Masturbate The Cat

short stories

Fiction - Anthology
295 Pages
Reviewed on 09/05/2024
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

Jack Dancer is like a human pinball, bouncing through life with all the finesse of a drunk elephant. Born with a silver spoon (which he quickly pawned for beer money), Jack’s seen it all—from the gutter to the penthouse, sometimes in the same week.

By 11, he realized Santa was just Dad with better marketing. At 13, he discovered girls weren’t icky. By 14, God seemed as real as his dreams of becoming a pro yodeler.

At 16, high on hormones and low on common sense, Jack and a trio of teenage dreamers headed for New York. Instead of fame, they found themselves living in a basement with a wino until Jack’s dad dragged him back home.

Lesson learned? Hardly. It was just the opening chapter in Jack’s “How to Piss Off Authority” guide.

By 18, he’d landed at a Florida school for sociopaths, which earned him a “get out of Vietnam” pass. He hitched to Boston with a new wife and cat, dove into the counterculture, and worked as a welder for a defense contractor. Life’s full of contradictions.

Jack’s resume reads like a drunk’s dartboard: ice cream man, boardwalk barker, welder, snake oil salesman—sorry, advertising executive.

He’s been married four times (one lasted 28 years, one was a hiccup), and fatherhood taught him that kids are like tattoos on your face—seemed like a good idea at the time.

In Jack’s world, life’s simple: no sequel, no refunds.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Pikasho Deka for Readers' Favorite

Jack Dancer's Masturbate the Cat is a collection of interconnected short stories with a humorous twist on sexual escapades. Tucker Blue's wicked romantic antics in the business class cabin of a flight earn him a flirtatious moment with the alluring flight attendant. An erotic rendezvous on a moving train turns disastrous for a couple when a dead body turns up, leaving them at the mercy of a Good Samaritan doctor. A night at a hotel turns into an unexpected experience of pain and pleasure where a man learns of his hidden desires. An after-dinner massage takes Tucker to the threshold of nirvana that culminates with a silly accident. While being shot at and followed through the streets, Tucker learns that his date is the daughter of the head of a crime syndicate, and now he must find a way out.

Outrageous and hilarious in equal measure, Masturbate the Cat is a rip-roaringly funny short story collection that will have readers in stitches. Jack Dancer treads a fine line between eroticism and absurdism in these short stories that are full of action, humor, and lots and lots of sex. Dancer is vivid with his descriptions, and it leads to scenes and situations that are seared into your mind while reading the book. The characters are lively and leap off the pages, keeping you entertained with their larger-than-life exaggerated personas. What impressed me the most about this collection was how Dancer managed to make each story stand on its own with a resounding climax and pack so much within a few pages while keeping the larger narrative intact as a whole. The book isn't for everyone, but if you enjoy raunchy tales of adventure, don't miss this one.

Essien Asian

Have you ever considered what it would feel like to interact face-to-face with your maker? When two New York City policemen pick up a wandering vagrant who confesses to murdering his son, nothing prepares them for the unusual interrogation session that follows. Neither is a couple ready for the chaotic aftermath of their romantic jousting while on a train ride. These are just a few of the stories in this intriguing collection. Read along as Jack Dancer pushes the edge of reason and believability in his collection of stories titled Masturbate The Cat.

Jack Dancer’s Masturbate The Cat is a collection of twenty short stories detailing encounters of an unusual nature. There is no doubt that human copulation comes up frequently across several media, but I daresay not quite in the manner that Dancer discusses it. Most of the stories have a sexual theme that is not only humorous but, combined with the educational angle that Dancer infuses into the characters’ conversations, will make you wonder why you have never thought about it in the same way. The reader will easily be able to relate to all the characters, given their diverse backgrounds and compelling origin stories. Dancer's singular storytelling style includes some forthright discussions about the naughty parts of the human anatomy and specific questions that some readers might find incredibly lighthearted when discussing serious subjects. After you get used to the stories' style and varying pacing, you will discover that Masturbate The Cat is a collection as distinctive as it is enjoyable.

K.C. Finn

Masturbate The Cat is a work of fiction in the short story anthology, sociocultural issues, and slice-of-life subgenres. It is best suited to mature adult readers owing to its exploration of explicit material, taboos, and darker aspects of life. Penned by author Jack Dancer, the work presents a provocative collection of short stories that fearlessly tackles societal taboos and delves into the darker facets of human desires. Each narrative within this anthology pushes the boundaries of conventional storytelling, exploring themes often shunned, all while injecting a substantial dose of humor.

Author Jack Dancer's writing style is both realistic and daring, providing a unique perspective on romance and relationships that I thoroughly enjoyed from cover to cover. The stories are laced with humor, making them engaging and thought-provoking simultaneously but also offering a lighter touch to make some of the less desirable topics more palatable. Dancer's ability to present the narratives in a relatable, conversational tone adds a layer of accessibility to themes that are typically approached with trepidation. This collection stands out for its audacity in addressing topics that many shy away from, creating a space for unconventional storytelling that stimulates reflection and conversation. My personal favorite of the collection was the starkly honest and deeply engrossing ‘Nyotaimori’, where tensions rise and you can never quite guess where the plot is going until it’s (rather gloriously) far too late. Overall, I would certainly recommend Masturbate The Cat for fans seeking an immersive experience into the unconventional and sometimes uncomfortable corners of human existence.

Alma Boucher

Masturbate The Cat is a bold anthology of short stories by Jack Dancer. This collection of twenty stories uses descriptive language and is energetic and unique. In Peel Me a Grape, twenty minutes after the train left the Carcassonne station, Monica and Tucker’s intimate time ends abruptly. Following a startling series of incidents, a man crashes through the cabin door while holding a folded newspaper and ends up dead on the floor. In Takes a Licking and Keeps on Ticking, Tanya’s life is at risk because a man has tightened a noose around her neck. The man was having fun until Tanya brandished her secret weapon, the cinnamon-flavored Sandman Sleep Spray and the man collapsed to the ground, his tongue lolling like a lifeless dog.

Masturbate The Cat is an intricate and unique collection, and Jack Dancer makes sure there is enough happening to grab your interest and hold it till the very end. All the action kept me on the edge of my seat, turning the pages as fast as possible. The characters and the writing style propelled the plots in an interesting and captivating way; it never felt excessive and was incredibly passionate and descriptive. Each story was vividly written, easy to read, and laced with sexual tension and intrigue. The stories were interwoven with moments full of humor, and at times I had a good laugh. The book was cleverly organized, with lively, shorter pieces at the beginning and a police station interrogation at the conclusion. I will remember this interesting read for a long time!

Frank Mutuma

Masturbate The Cat by Jack Dancer is a collection of short stories exploring various themes that many readers might consider taboo. In Monica: The Little Death, Monica and Mr. Blue are traveling together and explore the boundaries of public sex when they are caught by the conductor. In Takes A Licking and Keeps On Ticking, Tanya is the adopted daughter of Madame. Her kinks are exemplary and irresistible. Nanette's life changes when her grandmother discloses troubling things on her deathbed, which leads to Nanette looking for Julia Libica. Both have suffered at the hands of their parents. After meeting, they grow close, but they are very different. Nanette is kind, while Julia is a psychopath, incapable of feeling any emotions.

Masturbate The Cat by Jack Dancer is one of the most unique books I have ever read. It doesn't shy away from topics that are avoided by most writers. Apart from exploring various taboos, I found the book to be thought-provoking on issues such as how experiences and environments affect who and what people become. For instance, in the story of Nanette and Julia, who are raised by abusive parents, I also loved the angle that shows how some relationships, despite societal views, are abusive, and some are also consensual between adults. The narrative was excellent, which added to the overall appeal of the collection. The author also utilized satire effectively, which ensures readers are entertained. It also made the book effective in conveying the intended message without alienating any readers. I am looking forward to reading something else by this author.