The Cockroach of the Dada Movement: The Life and Selected Works of K. Ungeheuer

Fans of Kafka's short-short stories - his nightmarish fragments - will find much to enjoy in this wonderful collection. The horror element is stronger than in Kafka, which isn't surprising. K. Ungeheuer must have his own voice, of course! Be sure to read all the way to the end, including the editor's bio.A real treat; both evocative and fun. I look forward to the sequel containing newly discovered manuscripts.

During my sophomore year at SUNY, I stumbled a single page from a book that I found left at a bar near my dorm. Not much of a story to tell from one page. With no frame of reference to a story or title, I blindly skimmed the page but that snippet of story slithered into my subconscious and has remained ever since. Such a brief but memorable snippet, I wished to someday read it in its entirety. You can well imagine my surprise when I found that exact story linked to that lonely page. The full story lived to its haunting potential and will stick with me for a long time. It is good to see Ungeheuer’s important works brought to a broader audience.

As the title suggests, "The Cockroach of the Dada Movement" drips with powerful, surrealistic images. Every flash story surprises more than the last until the reader is shocked by increasingly brilliant images. Imagine a factory that culls human fingers for sale as living lawns. The manner in which these fingers are obtained is left to the imagination, by the writer's tersely sparse style. Be amazed.Imagine a hill covered by tulips with living human eyes, guarding the town below. Be amazed.Editor, Karl Sigler has produced a collection of flash fiction which entertains as much as it alarms. Under the guise of editor, Mr. Sigler thrills us by the complete invention of Ungeheuer's life and work. Although Sigler compares Ungeheuer's stories to the work of Kafka, Vonnegut's creation of Kilgore Trout does come to mind.Carole Herzog JohnstonPoet, author of "Journeys:Getting Lost," "Manic Dawn," and "Purple Ink"

I had never heard of K. Ungeheuer until coming across this book. Brilliant! Hard to describe the idiosyncratic style of horror other than calling it fascinating and recommending that you read it for yourself. The editor does a great job of giving context to publications and the author’s work.

Read the last page first. Then decide if you want to read the book. Some of these stories make Stephen King’s stories look like nursery rhymes, while other leave you saying, “Huh?” I kept reading, hoping I’d find something earth shattering. Nope!

42

A great read! Shades of Kafka and Poe here - wonderful find!

This book was so good I was unable to put it down. I highly recommend people to read this book. 10/10 would reccomend