There are stories, regardless of genre or taxonomy, which seem to derive from such a uniquely imaginative place that nothing could ever explain their source or inspiration. The story kicking off this collection, “Master Blaster and Whammer Jammer Meet the Groove Thang”, is that. About two laid back guys in a van who come in contact with a pleasure alien, adventure, to say the very very least, ensues. The title story “Fractal Paisleys” starts in the Lil' Bear Inn, but ends up in a place more picaresque. About a trailer park man and his bartender girlfriend having the night of their lives after discovering a piece if fantastical technology, it asks: want to re-write your environment with a remote control?
In the story “Do You Believe in Magic?”, when a music reviewer breaks his prize record he must leave his apt—something he had not done in a decade. A fun, little, one-off love story, but not more. Emotion manipulation in tangible form, “Lennox Spex” tells of a New Yorker having the find of his life from a street vendor: Lennon's specs. A story that doesn’t overstay its welcome, but also doesn’t examine itself with any scrutiny. A rollercoaster ride of a story if ever there were, “Mama Told Me Not to Come” is 2k suicide gone sideways—Charlie’s Great Glass Elevator on LSD. The emotional content is off center, and the story is too. The latter, however, is what makes it readable.
In the spirit Heinlein, “Double Felix” plays with reality. Putting Rupert Sheldrake's morphic resonance theory to fictional use, it tells of a scientist getting the ultimate revenge on his ex-wife. Less a story and more a sandbox, “Earth Shoes” re-aligns the stars and events of 1970s America, but doesn't give the reader much to allow them to develop in the reader's mind.
The ultimate battle of the bands, “Flying the Flannel” goes into space for alien rock—with the greatest stakes possible for humanity. The rock had better be good... This story needed more creativity than it had. (See Catherynne Valente's Space Opera for a significantly better take on this idea.) And closing the collection is “The Cobain Sweater”. About a teen boy who unwittingly follows in the footsteps of Kurt, right down to the shotgun barrel in the mouth, things don't go as planned with the intervention of a certain piece of clothing. Adventure ensuing, it proves no ordinary sweater.
In the end, Fractal Paisleys is a fun, light hearted collection of stories, most of which touch upon music in some way. Readable for the uniqueness of Di Filippo's imagination and gusto telling a story, the man would go on to become a more mature, more polished writer, however. Needing to be taken as some of his early efforts, there isn't a lot of depth to character or theme, and there is often a disconnection between emotion and tone given said gusto. But Master Blaster, man, he and Whammer Jammer will stick with me... Everybody needs an alien pleasure device!
In the end, Fractal Paisleys is a solid but not spectacular collection. What it is, is unique. Rock-n-roll a recurring theme, it is a fun, light-hearted selection of shorts that may not always hit the emotional nail on the head, but they do tickle the imagination in a special way. Quick-paced and easy going, it's a fast read. Go introduce yourself to Master Blaster and Whammer Jammer.
The following are the ten stories collected in Fractal Paisleys:
Master Blaster and Whammer Jammer Meet the Groove Thang
Fractal Paisleys
Do You Believe in Magic?
Lennon Spex
Mama Told Me Not to Come
The Double Felix
Earth Shoes
Flying the Flannel
Queen of the Pixies, King of the Imps
The Cobain Sweater
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