Book Review: The Complete Lockpick Pornography by Joey Comeau

Joey Comeau is probably best known as the author of the webcomic A Softer World. However, he also has several books under his belt. His first work was a novella entitled Lockpick Pornography. That was later followed up with a spiritual sequel called We All Got It Coming. Recently these two novellas were published as a single volume entitled The Complete Lockpick Pornography. 

I read it. It's pretty fucking gay. By that, I mean I liked it. Also, homosexuality is the main theme in both stories.

Lockpick Pornography is a story about a group of queer pranksters/terrorists who steal from people, beat up straight people and kidnap children. All in the name of fighting heteronormativity of course. Or maybe that's just their excuse. The main character is conflicted on whether his actions are in any way ethical or if they will accomplish anything. As well as his own motivations. Does he want to stop the bullying he feels a heteronormative society imposes on him? Or does he simply want to become a bully himself?

We All Got It Coming takes the opposite perspective. The main character here is an average gay man who doesn't want to give in to his anger and lash out at others. Even when he is a victim of violence himself. He simply wants to find happiness in his personal life in spite of the crap thrown at him by his homophobic boss.

Like A Softer world, Joey Comeau swings between bleak depression and childlike glee in seamless ways and combines both with humor that had people looking at me funny in public because I was laughing so hard. Also like the comic, Joey does all this in very simple sentences. Such as this memorable bit from the opening paragraph of the first story

It feels good to smash the TV, though. I feel like I'm participating in the political system.

Joey manages to keep the main character of Lockpick Pornography sympathetic in spite of doing some awful things and the development of the protagonist of We All Got It Coming is masterfully subtle. Both stories end on ambiguous notes that left me wanting answers. But I'm sure Comeau wants me to come up with my own.

I definitely recommend this book, especially if you're already a fan of A Softer World. I'm eager to read more of Joey's books. 

Buy The Complete Lockpick Pornography by Joey Comeau here.