Planet Bizarro Press: Book Reviews
Porn Land and Sons of Sorrow Book Reviews
I was lucky enough to snag two ARCS from the Planet Bizarro Press catalogue. The first was a sex-filled story of two friends saving porn from extinction in Porn Land by Kevin Shamel, and the other was a returning home story of two brothers fighting literal monsters in Sons of Sorrow by Matthew A. Clarke.
PORN LAND REVIEW
Porn is illegal, and two men accidentally are sucked into the internet to a magical place called Porn Land. Porn Land is the origins of all porn, but because porn is illegal in the real world, Porn Land is slowly disappearing. The men are given a mission: Find the Pornomicron book, put it back together, open the bridge between worlds, and restore porn to the outside. By doing so, Porn Land will be safe, and people in the real world will once again be able to enjoy sex beyond procreation.
It goes without saying but there is a lot of sex in this book. It's...vivid, to say the least. What's surprising about this book is the plot. There's an actual well-developed sex-positive story laying underneath the pile of naked sweaty orgasmic scenes. One of the protagonists has a sexual awakening, finding a love for sex that he previously never experienced. There's a porn-positive message about the joys of sex and overall encouragement not to feel ashamed about ones desires.
There were a few little issues. First, one of the protagonists, Phil, calls the other a "homo" on the first page after the character expresses concern that porn is being viewed. Also, Phil is just a little too concerned that men want to have sex with him when he's in Porn Land. Phil is heterosexual, but still, the insistence that men stay away from him felt a bit...much.
Overall, this is a fast-paced read for those looking for something out-of-the box. TW below.
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TW: Sexual Assault
SONS OF SORROW REVIEW
This is a wild ride into a small town filled with monsters!
Henk and his brother Dave left the town of Sorrow when they were kids, but when their old friend Maria invites them back for her wedding, they decide to go back to the place they long to forget. It's still being overrun with monsters, but now, it's been turned into a tourist attraction. With people dying and the town no longer safe, Henk, Dave, and Marie decide to team up and put an end to this chaos once and for all.
Clarke takes readers down a psychedelic trip filled with fingers, deception, and wild creatures! The plot bounces between past and present, and while this does slow the pace a tad at times, it also helps weave a complete backstory as to how these three characters became friends and how their relationship evolved. The horror elements are a mix of bizarre and comedic, and while I didn't love the representation of the fat character being portrayed in a grotesque manner, this book will entertain anyone looking for something a bit out-of-the box.
I got a free ARC and rounded my 3.5 review up to a 4.
