Book Review: In Humor Most Odd; or, if you want some laughs today check this out
I'm posting this review here simply because I think this book is worth all the attention it can get.
In Humor Most Odd is a collection of over a dozen comic stories by Alan Loewen, a writer better known for his fantasy and horror works. This set proves he has the literary chops to provide laughs as well as shudders and gasps of awe.
First is a sequel of sorts to 'Sawyer', a story from his collection Opal Wine, the Rotwang Convention for Mad Scientists. In this epistolary tour de force, a series of e-mails reveal the joys and travails a budding mad scientist undergoes as he attends his first ever Rotwang Convention. Will his obsession with destroying chickens impress his fellow lunatics or not? Read the story and find out!
Next is a three-parter shows us the miseries undergone by Belinda McFate, the World's Weakest Literary Character. Pity poor Belinda as she is forced to endure hordes of rats, the mysteries of ramen noodles, and even ninjas in her efforts to win the notice of Lance Bullet, her handsome if somewhat dim next door neighbor. She succeeds in the end, and proves to be not just funny but nowhere near as weak as some of her enemies mistakenly believe.
What follows is a very bizarre guide the world of magical girl anime. Alan Loewen's Guide to Magical Anime Girls, or MAGs covers everything their friends, family, and yes, even enemies need to know, If you think you're related to any MAGs, might befriend one, or even oppose them, get this guide now! It may not save your life but at least you'll get some laughs out of it.
'The Nuns of the Four Elements' is a follow-up to the previous story, where four cheerleaders on their way to a performance get their very own Magical Anime Girl powers and uniforms, and boy are they ever dismayed over it. At first. Then they start to go in directions their 'advisor' doesn't appreciate, and...
The Evil Overlord Memo and Evil Overlord Interview follow. The first lays out some of the problems in having MAGs as enemies, and how to best manipulat -- err, I mean, convince them that you're not really a villain after all. Good luck, future Evil Overlords! Next is an interview where we get some insight into the plans and hopes of one Evil Overlord in particular; as well as one more warning about those darned Magical Anime Girls. Really, can't they leave the poor Evil Overlords alone?
Next is the world's first steamy Amish romance, Love's Unbridled Passion. A hilarious send-up of both the romance genre and the 'Bonnet Romances' written about (what are supposed to be) the Amish, it's worth it just for the last line. But the road there has quite a bit to recommend it, too!
Next are the three Pastoral Counselor stories -- Have Bible, Will Travel; A Day In the Life of a Pastoral Counselor; and Return of the Pastoral Counselor. These three tales are basically stores about the (un)usual events in the life of a Pastoral Counselor, but told in the style of noir and hard-boiled occult detectives. In the first the poor pastor gets engaged to bury a dog by some dame from his past and stumbles across a few little problems. In the second he has to deal with a nasty teenager, a determined atheist, and a minor case of lycanthropy. Once again, a last-line pays for all story with some rather amusing moments along the way. Third of the series, he has to perform an exorcism on a channeler and the spirit of a 10,000 year old howler monkey possessing him. Impossible, maybe, but only for lesser men when the Pastoral Counselor can just... But never mind, that would be giving it away.
'Vignettes' come next, and they're what they sound like -- short little pieces of humor, sometimes mixed with a few tears. Most are fantasy, some realistic, even a few war stories. Heck, even the Evil Overlord comes back for one. Very nice, sweet, and short, just the thing when you need a quick smile.
Saving the best for last, we get... a recipe. For Loewen's D*mn Good Gruel, so that your family and you too can eat like wretched peasants crushed under the heels of their feudal overlords! It comes complete with period conversation starters for that touch of authenticity, such as 'I'm so glad gruel doesn't require having teeth' and 'The plague only took two of our neighbors today!'
Truly a great collection for the price, and filled with enough differing styles of story that whatever makes you laugh, you will find something in here to appeal to you. Heartily recommended. So get a copy, and laugh already!
In Humor Most Odd is a collection of over a dozen comic stories by Alan Loewen, a writer better known for his fantasy and horror works. This set proves he has the literary chops to provide laughs as well as shudders and gasps of awe.
First is a sequel of sorts to 'Sawyer', a story from his collection Opal Wine, the Rotwang Convention for Mad Scientists. In this epistolary tour de force, a series of e-mails reveal the joys and travails a budding mad scientist undergoes as he attends his first ever Rotwang Convention. Will his obsession with destroying chickens impress his fellow lunatics or not? Read the story and find out!
Next is a three-parter shows us the miseries undergone by Belinda McFate, the World's Weakest Literary Character. Pity poor Belinda as she is forced to endure hordes of rats, the mysteries of ramen noodles, and even ninjas in her efforts to win the notice of Lance Bullet, her handsome if somewhat dim next door neighbor. She succeeds in the end, and proves to be not just funny but nowhere near as weak as some of her enemies mistakenly believe.
What follows is a very bizarre guide the world of magical girl anime. Alan Loewen's Guide to Magical Anime Girls, or MAGs covers everything their friends, family, and yes, even enemies need to know, If you think you're related to any MAGs, might befriend one, or even oppose them, get this guide now! It may not save your life but at least you'll get some laughs out of it.
'The Nuns of the Four Elements' is a follow-up to the previous story, where four cheerleaders on their way to a performance get their very own Magical Anime Girl powers and uniforms, and boy are they ever dismayed over it. At first. Then they start to go in directions their 'advisor' doesn't appreciate, and...
The Evil Overlord Memo and Evil Overlord Interview follow. The first lays out some of the problems in having MAGs as enemies, and how to best manipulat -- err, I mean, convince them that you're not really a villain after all. Good luck, future Evil Overlords! Next is an interview where we get some insight into the plans and hopes of one Evil Overlord in particular; as well as one more warning about those darned Magical Anime Girls. Really, can't they leave the poor Evil Overlords alone?
Next is the world's first steamy Amish romance, Love's Unbridled Passion. A hilarious send-up of both the romance genre and the 'Bonnet Romances' written about (what are supposed to be) the Amish, it's worth it just for the last line. But the road there has quite a bit to recommend it, too!
Next are the three Pastoral Counselor stories -- Have Bible, Will Travel; A Day In the Life of a Pastoral Counselor; and Return of the Pastoral Counselor. These three tales are basically stores about the (un)usual events in the life of a Pastoral Counselor, but told in the style of noir and hard-boiled occult detectives. In the first the poor pastor gets engaged to bury a dog by some dame from his past and stumbles across a few little problems. In the second he has to deal with a nasty teenager, a determined atheist, and a minor case of lycanthropy. Once again, a last-line pays for all story with some rather amusing moments along the way. Third of the series, he has to perform an exorcism on a channeler and the spirit of a 10,000 year old howler monkey possessing him. Impossible, maybe, but only for lesser men when the Pastoral Counselor can just... But never mind, that would be giving it away.
'Vignettes' come next, and they're what they sound like -- short little pieces of humor, sometimes mixed with a few tears. Most are fantasy, some realistic, even a few war stories. Heck, even the Evil Overlord comes back for one. Very nice, sweet, and short, just the thing when you need a quick smile.
Saving the best for last, we get... a recipe. For Loewen's D*mn Good Gruel, so that your family and you too can eat like wretched peasants crushed under the heels of their feudal overlords! It comes complete with period conversation starters for that touch of authenticity, such as 'I'm so glad gruel doesn't require having teeth' and 'The plague only took two of our neighbors today!'
Truly a great collection for the price, and filled with enough differing styles of story that whatever makes you laugh, you will find something in here to appeal to you. Heartily recommended. So get a copy, and laugh already!