a panda and revenge.
  This anthology was put together by the always fabulous Matthew Clarke and I believe he snuck his own high jinx filled and ball bouncingly funny story in as well about murderous coils.
  Not one dull moment anywhere, whether it’s hilarious, terrifying or downright naughty. Another hit for Planet Bizarro.