If there were subgenres of bizarro fiction, HE DIGS A HOLE would best fit under a Personal Apocalyptic subgenre. But that's the whole point of bizarro, isn't it? It just can't be put in a box. Danger Slater is a masterful storyteller who knows how to effectively and hilariously break the fourth wall. His two primary characters in HE DIGS A HOLE, Harrison and Tabitha, have reached *that* point in their lives and relationship, that point that we all think we're past once we stop asking "is that everything?" after opening a dozen or so birthday gifts from family and friends. If you haven't yet experienced your own mid-life crisis, readers, I hope yours is a minor inconvenience compared to this couple's personal apocalypse! Fantastic read and highly recommended. ( )

Usually I’m allergic to referencing other works in reviews, as making comparisons of this kind can be hollow and not really very illuminating. “This book is ‘this’ crossed with ‘this’ with a bit of ‘this’ and a hell of a lot of ‘this’” etc. Truth being, throughout this novella I was constantly prompted - in a pop science Pavlov way - to think of a plethora of other works. I’ll pick three, because that is more than enough.

First comparison: Beetlejuice. The suburban gothic of the more comic tinged flounces of Burton’s catalogue show up frequently. Hard to pinpoint specifics without spoilering as the most Burtonesque moments occur well into the novella, but the delightful cartoonish menace is very similar in tone at points, and carried off charmingly.

Second comparison: The Princess Bride (the film, because that’s all I know). There is some narrative deconstruction and 4th wall breaking, which is the obvious place to compare the two, but again I’m concentrating on the tone, which has a lightness to it, whilst at the same time having an underlying edge and playfulness. 4th wall breaking can be annoying as hell, but I’m glad to say I enjoyed this aspect very much.

Third and final comparison: Mr Sycamore. This is a film where Jason Robards stars as a man who one day gets the urge to dig a hole in his back garden, plonk his feet in this hole, and will himself into taking root and turning into a tree. His wife struggles to understand him.

This is my first Danger Slater book. Very strange as he’s a name that’s been around for ages and is well regarded. For some reason I’ve ignored him. Not any more! Predominant impression is that Slater is an extremely clever and entertaining writer, intelligent enough to never get bogged down in the cleverness. The ideas are densely packed for a relatively short book. All is skilfully woven, and he essentially tells you this himself, several times haha. Very pleasing level of the bizarre and uncanny, the transportation to other worlds handled with the right mix of absurdity, the grotesque, and twisted humour. Funnest fun. ( )

This title gave me some very bizarre visuals. The scenes felt like a mix of Clive Barker, Neil Gaiman, and Tim Burton, with all the creepy, gross, and poetic sequences. I highly recommend Danger Slater's titles. Bizarro fiction has become one of my favorite categories of books. ( )