BACON FRIED BASTARD by David W. Barbee (Eraserhead Press)
Piggly Swiggly is a drunk. He’s also kind of an asshole, but he’s the kind of drunken asshole that it’s incredibly fun to read about. BACON FRIED BASTARDS is a despicable, drunk as fuck, bizarro retelling of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in a crazy sci-fi world full of strung out bacon addicts, prohibition era gangsterisms, unrelenting robotic lawborgs, and crocodile zeppelins. It’s also got a crazy amount of heart and a healthy dose of action oriented violence.
At its core, BACON FRIED BASTARD has a lot to say about addiction and relationships, and where they collide. Never heavy-handed or moralistic, Barbee tackles some serious themes inside a story about a drunk pig man and the bacon junky he shacks up with. But it also has squid-headed men who wear suits of armor and a whole lot of drunken fights. It’s a thoroughly enjoyable book, with a ton of creativity energy running through it. It’s rare to find a book with a bizarre world so effortlessly crafted. This is a striking example of one of the many interesting faces that bizarro fiction can have.
David W. Barbee is a bizarro force to be reckoned with, and if you haven’t read him yet you should really do yourself a favor and buy BACON FRIED BASTARDS; then buy all his other books, and send me a thank you note after you’ve witnessed how great of a writer he is. With BACON FRIED BASTARDS, Barbee is on top form. This book is so damn fun and the ending was about as perfect as it could be. Get it now, pour yourself ten drinks, and enjoy the drunken ride. (Sam Richard)
Great book. I loved this!