How did I become the writer I am today? Books, of course. Anyone who tells you that reading isn’t important for writing is a stinking liar. I can trace my evolution of thought and style precisely by examining the books that made the greatest impact on me. The Cloven Viscount & the Nonexistent Knight by … Continue reading Bizarre Books That Made Me a Writer
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Author Interview: Gina Ranalli
Gina Ranalli has been in bizarro fiction since the beginning. She even helped come up with the name after once describing her work as “mondo bizarro.” Like many of the Featured Authors, I discovered her work through the Bizarro Starter Kits. Her novella Suicide Girls in the Afterlife made me an instant fan. Since then … Continue reading Author Interview: Gina Ranalli
The Carlton Mellick Challenge
No one possesses a larger or more renowned oeuvre in the bizarro community than Carlton Mellick III (or CM3). It was in fact his novel Satan Burger that catalyzed the genre in the first place. Putting out roughly three books a year since 2001, he has a bibliography of over 60 books. It was this … Continue reading The Carlton Mellick Challenge
Author Interview: Douglas Hackle
Amy M. Vaughn, bizarro author and friend of the blog, describes Douglas Hackle as "the best bizarro absurdist in the business." He is the author of two short novels and two collections and was nominated for the Wonderland Award. I discovered Hackle’s work in the Red volume of The Bizarro Starter Kit and soon encountered … Continue reading Author Interview: Douglas Hackle
Women in Bizarre Fiction, Pt. 1
This week I’m taking a look at some of my favorite female authors on the bizarre fiction scene and their work. Some I’ve mentioned previously on this blog, but I feel the need to trumpet them, as they are just that good. -- Gina Ranalli Swarm of Flying Eyeballs It would not be a list … Continue reading Women in Bizarre Fiction, Pt. 1
My Bizarro Experience
Bizarro fiction has changed my life. I believe I can say that without exaggeration or sentimentality. Writing in the genre has freed me from constantly censoring my work because it’s “too weird,” allowing me to write what I want to write. Reading it has taken me to new worlds that I never thought possible, … Continue reading My Bizarro Experience
Author Interview: Mark Zirbel
Like many of the Featured Authors on this blog, I met Mark Zirbel at BizarroCon, introduced to me by Charles Muir. At the time, Mark gave me a small chapbook containing his story “Notes on the Propagation of Angels,” a series of vignettes beautifully strung together and set in a fascinating dystopian future. When I … Continue reading Author Interview: Mark Zirbel
Author Interview: Roland Blackburn
At BizarroCon 11, I took a small workshop with legendary horror author John Skipp. With me in the class was a long-haired, barbate writer named Roland Blackburn. It wasn’t until a year later that I actually read his work and if you’ve read my review of his novella The Flesh Molder’s Love Song, you know … Continue reading Author Interview: Roland Blackburn
4 Authors’ Favorite Bizarre Books, Pt. 2
This blog is full of books I admire and love, but I thought I’d switch things up. Back by popular demand, I’ve enlisted four of my favorite bizarro authors to share with us their favorite bizarre books. See Part One here. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood Recommended by Danger Slater, author of Impossible James … Continue reading 4 Authors’ Favorite Bizarre Books, Pt. 2
Horror Profile: T.J. Tranchell
I know this blog is dedicated to the bizarre, but sometimes I feel I need to share an author with the world that doesn’t fit into that category. Hence my first (and probably my last) “Horror Profile.” T.J. Tranchell is the author of the novel Cry Down Dark and two collections Asleep in the Nightmare … Continue reading Horror Profile: T.J. Tranchell
