Reviews

Shredded: A Sports and Fitness Body Horror Anthology by Eric Raglin

littlebookterror's review

3.5

I only read Rien Gray's story in this anthology since I am on a mission to read everything they write. [I might one day get around to some more stories but I have a harder time picking up anthologies over collections.]

I think it's interesting that in the two anthologies I've read so far (this and Heckin' Lewd), both of their pieces are about trans men when all of their longer works focus on nonbinary people and/or sapphic relationships with women.

In <i>Scale</i> we follow Robert, a college student who wants to become a better swimmer and considers going on drugs for it. Instead, his teammate invites him to join him for a different type of doping. 
I really liked the beginning and the descriptions, the focus on Robert's tumultuous emotions about the situation. It does rush the transition from him just being complicit to the end where loyalty bids shift.

ekevka's review

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

bruisedtigers's review

dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.5

It’s hard to rate an anthology. Unfortunately there is a lot of repeated territory between the various stories, which means a good section of them don’t shine as bright as the more unique ones. 

The standouts to me are: I’m Gonna Make You a Legend,  Lucky like Elena, and Avulsion. 

b00gars's review

dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

mgsardina's review

challenging dark funny mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

fiendfull's review

dark fast-paced

5.0

Shredded is an anthology of body horror stories that are centred around sports and fitness. The stories are a diverse set that cover a lot of different sports and fitness activities (including wrestling, american football, going to the gym, swimming, hockey, yoga, and gymnastics) and a range of ways in which the body horror plays out, helps and hinders. This really stands out, as you never know what kind of story you're going to get next. 

 

I really enjoyed what body horror has to say about sports and fitness, and vice versa. In particular, ideas around having the ideal body for your activity and the lengths people will go to, as well as more monstrous and uncontrollable elements of bodies pushed to their limit. I found both the stories featuring trans men particularly interesting, with one playing off ideas around T but also bear culture amongst gay men, and the other a water-based body horror that at the same time showed quite a sweet instance of a trans guy finding a place in a swimming team. Body horror has plenty to say about different kinds of bodies, but also about who finds a place within sports and fitness, which is something a lot of the stories address in some way or another. 

 

Overall, this is an impressive anthology that will make you wince and laugh, and has a lot to say about the relationships between bodies and physical activity at the same time. Sports and fitness is not a topic I would usually look for fiction about and Shredded was a chance to see that the horror side of the topic isn't confined to the jock getting killed near the start of a horror story.