Strungballs - A smashing hit of Mike Russell strangeness.
Having read three of the British author's short story collections - Nothing is Strange, Strange Medicine, Strange Secrets - I knew I'd be in for a hyperstrange whirligig treat with his Strungballs, and I wasn't disappointed.
Strungballs - novella as 64 pages of mind-blowing weirdness rendered in signature Mike Russell simple, crisp language. To share a morsel of what a reader will encounter, here are four snips from the opening chapter:
"A naked, white-skinned boy names Sydney lay on his back on a white bed in the centre of a white room. A square hatch opened in the centre of the ceiling and a white cube emerged and slowly descended.
Sydney lifted his head from the bed and peered down at his chest. He raised a hand and poked a finger into the space where once his flesh and bone had been. He tentatively touched one of the square hole's sides, winced, then withdrew his hand.
'We are so proud of you, Son,' said Sydney's father, then he reached into the pocket of his gown and produced a small, white box. He handed the box to Sydney who stared at it with open eyes.
The box was 4cm x 4cm.
Sidney opened the box and lifted out a white string, on the end of which was a shiny, red ball.
Sydney took a deep breath, then pressed the hard, red ball into the square hole in his chest. It fitted perfectly. The ball was wedged in tight. Sydney let go of the string, allowing it to hang down to his navel."
So there you have it. And this is only the mere beginning of Strungballs strangeness.
For me, Mike Russell's tale brings to mind what Joseph Campbell referred to as "The Hero's Journey," a journey filled with obstacles and challenges that serve as occasions for a series of radical transformations. Sydney as the archetypal hero.
Additionally, I'm reminded of Eric Fromm and his observations on what it means for a man or woman to be born into an insane society. How much of your own society would you judge insane? Have you been sliced and diced by the buzzsaw of suffocating culture? To better answer these questions, I highly recommend picking up a copy of Strungballs. Fell the Strange. Be the Strange.
British author Mike Russell, born 1973
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