"Necessary Evils" (in the anthology RAISING HELL: DEMONIC GAY EROTICA). by 'Nathan Burgoine

$16.95

Paperback

Evil can be fun.

Now, before you jump to conclusions, let me clarify a wee bit. Sexy demons, in the hands of clever authors, can be fun. You can put down the pitchforks and holy water now.

In the last month or so, I've mentioned Jerry L. Wheeler quite a bit. This Short Story 365 project has already included three anthologies he has edited, and I consider myself quite lucky to work with Jerry, as his ideas are always so unique and inspiring.

Which happens when he writes short fiction of his own, too.

"Discodemius," by Jerry L. Wheeler

Raising Hell: Demonic Gay Erotica is the counterpart to the earlier anthology Wings: Subversive Gay Erotica, both edited by Todd Gregory. Looking at the evil in this book - and let's be honest, evil can be sexy - is also fun on more than one occasion.

"Discodemius" is the first tale in the collection, and it's full to the brim(stone) with snappy dialog, a twisted concept, and a hapless fellow who thinks conjuring up a demon just to be entertained is something that could possibly go well for him. Sometimes I read stories that are just so different that I wish my brain would work on a similar level, but then I realize that half the fun is in being so surprised by the facets of the story, and I decide not to fly into a jealous rage. This story is one of those times. Toss in some great music (this is one of the few times I've ever been able to completely 'hear' an entire song while reading a story), some time-travel, and some unexpected learning about love and what's worth fighting for, and you end up with a wonderfully well-told tale, and a big grin on your face. The demon in question - Discodemius - is pretty much a thing of literary beauty.