Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC.

The World is Neither Stacked For You Nor Against You is a short story collection whose stories range from monsters to religion, from experimental to simple.

While I tend to love a weird and wild short story collection, I’m also a firm believer in anthologies which have clear through-lines. When the synopsis of this collection says it is made of disparate parts, it is absolutely telling the truth. I felt like the selection of stories here could have been snappier; it was like I was reading at least three different collections that had been tossed into a salad spinner.

I did like many of the stories in this collection, despite the occasional jarringly short or unnecessarily sexual piece. I think it has good bones, and I think Mesler is a solid — if often a bit verbose — writer who’s unafraid to take artistic risks, which is a take I can appreciate. I think given the range of stories here, there’s something for probably every reader, but I do think as a collected unit, this book could be a lot more unified. I’ll definitely be on the lookout for more of Mesler’s pieces moving forward.

I made it to 68% before dnf'ing. I was determined to make it all the way through but I feel I have read enough to be able to give my impression. I loved the weird, surreal, odd stories, most of which were delightfully short, some not even a page long. They were quirky and quick to read. Shadow Work was a story about dying your shadow, a process much like getting a tattoo, and it was so original and amusing. Some stories were in the noir style, others dialogue between two people having a conversation... The cover is amazing and seems to fit the odd assortment of stories in this book.I thought his stories started off with much promise but were finished quickly as though he lost interest. Maybe having an editor would help polish up his work, it certainly couldn't hurt. There are metaphors, adjectives, and similes galore, some creatively good, others not so much. Maybe he needs to write a book with loads of female objectification and creepy sex to get it out of his system, then he can write his magnum opus.

I have to say, Corey Mesler did a great job at selecting stories for this collection. However, to my taste, some of them are just a little too weird - especially the ones without any resolution and no hints on what could possibly happen in the story. If you like the feeling of the unknown this is definitely the collection for you!
Several stories were delightful, despite the fact that they were not even a page long. They served as good food for thought, or were mimicking a mere daydream whilst only for a moment zoning out from the space you're in.
Overall, I am giving it a 3 stars. My reason for this being that this collection is definitely not a unified experience and might not suit everyones taste, even considering readers who generally like weird fiction.
Do not sleep on this if you want to experience a wild ride of tones, stories and just overall have variety in your reading!

A huge thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this early!

I have DNF-ed it on the 52% mark but I think I have read enough to evaluate the book.
The short story collection aims for a surreal and niche atmosphere, drawing heavily on eerie and unsettling themes from our surroundings. However, it gets mired in a repetitive cycle of irrelevant sexual references to women that feel a straight reference to r/menwritingwomen, along with plots that often lead nowhere. While a few stories shine brighter than others, most are short and easily digestible, yet they often feel uninspired and hastily put together. Despite my initial excitement fueled by its description as a "Frankenstein monster of a collection" and its university press pedigree, It seems the collection didn't live up to expectations; perhaps it's too niche or simply not as engaging as hoped.
Thank you Netgalley and Livingston Press at the University of West Alabama for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion

I made it to 68% before dnf'ing. I was determined to make it all the way through but I feel I have read enough to be able to give my impression. I took lots of notes but I will try to be brief with my review.

First off, I loved the weird, surreal, odd stories, most of which were delightfully short, some not even a page long. They were quirky and quick to read. Shadow Work was a story about dying your shadow, a process much like getting a tattoo, and it was so original and amusing. Some stories were in the noir style, others dialogue between two people having a conversation...
The cover is amazing and seems to fit the odd assortment of stories in this book.

There were a plethora of words I have never encountered before. A sample : cicatricial, rident, folderal, eidolon, diatomaceous, absquatulated, kudzuey, concupiscene, benison, vitelline, encomium, exegesis. There were also obscure references to things only people in the know would recognize..."fast like Rajon Rondo". This is quite polarizing for me, maybe others would appreciate this more?

There are so many (so so so many) oddly placed sexual references scattered throughout that feel completely unnecessary for the context of the story, it gave me the feeling of coming in contact with a trench coat flasher. And there was a definite ick factor when women are being described, tits, breasts, bosom, legs that go on forever, "an associate who is a wet dream's wet dream"... Haruki Murakami gets criticized often for the objectification of women but Corey Mesler has a few tricks to teach him. "She's made of fine parts which are put together well". Ew.
One story, the last one I read, Mystical Participation, is about a writer whose wife hates all the sexual content in his work. She calls it literary rape (Effie!!! Yes!!), and I had to laugh at that, it seems like the story started with an actual real life conversation Corey had with his wife.

I thought his stories started off with much promise but were finished quickly as though he lost interest. Maybe having an editor would help polish up his work, it certainly couldn't hurt. There are metaphors, adjectives, and similes galore, some creatively good, others not so much. Maybe he needs to write a book with loads of female objectification and creepy sex to get it out of his system, then he can write his magnum opus.

Overall, I think Corey is writing for the joy of it and his target audience is very niche, and he probably has no want for the adoration of the world at large, just his small group of supporters. For sure he was not writing for me, nor do I think he will care that I didn't mesh well with this collection of short stories. Write what you love, live your life being you.

2.5 stars rounded up because I'm the first one to leave a review and also because I could see true potential in this collection. Didn't completely hate but did not love.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.