The Pornographic Flabbergasted Emus #5 / $2 / :30 / [email protected] / Reviewed 19 August 2005

Wred Fright is one of the best pseudo-fiction (maybe even just fiction) writers that I’ve ever had the luck to stumble upon. The writing style that Wred uses in this is issue (which compromises the 12th, 13th, and 14th chapters of the story) is similar in style to Pynchon. What really makes that argument hold water with me is the inclusion of a completely-random song (Middle Eight-Zand Timm) and a continual switching of story-tellers. The story is humorous, with the bulk of the action this issue circles around the ex-military short-time manager of the band Il Duce, who rapidly grows into a tyrant (until the band democratically votes eir out). What is most impressive about Wred’s writing is that one really can call to mind individuals talking and acting like the characters in this story; much more vivid than a sitcom or anything else staged, the dramatic action in The Pornographic Flabbergasted Emus ranks up there with the most emotive plays. Another strength to this issue is that Wred takes the time (well, a paragraph’s worth of time) to go and inform uninitiated (or long-negligent) readers about what had happened in the previous issues of the zine. However much Wred likes the small-market nature of the zine, there is more than enough talent in each word of this story to merit a larger audience, whether it be in a serialized version of the story (maybe in the Atlantic Monthly) or a more visual way (a comic book would lend itself quite well). Here’s to hoping that The Pornographic Flabbergasted Emus has a long and prosperous run, and that we hear more from Wred in the near future.

Rating: 8.6/10