Stories for Sunday: Anthony Neil Smith

I'm not so good at math, but here is one equation that I'm sure of. Anthony Neil Smith + Beat to a Pulp = Awesome Pulp Lunacy. No doubt about that one. No going to the back of the book, no copying the smart kid's homework. ANS + BTAP = APL. The golden equation.

This week's story at Beat to a Pulp is "The King of Mardi Gras" by Anthony Neil Smith, editor of Plots with Guns and the author of books such as Psychosomatic, Yellow Medicine, and Hogdoggin'. His latest story is about a newbie in jail named Obie who has a flash of genius after stuffing a New Orleans guide book down his cellmate's throat.

Kreacher stopped when Obie slapped his bad arm, turned to the convicts, and proclaimed, "Gentlemen, we're going to have fucking Mardi Gras!"

As wild as it is original, "The King of Mardi Gras" embodies the qualities we've come to love about Anthony Neil Smith. Relentless, hilarious, more than slightly-psychotic, and impossible to put down.

Read the story, then check out his website which has links to all his books, and then buy the damn things.