The Lollipop Man by Kevin Sweeney

Sixteen octopus feet out of sixteen octopus feet!

The Lollipop Man is a Silly Slasher / bleak look at one of the most grotesque realities of our world. Those are Kevin Sweeney's words, taken from the Author's note, and I think they cover the bases just fine. It isn't without reason that I have read 14 works by Sweeney over the past seven months. His work is delicious, and you never know what to expect. This is because the horror genre has so many sub-genres, and Sweeney, like some siamese octopus, seems to have one foot in each of them. Thus, without having read the description, I was expecting something more along the lines of Carlton Mellick's Candyland or Candy Coated (Both of which are also delicious, btw). But, boy was I wrong. The point being, that with Sweeney, it COULD have been a Bizzaro book about a man with a lollipop penis (or something equally strange but oddly appealing). You just never know. And it would have been just as good. And The Lollipop Man was good. So far, it is my favorite novel by Sweeney, which is saying a lot because, yes, I have read James & the Giant Pulsating Mass of Pissing, Shitting, Screaming, Puking, Burping, Bleeding, Farting, Sweating, Ejaculating, Genetically Modified Mutant Monster Meat. And not only is The Lollipop Man my favorite novel by Sweeney so far, but it ranks way up there with many of my other favorite horror novels!

Peeeeedoooo!

Years after a group of kids goad a crossing guard into suicide, they start dropping like flies on their 21st birthdays. The Lollipop Man takes the slasher genre and gives it a dark twist, creating something longtime fans of the popular 80s movies will love while still keeping things fresh. The kills are creative, the story has elements of humor sprinkled throughout, and the aforementioned dark twist really makes this story shine. Seriously, I didn’t see it coming and it made things all the more messed up!