Quentin Sergenov, like most tragic heroes, was born into dire circumstances, but at the age of thirty-nine, he finally found his calling: he became a professional wrestler, and good one at that. The Despicable Fantasies of Quentin Sergenov by Preston Fassel opens in 2002, nearly a decade after that career commences, but Quentin is no longer wrestling, at least not for crowds. The story see-saws between the early 1990s and early 2000s, often dipping into a bottomless bag of 1980s references for an extra dash of colour. Quentin’s reason for dismissal—and eventual blacklisting—from the sport is not a surprising one, given the homophobic atmosphere of the early 90s, and Quentin’s lost love is a reoccurring image throughout the story, adding a subtle layer of depth to the main character. Featured prominently in Fassel’s book is the Deinonychus, the creepier cousin of Jurassic Park’s Velociraptor, a vicious dinosaur. It seems like a preposterously bizarre concept, mixing professional wrestling and dinosaurs—and it is—but Fassel makes it work. The creature may be an unusual choice for a horror baddie, but this theropod is no joke: “The claws— there are three of them on each hand—are an average of four inches long and as thick as hot dogs. They taper towards the end like sickles; the tips are capable of slicing human flesh with precision comparable to that of a freshly stropped straight razor.” Not long after being dismissed from the wrestling federation, a windowless van careens into Quentin’s path. The result of this serendipitous meeting? Quentin is biologically transformed by a group of unsavory individuals into that very carnivorous monster. Becoming a prehistoric reptile isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, however. Despite the obvious perks—at a sci-fi convention, Jeff Goldblum waives his meet-and-greet fee for Quentin as a nod of respect to his “costume”—Quentin now has to eat, and a handful of burgers, no matter how rare, isn’t going to cut it. My favorite scene in the story is one in which Quentin lures a trio of strangers to his apartment for dinner, “for dinner” being the play on words here. Although some well flushed-out scenes of horror pop up here and there, the novella as a whole is difficult to categorize. Despicable Fantasies is part Wolverine origin story, part Darren Aronofsky sports drama on ecstasy with a generous sprinkling of Kafka’s “Metamorphosis,” and it sails along with little lapse in action or unnecessary ramblings. Yes, it is bananas at times: there’s no way around that, but it’s bananas in a delightful fun way that a reader can easily digest it in one sitting. I have a special spot in my heart for misfit fiction, stories that straddle not two but three or even innumerable genres and thus have a difficult time finding an audience, never mind a publisher. Kudos to Encyclopocalypse Publications for giving this horror-sci-fi-action-social commentary novella a home, and for donating a percentage of the book’s proceeds to the Trevor Project, and hats off to Fassel for infusing his bizarre concept with an overwhelming amount of heart.  His name was Quentin Sergenov - the unexpected hero of the 90s wrestling scene. A middle-aged bruiser called up to the big leagues on the eve of what should’ve been his retirement, his story of late-in-life success and can-do attitude won the hearts of fans all over the world- and the heart of Wave, his in-ring rival. The two shared a forbidden love that was doomed from the start; but the end of their affair would prove to be the beginning of something terrible for Quentin… His name is Quentin Sergenov - recluse, artist, romantic. Something happened to Quentin after he was cast out of the wrestling world: something that left him less—and more—than human. Now that he’s been given a second chance, Quentin is about to go on a quest—one that will find him crossing paths with Nazi scientists, internet celebrities, sci-fi groupies, and bodybuilding CEOs. It’s a quest to reunite with Wave and finally take back what was stolen from them; and the results will be as gruesome as they are hilarious…  Rebecca Rowland is the American dark fiction author of the short story collection The Horrors Hiding in Plain Sight and the novel Pieces and curator of four horror anthologies. Her work has appeared in venues such as Bloody Disgusting’s Creepy podcast, The Sirens Call, Coffin Bell, Curiouser, and Waxing & Waning and has been anthologized in collections by an assortment of independent presses. She delights in creeping about Ginger Nuts of Horror partly because it’s the one place her hair is a camouflage instead of a signal fire. For links to her latest publications, social media, or just to surreptitiously stalk her, visit RowlandBooks.com. TODAY ON THE GINGER NUTS OF HORROR WEBSITE SOHOME HORROR FEST PRIDE 18TH - 20TH JUNE 2021THE HORROR OF HUMANITY: PANIC ATTACKS: THE MONSTER UNDER THE BED BY JON O’BERGH THE HEART AND SOUL OF HORROR WEBSITES Comments are closed.
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