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Pirate Therapy and Other Cures
Pirate Therapy and Other Cures
Pirate Therapy and Other Cures
Ebook198 pages2 hours

Pirate Therapy and Other Cures

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Ever wondered what might happen if your therapist was replaced by a pirate? Or how disquieting it would be to receive postcards from your future self? If William Shatner was elected President of the United States, what would his inaugural address sound like? Mark A. Rayner tackles these and stranger questions in his collection of short stories, essays and flash fiction that thrum with the absurd and hum with alienation, all to a humorous beat.

Jesus contends with dinosaurs. Marcel Duchamp describes what happens to a Dadaist who has a monkey's tail grafted to his butt. Whether he is explaining how Anne of Green Gables destroyed the world, or outlining Thor's new PR strategy, Rayner entertains with wit, humor and an imagination that is one step short of certifiable.

"Pirate Therapy is a humorous and fun read that those seeking a good dose of comedy should love."
~The Midwest Book Review

"Pirate Therapy is one of the most enjoyable collections I've ever read, and an absolute joy from cover to cover."
~Ian Ferguson, Author of Village of the Small Houses

"I've only come across few truly funny writers, and Mark Rayner is one of them."
~Terry Fallis, Author of Best Laid Plans

LanguageEnglish
Release dateDec 11, 2012
ISBN9781927590027
Pirate Therapy and Other Cures
Author

Mark A. Rayner

Human-shaped, monkey-loving, robot-fighting, pirate-hearted, storytelling junkie, Mark is actually Canadian. By day he is a university prof and by night, a writer of humorous, satirical and fabulist novels, squibs and other drivel. (Some pure, and some quite tainted with meaning.) The Fatness is his newest novel. The Fridgularity (2012) won an IndieReader Discovery Prize for best humor. Pirate Therapy and Other Cures is a collection of short fiction. Marvellous Hairy is his second novel. His first book, The Amadeus Net, is heavier on the robots.You can read more of his fiction (for free) at his website where you can also dig into his irregular and explosive blog, The Skwib (markarayner.com). Follow him at Twitter (@markarayner) or on Facebook (www.facebook.com/RaynerWriting).

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  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Mark A. Rayner and I have a lot in common. I mean, we're both Canadian, we both write speculative fiction, and we...um...well, that is, we both....Hmmm. Okay, so we don't have a whole lot in common, but we do have this--we share a twisted and absurd sense of humour. I'm a regular visitor to Mark's blog, aptly advertised as containing "scribblings, squibs, and sundry monkey joys"--or in other words, generalized nonsense. But take note: generalized nonsense of the highest order.

    Which brings me to "Pirate Therapy and Other Cures," a collection of short fiction and essays, many of which originally appeared on the blog. The collection is funny, it's absurd, it asks questions you never thought to ask (or, in some cases, never imagined anyone would ask--or should ask), and if you have a sense of humour at all I can't imagine that it will not make you laugh out loud at least once. But be aware: there are veins of serious thought that run through some of these words as well, and you might find yourself thinking of them days, weeks, or months after you've read them. That doesn't make them any less funny--it only makes them funny with a brain. And that can only be a good thing.

    So if laughter is the best medicine, then "Pirate Therapy" may just cure what ails you. Or at the very least, make you forget your troubles for a little while.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Pirate Therapy and Other Cures had me hooked after the very first piece. It’s a collection of short stories and essays, many of which are less than a page. The pieces are clever and humourous, but some show Rayner’s more serious side – a rare occurrence in this book.I’ve devised a list of a few of my favourite pieces in Pirate Therapy. This may mean absolutely nothing to you, but I highly recommend these pieces if, for some bizarre reason, you find yourself unable to read the entire collection.The Perils of EvolutionThe Biblical UnicornZombie Pavlov, Political PunditProof of Kang’s Corollary: Doug’s DisasterRestraintThe Rush of Heaven DownwardDr. Tundra Versus the Flashmob ZombiesRayner’s Pirate Therapy is hilariously entertaining. It’s something you can pick up at any time, flip to a random page, and enjoy. Definitely recommended.

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Pirate Therapy and Other Cures - Mark A. Rayner

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