Blow Up from Rude Mechanicals
5/5 Stars
I am thrilled to tell ya’ll that M. Christian is an absolute sweetheart. After my review of I Am Jo’s Vibrator, he so kindly sent me Rude Mechanicals. Isn’t this cover insane! I’m sure ya’ll know about my love of the short story, and I must say that M. Christian is a phenomenal short story writer. It really takes talent and a keen eye to compact essential details into only a few pages! I am truly excited to read and share all of the shorts with ya, but today I will just be talking about the first short: Blow Up.
To be completely honest, Blow Up is laugh-out-loud hilarious as well as sensual and erotic. Blow Up is about a man with a fetish for… a blow up ball. Picture an exercise ball, but smaller. Written in the first person, we get to travel with our man to the local Toys R Us to purchase his plastic ball, and then travel back to his house where he decribes his prep for and execution of his next orgasm.
I made the mistake of reading this short at work. My cubicle-mates were definitely looking at me when I would shriek with laughter one minute then have my mouth drop the next minute. I find his fetish so amusing because I know there is someone out there in the world who really does this! What I like best is how M. Christian’s writing style reminded me of reading someone else’s diary, peeking into their most secret habits, truly being a fly on the wall.
Well done! M. Christian. I can’t wait to dig in to the rest of your shorts, and I will never see a plastic ball the same way again! 🙂 If you want a sneak peak, read an excerpt here!
Comment: If you could read someone else’s diary without getting caught, would you do it?
Fire Pages 
No, I wouldn’t read another person’s diary. Not an adult’s anyway. My children…well, that’s another story.
I tend to be one of those people who don’t peek into other’s medicine cabinets. I’ve spent hours alone in houses and never been anywhere but “public” rooms.
I know there’s a high percentage of people who are peekers, but as curious as I am about what makes people tick, I just don’t think I’ll figure it out by viewing their private collection of medications.
I’m terribly boring I guess. But then, I’ve never kept a diary…don’t see the need when I write write write almost every day.
I can see why you’d enjoy this short though. The experience of being invited into someone’s sexual world for a short time is quite removed from sneaking peeks into their diary though.
Oh, gawd I’m a bore sometimes. sheesh
You are totally not boring Bonnie! I absolutely peek if I find a drawer in the bathroom. I don’t care to look under the sink or in a medicine cabinet. But if there is a drawer, then I’m looking in it!
I don’t think I would read the diary of someone I know. I would, however, read the diary of someone interesting like The Joker from Batman, Marie Antoinette, or Abe Lincoln! 😀 Just to see what they would write and get inside their head.
Hi, I found you through Steph. Intriguing interview. I’m glad you like Harry Potter and short stories.
Nancy
PS. I strongly recommend face book.
N. R. Williams, fantasy author
WOW! Thanks so the wonderful review!