If someone told you loving something, or someone, was a mistake, would you still let yourself feel it? Or would the suggestion eat you and your relationship alive? How far would you go to keep the one you love close? What if you were falling, falling, falling with no end in sight? Boa author James R. Gapinski (they/them) takes us on a macabre and witty journey into exploring these questions and more in his short fiction collection, The Museum of Future Mistakes.
Haunted fingernails, egg-laying cats, and magicians sawing themselves in half are just a few of the twisted and curious images Gapinski incorporates into his tales. Horror and romance tenderly hold hands throughout these stories, absurdity right at home in each page. Humor and gore nestle themselves into all the right places, making this the perfect read for those drawn to the disturbed.
“Delilah” is a highlight of the collection. Taking place during Covid-19, a character finds himself akin to Samson from the Bible, his hair growth inspiring great strength and searching for his Delilah in desperate sex and breaking CDC guidelines. Gapinski expertly uses brevity to give readers what they need, but leaves enough room for imaginations to create their own resolutions.
In “Brother and Not=Brother” Gapinski tackles grief with a more humorous approach when friends, loved ones, and strangers begin to wear the face and body of the narrator’s dead brother. Soon humor turns to horror as our narrator comes to accept this new Brother-World in a shocking ending that leaves readers wanting more.
In “Fruit Rot”, two struggling artists discover a mysterious tree in their backyard that bears miracle fruit, only good for one bite before rotting away in their hands. How does capitalism fit into a magical realist world? What makes a real villain? Gapinski shows us in this gripping tale, where lines between right and wrong blur, and you begin to lose sight of who to root for.
After consuming this entire collection as quickly as I could eat through it, it’s no surprise that James R. Gapinski received the 14th Annual BOA Short Fiction Prize for their stunning achievement with The Museum of Future Mistakes. Gapinski commands your attention with each word, their imagination transporting you into an uncanny version of our modern world. You can’t help but plow through this collection, despite wanting to savor each juicy bite. Step inside Gapinki’s mind and grab a copy on the BOA website today!
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Leah Joy (they/them) is a writer and artist based in Rochester, NY. They received their Associates Degree in Creative Writing from Finger Lakes Community College, where they started the poetry club, Dead Poets Society. They have had several works published in FLCC’s literary journal and run their own blog on Medium.
