This is a YA Fantasy of epic proportions. It involves three friends who enter a magical alternate reality where they are required to develop into heroes to save the locals from evil. This new world encompasses a polyglot mixture of historical eras, including West Coast Indigenous legends, steampunk technology, sasquatches, and 16th Century Conquistadors who […]
“Dancer on the Ceiling: More Darkly Humorous Tales” by Mark Nutter
This is a book of creative comedy, mainly based on opposites. Think of an idea that our society holds dear, and Mark will come up with a completely illogical reason to believe the opposite. The story on Reverse Psychology is perhaps the quintessential tale of opposites, except Mark always has to go one step further […]
“Broken World Stories” by Lance Manion
This is a book of short pieces, mostly humorous. I won’t call them stories, although many of them are. What the others are is more difficult to pin down, so I’ll let you figure them out yourself. The work stands out because of its creativity. Examples: An ethnically sourced method of saying good-bye to the […]
“Soledad in the Desert” by Meredith Sue Willis
The enjoyment of this story is all about a unique style of writing that works. It is the tale of a group of people re-inventing their culture on an alien world, seen through the eyes of one of the children. So, the story starts with simple and childlike writing, which develops as the child matures […]
“Magic” by Mike Russell
I’m not usually in favour of introductions to fiction. I think the first chapter should speak for itself. However, in the case of this novel, I’m going to make an exception. The introduction doesn’t introduce the book; it introduces the narrator. It sets the tone, the writing style, and the personality perfectly. So, don’t skip […]
“Cryptofauna” by Patrick Canning
Finally a novel about a video game that doesn’t read like a video game. While loosely based on a game format, this novel has a definite story arc and realistic, developing and wildly charismatic characters. It also has weirdly creative humor reminiscent of “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” which results in such absurdities as traveling […]
“NeXt” by Lance Manion
The concept of the “fourth wall” comes from the theatre, where an actor breaks out of the play and speaks directly to the audience, severing their emotional connection to the story. Lance Manion, by his own proud admission, is a “bubble breaker from way back.” He glories in stepping out of his behind-the-scenes role as […]