Book Brouhaha

Summary: Popular and irreverent talk-radio show host, Chip Gregory interviews his latest controversial public figure – an android named Paul, who claims to believe in God. While on the airwaves of his volatile and popular call-in talk radio show, Chip finds his audience just as explosive as its subject matter. Review: A truly thought-provoking and interesting piece by R.A. Hobbs.  There's very little description.  As the summary suggests, it's an interview.  But this is one of the reasons why I like short stories.  A story can be a simple conversation and that's it. I was a little skeptical about the story at first.  It started out with lines that reminded me of every android I've seen on TV ever.  But as things settled in the story began to have a life of its own.  Less "I Robot" as it where. The radio show format was perfect.  The questions raised were answered just  enough to make you think and not feel like you're readi...

Review: **May contain spoilers** This story is... odd.  Since there's no summary provided I will briefly recap.  It's from the viewpoint of a man suffering from depression.  His son died and the death caused him and his wife to drift apart.  Most of the story takes place during what appears  to be some sort of party/convention for people with unusual eyes.  So the story switched back and forth between him talking to people at the party and flashbacks of the past. It's odd for several reasons.  The first is the author's choice of second person tense.  Instead of saying "he did this" or "he did that" it was "you did this" or "you did that."  Personally, I found this made the story harder to get into.  Instead of the story coming across as me getting to know the characters as I would a friend it was it became "psychological."  The end result was that I felt more detached from the story than I probably would have ha...

Summary:   At the bottom of an old trinket-box lies a misshapen bit of lead—a bullet from the Civil War, an old family keepsake preserved, but mostly forgotten, by later generations. And behind it lies a story—the story of a young girl's experiences in the days surrounding the fateful battle of Gettysburg, which force her to examine her own heart and show her the face of war in a way she could not have understood before. Review: I've always enjoyed Foley's stories.  She has such a simple and sweet way of putting together words.   War Memorial is yet another shining example of her style. The actual storyline itself is not ground breaking.  It's the Civil War.  Soldiers are killing each other but every soldier is still a human being.  But it's the way  Foley tells the story that makes you pause and reflect which, to me, is the sign of a good short story.  The lower word count means that you should want to take the time to the dig...

Summary: This collection packs eight exquisite short fiction from M. Eigh, including Bitter Tea and Braided Hair, My Mother's Shadow, Oscar’s Extraordinary Life, Planned, Dear Teresa, The Manchurian Express, A Eulogy for Edwin Bogardus, Not A Bad Day and Double Sauté. All of the stories have been previously published by very selective professional or semi-professional literary magazines and some of them have been re-printed since their first publication. Review: A truly beautiful piece of short fiction.  What it lacks in action it makes up for in literary depth.  There are a lot of layers to this story, each interesting enough to mull over for some time. I was impressed with how easily M. Eigh introduces his racist world.  In just a few short paragraphs that contain no blatant description you understand the conflict and empathize with the characters.  I appreciated the symbolic use of shadows.  It was a clever literary reference to oth...

Summary: Tonight, Somnus, God of Sleep, has tasked Dreamweaver to craft a happy dreamscape for a little girl named Abigail. The assignment seems routine at first, but, no matter what webs he spins, Dreamweaver cannot please the child. The only thing Abigail wants is to be reunited with her father. Failing to grant her this one wish will forever banish Dreamweaver to the dark netherworld. Review: This was a simply delightful story.  I want to say bordering on a fairy tale...?  Sort of...?  It didn't start with a "once upon the time" but for some reason it just struck me as belonging to that category. Goshko does a fantastic job exploring the depth of pain and loss without attempting intentional heart string pulling.  It was a brilliant touch telling the story from the Dreamwaver's point of view.  The Dreamweaver is a spirit and therefore provides a sense objectivity as he explores each person's dream to try and get the complete story. There w...

Summary: In 1939, an English businessman is sent to San Juan, Puerto Rico to complete a deal for his firm. While there, he meets the fascinating and charismatic Aniceto Cuevas, a man who seems to truly have it all. He soon learns, however, that there is much more beneath the surface of Aniceto, and when the facade begins to unravel, a shocking discovery is made. Review: A gripping tale with a writing style that seems to ooze with the same charisma of Aniceto Cuevas himself.  Aniceto is rich, cultured, well-spoken and seems to know everything about everything.  You can't help but feel caught up with the protagonist as he strives to impress the type of man that everyone wants to be. Without revealing too much, the story naturally leads to the reveal that not all is as it seems with Aniceto.  A tragedy in his past seems to have permanently twisted his mind to the point where he can't enjoy his present accomplishments. While the story and ...

Summary: Jeff Dryden is a top recording session guitarist in LA. Makes big money. Has a beautiful wife and a big house. Life is good. But one night, he's awakened by a phone call from a record producer who needs him for a session right away. The money is good, so he agrees, but this session will dredge up long-buried memories and dreams, and wind up changing his life forever. THE SESSION calls together Mike Dennis' past as a professional musician and his present as a noir fiction author in a harrowing portrayal of a man who can't quite grab the brass ring. Review: In general, noir fiction is not really my thing.  I respect it as a genre I just tend to be more of a "happy ending" type of person and noir, by definition, is usually about crime and decline.   But I can't deny Dennis' strength as a writer.  I've read stories of his before and he always does an excellent job pulling you into his depressing little world... in a good way....

Summary: The Time Travel story with a dark side. A man died while the snow fell. His body would be hidden until summer, but there are strangers in the woods today. During a long forgotten Christmas, three time travellers come to town; is their presence just a coincidence or are there darker secrets hidden beneath the ice. Review: An interesting time travel piece that has a classic cult sci-fi feel.  I really enjoyed Adams' style of writing.  He spoon-feeds you details in a way that keeps one engaged throughout the story.  His descriptions are sparse yet concise.  It doesn't take long to form the complete scenario in your mind. The story unfolds at a nice pace, becoming more and more intriguing with each page turn.  Who are the time travelers?  What do they want from the man they were trying to track down?  And then.... it just ends.  Vague inferences are made on what the protagonists are up to, but not e...

Summary: A man comes home to discover a Bigfoot-like creature watching his tv, a giant robot pays a visit to a couple, a new kid has some unusual toys to share, an inventor creates a gorgeous robot in order to meet women, a girl becomes so ill she has her head replaced with a goat head, someone wakes to discover little eyes growing all over his body, small, hairy creatures come looking to retrieve an object they had misplaced, and a boy finds an unusual pair of sunglasses in the weeds. These are the whimsical, surreal adventures of Tony Rauch. Review: **May Contain Spoilers** This story has the effortless ease about it that one gets from an author that has been writing for awhile and knows his "writing voice."  It's both entertaining and whimsical.  Outlandish ideas seem like perfectly reasonable solutions. Since the summary does not cover this particular story's plot, I will briefly recap.  It's about a man that has been rejected by the wom...

Summary: Ancient Tales, Modern Legends, a short story collection by Ted William Gross presents the reader with engaging and thought-provoking stories spanning the ages. Covering subjects of love, loss, pain, desire, need, frustration and hope these stories are meant to entertain as well leave an indelible impression upon the reader. Ted Gross cleverly combines ancient lore in his "Tiny Slivers From A Silver Horn" weaving Unicorns, the story of Adam & Eve and the modern world into a tale of lost wisdom and gained hope. "Love In A Cafe" moves the reader within the soft aura of love until the surprise ending. "Elijah's Coins" leaves us wondering about the great "what if" of life and just how blessed or cursed it would make us to change the future. "Reverieing" is a glimpse of the slow descent of one individual into his own personal hell. "Addiction, Obsession, Love", "Tenuous Webs" & "And So They D...

Summary: 3 Very Quirky Tales In Tell Us Everything a Goth girl discovers how to plug herself into the world of the real and tell its secrets, much to the dismay of those who populate the world. Timothy Thomas, driving home from work, looks at the driver in the next car and sees himself, not the person he is today, but the person he was 30 years ago. Are there start overs? In It Was Me (I) Timothy is about to find out. The Notebook: When Jeremy stops by the house were he had an apartment when he was a college student and asks if he might look in the attic to see if a notebook he left there still exists, Sarah lets him in. They both discover truths they had rather not known. Review: What an absolutely delightful piece!  What started out for me as a "what the heck..." story ended up unfolding into a genuine chuckle of a conclusion. There was quite a lot to take at the beginning of "Tell Us Everything."  It started mid-action and had a plethora o...

Summary: A collection of Western short stories that go beyond the standard action and adventure of the genre to focus on character and conflict. In the award-winning "Disturbing the Peace," honorable mention in the 2010 Rope and Wire short story competition, a sheriff experiences a revelation about himself and his relationship with the people of his town, while in "The Outlaw's Wife," a country doctor worries that his young friend is falling for a married woman whose husband is rumored to be a wanted criminal. From the suspenseful "Cross My Heart" to the comedic romp of "A Rangeland Renaissance," to a Western twist on star-crossed romance in the title story, "The Ranch Next Door," these stories will appeal to a variety of readers, as well as established fans of the traditional Western. Review: I'm kind of a sucker for westerns.  I love the setting and Foley's collection is a perfect example of how artlessly it ...

Summary: Acerbus hates his job. While he is content to watch and study the mortal races, the other gods constantly look for reasons to destroy their newly-created world. When they finally find an excuse, they command Acerbus to become the Smiter, destroyer of all creation. Armed with nothing but spite and goblins, Acerbus decides that there is only one way to ensure his own failure and save the world: by becoming an Evil Overlord. Review: This is an absolutely delightful story.  Thomas has such a fun style of writing!  "Smite Me" was a perfect blend of whimsy, humor and thought-provoking ideas.  I frequently found myself laughing out loud as I read though this story.  The way Acerbus interacts with his fellow gods is priceless. While this story remains engaging throughout, I found myself a tad confused in the middle.  It was unclear to me why any of the gods, including our main character, would obey the main god, Lux.  Acerbus constantly seems to...

Summary: Take Jan Karon's Mitford, but add in an edge. Listen to the whispers about the Irish Mob.Avoid the easy answers when Exeter residents run head on into the tough questions of life.    Review: “Bones of the Past” is one of those stories that you hope has an author biography at the end of it, preferably one that tells you where you can read more of the author’s works. Fortunately, “Bones of the Past,” as part of the series “Thrown Out: Stories from Exeter,” delivers on both counts. For this story, Coughlin’s combines skilled writing with an interesting subject to create a world so real that the reader feels more like they are watching a movie than reading words on a page. In “Bones of the Past,” a small town’s resident story teller wields his craft for a woman eager to learn more about a dark mystery in the town’s past. The dialogue between the characters is flawless both in its realism and its artistry, and the transitions from the storyteller’s flashbacks ...

Summary: After committing a horrible crime against the Gaiad, the eternal guardians of the woods, a remorseful knight is forced to confront his demons. Pryde's Choice is a heroic tale of redemption and hope reminding us that it's never too late to make amends for the past. Review: I have read/reviewed other works by Mr. Hendrickson and I have to say I was quite impressed with this latest story.  Hendrickson always has excellent plot ideas but his skill as a writer has certainly evolved since his earlier works. "Pryde's Choice" is an interesting tale that uses a fantasy backdrop to tell a much deeper story of revenge and remorse.  Despite the appearance of elves and archaic sounding language, you never get the sense this is a typical fantasy story of good vs. evil and the battle for our immortal souls.  Instead, it's about a man essentially battling himself.  The knight made a choice that anyone could have made and then had to live with the co...

Summary: In 9th century France, the zealous warrior Ragenard is finally within striking distance of his greatest enemy, a necromancer dead-set on disturbing the natural order of Creation. Their final battle ensues; one combatant fights with wrought iron and the other with the risen dead, although all is not as it seems about the two opponents and their enmity. Review: A fun, interesting tale by Creaney.  Despite the modern publication date, it felt reminiscent of Old English lore (i.e. Beowulf).  While those old tales were created to make larger than life heros in a clear battle of good vs. evil, Creaney adds a subtle twist to his own story making it more "psychological" rather than "horror." In the popular warrior vs. necromancer fantasy battle, the warrior is almost always seen in a good light. The warrior represents everything that is pure, the necromancer messed around with dead stuff so, obviously, he must be bad. What Creaney presents to us ...

Summary: A collection of five short stories. Included in this collection are: Lords of the Remnant. - Aliens strike at the Centauri colony, overrunning it completely. Then, sooner than anyone imagined they could, they arrived at Earth to continue their conquest. An infantryman, certain resistance is futile, nevertheless deploys with his unit to fight against the first wave of invaders. As his comrades die around him and all hope seems lost, he finds the courage to fight on, but is confronted with a choice that will not only affect his own future, but that of all mankind as well. How NOT To Rescue A Damsel In Distress - Larian, a young soldier fresh from the Martial Academy, goes home on leave to find his village attacked by brigands and his girl kidnapped. He immediately sets out to rescue her, but things do not quite go as planned. This is a fantasy short story of gallantry, daring, swordplay, and romance. A Chat Before Dinner - The record of a Zombie’s rant about the trials a...

Summary: One man's obsession with the restoration of a near-mythical car is thrown into sharp perspective following the death of his wife. Review: After reading this story there is no doubt in my mind that Cox is able to write well.  An author's descriptive ability is always tested in short stories.  And in that area Cox excels.  He does a fantastic job creating a protagonist that you can't help but feel connected to. Where I feel that this story is sort of lacking is in the obsession department.  It's the main plot point but, strangely enough, is not really focused on.  The protagonist's wife is dead but you never find out how his obsession with the car affected their relationship.  Most of the story centers on his current grief.  There are a few hints that he regrets his past actions.  But if I don't know what they are, how can I tell if he was really ignoring his wife for the car or if it's all in his head? Sto...

Summary: A short story by mystery author Stacy Juba. When Gregg accidentally discovers his neighbor's lingerie collection drip-drying in her shower, he stares in fascination at a scene that looks like laundry day at the whorehouse. After his neighbor is found dead - strangled with her own fishnet stocking - the next victim might even be closer to home. Review: **While this review does not completely reveal the story’s ending, it does contain some spoilers.** In “Laundry Day” a man’s chance discovery of his neighbor’s lingerie collection leads him to make some other unexpected discoveries, primarily about his relationship with his wife. He soon finds that beneath the placid surface of neighborly friendliness lies a hotbed of betrayal, lust and murder. Here, Juba crafts a gripping tale with realistic characters and a fast paced, thrilling plot. There are few things I love more than a good murder mystery, and that is exactly what the author has create...

Summary: Boroughs of the Dead is a collection of ten short horror stories set in and around New York City. Beneath its modern facade, New York City teems with dark secrets, faded spirits, and unnameable horrors. Boroughs of the Dead weaves fact and myth, fiction and legend to tell ten of the most terrifying tales of the haunted metropolis. A medical doctor abandons all rationality when he falls in love with the spirit of a murdered woman. The nightmares of an adolescent boy come to life and stalk him to the deadly, polluted waters of Newtown Creek. A cholera demon wipes out the thieves and murderers of the Five Points. From ghost stories to zombie narratives to weird tales, Boroughs of the Dead contains evils as diverse as Gotham itself. Review: For me, one of the most interesting things about short stories is how they don't always clearly fall under the predefined genres.  When you see a fantasy novel you can make some pretty safe guesses about what kind of entertai...