I had to invent the Ridiculous Fiction genre to justify the abject silliness of the short stories he wrote in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Most of these stories were written for creative writing classes.
Ridiculous Fiction #1: Old Joe
The first issue contains the story “Old Joe” and the comic “The Sheridan Park Massacre.” “Old Joe” is a spoof of the classic Man versus Nature literary theme. Will Bill Billson become a man after a successful hunt? And if so at what price? These are the questions writers and philosophers have struggled with for the entirety of our existence.
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Excerpt from Ridiculous Fiction #1
I slowly crept up to the spot where Old Joe sat, making sure to keep out of his sight. I slithered and slid my way along the dusty attic floor and gradually, after what seemed like five minutes, I was within two feet of him. Glancing down at my watch — it had only taken three minutes, but time has no meaning in the world of the hunter and the hunted, the baiter and the baited, the prey and the guy who stalks the prey, Old Joe and me.
I could hear Old Joe buzzing happily as he gorged himself on the pickle sugar that I had given him, almost as a gift. Now I was about to give him another gift, the gift of death. But why wasn’t Old Joe moving? Why weren’t his insectual instincts telling him to move his bug ass? I raised my swatter into the air not having time to consider such questions. Later, I would know the answer.
“The Sheridan Park Massacre”
“The Sheridan Park Massacre” tells the tale of one rage-filled evening. The horror!
Ridiculous Fiction #2: Dinky Does His Laundry
Dinky Does His Laundry is the title of the second issue of the Ridiculous Fiction series. This issue continues with three more stories of silliness and absurdity. The title story is about a hapless man named Dinky who just wants to do his laundry in peace. Also included is “Rick’s Planet,” in which a god contemplates the plight of his struggling creations. And, most ridiculous, “Death Fungus” is an edge-of-your-seat ride to the end of the universe, but only if you’re a deadly fungus.
Buy Ridiculous Fiction #2 from the RoosterCow Store.
“Dinky Does His Laundry”
Everyone played tricks on Dinky, especially people he did not know. His parents and friends (and he did have a few) had long grown tired of the continuous gags and public humiliations, but to strangers, Dinky presented a challenge.
“God Rick”
Your planets messin’ up, Rick,” Todd would say, and it was true, to a point. Creating and maintaining a functional, populated planet was not always, if ever, an easy task. There was a large margin for error. Rick knew this, but he had confidence in his work. He liked to think he knew what he was doing, even if the others didn’t think so.
“Death Fungus”
In the beginning, God created Earth. It took him several days, but on the eighth day, God created Death Fungus, and it was naaaasty!
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