Tall Tales with Short Cocks, Vol. 2

Tall Tales with Short Cocks, Vol. 2 (Rooster Republic Press)

This is an anthology. I always have trouble with anthologies. I rarely read every story. But I did this time around, which, I guess, is a good sign. I liked some stories more than others, of course. Some were rather good; one was really hard to get through; most were fairly entertaining reads. Some readers might have a problem with the content: scatological, experimental, absurdist, hyper-violent, sexually perverse, and intentionally offensive and juvenile. I’m not one to be bothered by such things. Just thought I’d mention it for those who are.

The main issue I had with this collection is all the pop-culture references. I don’t find them to be inherently funny. Just like me holding up the DVD case for Mac and Me and pointing at the cover isn't funny. But I imagine that the seemingly unstoppable machines that are the Scary Movie franchise and Seth McFarlane are largely to blame for perpetuating this common misconception that referencing something from pop-culture somehow equals satire. (Now, if you do find pop-culture references hilarious, then you’ll laugh so hard reading this book that your sexual organs will explode into glittery confetti gnomes.)

OK. Now that I've gotten that off my chest, here’s a list of the stories in this collection I liked the most:

1. "Life Cycle" by James Steele
2. "I Think I’m in Love (Or, The Stranger in the Stall)" by Douglas Hackle
3. "A Hand Walks Into a Bar" by John McNee

Now, don’t get me wrong, there were many others that I enjoyed. It’s just that the three listed above were the stand-outs.

Buy Tale Tales with Short Cocks Vol. 2