If you like genre defying weird books with horror overtones, you must must must read Geek Love by Katherine Dunn. Extremely well written, it was a finalist for the National Book Award.
Its about a carny family who decide to breed their own freak show by having the mom ingest various toxic substances while pregnant. Initially they are only moderately successful, but later hit the jackpot when their flipper boy is born. He becomes a national sensation, and starts a cult of self amputation as his followers seek to emulate his deformity.
And all that is just the set up, the story itself is compelling, the characters fully fleshed and alive in a very Stephen King way.
Two big thumbs up!
Its about a carny family who decide to breed their own freak show by having the mom ingest various toxic substances while pregnant. Initially they are only moderately successful, but later hit the jackpot when their flipper boy is born. He becomes a national sensation, and starts a cult of self amputation as his followers seek to emulate his deformity.
And all that is just the set up, the story itself is compelling, the characters fully fleshed and alive in a very Stephen King way.
Two big thumbs up!