The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a rad channel...
(With apologies to William Gibson.)
Honored samurai, ruthless ronin, wayward vagabonds, shadowy ninja and helpless villagers... welcome.
The last week has been thrilling. I am honestly shocked at the number of reads and subscribers. I was quite convinced it would just be myself and my dog... and I don’t even have a dog.
So while I still have your attention, on to the good stuff — this week, we’re going to have a look at “weird” fiction.
That’s Odd
Looking up the definition of Weird Fiction will bring up a ton of great links such as this one to Wikipedia:
Weird fiction is a subgenre of speculative fiction originating in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Weird fiction either eschews or radically reinterprets ghosts, vampires, werewolves, and other traditional antagonists of supernatural horror fiction.
and...
John Clute defines weird fiction as a term "used loosely to describe Fantasy, Supernatural Fiction and Horror tales embodying transgressive material".[5] China Miéville defines it as "usually, roughly, conceived of as a rather breathless and generically slippery macabre fiction, a dark fantastic ('horror' plus 'fantasy') often featuring nontraditional alien monsters (thus plus 'science fiction')"
and this one by the excellent urban fantasy / weird author Lucy A. Synder who shares a of ton of great links to both “classic” and “new” weird fiction.
Both hit you with Lovecraft and tentacles. And this is what most people think about when they hear “weird fiction”.
But that’s not what I’m talking about.
I’m talking about “odd” fiction. Fiction that seems pretty straight-forward whether it’s science fiction, horror, experimental, romance, what-have-you, and then turns the story on its head with odd and unexpected twists or events, or even, from the get-go, invites the reader into a world where odd is the norm — giant goldfish being walked on leashes, people as the tongues of cars, cows as elite businesspersons. And of course, it has a name: Slipstream and is sometimes associated heavily with Bizarro.
It’s fun, imaginative and more than a little bit freaky. When I’m writing an odd short story, I feel liberated. I don’t have to follow a single convention that society or culture has placed in my way in the form of manners, rules, laws, logic, social norms, et al. In other words, I can write whatever makes me happy. Some authors use it to be subversive, others use it to take themselves and readers on fantastical rides. Enter “bizarro authors” or “slipstream authors” into your favorite search engine and explore. You won’t be disappointed. Here are a few of my favorites:
Anna Tizard
D. Harlan Wilson
Gabino Iglesias
Andre Duza
M.P. Johnson
John Bruni
Arthur Graham
Mandy De Sandra (NSFW)
Madeleine Swann
If Wishes Were Kisses...
This week’s story is entitled “Raspberry Dream” and was in fact inspired by an 80s Japanese song of the same title. It was hugely popular as was Rebecca (the band). Below is the original PV and I offer it up here because the scrolling English at the end is a translation of the lyrics (according to Wikipedia; JP).
[↑ Full video under link ↑]
A bit vague to be perfectly honest. Moreover, the translation doesn’t offer up anything more than a transliteration for “chu chu chu”, which is the sound of kissing in Japanese. A Japanese website I ran across while writing “Raspberry Dream” interpreted the song as an ode to the melancholy and awkward love between junior high school kids. This was the idea that I took and ran with.
My story introduces a near-future Japan where LIPSS gashapon (so-called “mystery box toys”) has become wildly popular. LIPSS (Latex Idol Pulse Stimulation Simulation) are disembodied, flavored lips molded and modeled on famous actresses, singers and personalities. (Licensed, of course.)
Sherman, set the Wayback Machine
If you’ve missed any of the previous newsletter issues, feel free to browse the list here and never hesitate to chime in on any topic no matter how “old”. I love to hear from readers as much as I love reading and commenting on other newsletters myself.
We never meet without parting
Next issue... old school, 90s cyberpunk!
Until then!
Made in DNA
Thanks for your 'Wayback Machine' post (Sep 2) that pointed here. Enjoyed Raspberry Dreams, the story first and then went to watch/listen to the song. Very of an era while still being a little bizarre (e.g. the Hindenburg burning in the background for a verse). I like how you left it in the coffee shop, feels like the song crystallised in a moment.