Short Stories Books

"The Past through Tomorrow" is a collection of short stories, novellas and shot novels written by Robert A. Heinlein. They all have a common context, Heinlein's Future History as conceived by the author during the 1930s and 40s. It was during this period, the author created a timeline of mankind's progress into space.

To the best of this reviewer's knowledge, this was the first attempt of anything like this on this scale. Several of these tales are considered to be classics of their genre.

We start with "Lifeline" the first published short story written by Heinlein. Hugo Pineiro has created a machine that can tell you exactly when you are going to die. Of course the insurance industry and various other interests are not amused.

Another is the classic "The Man Who Sold the Moon". Delos David Harriman was a reluctant businessman. He couldn't go to the University of Chicago to study astronomy because he had to support his family. He started in real estate then prefabricated housing on to ballistic hypersonic transport. Now he thinks the time is ripe to make possible his true ambition - a trip to the moon. Harriman has only ever wanted to go to the moon but he winds up created an interplanetary business empire and a victim of his own success.

There is "the Green Hills of Earth" where we are introduced to "Noisy" Rhysling, the blind singer of the space lanes. Blinded in an engineering room accident, he is forced to change professions and becomes a traveling musician ultimately writing the songs that defined this era in human expansion.

In "Logic of Empire" two wealthy drunken dilettantes sell themselves into indentured servitude on Venus. In "The Roads Must Road" (voted one of the greatest science fiction stories of all time) a civil servant must head off a labor strike that will cripple the U.S. economy. "The Menace from Earth" deals with young romance while indulging in a distinctly lunar past time, flying with strap-on wings.

There other stories in this volume but the reviewer will mention just one more, "Methuselah's Children". This is where we are first introduced to the Howard Families, a secret group bred for longevity. They approximately 2.5 times as long as their more ephemeral brethren. This is where RAH first introduces Woodrow Wilson Smith better known as Lazarus Long, the oldest man alive. The Howards make the mistake of revealing their existence to the world at large. Humanity drops its veneer of civilization and arrests the members of the Howards in order to torture their secret of longevity out of them.

The problem is there is no `secret'.

If you enjoy science fiction and/or Robert Heinlein, this collection is required reading. It doesn't get any better than this in any genre.

Though I greatly enjoy Heinlen's writing, I didn't think I'd read very many of his short stories. Surprisingly, I had read "Life-Line", which is the first story in this book. But I didn't mind re-reading it one bit! One thing I had not realized before was that it was the first short story Heinlen had ever submitted for publication. I think the book is worth getting for it alone.

Now, not only is this book just an incredible collection of plain good 'ole fashioned story-telling at it's best, but the stories actually proceed in chronological order in the same timeline, which creates an incredible fluidity between stories. You find yourself trying to figure out how far in the future from the last story you read you are in the one you've just started.

I think of the stories in the book, "Life-Line", "The Green Hills of Earth", and "Methuselah's Children" are my favorites, though I think I enjoyed every one of them. And you have characters that flow from one story to the next, so every now and then you get to spend more time with a character that you found you enjoyed.

Do I recommend this book?! Absolutely! And despite it's thickness, it's actually great for people who aren't much into big books - because it's a collection of short stories. You can sit down and read for a half an hour or an hour and then put it down without regret. Awesome book!

"I wonder why nobody reprints it: look at all the good marks it gets!!! "

Fantastic book, but holds way too much in the way of stories that can be (and are) printed and sold seperately.
It's unfortunate for new Sci-Fi fans, very hard to find a decent paperback copy somewhere. Mine is so worn, I need to rebind it.

John W. Campbell, editor of the sci-fi magazine "Analog" coined the term "future history" about the chain of characters and stories written by Robert A. Heinlein. It's a brilliant term, because Heinlein literally created a fictional history of an entire people, from Earth, to early space travel, to settling the moon, to moving out among the stars.

This book, astonishingly out of print, contains many of Heinlein's best short stories and novellas, filling in the gaps for his major novels such as "Time Enough for Love" and "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress."

Heinlein apparently kept a complicated character-and-time chart in his study. This book has a copy of the chart, plus the award-winning stories and short fiction.

Included here: "Methuselah's Children"--the beginning of the story of the Howard Families that is taken up in the sweeping novel "Time Enough for Love." You'll also find stories that explain the founding of Luna City, pioneering space travel, and the revolution against the theocracy begun by Nehemiah Scudder.

If you are a Heinlein fan, this is a great book to have--fills out the gaps in his complete works. If you aren't a Heinlein fan, start with "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" or "Starship Troopers" to find out how great Heinlein's science fiction is.

The Past Through Tomorrow (1967) is an omnibus collection of the relatively short SF stories in the Future History series. These stories were originally published between 1939 and 1962. Many were first published in Astounding Science Fiction, but others first saw print in a variety of other venues. This edition includes an introduction by Damon Knight.

Life-Line (1939) tells of the man who could predict the time of death of an individual; this was Heinlein's first sale. The Roads Must Roll (1940) is about an illegal work stoppage on the mechanical roads. Blowups Happen (1940) depicts the tensions among the workers in an atomic breeder plant. The Man Who Sold the Moon (1949) relates the story of D. D Harriman and his efforts to establish a base on the Moon. Delilah and the Space-Rigger (1949) recounts the tale of the men who constructed Space Station One and the woman who came among them.

Space Jockey (1947) describes the perils of piloting a passenger ship in space. Requiem (1939) reveals the story of how D.D. Harriman finally got to the Moon. The Long Watch (1948) is a tale of duty, honor and death. Gentlemen, Be Seated (1948) tells of three men in a tunnel on the Moon that starts leaking air. The Black Pits of Luna (1947) concerns a lost child on the Moon.

"It's Great to be Back!" (1946) is a tale of homecoming for two Luna City residents. "--We Also Walk Dogs" (1941) discloses how General Services performed an unusual task for the government. Searchlight (1962) concerns another lost child on the Moon. Ordeal in Space (1947) is about a man who is afraid of falling. The Green Hills of Earth (1947) depicts the last voyage of Rhysling, the blind poet of the spaceways.

Logic of Empire (1941) exposes the reasons for slave labor in the colonies. The Menace from Earth (1947) relates the story of Holly Jones of Luna City and the beautiful tourist. "If This Goes On--" (1940) describes one man's role in the Second American Revolution against Nehemiah Scudder, the Prophet Incarnate. Coventry (1940) tells the story of a rebellious young man who defies the Covenant. Misfit (1939) portrays a young man with an unusual talent.

Methuselah's Children (1941) concerns the troubles of a group with greatly extended lifespans. This tale introduces Lazarus Long, one of Heinlein's most popular characters. This version of the story is much longer that the original and has been further extended into a series of novels.

The book also includes a chart of Heinlein's Future History upon pages 622 and 623. The chart includes the stories Universe and Common Sense, which are not contained in this omnibus. However, this chart also omits several full-length novels in this series.

Although Heinlein wrote many other stories and novels, the stories in this omnibus are probably the reason for his initial popularity within the science fiction community. Stranger in a Strange Land led to his fame within the general population, but was not treated as a cult book by SF fans. We understood a lot more about this novel than did the general public and accepted it as just another of his major works.

Highly recommended for Heinlein fans and for anyone else who enjoys classic tales of high technology, highly competent people and human values.

-Arthur W. Jordin

I am stunned by all of the wonderful reviews for this book. I thought it was by far, the worst book I have read since high school. It could not have moved any slower. The thing I did like about it was the ending and things turn around to get you. Just so much of it was completely out of left field. Boring! Boring! Boring!

This is an unbelievably wonderful novel to sink your teeth into. A page turner of high literary merit, accessible and intelligent. Fabulous craft and language, a most diabolical villain who drives even saints to wish him ill.

Yes he is intelligent, arrogant, rough, caustic, poisonous, and evil, all to hide one tiny chink in his armor that nonetheless, one person manages to find.

Read this book! My one regret is that Thomas Savage doesn't know how popular he is today.

The afterword by Annie Proulx reveals even more about Savage's motivation for the novel, and provides an extra ounce of satisfaction to to novel's end.

Read this novel as slowly as you possibly can, for every paragraph is painted with no fewer than two rich coats of molasses-thick paint, and sometimes silver paint in one layer reflects off of another.

Hunted by a dog, chasing prey as a dog, or dog pursuing dog?

Savage leaves nothing to chance, for this novel will speak to all three.


Skip the after-word, initially.

Thank you, Amazon, for recommending this exquisite novel to me as a Gold Box special. With an afterword by Annie Proulx and the recent success of Brokeback Mountain, this exceptional piece of western literature should now find the audience Thomas Savage so richly deserved in 1967. As restrained and sparing in language as its central antagonist, Phil Burbank, Savage has the uncanny gift of eloquence through omission, allowing the reader to read between the lines. I was captivated by his talent, and jolted by an entirely unexpected but immensely satisfying conclusion. This book has been five times optioned for film, yet never made. I doubt that will go on much longer.

A completely unexpected and disturbingly powerful character study of a small group of characters in the West, circa 1940s. The prose here is incredible, and the plot unfolds slowly and myteriously. Palpable tension-- the author knew precisely what he woas doing-- with an ending I truly didn't see coming. One of the most remarkable books I've ever read.

I suspect that Nabokov must have been suffering from depression, for voidness usually springs forth little except art. And that's precisely what you find in this collection; his opulent, artful take on humanity makes one shudder! While I admit I didn't finish reading all the stores in this book, I did especially love La Veneziana because it -vaguely- reminded me of Dorian Gray (one of my very favorites). I also read Lolita (recommended only for those who are obsessed with that one elusive love), but I think I like his short stories better.

Although I had read various Nabokov stories over the years I had never done so in a comprehensive manner, and finally decided to do so. I anticipated that this would be a wonderful read, and of course, I was right.

I was well aware as to how gifted Nabokov is with the language; what surprised me is his versatility. It seems like there is nothing he can't do. Contained in this collection is every kind of character imaginable: rich, poor, simple, smart; there is even an entirely credible portrait of a Siamese twin. There is straight drama, fantasy, adventure, horror and intrigue. There are all the elements of what our English teachers told us make good writing: symbolism, allegory, descriptive power, observation, wit, cleverness, heart, and an enormous store of knowledge, performed in a style that can only be described as poetic. And woven through it are the themes that make up the web of humanity: beauty, truth, and love. It is an utterly splendid collection, as good a collection of short stories as any I have ever read.

One of the things that sets him apart is restraint, or perhaps subtlety is a better word. In, "The Reunion," for example, two brothers meet after not seeing each other for ten years. One escaped the Soviet Union and is living a poor, almost wretched existence in Berlin. His brother stayed, and was able to achieve some success as a Soviet functionary. They finally meet each other in the Berliner's shabby apartment. Most authors would not be able to resist the urge to let this to sink into melodrama. There would be arguments, tears, and recriminations. But not for Nabokov. In his story the brothers simply find that they are uncomfortable with one another, and when they go their separate ways the seeming lack of drama beforehand makes their parting all the more poignant.

Humor and sadness are evident in all of this collection, sometimes in succeeding stories, sometimes in succeeding pages. "A Bad Day," is the touching and amusing story of a little boy's visit to his cousins in the Russian countryside, a visit he dreads because he doesn't get along and because he will be teased. The last line of the story--which in the hands of somebody like Updike would be a devastating condemnation of humanity--is here bittersweet, bringing both a tear to the eye and a smile to the face in self-recognition. It is, after all, nothing more than a "bad day."

But if there is whimsy here there is also great power. In, "Signs and Symbols," an old man and woman make a trip to the sanatorium to visit their deranged adult son on his birthday. Such a simple exercise is made terribly complicated by their age, their lack of means, the unpredictable nature of their son, and the indifference of the hospital staff. Nothing is really resolved by story's end; we are simply given an indelible portrait of the difficult, arduous journey that life has been for these uncomplicated, decent people. It is very moving and also an excellent example of Nabokov's worldly or otherworldly knowledge.

Many of the stories here have to do with, as you would expect, Russians and Russian expatriates. ("Write about what you know!" the English teachers say.) Nabokov unfortunately knew about the horrible experience of being exiled from his country, a country that his stories make clear he deeply loved, and to which he never returned. He doesn't spend a lot of time condemning the evil system that drove him and millions like him away, (although he does, briefly, in two of his earlier, weaker stories), he instead concentrates on those that it drove away. There are many excellent examples of this, but perhaps my favorite is entitled, "Cloud, Castle, Lake." In it, an older fellow is taken on a holiday train excursion he tries to get out of, is coerced into taking part in activities he doesn't wish to engage, and told to forsake the simple pleasures he has come to enjoy; all for--he is told--his own good. The train eventually stops at a perfect little inn, which overlooks a perfect lake in which is reflected a lovely cloud and castle. He wants to stay. Of course, he can't. Sad as it is, the story is also very amusing, and, typical of Nabokov at his best, works on several different levels.

The story also contains examples of Nabokov's splendid use of the language at the height of his power. Our friend observes the countryside from his hurtling train: "The badly pressed shadow of the car sped madly along the grassy bank, where flowers blended into colored streaks. A crossing: a cyclist was waiting, resting one foot upon the ground. Trees appeared in groups and singly, revolving coolly and blandly, displaying the latest fashions. The blue dampness of a ravine. A memory of love, disguised as a meadow. Wispy clouds--greyhounds of heaven." How marvelously descriptive this, and so beautiful that one finds oneself emotionally engaged.

The book is loaded with this stuff. You can barely turn a page without some surprise or delight awaiting you. A twenty-eight year old son returns unexpectedly after many years to visit his mother in, "The Doorbell." In the dimly lit room, he is taken aback by the fact that she is clearly preoccupied with something. Suddenly, "like a stupid sun issuing from a stupid cloud, the electric light burst forth from the ceiling." This, by the way, is another great story. In, "Ultima Thule," as a character is walking on the beach, "a wave would arrive, all out of breath, but, as it had nothing to report, it would disperse in apologetic salaams."

I could go on and on. After picking up the book I decided to read it cover to cover, but after about a hundred and fifty pages, I simply opened it and read the stories randomly. After a time I began to open the book onto stories I had already read, and found that I couldn't help but to reread them. Finally, I became apprehensive in fear that I might have missed something.

But no matter. If I haven't gotten to one yet, I will eventually. The book has already become an old friend, and like an old friend I will return to its comfort and joys for many years to come.

Put simply, this collection of short stories is a contemporary gold standard for the form. Nabokov's stories are packed with sparkling surprises, playful artifices and languid, confident language. I've put together a 50+ year reading vita and I find myself drawn back to these stories like a moth to flame...

I'm so glad I stumbled upon the Nabokov section in the bookstore last month. See, I'm a Russian Studies major, and the Nabokov class is being offered this quarter. I'm not taking it, but I decided to go check out what this guy was all about. Let me just say --- WOW. This man could really write. It's all like gorgeous poetry. Buy this treasure of a book, with so many beautiful stories in it, and you will not regret your purchase.

Started out reading this book little by little in order to digest each story in full, but then began reading one story after another with seemingly no intermission in between. Both ways suited me fine. In fact, sometimes it doesn't really help to think all that long about some of his stories--they are are like simple chance meetings w/ strangers, while other stories of his spawn dramatic lifetime relationships and require, even demand your utmost attention.

Everytime I stray from reading Nabokov I always come back to his books and think, "Wow, he is such an amazing writer!". I can't say enough about his detailed descriptions, his amazing perspectives, and his uncannily large English vocabulary. He never ceases to amaze me.

Twain's _War Prayer_ is a classic piece of anti-war literature. Written during the Spanish-American war, the sentiments Twain expresses are still relevent today. As a combat vet, I always struggle with those who invoke the name of religion, morality or righteousness with war. War is obscene - Twain's vivid poem illustrates what that is. The power of Twain's words are supported by the drawings of John Groth, which fit the tone and time of the story.

As a previous reviewer has noted, the printing quality of the book leaves something to be desired; with that said, I strongly recommend this powerful piece.

No other book has ever hit me this hard with its message in so few pages like Twain's The War Prayer. In our troubled world today, this book should be read by everyone. The book portrays the unspoken side of a war prayer, the consequences of victory and conquest. With such "victories" in the battlefield, we ask for much more destruction than we intend to ask for. The drawings here (just look at the cover page) are eloquent as they are haunting and accompany the grimness of Twain's piece absolutely beautifully. A buy you will never forget. After you read it, buy a few more copies, and give this to family and friends.

This short narrative is simple and to read an understand. It gives the dramatic account of a blindly patriotic church service being interrupted by a "messenger of God," who proceeds to reveal the unspoken prayer of the congregation as heard by the ears of the LORD. It is, to put it breifly, a caution against self-centered prayer and/or a reprimand against needless bloodshed. This should be standard reading in schools and churches across the globe, especially here in the good 'ole war-mongering USA.

OK - A note from a middle american man on the War Prayer. This book should be read every morning at schools rather than the pledge of allegiance. It takes the american psyche of war and turns it on its ear, with no need for the author's typical wit. I have bought and given away many copies, but more importantly always have a copy hanging around somewhere in your house where visitors or your kids might come across it. They might pick it up, and to pick it up is the same as to read it for the ten minutes it would take anyone to get through it. If more and more people read this book, our culture could perhaps find a more humane view of what warfare truly is. Are you truly willing to pray that your enemies children will be left wandering, wounded, trying to find enough food to survive? I sure hope I know your answer.

"The War Prayer," by Mark Twain, is a short, parable-like story. The text, which is arranged on the pages like poetry, is accompanied by John Groth's black-and-white illustrations. The entire book, although unpaginated, is less than 100 pages long. The story takes place in a time of war, when "the holy fire of patriotism" burns in every heart. Twain tells of a church service in which the congregation is preparing to send its young men off to war. But an aged stranger interrupts the service with a message of his own.

The back cover of the book notes that "The War Prayer" was written during the Philippine-American war in the first decade of the twentieth century, was rejected for publication in 1905, and remained unpublished until 1923. Twain has crafted a harsh, bitter, and biting satire of how patriotism, militarism, and religion can come together. His searing message is well complemented by John Groth's stark, sometimes nightmarish images. Groth's impressionistic drawings look like he has lacerated the pages with his pen. Twain's "Prayer" has a timeless and universal feel. After all these decades, it still packs a punch.

All Aunt Hagar's Children is a collection of short stories by Washington D.C. native Edward P. Jones, it is his third book and the first since winning the Pulitzer Prize for The Known World (2003). The stories are about black Americans in Washington D.C. during the 20th century. Each story revolves around family, society and self, detailing experiences emblematic of southern blacks who migrated to northern cities from rural roots: some found salvation and others a living hell. In all the stories there are transformative turning points in peoples lives. As Jones shows, they are often not conscious of what happened - life-altering events can happen in the course of the banal every-day, setting in motion life patterns that can be hard to break when it's forgotten or not noticed how it started. In some cases the patterns are passed down unconsciously generation to generation - like the devil, cycles of violence, poverty, addiction, sickness and ignorance stalk many of the characters for seemingly mysterious reasons, bordering on the mystic in some stories.

The stories are beautifully original, Jones employs authentic southern expressions creating a time capsule reverberating with fading folkways. Like the characters he writes about, Jones grew up poor in Washington. He had a strong mother - whom he dedicates the book too - and it contains many of her colloquial sayings. This is not a book to be read quickly, like the pace of southern culture, each sentence demands respect for plot structure, character development and the unique southern way of putting words together. I read this hoping to learn more about the black culture of Washington (and Baltimore up the road) and was not disappointed, but what an extra treat to have a world-class writer with a deep sense of humanity, empathy (and sometimes sly humor) show the way.

This author has done it again with brilliant illustrations of a city and families that touch the core of our compassion. No wonder he won the Pulitzer-he is amazing, and this is an amazing piece of work with suspenseful endings quite similar to Toni Morrison.

In his highly-acclaimed volume of 14 stories, "All Aunt Hagar's Children", Edward P. Jones draws portraits of African Americans who have migrated from the South to Washington D.C. The stories are set from around the beginning of the 20th Century to the present day. The stories describe many types of people from young children to old men and women and from the poor and illiterate to the highly educated. They speak of loneliness and change, of the frustration, sexual and otherwise, that results from moving to a new urban place, of criminality and drugs, and of education. The stories are short but deeply textured, as in tapestries(the title of the final story). Characters, histories and sub-themes are realized in brief spaces.

The writing style in these stories is a major factor in their success. All but two of the stories are told in the third person by an all-knowing narrator. (The exceptions are "Spanish in the Morning" told in the voice of a precocious young girl and the title story "All Aunt Hagar's Children told in the voice of a young Korean War veteran who hopes to move to Alaska in search of fortune and women.) The writing is full of Biblical allusions. Hagar, of course, was the concubine of the patriarch Abraham who was sent into the desert after she mocked the childlesness of Sarah who then became jealous of her. God spared Hagar and her childen. The figure of Hagar is used her for the outsider and the outcast -- symbolizing the lives of the African American characters of the stories. The language of the stories in its richness, difficulty, and frequent elliptical character, particularly in its repetition and in its use of names, also owes a great deal to the Old Testament. There is also much in the stories that reminds me of the African American preacher of Jame's Weldon Johnson's poem "God's Trombones". The rich, narrative voice of the stories is complemented by the contrasting voice of many of the characters with its slang, dialect, and frequent use of obscenity.

The stories develop character and place. Jones shows the reader a Washington D.C separate from the world of national politics familiar to most Americans. I have lived in Washington D.C. for many years. Jones's depictions of neighborhoods, streets, landmarks, stores, and people had a deep sense of familiarity. They also helped me see the familiar aspects of my city in a new way. The characters are true and believable in their many responses to living in Washington.

The stories I especially enjoyed included the first story "In the Blink of God's Eye" and the final story "Tapestries". Both these stories are set both in the rural South and in Washington, D.C., the former at the turn of the 20th Century and the latter in the 1930s. They both show the difficulties young married couples encounter with the change of place.

The story "Old Boys Old Girls" describes the life of a young man who spends years in Lorton prison and his attempt to make a life for himself when he is released. Jones contrasts the life of his down-and-out protagonist with the lives of his wealthy and successful family. "A Poor Guatamalean Dreams of a Downtown in Peru" tells of a young poor girl who achieves great academic success but whose life has otherwise been filled with catastrophe and loss. "All Aunt Hagar's Children" is a complex story filled with themes of womanizing, murder, family, and wanderlust. It is a compelling portrait of African American life in the Washington D.C. of the early 1950s and it touches briefly as well upon African American -- Jewish relations.

My two favorite stories were "Root Worker" and "Bad Neighbors" both of which explore themes of the search for love and finding it in unexpected places. The main character in "Root Worker" is a young successful woman doctor who gives up a planned vacation to travel South to consult a root doctor for what ails her mother. In the process, she learns a great deal about herself. "Bad Neighbors" tells the story of a large, poor family that rents a home in a middle-class black neighborhood where they are shunned and feared by their more successful neighbors. There are many turns as the story progresses, as the main character, a young woman who has become a nurse, gains a deeper understanding of people, status, and love.

Jones' stories depict African American life in a loving, involved manner but without polemicizing or blatant social criticism. They are rooted in African American life but, in their treatment of love, sexuality, change, and character speak universally as well. The stories are dense and thoughtful and will reward careful reading. I am pleased that many of my fellow Amazon reviewers have enjoyed this outstanding book and written insightfully about it.

Robin Friedman

In his second book of short stories, Edward P. Jones does a wonderful job of chronicling the African-American experience in All Aunt Hagar' Children. Just as Lost in the City did, Jones brings to life a city that is hardly ever written about, Washington, D.C., and uses fourteen tales to describe circumstances that include life inside of homes full of love, and those without and those that are wealthy and those that are struggling.

Jones' depictions are as real as it gets, thoroughly describing life for Blacks fleeing an angry South to a new beginning in their first experience of living an "urban" American life from the early 1900's all the way to the mid-twentieth century and the loneliness it may sometimes bring. For example, "In the Blink of God's Eye" is about a newlywed couple that moves from Virginia to Washington, D.C. From the way Jones writes, the reader would assume that the couple traveled all the way to Washington State, because that is just how much home was missed for the young bride and how far away it seemed to her. In the title story, "All Aunt Hagar's Children", a hopeless young man aspires to go to Alaska to hunt for gold but in the meantime, spends his days helping a neighbor solve the mystery of how her son was murdered while also dodging an ex-girlfriend that he perceives to be angry.

Overall, this reader really enjoyed Jones' ability to tell a story but at times, wanted it to be longer and did not feel that the short story version could give these stories justice. At other times, the story was just long enough to get to know the characters and get a meaning out of the story that could resonate. Avid readers of Edward P. Jones will definitely want to add this collection to their libraries and will pick their favorites within All Aunt Hagar's Children.

Reviewed by Lena Willis
APOOO BookClub

In All Aunt Hagar's Children, Edward Jones once again showers us with prose that is both concise and metaphoric. He is truly one of the great writers of our new century. His stories capture the intricacies of living in our complex and strife-torn world with true humanity and humility. For me, his strongest metaphor comes from the last story - the metaphor of a tapestry. It takes many years to create and is full of innumerable details, yet it produces a work that last for many years and enlightens many other lives. What a wonderful image and a challenge for us to live into. In All Aunt Hagar's Children, Jones has surely presented us with a tapestry that will live for years and enlighten lives.

Okay, I read this book today and I was totally prepared not to like it. I thought it was too discombobulated, until the actual storyline hit me and then.... oh boy!!!! what a read! Way to go Eric Pete. It totally blew my mind! What an imagination(?) The lengths Bianca went through to please her mate took her on a ride she wasn't fully prepared for. The same rings true in real life; don't take the the ride if you're not prepared for the journey. A must read!

This book had me flipping pages and on the edge of my seat. If you haven't read it yet, what are you waiting for?

If you are looking for a quick read, with unexpected scenarios and twists and turns this book is for you. The characters are vivid and leave you with a shocking ending.

A woman, her husband, her sister, her friend...but are things always the way that they seem? The answer might just blow your mind.

Just when you think Eric Pete has reached the pinnacle of his creative genius, he manages to take it up another notch. BLOW YOUR MIND is a novel rich in intrigue, suspense and surprise, penned with such mastery that I couldn't put it down until I was through.

From GETS NO LOVE to LADY SINGS THE CRUELS, Pete's novels never fail to satisfy. BLOW YOUR MIND is no different, yet it is very unique. Mr. Pete has ventured beyond the limits of creative edginess to deliver an intoxicating masterpiece that keeps the reader questioning, guessing and gasping with every turn of the page.

A woman, her husband, her sister, her friend...but are things always the way that they seem? The answer will definitely blow your mind.

An intriguing creative tale centering on fantasy, sex & revenge at the whim and mercy of Bianca Coleman.

Tanner Coleman, an extremely successful business man who has control with "everything" in his life, stumbles on the knowledge that he has very little control with his wife, Bianca and only to realize a few tragedies later that his marriage is a failure.

Pumpkin, Bianca's sister-in-deed, reeks havoc in Bianca's world.

Rory, Bianca's "good" friend, bares a deceitful so-called secret that spear heads Tanner's public demise.

Henry, an unfortunate ex-employee of Tanner's tumbles into the world of Tanner, Bianca & Pumpkin. He's entered into a relationship with them that may cost him his life.

The author used ingenuity as he softened the blow with a hilarious scene just before the brutal rape scene.

The writing was a bit mind blowing. It lacked clarity at different points in the story, preventing a score of 5 points for my review.

Otherwise, it's a job well done, Mr. Pete... I look forward to your next publication.

Matthew Wayne Selznick's debut novel is such a fun read. For kids who grew up in the 80's, there's so many aspects of this book that will bring you right back, and on top of all that... super-powers! Awesome, huh?

This is an excellently written, exciting and just fun superheroes novel. Set in the 80s it tells an alternate story where people with super powers come out of hiding.

I don't want to say too much about the plot, only that I recommend it highly.

I hope the author writes a sequel to this and does really really well, especially considering the project was done totally DIY.

This is better than I thought it would be. It starts off as though it is going to be a terrible teenage romance novel, and just keeps improving.
The setting is the 1980s, unashamedly. Some other reviews had mentioned 'The Breakfast Club'. While the movie is seen by the characters in the book, luckily, this is nothing like it. So, if like me you were one of the people that would have to paid cold hard cash to watch something like that, then don't worry, this book is way better.

Nate Charters is having a Buffy like experience at high school, as he is slightly odd looking, has strange eyes, and some feline type animal abilities. So, your usual yank high school jock types pick on him, needless to say. He does have a couple of friends.

Amazingly enough, he meets a cool girl that likes him, and horny inexperienced teenager instincts come to the fore.

Some after, a bombshell hits, politically. A scientist calls a news conference, and demonstrates that he can levitate, and change the color of any objects he feels like. He wants Sovereign political status for him and all people like him, and demands a meeting with Reagan, accusing all nations of the world of extreme human rights violations, when it comes to his people.

Needless to say, this is like throwing 10,000 sabre-tooth tigers among a bunch of very startled avian pests.

From there, things escalate. Nate writes an essay, assuming he is a Sovereign. One of the school bullies may be, as well. His mother pulls him out of school. The spooks come knocking.

Other people appear out of his past, with other agendas, and violence ensues.

We have elements of other milieu like The 4400, The X-Men, Runaways, and others all coming together, here.

Plenty of comic geek stuff here, too. Presumably Selznick is a Marvel fan. Lee and Ditko run a business, his family holiday house is at Kirby Lake, they hang out at Romita Park. His girlfriend throws a Mary Jane Spider-Man line at him. Although, there is a Donner Institute, and speaking of Buffy, Mr Giles is the man in charge of overseeing home schooling arrangements. Plenty of chuckles to be had, there.

The book ends at a resolution point, but could clearly be continued.

I could split hairs and call this a 3.75, I suppose. The editing is pretty good, considering.

A book that can basically be enjoyed by anyone. Clearly it is aimed at having a young adult appeal, but unlike a lot of that sort of thing, here teenagers seem to talk a lot more like teenagers actually do, than some ludicrous G-rated version of the same.

I would happily read more.

Remember when you first started reading comics? Remember when the X-men weren't completely worn out and tired? Remember when the 80s seemed fresh and new?

Even if you don't - you will after reading this coming of age supers origin story. This book is a testament to the power and quality of the indie press.

This book is just wonderful. I got in podcast form and is read by the author. I have listened to it three times now and I just downloaded it a few days ago. This is the cream of the crop in "free media". He does a great job and has said that he is pleased with the communities response. He has also confirmed that there will be future installments in the Sovereign Era series.

Great book. Very good stories. Well translated. Easy on the eyes to read! Well done, guys!

But, why didn't anyone think of this before? This book basically works like those reading segments you find in books like the Genki series. Only this time you won't find the usual stuff about Mr. Yamada's introduction to the staff of his new company, or Mr. Smith's first experience with tempura, but several selected short stories by two of the most revered masters of modern Japanese literature: Natsume Soseki and Ryunosuke Akutagawa. If you don't like literature, let me put it this way: at least one of the writers strongly inspired one of Akira Kurosawa's greatest films: Rashomon. Like those manuals to study Japanese, this volume comes with mp3 files to help you with both your reading and your listening, and you can find them for free at the website of the publishers. I've written in other reviews there's no single bulletproof method for anything. There's no such thing as a method for everyone. The great thing about this book is this: the last word that comes to mind is "method", because it's not about learning Japanese language itself as much as it is about Japanese literature. I'd suggest it for intermediate students, though, because of the basic knowledge it requires.

An excellent resource for intermediate students of Japanese working their way to a more advanced level. The author puts all the necessary learning tools in one convenient location. And the free MP3 files help students fine tune their reading, kanji, and pronunciation skills. I would like to see more products like this. I would buy more products like this.

I studied Japanese for three semesters ten years ago and have had no opportunity to practice it since. I'm not exactly a blank slate, but I certainly don't remember very much -- maybe 35 kanji (numbers, sun, moon, etc.) and roughly 85% of the kana.

With what basic knowledge of Japanese sentence structure, common particles, and a few verb-ending constructions (v~te, v~tari, v~nakareba, v~tai are common) I've retained, I can read these stories at about one page per 10 minutes with no other reference material needed.

It's that "no other reference materials needed" that makes this an outstanding book.

The first stories have the same slightly repetitive nature that textbooks use to help one learn kanji or sentence structures, but these are classic stories with a repetitive stylistic element, rather than the mindnumbing textbook equivalent. All the benefits of "I am Smith. Who are you? I am Jones. Are you American? Yes, I am American. Are you American? No, I am Canadian. Is your friend Canadian?..." without the boredom!

Granted, some of the kanji I've learned to recognize are not really the highest priority, in terms of usefulness -- "eyebrows" and a phrase for someone who's blind (now considered too rude to use) are in there -- but I've also learned kanji for several useful nouns and adjectives in painless increments, just while reading.

Best, it's fun and gives me a sense of accomplishment I just don't get from reading, say, a Japanese newspaper at the rate of one sentence per half-hour, surrounded by dictionaries.

This book is an excellent aid for inforcing knowledge of Japanese grammar. On every page, there is a section that lists almost all the words in the order they first appear, their readings, and their translations. I personally find myself in the habit of always looking at this mini-dictionary whether I know the words or not. The English version of the story is translated to the more fluid side than literal side. I like to see if how they translated each sentence is how I would have, and with every word's meaning right there all that is left is to understand the grammar.

The book states that these versions of the stories were chosen for their moden Kanji use. I have come across several words using different kanji than I am used, and even some words using Kanji that I never knew had Kanji. Luckily I have a friend and teacher to ask questions. Often he tells me that those Kanji could be used that way but that they rarely are. Sometimes he is suprised by the use of Kanji altogether.

If nothing else, these are classic Japanese stories, in actual Japanese writings, with downloadable readings by a native speaker. And they are interesting, good reads. I only give the book 4 stars instead of 5 due to: uncommon Kanji use, artistic licence with the English, convenient current meanings in the dictionary, and the occasional forgotten word from the mini-dictionary.

... if you like Faulkner. You'll enjoy the stories here; this is also a great starting point for someone just learning to appreciate the genius of this writer.

As someone who read Flannery O'Conner before ever getting near Faulkner, I must say that he does hold his own with these stories. For better or worse, Faulkner will always be near the top of great American authors. I say for better or worse, because some people can be greatly turned off by his novels, and the difficulty in reading them. While I've been greatly critical of him in the past, I'm still trying to learn and understand his modus operandi. It's been a rewarding learning experience, but one that hasn't been without some exasperation.....I still like O'Conner better!

This short story is twisted, but that's why it's so great. The story is dark and gloomy, but it is really interesting. A Rose for Emily recounts the story of an eccentric spinster, Emily Grierson. An unnamed narrator details the strange circumstances of Emily's life and her odd relationships with her father, who controlled and manipulated her, and her lover, the Yankee road worker Homer Barron. When Homer Barron threatens to leave her, she is seen buying arsenic, which the townspeople believe she will commit suicide with. Faulkner based the story upon a true incident. The rose indeed was for his friend, Emily Grierson. In the story, the townspeople's points of views on Emily actually reflect the society's value at that moment to some extent. Emily feels that she is released when her father is dead.
However, I do not recommend this book if you might get scared easily. The ending might come as a surprise, but that's suspense. Go read it, if you like it a bit twisted.

After reading "A Mule in the Yard," "That Will Be Fine," and "That Evening Sun" I was reminded of why this guy is one of the greatest storytellers ever. I know, his writing can be dense and even a times nearly unintelligible, but patience and concentration pays off with Faulkner. And his use of point of view is amazing.

Amasing, strong and powerful. What else can one say about one of the best writers of the world?

Karen Hesse captures a beautiful moment in this book. She expertly creates a scorching, wilting summer day with vivid images. My mouth was parched just reading it, and then the rain came. You'll love the images created here of the "bare-legged mamas" and girls, both from Hesse's beautiful writing and Muth's spectacular watercolor illustrations.

Tessie, watchful and pigtailed, wants it to rain in her neighborhood. It is on a hot sunny day and a little girl named Tessie wants it to rain. She has pigtails. She carries around her umbrella, holds out her hand, and hopes it will rain. She has a wonderful relationship with her mother. This story is by Karen Hesse. Karen Hesse worked real hard with Jon J. Muth. They worked and made a wonderful book. It is very poetic.

I found the book "Come On, Rain!" at our local library and immediately picked it up. The first thing you will notice about this beautiful book are the gorgeous ilustrations! The pictures in this book are lovely and the prose is so happy and full of the anticipation everyone feels on a hot summer day while waiting for a cooling rain. You and you children will love this book!

"Come on, rain!" are the fervent words of Tess, as she looks toward the sky with a great deal of anticipation and hope. It has not rained in 3 weeks. Therefore, everyone in Tess's neighborhood and city was hoping for rain to bring relief from the scorching heat. Well, the best part of this story is that it seems her fervent words finally reached the clouds; for "over rooftops, past chimneys, into the way off distance . . . clouds came rolling in." As soon as Tess realizes that her wish for rain was on the way, she quickly gathers her close friends together (and their mothers too) to run, dance and play in the wonderful rain showers that fall upon the city.

The watercolor illustrations of Jon Muth do an excellent job of enhancing the movement of Ms. Hesse's story. The opening illustrations of bright yellow and gold give readers a sense of how hot and oppressive the heat was for Tess's neighborhood and city. Gradually as the rain clouds moves in, hues of soft grays, brown, and greens are used to depict the moments just before rain falls from the sky. By the time rain actually comes, the illustrations are filled with splashes of pink, violet and blues, which represent the renewal of spirit and feelings of relief for all in the city. You know, this is more than just another weather story! It is a story that shows how rain, a powerful element of nature, has the ability to invigorate all of life!

This lyrical ode to the coming rain, accompanied by the soothing wash of lush watercolors, make Hesse's Come on, Rain! sure to please young children. In prose that reads like poetry, young Tessie bemoans the heat of summer while waiting with confidence that rain will soon come. Along with her multicultural friends and all their mammas, Tessie dances in gratitude for the refreshing wetness the rain bestows. While the lyrical prose is of such beautiful quality it could stand on its own, the soft watercolor illustrations portray the emotions of the characters in such lovely detail; the two, the prose and illustrations, combine to create a delightful work of art. Even with the vertical lines of rain which one would expect to stop the motion of the story, Muth manages to create a sense of flowing from left to right, page to page, in keeping with the cadence of the text by using achromatic colors for the backgrounds of most pages. Recommended for children ages 4-8. Public librarians may want to share this title in a storytime about rain, along with Bill Martin's Listen to the Rain.