Sometimes you’re just in the mood to skim something short and whacky. Here are seven of my favorite odd reads, just the tip of the iceberg on a Bookmark list spanning at least a hundred.
1. The Wikipedia list of unusual articles
Wikipedia tends to be dry and objective. This is one of the funniest, most niche reads on the internet—not something you’d expect from a Wikipedia list. The best part is that you will stumble on even more fascinating reads from this list alone.
Some highlights: “The patron demon of scribes, responsible for many errors,” “A landlocked country with a significant commercial fleet,” and “A failed CIA experiment at using a cat for covert surveillance.”
2. The Piano Demon
I first read this short story back in high school and it influenced almost everything I wrote for two years after that. The subtle, supernatural themes and writing that verges on stream-of-consciousness funnel down to fascinating characters and an incredible ending. A combination of this short story and Diana Wynne Jones is what got me started on wanting to write fantasy.
3. When Gropey tried to get my daughter’s cat to like her
Slight confession: Reddit’s JUSTNOMIL subreddit is one of my guilty pleasures. When I’ve got free time (or I’m procrastinating) I binge-read the posters’ mother-in-law drama. One running series is that of Gropey, the clingy, slightly psychotic mother of one poster’s husband. Some Gropey stories verge on frightening, but this one, with its pissed-off feline hero, is hilarious.
4. Mom Adopts a “Dog”
Seen on tumblr at 2am on a Friday night. This is what happens when you go to the shelter for a puppy and accidentally come back with a wolf.
5. How an Internet mapping glitch turned a random Kansas farm into a digital hell
This is one of the oddest things I’ve ever heard happen to someone else. Long story short, a small farm in Potwin, Kansas sees random people from FBI agents to suicidal veterans show up on their property, some of the people harassing them and some leaving questionable presents like a broken toilet seat. The mix-up stems from a glitch in IP address mapping and the farm being just slightly next to the geographic center of the United States. If that description felt off-kilter, wait until you read the full story.
6. The Lazy Evaluation Ranch
A tumblr blogger and their blue-haired girlfriend recount stories of life on a farm. The writing style is part Night Vale, part Neil Gaiman, all hilarious, as the blogger describes their haunted plants, disgruntled viking chicken, loudmouth peacocks, and Very Exciting Dead Rodent Parades.
7. SheriffCreepy evicts a ghost
After a mentally ill man is involuntarily committed due to trying to get the ghost in his house to leave, he calls a lawyer to evict his unwelcome, ethereal guest. It works and the ghost takes his stuff with him.
Anyone else got an odd, wonderful story saved in their bookmarks?
Thanks ! I will look at these.
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