THE GOAT
This book is in a Controlled Release!
7 journalers for this copy...
The Goat was written by me. It's posted in an .RTF format, which I believe Mac and PC users can read. If you use the latest version of Internet Explorer, I do not believe you even have to download it.The Goat is for adults only. It's a Transformation tale with a deal more homoerotic gay-bashing than I am used to seeing, much less writing about. There was a need, however, and it produced this novella, a dark fantasy set in modern day America. A bully with a hidden talent and his willing victim who needs that talent to create the life he believes he should have had.
I'm looking for comments so I can expand The Goat into a novel. This novella has squicked people in my writing group, but just two men being intimate might have done that to them in any case.
Posted at http://xepher.net/~greyflank/adult/BCID856-513329.rtf
Please feel free to make comments and suggestions here or directly to my email at [email protected]
Please feel free to make comments and suggestions here or directly to my email at [email protected]
Released on Friday, February 07, 2003 at Adult Downloads in Xepher.net, New Jersey World Wide Web.
http://xepher.net/~greyflank/adult/BCID856-513329.rtf
http://xepher.net/~greyflank/adult/BCID856-513329.rtf
Many apologies for the belated journal entry - I think the site was off line when I first went to do my review, so I wrote a draft, and promptly filed it away and forgot about it {wry grin}. Anyway, here 'tis:
This is an intriguing story about power in relationships - but with a couple of interesting twists. One of them is that the story's told in the first person by a self-centered, self-justifying bully; trying to work out other people's motivations as interpreted by him is a challenge. To add to this, the story combines an element of magic that is barely mentioned in the beginning but which takes a larger part as events progress; I found it entertaining, but the more mundane (as in non-magical) beginning of the story made the later bits seem jarring at first.
The story: Frank, the narrator, feeling a bit vengeful - and horny - when his wife leaves him yet again, takes up with "a walking victim" named Glen. Glen seems willing to be used and abused, at least according to the narrator's description of events, and over time seems to become attached to his tormentor - and, to Frank's astonishment, he begins to suspect he's feeling something, too. [This doesn't stop him from beating, humiliating, and violating Glen whenever he feels like it, though.]
And then things get a little strange... after a segue involving online games and Fuzzy (or is it "Furry"?) culture, it turns out that there's actual magic going on, and Glen isn't quite what he seems. Or else he's even MORE what he seems, just in a different shape. Frank sees this as an opportunity for more, um, experimentation, with which Glen seems to cooperate - until... Well, I wouldn't want to give the ending away!
The story includes interesting takes on body images that don't match mental images, victims vs. aggressors, self-justification ("he made me hurt him"), and (what with the narrator toggling from likable to hate-able) the charm of the abuser. There are scenes that will be hard for some readers to take - and some that should be; there's also some humor (dark, but funny) and some provocative ideas. I can't say I was thrilled with the way it turned out, but it was certainly in keeping with the character - and I can easily imagine what might happen to his little arrangements a bit farther down the road!
Thanks for letting me read this, Greyflank!
This is an intriguing story about power in relationships - but with a couple of interesting twists. One of them is that the story's told in the first person by a self-centered, self-justifying bully; trying to work out other people's motivations as interpreted by him is a challenge. To add to this, the story combines an element of magic that is barely mentioned in the beginning but which takes a larger part as events progress; I found it entertaining, but the more mundane (as in non-magical) beginning of the story made the later bits seem jarring at first.
The story: Frank, the narrator, feeling a bit vengeful - and horny - when his wife leaves him yet again, takes up with "a walking victim" named Glen. Glen seems willing to be used and abused, at least according to the narrator's description of events, and over time seems to become attached to his tormentor - and, to Frank's astonishment, he begins to suspect he's feeling something, too. [This doesn't stop him from beating, humiliating, and violating Glen whenever he feels like it, though.]
And then things get a little strange... after a segue involving online games and Fuzzy (or is it "Furry"?) culture, it turns out that there's actual magic going on, and Glen isn't quite what he seems. Or else he's even MORE what he seems, just in a different shape. Frank sees this as an opportunity for more, um, experimentation, with which Glen seems to cooperate - until... Well, I wouldn't want to give the ending away!
The story includes interesting takes on body images that don't match mental images, victims vs. aggressors, self-justification ("he made me hurt him"), and (what with the narrator toggling from likable to hate-able) the charm of the abuser. There are scenes that will be hard for some readers to take - and some that should be; there's also some humor (dark, but funny) and some provocative ideas. I can't say I was thrilled with the way it turned out, but it was certainly in keeping with the character - and I can easily imagine what might happen to his little arrangements a bit farther down the road!
Thanks for letting me read this, Greyflank!
I have just read Greyflank's "The Goat". I think it was powerful stuff.
First of all, I think it works as a novella or short story - I think it would need a fair bit of work, and some sub-plots or interweaving of the characters' previous histories, to convert it into a novel.
The story introduces some concepts I am familiar with - homosexual relationships, sadism, and shapeshifting, for example - and also introduces some things I haven't come across, and to be honest, wouldn't really be comfortable doing more research into. I wouldn't even be able to put a label on the behaviour hinted at, although it seemed to be make-believe bestiality.
The problem that I had with the book was that I didn't feel any sympathy towards, or empathy with, the main characters. Frank, the voice of the story, is a bully and a sadist who seems to lack self-awareness. Glen appears to passively accept his role as victim and dupe, but without embracing this fully. Frank's wife seems to exist to let Frank proclaim that he is in fact heterosexual.
The story reminded me of the short novel "Spanking the Maid" by Robert Coover, although by comparison this latter was a "straightforward" tale of heterosexual sadomasochism between two consenting adults.
"The Goat" tackles the altogether more disturbing subject of non-consensual sex; the shifting balance of power in a relationship as it becomes more complex; and the classic theme of betrayal.
I think I'd have to put this in the category of an interesting but difficult read.
First of all, I think it works as a novella or short story - I think it would need a fair bit of work, and some sub-plots or interweaving of the characters' previous histories, to convert it into a novel.
The story introduces some concepts I am familiar with - homosexual relationships, sadism, and shapeshifting, for example - and also introduces some things I haven't come across, and to be honest, wouldn't really be comfortable doing more research into. I wouldn't even be able to put a label on the behaviour hinted at, although it seemed to be make-believe bestiality.
The problem that I had with the book was that I didn't feel any sympathy towards, or empathy with, the main characters. Frank, the voice of the story, is a bully and a sadist who seems to lack self-awareness. Glen appears to passively accept his role as victim and dupe, but without embracing this fully. Frank's wife seems to exist to let Frank proclaim that he is in fact heterosexual.
The story reminded me of the short novel "Spanking the Maid" by Robert Coover, although by comparison this latter was a "straightforward" tale of heterosexual sadomasochism between two consenting adults.
"The Goat" tackles the altogether more disturbing subject of non-consensual sex; the shifting balance of power in a relationship as it becomes more complex; and the classic theme of betrayal.
I think I'd have to put this in the category of an interesting but difficult read.
Released on Wednesday, November 05, 2003 at Adult Downloads in Xepher.net, New Jersey World Wide Web.
Just another bump to get people to look my way.
Any and all comments appreciated.
Just another bump to get people to look my way.
Any and all comments appreciated.
This is a strange story, and a disturbing one, but well-written. The world brought to life herein has a lot of potential. I
like the idea of magic being an everyday thing, used for all sorts of purposes. Like gourmet charms placed on livestock to baste them before slaughtering, anti-theft wards on car parts, and magic-emulation software to block hackers. Or an interesting choice of a magical totem (let's just say it's "more than meets the eye"). I probably never would've thought of some of these uses myself. Quite imaginative. A world much like our own, but different. I think a lot of people would be interested in buying those sports-themed Imacs. I'm curious about the history of this universe. And "Bush's plan to crack down on dysphoric ani-mages". I hope that's covered in more detail in another story. Then there's the idea of voting rights for zombies. This brings to mind thoughts of a very different kind of march on Washington.
The story is told from the point of view of a man named Frank (since it's in first-person, his name isn't revealed immediately). Frank says "I didn't ask to be born into this world." It might have been better if he hadn't been. He says "I'm not a fag. I'm not a monster." then shows himself to be a little of each. Perhaps the worst kind of liar is the man who lies to himself. Frank is a bully and a sadist. But he's not wholly irredeemable. He is capable of love, in his own twisted way. And he reacts badly when he feels he's been betrayed. Frank is kind of hard to pin down. I start almost liking him, and then he does
something sick or cruel, but other times he can show just enough compassion to keep me from writing him off as the worst person in the world.
Frank's wife Kim has just left him, and as the result of the events of a drunken night he ends up in an unusual relationship with Glen, who was always his scapegoat in high school. Glen hates himself, not because he feels inferior, but because he is not who or what he is meant to be. Unlike Frank, Glen at least knows who he is, and what he wants, which puts him well ahead of the average person. Glen's wants aren't the same as those of the average human. In fact, he doesn't want to be human at all.
Glen is a species dysphoric (where did that word come from, BTW?), a person who feels that he has been reincarnated into the wrong form, that he is not the species he should be. He was born a human, but thinks his true self is a goat (hence the title). He's been drawing his goat-boy self (who he calls Cheech) for years, and playing him online. Paradoxically, Glen has discovered a lot about his real self through fantasy and role-playing. By pretending to be someone else, he can be more truly himself. He wants to be Cheech in real life, but can't gain access to the higher-level magic needed to do so unless he passes a test that he has already failed once. The test is diffficult, because humanity sholuldn't be easy to throw away. Anyone can do shape-changing if they really want to, and have enough power, but Glen isn't strong enough to do it right. He needs another way to accomplish his goal.
Frank and Glen's relationship is rather disturbing, but it seems to work for them. Frank gets what he wants from Glen, and Glen mostly just takes whatever Frank dishes out. Glen hopes Frank can help him get what he wants. They both grow and change in their time together. However, the change isn't necessarily for the better. There's what looks like a kind of love there, but not what we'd consider normal love. However, everything is seen through Frank's eyes, so the view may be distorted. Is Frank using Glen, or Glen using Frank, or both?
This is a story about transformation, in more ways than one. Not only people turning into animals, but about becoming a different person than you were before. Maybe a better person, maybe not, but different. Most of all I think this story is about identity, about finding (and losing) your true self, realizing what you really are, or that you aren't what you thought.
I'm not sure how this would do as a novel. It would require some additional sub-plots, as has been said before. You could look back at Frank and Kim's past. I doubt you could do much with Glen's, if you're going to stick to first-person, as Frank wouldn't know most of it, and some events depend on him not knowing everything about Glen.
It might work better as part of an anthology. A lot of stories can be told in this world, some dark, some bright, some serious, some funny (how about a shaggy dog story with an actual shaggy dog). Maybe you could delve more into the alternate history. Teddy Roosevelt's ursine nature? The False Spirit War? I see hints on your website, and the phrase But you don't need to know these things only makes me more curious.
Overall, I liked this story, though it was rather dark. I haven't been afraid of the dark in years. Maybe not an easy read for everyone, but something to think about. The ending was not nice, but it was blackly comic, and somehow fitting. And now I've got a song stuck in my head because of you! You probably know which one.
I've looked through some of the other stories on Greyflank's website. Seeing the Furry slant to this work, one might be tempted to think of Greyflank as a one-trick pony (okay, NOW I'm out of horse puns), but I've also seen his very funny comic book Billy Joe Van Helsing, Redneck Vampire Hunter. I wouldn't be surprised if he has a variety of other work out there somewhere. And being a one-trick pony isn't necessarily a bad thing, if it's a good trick. I loved the ending to Astral Plains Drifter, and Breeder really made me think. (The latter is in the Adult section, of course)
Thanks for sharing your work with us, and I hope my review is helpful.
like the idea of magic being an everyday thing, used for all sorts of purposes. Like gourmet charms placed on livestock to baste them before slaughtering, anti-theft wards on car parts, and magic-emulation software to block hackers. Or an interesting choice of a magical totem (let's just say it's "more than meets the eye"). I probably never would've thought of some of these uses myself. Quite imaginative. A world much like our own, but different. I think a lot of people would be interested in buying those sports-themed Imacs. I'm curious about the history of this universe. And "Bush's plan to crack down on dysphoric ani-mages". I hope that's covered in more detail in another story. Then there's the idea of voting rights for zombies. This brings to mind thoughts of a very different kind of march on Washington.
The story is told from the point of view of a man named Frank (since it's in first-person, his name isn't revealed immediately). Frank says "I didn't ask to be born into this world." It might have been better if he hadn't been. He says "I'm not a fag. I'm not a monster." then shows himself to be a little of each. Perhaps the worst kind of liar is the man who lies to himself. Frank is a bully and a sadist. But he's not wholly irredeemable. He is capable of love, in his own twisted way. And he reacts badly when he feels he's been betrayed. Frank is kind of hard to pin down. I start almost liking him, and then he does
something sick or cruel, but other times he can show just enough compassion to keep me from writing him off as the worst person in the world.
Frank's wife Kim has just left him, and as the result of the events of a drunken night he ends up in an unusual relationship with Glen, who was always his scapegoat in high school. Glen hates himself, not because he feels inferior, but because he is not who or what he is meant to be. Unlike Frank, Glen at least knows who he is, and what he wants, which puts him well ahead of the average person. Glen's wants aren't the same as those of the average human. In fact, he doesn't want to be human at all.
Glen is a species dysphoric (where did that word come from, BTW?), a person who feels that he has been reincarnated into the wrong form, that he is not the species he should be. He was born a human, but thinks his true self is a goat (hence the title). He's been drawing his goat-boy self (who he calls Cheech) for years, and playing him online. Paradoxically, Glen has discovered a lot about his real self through fantasy and role-playing. By pretending to be someone else, he can be more truly himself. He wants to be Cheech in real life, but can't gain access to the higher-level magic needed to do so unless he passes a test that he has already failed once. The test is diffficult, because humanity sholuldn't be easy to throw away. Anyone can do shape-changing if they really want to, and have enough power, but Glen isn't strong enough to do it right. He needs another way to accomplish his goal.
Frank and Glen's relationship is rather disturbing, but it seems to work for them. Frank gets what he wants from Glen, and Glen mostly just takes whatever Frank dishes out. Glen hopes Frank can help him get what he wants. They both grow and change in their time together. However, the change isn't necessarily for the better. There's what looks like a kind of love there, but not what we'd consider normal love. However, everything is seen through Frank's eyes, so the view may be distorted. Is Frank using Glen, or Glen using Frank, or both?
This is a story about transformation, in more ways than one. Not only people turning into animals, but about becoming a different person than you were before. Maybe a better person, maybe not, but different. Most of all I think this story is about identity, about finding (and losing) your true self, realizing what you really are, or that you aren't what you thought.
I'm not sure how this would do as a novel. It would require some additional sub-plots, as has been said before. You could look back at Frank and Kim's past. I doubt you could do much with Glen's, if you're going to stick to first-person, as Frank wouldn't know most of it, and some events depend on him not knowing everything about Glen.
It might work better as part of an anthology. A lot of stories can be told in this world, some dark, some bright, some serious, some funny (how about a shaggy dog story with an actual shaggy dog). Maybe you could delve more into the alternate history. Teddy Roosevelt's ursine nature? The False Spirit War? I see hints on your website, and the phrase But you don't need to know these things only makes me more curious.
Overall, I liked this story, though it was rather dark. I haven't been afraid of the dark in years. Maybe not an easy read for everyone, but something to think about. The ending was not nice, but it was blackly comic, and somehow fitting. And now I've got a song stuck in my head because of you! You probably know which one.
I've looked through some of the other stories on Greyflank's website. Seeing the Furry slant to this work, one might be tempted to think of Greyflank as a one-trick pony (okay, NOW I'm out of horse puns), but I've also seen his very funny comic book Billy Joe Van Helsing, Redneck Vampire Hunter. I wouldn't be surprised if he has a variety of other work out there somewhere. And being a one-trick pony isn't necessarily a bad thing, if it's a good trick. I loved the ending to Astral Plains Drifter, and Breeder really made me think. (The latter is in the Adult section, of course)
Thanks for sharing your work with us, and I hope my review is helpful.
I found your book. It was a surprize read for me. Nice work.
Keep up the good work! It was a unique theme, and treatment for me.
I was surprized how well you were able to work the subjects together.
Velvet Jones
CAUGHT IN BAY CITY MI USA
Keep up the good work! It was a unique theme, and treatment for me.
I was surprized how well you were able to work the subjects together.
Velvet Jones
CAUGHT IN BAY CITY MI USA
This is on my TBR of currently tasked to read books.
I don't usually read stories with a furry/transformation slant**, but becuase it was written by Greyflank I decided to give it a go.
I downloaded this a couple of months ago and only recently got around to reading it, so am not sure if I read the most recent version. That aside, I think that "THE GOAT" works quite well as a novella - 80ish pages just seems to be right for the story. If you tried to extend it into a novel _I think_ it might either lose its impact or seem forced. However, it would probably do well if you published a collection featuring all your stories set in that universe, perhaps with a short-story sequel featuring Glenn in his "Goat" form.
Still available at http://xepher.net/~greyflank/
**(Although I've recently become addicted to a few anthropomorphic webcomics, thanks to phantomreader42's judicious posting of interesting links)
I downloaded this a couple of months ago and only recently got around to reading it, so am not sure if I read the most recent version. That aside, I think that "THE GOAT" works quite well as a novella - 80ish pages just seems to be right for the story. If you tried to extend it into a novel _I think_ it might either lose its impact or seem forced. However, it would probably do well if you published a collection featuring all your stories set in that universe, perhaps with a short-story sequel featuring Glenn in his "Goat" form.
Still available at http://xepher.net/~greyflank/
**(Although I've recently become addicted to a few anthropomorphic webcomics, thanks to phantomreader42's judicious posting of interesting links)
Released on Monday, August 16, 2004 at Adult Downloads in Xepher.net, New Jersey World Wide Web.
Just a note to reset the flag and let everyone know that it's still here, available.
Just a note to reset the flag and let everyone know that it's still here, available.
Journal Entry 12 by Greyflank at SMASHWORDS, -- Not a city, Geographical features, etc. -- USA on Thursday, April 14, 2016
Released 8 yrs ago (4/14/2016 UTC) at SMASHWORDS, -- Not a city, Geographical features, etc. -- USA
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/629356
You can now buy this... well, you can now preorder this as an eBook at Smashwords...
Physical book coming soon.
You can now buy this... well, you can now preorder this as an eBook at Smashwords...
Physical book coming soon.
