No, I’m not being naughty.  Cock was a short story anthology that came out last year – and in fact was launched at the convention I Co-Chaired with Mitch, Continuum 4 – from first time publishers, couer de lion.

Edited by Andrew Macrae and Keith Stevenson, Cock deals with, according to the front piece, adventures in masculinity.  And while, I never really felt any cock-related epiphany’s while reading the collection, that doesn’t mean it’s not a bloody good anthology.

And so here are some very short, blink and you’ll miss, reviews of each story in the anthology.  There are no real plot spoilers here, just thoughts on each story.

The Devil in Mr Pussy (or How I Found God Inside My Wife) – is, from memory, the first story I’ve read by Paul Haines.  And the shame is all mine, because Paul is one fine writer.  The story is both hilarious and really, really disturbing.  With a kicker of an ending to boot.  A brilliant start to the anthology

A Sentimental Sordid Education by Lucy Sussex is probably, for me, the weakest story in the anthology.  While the writing is quite gorgeous, I’m not sure I got what the actual story was about.  I’m sure there was some time travel in there – but the story itself didn’t stick properly in my head. It’s a story that most definitely deserves a re-read.

Cutback by Stephen Deadman, is short in length and in substance.  It’s basically a very well told shaggy dog tale with some politics thrown in to boot.  Really good stuff.

My Beautiful Wife by Geoffery Maloney is an utterly disturbing piece.  The protagonist of the piece is a bit of a loser, caught in a series of events involving his wife that soon spirals out of control.  Normally, I can’t stand stories about people who let bad shit happen to them before it’s too late.  But Geoffery Maloney’s understated writing style somehow makes you care for the main character.  Loved it.

The Pheromone Tango by Chris Lawson is an excellently written story that could easily have been a little longer.  Chris has a very engaging style, and I would have loved a little bit more.  Still, the piece, about love and infidelity, is wonderful while it lasts.

The Jarrah Run by Cat Sparks starts off as a very boys own, testosterone fueled story but ends up being something far more subtle and interesting.  As a story about loss, and love, it’s a very deft piece of writing.

Honeymoon by Adam Browne and John Dixon is close to my favorite story in the collection – though the Devil in Mr Pussy comes close.  This totally gonzo, bug fucked, cyber punk space opera is not only brilliantly written but is really accessible and tells a very funny, but most of all coherent story.  Just when you think the writers are gonna loose total grip with the plot and go totally cwazy, they reign it all together with a fantastic, over the top, ending.

Birthmark by Robert Hood also has a cyberpunk, hard SF flavour to it.  It sets up an intriguing, far future world, where humans no longer live in bodies but instead exist in a conceptual sort of space.  The idea of these “concepts” having the potential to give birth is well executed by Rob.  As much as I liked the world building, I wasn’t totally convinced by the serial killer / evil soul aspect of the story.

Domestic Arrangements by Richard Harland is a very cool piece.  I picked the twist just before the reveal, but it doesn’t really matter.  Richard knows how to spin a great yarn.

Love Affair by Jacinta Butterworth is bloody disturbing.  I mean… like… shocking and confronting and all those other words you use to describe a story that really gets under your skin.  It’s still a great story, but yeah, it’s intense.

Father Father by Paul Haines is a short, confronting, makes you go all icky on the inside sort of story and a perfect end to what is a remarkably good short story collection.

So I highly recommend you go and buy yourself some Cock.  Andrew, do you still have any copies left?