There's a new genre rising from the underground. Its name: BIZARRO. For years, readers have been asking for a category of fiction dedicated to the weird, crazy, cult side of storytelling that has become a staple in the film industry (with directors such as David Lynch, Takashi Miike, Tim Burton, and even Lloyd Kaufman) but has been largely ignored in the literary world, until now. The Bizarro Starter Kit features short novels and story collections by ten of the leading authors in the bizarro genre: Russell Edson, Athena Villaverde, David Agranoff, Matthew Revert, Andrew Goldfarb, Jeff Burk, Garrett Cook, Kris Saknussemm, Cody Goodfellow, and Cameron Pierce.
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Editorial Reviews
From the Inside Flap
"The Bizarro literary movement is the ultimate in outsider lit." - 3AM Magazine
"The literary equivalent of a David Lynch or Tim Burton film ... These stories offer a glimpse into a rising genre that functions like the cult movie section in your local video store." - Horror World
"[Bizarro is] universally intriguing, thoughtful, intelligent and, most importantly, a hell of a lot of fun." - The Pedestal Magazine
"Sometimes comic, sometimes violent, sometimes sexually graphic (if not all of the above) and adolescently fearless to offend." - Details Magazine
"Bizarro fiction is by turns repulsive, stupid, and crude. But at its best, it is also compelling, intelligent, and well-written. Any literary genre that can be both bad and good at the same time is worth reading." - The Guardian
Even though the Bizarros are underground cult outsiders, they still have gained an incredible amount of respect in the publishing industry, having been praised by the likes of Chuck Palahniuk, Christopher Moore, William Gibson, Alan Moore, Piers Anthony, Cory Doctorow, and Charles de Lint, to name a few, as well as the publications Asimov's Science-fiction, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science-fiction, Cemetery Dance, Fangoria, Wizard Magazine, Publishers Weekly, The Washington Post, The Guardian, and The Face, among many others. They have also been finalists for the Philip K Dick Award, the Bram Stoker Award, the Rhysling Award, the Wonderland Book Award, and the Pushcart Prize.
Bizarro isn't just weird fiction, it is damn good weird fiction, and the genre grows exponentially every single day, so, love it or hate it, you'll be seeing a lot more of it in the years to come.
"The literary equivalent of a David Lynch or Tim Burton film ... These stories offer a glimpse into a rising genre that functions like the cult movie section in your local video store." - Horror World
"[Bizarro is] universally intriguing, thoughtful, intelligent and, most importantly, a hell of a lot of fun." - The Pedestal Magazine
"Sometimes comic, sometimes violent, sometimes sexually graphic (if not all of the above) and adolescently fearless to offend." - Details Magazine
"Bizarro fiction is by turns repulsive, stupid, and crude. But at its best, it is also compelling, intelligent, and well-written. Any literary genre that can be both bad and good at the same time is worth reading." - The Guardian
Even though the Bizarros are underground cult outsiders, they still have gained an incredible amount of respect in the publishing industry, having been praised by the likes of Chuck Palahniuk, Christopher Moore, William Gibson, Alan Moore, Piers Anthony, Cory Doctorow, and Charles de Lint, to name a few, as well as the publications Asimov's Science-fiction, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science-fiction, Cemetery Dance, Fangoria, Wizard Magazine, Publishers Weekly, The Washington Post, The Guardian, and The Face, among many others. They have also been finalists for the Philip K Dick Award, the Bram Stoker Award, the Rhysling Award, the Wonderland Book Award, and the Pushcart Prize.
Bizarro isn't just weird fiction, it is damn good weird fiction, and the genre grows exponentially every single day, so, love it or hate it, you'll be seeing a lot more of it in the years to come.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I have never read any of the Bizarro Starter kits before. Purple is my first. I am now a convert. If you enjoy surrealism, the avant guard, or being the first with the coolest trends, you'll want to hop on this train soon.
Stand out stories for me, were Matthew Revert's three, with a particular nod toward Concentration Tongue. I had read the other two stories in A Million Versions of Right (his book) so I had high expectations and was not disappointed. I always enjoy absurdist fiction, and he is definitely a writer to watch.
Others that I want to mention are Garrett Cook's Re-Emancipator, and Kris Saknussemm's Sparklewheel. I'm familiar with both these authors and was thrilled to read more of their work here.
One last mention goes to Athena Villarverde for being the cool chick of the collection. Clockwork Girl is a great story.
If you are new to this style of fiction, all I can say is get in on the ground floor. The stars of tomorrow are congregating here and you really want to be the first with these names!
Stand out stories for me, were Matthew Revert's three, with a particular nod toward Concentration Tongue. I had read the other two stories in A Million Versions of Right (his book) so I had high expectations and was not disappointed. I always enjoy absurdist fiction, and he is definitely a writer to watch.
Others that I want to mention are Garrett Cook's Re-Emancipator, and Kris Saknussemm's Sparklewheel. I'm familiar with both these authors and was thrilled to read more of their work here.
One last mention goes to Athena Villarverde for being the cool chick of the collection. Clockwork Girl is a great story.
If you are new to this style of fiction, all I can say is get in on the ground floor. The stars of tomorrow are congregating here and you really want to be the first with these names!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is the third Bizarro Starter Kit released- first Orange, then Blue, and now Purple. They all serve as the best introductions to Bizarro Fiction that exist. And the fun part about new ones- a glimpse is given of the new talents on the scene.
This book includes pieces by authors very new to the scene (Athena Villaverde and her bittersweet piece 'Clockwork girl', Kris Saknussemm with 'Sparklewheel'), as well as authors that have already started building a name for themselves (Jeff Burk with the runaway hit 'Shatnerquake' and Cameron Pierce with his explosive entry 'Shark Hunting In Paradise Garden'), and established authors like Russell Edson, who has been writing very strange little prose poems for decades.
The pieces standing out for me in this collection:
Jeff Burk's 'Cripple Wolf'- an hilarious ultraviolent story about a wheelchair-bound werewolf on a transatlantic flight.
Garrett Cook's 'Re-Mancipator'- this story is INSANE. One of the strangest things I've ever read. A plague of zombie Abe Lincolns, a katana-wielding Marilyn Monroe brought back from the dead by a Candy Man descendant of John Wilkes Booth, and Herodotus as a cat.
Cameron Pierce's 'The Destroyed Room'- a sad, absurd little piece featuring love, loss, and miniature elephants.
For people new to Bizarro who want to see what it's all about, and not buy a whole bunch of books until they know they love it- check this one out, as well as the Orange and Blue Starter Kits. The Starter Kits are the best way to get an overview of Bizarro and not break the bank.
For people already in love with Bizarro Fiction- you need to get this. It deserves a place on your shelf right next to the other Starter Kits- and right next to the rest of your Bizarro collection.
HIGHLY Recommended.
This book includes pieces by authors very new to the scene (Athena Villaverde and her bittersweet piece 'Clockwork girl', Kris Saknussemm with 'Sparklewheel'), as well as authors that have already started building a name for themselves (Jeff Burk with the runaway hit 'Shatnerquake' and Cameron Pierce with his explosive entry 'Shark Hunting In Paradise Garden'), and established authors like Russell Edson, who has been writing very strange little prose poems for decades.
The pieces standing out for me in this collection:
Jeff Burk's 'Cripple Wolf'- an hilarious ultraviolent story about a wheelchair-bound werewolf on a transatlantic flight.
Garrett Cook's 'Re-Mancipator'- this story is INSANE. One of the strangest things I've ever read. A plague of zombie Abe Lincolns, a katana-wielding Marilyn Monroe brought back from the dead by a Candy Man descendant of John Wilkes Booth, and Herodotus as a cat.
Cameron Pierce's 'The Destroyed Room'- a sad, absurd little piece featuring love, loss, and miniature elephants.
For people new to Bizarro who want to see what it's all about, and not buy a whole bunch of books until they know they love it- check this one out, as well as the Orange and Blue Starter Kits. The Starter Kits are the best way to get an overview of Bizarro and not break the bank.
For people already in love with Bizarro Fiction- you need to get this. It deserves a place on your shelf right next to the other Starter Kits- and right next to the rest of your Bizarro collection.
HIGHLY Recommended.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Does anyone need a reminder of the quality of these kits? I doubt it, but if you are new to the scene these are a great place to start and this version is one of the best I've read.
The one story that stuck out to me is Athena Villaverde's. I had never heard of her before but I get the feeling I'll see more from her, Clockwork Girl was very charming and sweet. She brings a really traditionally feminine touch to bizarro.
The one story that stuck out to me is Athena Villaverde's. I had never heard of her before but I get the feeling I'll see more from her, Clockwork Girl was very charming and sweet. She brings a really traditionally feminine touch to bizarro.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Read These Stories
This is an amazing collection of Bizarro Fiction. You get stories from all around the board. Some standout ones for me were "Cripple Wolf" by Jeff Burk about a wheelchair... Read more
Published 3 months ago by amadeo777
5.0 out of 5 stars
Pulp Punk Rock Writing at it's Best!!
The Bizarro Starter Kit (purple) is probably the most pulp and most punk of all the kits.
Personal favorites of this collection would probably be: Cripple Wolf by Jeff... Read more
Personal favorites of this collection would probably be: Cripple Wolf by Jeff... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Jason Wayne Allen
4.0 out of 5 stars
You Now Have A Convert
As a writer, I have struggled for years to see where I fit in. This was my first introduction to bizarro as a genre and I'm sold. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Allen Taylor
5.0 out of 5 stars
Purple
This is a thoroughly enjoyable anthology of Bizarro fiction. As is the case with the Bizarro genre, stories come from all over the weirdass spectrum, with representatives from... Read more
Published 21 months ago by Meryl
5.0 out of 5 stars
A strong, balanced display of the possibilities...
We return once again to the Bizarro Starter Kit series. This time around, the weirdness is a pleasant blending of the tones of both the BSK (Orange) and the BSK (Blue). Read more
Published 22 months ago by Emory B. Pueschel
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Best Intro to the genre thus far !
I have devoured a couple of the starter kits now and i have to say with the introduction to athena villaverde on this one this should be a MUST for anybody considering getting into... Read more
Published 22 months ago by jon117
5.0 out of 5 stars
Color me purple
The Bizarro Starter Kits are meant to ease people into the Bizarro genre. Me, I bought them because I'm a cheap @ss and want to stretch my Bizarro dollars a bit. Read more
Published 23 months ago by D. Schwent
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