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Newsletter
The Folly of Assumption
reviewed by
Another chapbook from expanding Yard Dog Press, this concise collection of five stories by Lee Martindale (editor of the anthology SUCH A PRETTY FACE) wears its agenda on its baggy sleeve. And in its subtitle. No, these are not erotic fantasies, though eroticism isn't out of the question. Martindale's "fat fantasies" are stories in which people of size are the heroes and heroines. Heroes who "wouldn't blow away in a heavy wind." As one of those folks myself, I can appreciate the intent. And the stories succeed quite well, bouncing from sword & sorcery to light fantasy to horror with ease and grace.
A pair of Dickensian tales pit unscrupulous anti-fat mogul Porter Piedmont against certain supernatural creatures. A "weight loss queen" goes to - well, where else would you expect her to go? In the title tale, a foiled assassin and her target interact in a way that may fulfill both their needs. And in the stand-out story, "Neighborhood Watch," a cop investigating murder in a quiet residential area learns a lesson about first impressions.
The slick and tightly plotted stories make this mini anthology superior entertainment no matter what your girth, though the specificity of its evangelism does remove some of the mystery and surprise. Still, it's an admirable attempt to level the playing field on which the average story character these days seems cut from a Dawson's Creek-Buffy-Popular mold while the average person is most definitely not. Set aside your reservations and indulge!