Review: 2013 New Bizarro Author Series

I did it! When I first saw that all of the seven books from Eraserhead Press's 2013 New Bizarro Author Series were available for Kindle, I let out a loud cheer. I was waiting anxiously for this to happen ever since they originally came out. And I set the goal of reading and reviewing all of them before 2013 ended. I hope everyone who reads this post feels inspired by it to purchase the books, and to support this group of new authors.

Click here to buy this book

This was the first of the 2013 New Bizarro Author Series books I've read, and it kicked things off with a bang.

Jeremy works in a cemetery for appliances, and his head is slowly turning into a television. He meets a talking dog named Benjamin (not "Benny", or "Benji") and then they are kidnapped by a cult that calls itself "The Church of TV as God".

This book is that kind of small book that leaves you wanting for more information. It's like a cult movie, with all action depicted representing a slice of life. The reading is easy and very entertaining, the plot is solid, and altough there isn't much time for character development, all the action and plot makes up for that. Social commentary permeates this book, and forces us to look to ourselves, to our own obsession with TV.

Daniel Vlasaty is a name to watch out for in the future. His writing has what it takes to make it in the Bizarro community.

Click here to buy this book

This is a book for me.

A giant Atari cartridge attacks Denver, and it's up to Jimmy, a former child-prodigy video game contestant-turned Chuck E. Cheese employee, to get to the kill screen and save the world.

This is a solid book. It doesn't read like a first book by a young author. There's strong social commentary, on how we view tragedies in today's hyper-connected world. It's wildly entertaining and funny as hell. Jimmy is a sympathetic character, and we actualy feel bad about his sad existence.

The climax was a bit short for me, left me wanting more. But I guess this could be viewed as a compliment.

This is a great book, and Mrs. Billings will surely be a great addition to the Eraserhead Press's roster.

Click here to buy this book

Tom Clay is attacked in his home, with his wife and son, by a gang of vixens. They kill his son, kidnap his wife and leave him to die. An with this, Tom's journey begins. With a help of Mindy, a runaway vixen, he starts a quest for vengeance and to get his wife back.

This book is ultraviolent. It's like a Tarantino/Rodriguez movie. The narration is superb, an original voice found by the author, and the action is vivid, we can see it in front of us. It's like a noise rock album coming alive right in front of our eyes.

The super small sentences really work for me, permeating the text with an almost stream of consciousness-like feel.

Sensational book.

Click here to buy this book

Kid Phoenix is the baddest gangaster in all Marrowburg. Until one night, when he's ambushed by an unknown attacker, shot in the back and killed. But, after a stormy night at the hospital he was taken to, he reincarnates in the body of little Baby Jaydon, and there is where the fun begins.

This book reads like a noir-comedy, with Bizarro on top like a delicious gravy. The usual one-liners delivered by narrators in crime books are permeated with Bizarro and Surreal characteristics. It's funny as hell, and very entertaining.

And don't forget extra violent.

The scenes with the two cops are hilarious, and add depth to a otherwise linear tale of revenge.

All of the characters are different and surreal, including deranged travel agents, Progeria-inflicted cops, and of course the protagonist, the foul-mouthed gangster-turned-baby.

This is a very entertaining book, and the authors's surreal voice is one that will not die down in the Bizarro community, and beyond.

Click here to buy this book

This book is about a little old lady named Martha and her quest for revenge.

After losing a big high-school basketball game, Martha's grandson Charlie is blamed by the faculty. As a result, Charlie and his family are attacked and killed by the teachers, led by the evil principal Mr. Mayonnaise. Martha is injured in this attack, but she's saved by the Mascots, intelligent animals modeled after mascots for famous sports teams. In the Mascots's farm, Martha trains to became a lethal weapon and to exact vengeance on the people who killed her family.

This book is filthy and entertaining. And funny. Oh man, it is funny. Like "laughing out loud" funny. And it has all of the characteristics of a great Bizarro story: Violence, sex (yes... sex), gore, and funny moments.

A must read for all Bizarro fans, and a nice jumping point for someone looking to get into the Bizarro genre.

Click here to buy this book

A book about two geeks in a journey to save the Universe with a world-controlling video game? Sign me up for that!

Margy and Victor find a old video game with a disc stuck inside it. The disc is for a game called "Adamina", and there's a code scribbled on it. They punch in the code, and the God Mode is activated. They gain control of the OP (original player), and then find themselves caught in the center of a massive conspiracy.

This book is highly entertaining, and it raises some very intelligent questions about the nature of our existence. I can't say more, or else I'll enter spoiler territory. It's Intelligent Bizarro, and very well written by Andy de Fonseca. It doesn't read like a first book. I think Mrs. de Fonseca success will continue within the Bizarro community for years to come.

Click here to buy this book

Isobel and Dresden are lovers who are about to get married. The world around them is rotting away, some strange sickness that afflicts not only people, but even buildings and cars. Dresden's mother does not approve of the wedding, and goes to great lenghts to prevent it from happening. Now, separated from each other with a dying Earth in between, the two lovers must find each other before the end of all things.

"There's No Happy Ending" is a good description for this book, not just its title. We know right from the start that things will not end up well. But the love between Isobel and Dresden it's so strong (and so well-written by author Tiffany Scandal) that we can't help but root for them. We root for a Deus Ex Machina scenario, even though we know it's not coming. And it's love that drives this book, the infinite love one have for the other. All the violence and gore that follows are more of a filling, a way to make the apocalyptic quest more believable. The climax scene is scripted perfectly written, and we hope all through the end.

A fantastic, solid book.