Brad Watson

This reading was the perfect end to my otherwise awful day. The experience screamed "Buy this book!", and if only my bank account wasn't stamping out that sound with a more resounding whisper "I'm empty!", I would have. I will most definitely get "Aliens in the Prime of Their Lives" once I have the funds as Brad Watson's delightfully dark sense of humor is more than satisfying to any mind that craves more than the social standard for written entertainment (take that all you tired old critics).

I can't stop thinking about that magnificent toe, or the way the mother screamed in vein to wide eyed children who clearly had not a clue what she expected. My absolute favorite was the story excerpt with the couple when the wife leapt on top of the man's back and he flipped her off in the yard. It's much nicer to view such mishaps in a comic light rather than the frazzled, tense mood in which it is experienced and generally displayed. The subtle sense of humor that sneaks up on you just when you need it the most shines a light where a dark emotion usually prevails. Where exposed nerves once dwelled Brad Watson found laughter. Only the best of writers can unveil the humor within such tense moments so organically. Another thing that I enjoyed was his explanation of his process. All things come from personal experience and you can't write about what you don't know. I like the fact that many of his stories begin with an idea that stems from his own life and the relateable situations he incorporates into his work. "Aliens in the Prime of Their Lives" is the book that those look for lightheartedness in the worst of times have been waiting for.