There's a new series of books hitting the shelves, so polish those eyeballs and take a gander.
A Tale Told Twice, is a fantastical co-op series by authors Mark Ryan, and C.J. Cummings. The premise; each book has it's own unique title/theme, the authors then take that title and go ape-shit crazy with it, writing a gonzo tale each-their-own that they then staple together. Sounds kind of cool, huh? Like a pu pu platter of bizarro goodness.
I was lucky enough to secure an advanced copy of the book, and I'll admit that I wasn't the least bit disappointed. First off, let me set the tone here so we're on the same page:
If you read bizarro fiction, this book is for you.
If you enjoy splatter-punk, meat cleaver wielding, warrior women; and depraved, psychotic, overweight, perverted, greasy, cannibalistic super hero wannabes... see a therapist; but also, this book is for you.
If you crave dystopian, anime-style action, with an 80's neon gritty glow highlighting the grotesque abominations of cosmetic surgery gone horribly wrong; I'll say it again, this book is for you.
If you enjoy splatter-punk, meat cleaver wielding, warrior women; and depraved, psychotic, overweight, perverted, greasy, cannibalistic super hero wannabes... see a therapist; but also, this book is for you.
If you crave dystopian, anime-style action, with an 80's neon gritty glow highlighting the grotesque abominations of cosmetic surgery gone horribly wrong; I'll say it again, this book is for you.
Two authors spin separate yarns based off one word: "Birdsnatch."
The outcome is two deliciously disgusting tales of mind-effing glee.
I highly recommend this book to any fan of bizarro, and/or extreme fiction. Seriously, buy this effing book.
The outcome is two deliciously disgusting tales of mind-effing glee.
I highly recommend this book to any fan of bizarro, and/or extreme fiction. Seriously, buy this effing book.
I also had the great opportunity to interview the co-authors of the series, Mark Ryan, and C.J. Cummings.
Box of Bizarro:
Gentlemen, thank you for joining us. The two of you work so well together as writers; how long have you known each other?
Mark:
Well, we have known each other for nearly two years. We discovered each other through the movie community on YouTube and after a few comments learnt that we both had a creepy amount in common.
C.J:
Yeah, we talked and found we liked a lot of the same things, and quickly bonded over our various interests.
Mark:
We then started chatting on Facebook and hit it off like a pair of long lost brothers.
B.o.B:
Where did the idea for "a tale told twice" come from?
Mark:
Basically we had been discussing writing together for a while but with the distance between us couldn’t find a perfect structure to do it. So we created one. This allowed us to write together but also apart.
C.J:
We wanted to be able to collab, but like Mark said… it’s hard when you can’t sit together and plan hours at a time, so we decided on the idea of writing two pieces, one each, both with a single title and goal.
B.o.B:
How did you pick the first book's title/theme word, Birdsnatch?
Mark:
Chris and myself have some very interesting conversations and it was born during one of these times. We loved the initial thought the word gives people and then the fact the stories are so different.
B.o.B:
Mark, your version of Birdsnatch has a very dystopian anime feel to it. Was that the flavor you were going for, or just a happy accident?
Mark:
Actually this is the first time someone has mentioned it having an anime feel to it. I honestly had no theme going into it, I knew it was going to be near future but that was it. Also a lot of readers picked up on the crime element of the story which again wasn't at the forefront of my mind when writing.
B.o.B:
C.J, where did you come up with the Melon/Birdsnatch character in your story? Did you have to ease back on the throttle while writing him, or was it pedal to the metal from page one?
C.J:
Well, Melon sort of developed organically. I knew that I wanted a character who was the worst part of a person, the pinnacle of what people turn their backs on, and someone that the reader would see as hideous too, yet also potentially be able to pick up a couple of positives from his character as the story went on. I eased on the throttle at times when it came to the graphic stuff because I didn’t want it to go too far and take people out of the story, but I also went full on with him at other times. I write in a subtle way a lot of the time, so this was a different head-space to be in for me.
B.o.B:
Mark, what influences your writing the most? Film? Music? Comic books?
Mark:
A little of everything really, mainly I see my stories cinematically and like to write scenes that are very visual and evoke a lot of images.
B.o.B:
C.J, the female character, Trinket, was very well written. Did you have any one person who she was based on?
C.J:
Not at all. Trinket was my chance to write a young female character who had relatable angst, yet also had this element of a super-hero-like warrior mind-set. I like to think of her as a girl who didn’t get a chance to live a normal life, and then before she had an opportunity to leave the nest, the world was ending. She was pissed off and ready for some action. I think she, in my mind, is the cross between Enid from Ghost World and Tank Girl. That’s just me, though.
B.o.B:
How did each of you discover Bizarro literature, and what drew you to it?
Mark:
For me it was a extension of my interest in weird fiction and loving authors like Lovecraft, Gaiman and Mieville.
C.J:
Mark introduced me to some of the Bizarro authors like Mellick and Cameron Pierce, but prior to that I read, and still do read, a lot of fantasy, sci-fi and weird fiction. Gaiman is a favourite of mine, Christopher Moore’s mix of weird and comedy work is outstanding and other authors like Chuck Wendig, Chris Holm and A Lee Martinez who mix weird stuff in with their urban fantasy works. This sort of fiction has elements of what I enjoy in Bizarro fiction and is why I read some Bizarro titles.
B.o.B:
What was the best part about writing a co-op novel? What was the hardest part?
Mark:
The best parts of the co-op writing was being able to bounce ideas of each other and having that support and help when finally unleashing the baby.
C.J:
Yeah, exactly. Going into the process together made things easier. Getting reviews back and reading them together, all that stuff, made it enjoyable to experience. Also, having a book out there with our names on it is nice to look at. We’re close friends, so being able to create together is awesome.
B.o.B:
Any advice for aspiring authors who may want to try a co-op novel?
Mark:
Don’t, it was our idea. I’ll hunt you down. But no, seriously, make sure you are doing it with the right person. Don’t pick Chris, he is a douche.
C.J:
While I have elements of doucheness about me, I’d say Mark is the most douchy of the two of us, mainly because of his personality. Still, advice-wise I’d say that, yeah, it has to be with someone you trust and who you can share similar goals with, and the project should be something that the two of you are equally passionate about.
There you have it folks. Two authors collaborating on one awesome book. I give this book 5 stars, and look forward to the next installment in the series:
A Tale Told Twice: X-Ray Animals
Be sure to check out their Goodreads page as well.
You can purchase Birdsnatch now, on Amazon.com & Amazon.uk
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