Bring Me the Head of Leopoldo Lugones’ Bloat-Toad!
Jeff VanderMeer • March 1st, 2010 @ 8:59 pm • Uncategorized
Sigh. That there could be a story called “The Bloat-Toad” and I have not read it. But must order a story collection to read it. What if it turns out to be bloat and toad in name only? What if it is feh?
March 1, 2010 at 9:03 pm
The Bloat Toad
Once upon a time there was a toad. It was bloated. It, through a series of fortuitous events and life-threatening misfortunes was able to obtain some Gas-X. After consuming some, it felt better.
March 1, 2010 at 9:06 pm
Google sez, or rather the Mt. Holz Science Fiction Society said,
“The Bloat-Toad” seems like a classic fairy tale in structure, but again with Lovecraftian overtones…
Sounds better than feh, I would say.
March 1, 2010 at 9:10 pm
I am not sure I would risk real American money on that story….Now if it were Goat Toad, maybe….But toads bloat. That is what toads do. So, not sure if it would qualify as weird. Now if it were a toad that cried small Buddhas.
March 1, 2010 at 9:14 pm
But i need to read it for Frogpunk!
March 1, 2010 at 9:16 pm
Is it time to tell Ann to load up the tranq darts again?
March 1, 2010 at 9:19 pm
I read the collection several years ago. I enjoyed it, but I don’t remember that specific story.
March 1, 2010 at 9:21 pm
Jonathan–I think. It is. That time. Yes. Again.
I think I’ve skimmed about 200,000 words in the last week. And read about 500,000.
March 1, 2010 at 9:22 pm
Actually, that’s wrong. More like skimmed about 1,000,000. Read a lot more.
March 1, 2010 at 9:24 pm
I can skim him, right? Please tell me I can skip him…
Hans Henny Jahnn (17 December 1894, Stellingen – 29 November 1959, Hamburg) was a German playwright, novelist and organ-builder
March 1, 2010 at 9:33 pm
That is a terrifying number of words. And unless Hans Henny Jahnn wrote a play about a novel organ-builder then I think you can skim him :)
March 1, 2010 at 9:40 pm
Just liquify the books and feed them into your left arm through a long plastic tube while you sleep. I usually start falling asleep after reading about 6 pages of my favourite author….No more young.
March 1, 2010 at 9:41 pm
Typo. I mean “skip”, oddly enough. It was the organ building that threw me out of the story of his life. Unfair, I know.
March 1, 2010 at 10:06 pm
I should be cursing you for keeping me from my needed sleep, but I finally tracked down the story in Spanish, “El escuerzo.” I’ll start reading it now, if you’ll trust my judgment on how much toad is in the story :P
March 1, 2010 at 10:06 pm
Could you call that organ failure?
I’m sorry… it’s late and I’m stuck at work. I think I need to get someone this end to load up the tranq darts.
March 1, 2010 at 10:12 pm
Ha!
March 2, 2010 at 5:27 am
load the literature onto the tv so that it subliminally and continually flashes at you while you watch the sport channel….by the time you’ve watched your fave team/s play, you should have chalked up a few thousand words at least……
peace and love….
bloat-toads in books? i’ve got the real things trundling around my front yard! wretched creatures! you’re welcome to them!
March 2, 2010 at 10:09 am
Is this what Frogpunk is reduced to? Stories about toads? Next you’ll be watering it down with newts and salamanders!
March 2, 2010 at 11:42 am
Julie: OMG. You’re right. I suppose those could be sections of an Amphibipunk antho, though?
March 2, 2010 at 11:42 am
Dear Hellbound–my address is POB 4248, Tallahassee, FL 32315. Just slip a few in an envelope and send it my way. I’ll reimburse the postage.
March 2, 2010 at 12:50 pm
Caution to Hellbound; Be sure to lick the envelopes, not the toads.
March 3, 2010 at 9:53 am
I’ve read it in Spanish. And yes, there’s a toad, a killer toad. Not a bad story, but not that great either, and also not particularly representative of Lugones’s style. He’s certainly an important weird fiction writer, though.
March 3, 2010 at 11:46 am
Thanks, Gabriel. as it turns out, it was published too early to be considered anyway. Will look for more Lugones.