Short Stories Books

The recipient was very pleased with this book. The large type was ideal for those well into the golden years.

Great heart warming stories. This is my second copy. Gave the first one to a special friend

Bought book for my 88 year old mother. The large print enables her to read and the great stories and the humor kept her interested in this book. She really injoyed this book and now I have started reading it also and find it to be delightful.

It will bring tears to your eyes ... from many touching stories and a couple that will make you laugh til you cry.

Easy to read ... thought provoking, entertaining. Open the book anywhere and find a interesting, heart warming story.

Some stories will make you appreciate your blessings, some will make you look at life a little differently and some will just entertain you.

Something for everyone.

My mom bought me chicken soup for the kids, preteen and preteen 2's soul. I fell in love with the series. Well, my Grams and Grandpa's anniversery was coming up so I thought a rose bouquet, a card, and a chicken soup book would be perfect. I looked for a chicken soup book that would be for 60+ people and I found this! It's just great. But one thing thats not true: Anyone can read this and enjoy it! I am just a kid and I liked it. My grandparents definetly liked it. I recommend this book for everybody!

This book was very insightful and I felt it put into words what I feel as an African American woman in today's society. I felt the characters are real and exist. Each story is unique. The one that stand out all by itself and is really great is Prince William blows Good.

I really enjoyed reading the stories from "Church Boys and Other Sinners."

Growing up in South America and having little exposure to US religions, I never realized how Christians in America behaved and thought. After I came to this country, I started getting involved with local church activities. That is how I realized how different they think and behave in America. Back home I get the feeling that people are involved with God, but they do whatever they want to do with their lives in their non-church time. There aren't so many "rules" to follow as there are here. You kind of accept that you are a Christian. You don't have to prove it as much.

Some of the stories, especially the first three and the Elwyn stories, showed me how the American kind of religion, or maybe religion in general, drives people to do things that they believe are wrong in God's eyes, and so often, despite their resolve, they end up yielding to temptation.

In the first story, Monique is this "statuesque" woman who has serious self esteem issues. In a way, she wears this mask and behaves like everything is fine, but inside she feels weak and wants to be loved. The first love of her life ruined love and trust for her when he played with her feelings. From that point on, she just couldn't value herself as she would have if nothing like this had happened. I feel like religion in her life was just a big disappointment. After having an affair with the pastor of her church, she saw him as a manipulator of minds; everybody's minds, including hers. She was not able to separate a relationship with God and religion itself. Moreover, the biggest disappointment was being dumped for the pastor's wife and being asked to pay for her own abortion of the child she carried for the philandering minister.

Allen redeems Monique by having her change over time, though. She realized that life was not a game and started giving herself more value as she rejects the pretty boy Johnny and never again answers his calls. I would really like to read a continuation of that story, which begins the collection. Hopefully, Monique will find someone trustworthy that would love and respect her and more importantly, teach her how to love and respect herself.

In "Get Some," this eighth grader, Junior, had even worse self esteem issues than Monique in my opinion. Junior could never get over the fact that his father left the family and perhaps even blames himself. Junior constantly rants that no one understood him, and even though he secretly wanted to be "perfect" like his father's other son, he would get into all kinds of trouble. In my opinion, the father figure was missing in the protagonist's life, and he did all he could to get people's attention. I feel like Junior was hostile and angry, but on the inside he was a sweet child just wanting to be loved and understood.

In "Thirty Fingers," the war within the main character between the realism of life and his idealism to keep himself "holy" is very well presented by the dialogs among characters as well as with himself. There is always a struggle to keep on being "the perfect brethren of God." Elwyn finds himself in love and gets very disappointed when he finds out that the love of his life is actually in love with someone else and even worse, committed a "horrible" sin. Angry, Elwyn, like every other human being, just yields to the desires of the flesh. I am actually very glad this story continues, but even if it didn't, I would have been glad with the end of it. Peachie did not deserve to stay with Elwyn, and in a way, he needed what he got. He is too selfish and too blind. He is too much of a "churchboy," which is the point of the whole book I think because these Elwyn stories continue throughout. In fact, after you finish reading the stories, even though only the Elwyn ones are connected, you feel as though you have read a novel. Great job, Preston L. Allen. I am surprised I haven't heard of you before. I am going to read more of your books.

I had the pleasure of meeting Prof. Allen at a seminar at a local library. My wife is an English student of his. I read the book and found it very entertaining. His writing skill is great. His life story from car salesman to auther is inspireing. His capacity to change into all these different types characters (and include your life occurances) in both Bounce and Church Boys and Other Sinners is spectacular. It is amazing how he can change from this intellectual man, into a poor woman. Amazingly, his stories were short, but to the point. His characters seem to deveolpe quite rapidly and mature fully as the story tanspires. I found it more enjoyable to hear his lecture and stories than to read them myself. As a speaker he is capable of capturing the audiences attention as well keeping them entertained, much as in his short stories. I wish he would consider writing novels or epic stories, preferably non-fiction (science fiction, fantasy just to name two). I really think his character development in these areas will defiantly get him a new audience as well as some writing award.

Preston L. Allen is a powerful new voice in African-American fiction. He evokes wonder, amusement, and profundity with every word. These (mostly) coming of age stories are at the same time absorbing and insightful, revealing the author's budding genius for the poignant epiphany and the wry-witted subtext. This is a marvelous book. This is African American literature--American Literature--at its finest and most unapologetic.

In many ways, this collection is a culmination of the pet issues that have heretofore been explored in Allen's diverse and expanding body of work: faith, affection, crime, fatherhood, duty, and especially forbidden and/or unrequited love, which I find particularly well done. For example, in both "Hoochie Mama" (his cynical literary masterpiece cum mystery/thriller) and "Bounce" (cynical literary masterpiece cum erotic urban romance), Allen's vision of romantic love is marked by overt sexual magnificence in the bedroom and a suppression of genuine emotion (or concealing of true desire) in the heart. In other words, there is a clear divide between the physical and the emotional as sexual dynamism replaces affections.

Thus, M Gantry, Allen's hoochie mama cop, can "physically" grope and be groped by her boyfriend Dake (the villain), but her heart yearns for the lesbian girlfriend of her childood. In "Bounce," Roderick Redd makes passionate love to Cindique, but his heart yearns for his ex-wife/cousin. The problem, as always, is that the object of true affection is forbidden, or restricted by a taboo (homosexuality, incest) that the protagonist adheres to.

In "Churchboys and Other Sinners," this idea is played out in a number of the stories: "C+ Baptist Virgin" has the black protagonist fall in love with a white woman; "Prince William Blows Good," an archetypal, Oedipal masterpiece, has the protagonist "desire" his vanished daughter; "His Baby Momma" has a bride-to-be responding sexually to her ex-boyfriend on her wedding day; In "Is Randy Roberts There?", Monique ever longs for Randy Roberts, her first love, no matter who she happens to be with at the time.

Nowhere in the book is the idea more advanced than in the four stories involving the teen evangelical Elwyn Parker in his pursuit of the much older and very beautiful Sister Morrisohn. First, Elwyn pursues Sister Morrisohn, but loves and longs for his childhood crush, Peachie Gregory-McGowan. Then the idea undergoes a brilliant pyscho/social extrapolation, as the protagonist's affection for Peachie wanes; namely, in the later stories we have Elwyn "loving" Sister Morrisohn, but "yearning" for the love he once had for God and the church.

True, it can be argued that perhaps Elwyn's longing is merely a sort of nostalgia, but the motif persists throughout the latter stories to the point where the grown-up Elwyn, long after the affair has so dramatically ended (I shan't reveal how), saying things like "God is Love" and visiting the religious haunts of his childhood.

Finally, Allen does something with this book that few titles by African-American writers have been able to accomplish successfully: he creates stories that are interesting and engaging as stories, not just as examples of the "ethnic" or "minority" flavor of the moment. I have seen him compared to langston Hughes because of his church-based themes, but that is only a superficial connection. I have seen him compared to John Hawkes, and that is perhaps more accurate, for both are master wordsmiths, storytellers, cynics, eroticians. The truth is that Preston L. Allen, with this work, has created genuine "literature" of the sort that Hemingway, Faulkner, Bronte, Shakespeare, and Tolstoi have created: Literature for the world. These stories are not strictly for African Americans, though the protagonists in each are black; these stories are for anyone who wants to read a good story.

Gertrude D., University of Florida

The Elwyn stories in this collection need to become a novel. I would pay to read that because they are funny, sweet segments, and the author comes pretty close to making some profound and unique statements about love and faith. Is Elwyn evil for loving Sister Morrisohn? Is their love a sin? They are so holy, and genuinely righteous, in every other way. The other story that touched me was "Get Some." Especially the idea of each of us being a diifferent colored crayon in the crayon box. "Is Randy Roberts There" is a trip! Men are little piglets! That one had me trippin. All the stories in the book are so good that I had to read the one I liked least, "JACK MOVE," twice so that I could really get it. I had come to trust the writer, and I knew he must be saying something in that one that I just didn't get. The second time through it, I focused on his style and the voice that was telling the story, and I came up with something interesting. This character, Chapman, the gay man, turned out to be a churchboy just like Elwyn in the Sister Morrisohn stories, but his question of faith is way more critical: does God consider his homosexuality evil? Notice that after his mugging, he flees back home to that place that he most associated, not with his father (who is just a symbol), but with his childhood and God. Childhood being the time we are most innocent and faith believing. Notice that the room is black and white: everything is either good or evil; he has come home to be judged by the God of his Old Testament. I started liking the story more and looking for symbols after that. I'm just guessing now, but his name is Chap-man (chapter-man--chapters in the bible man). His transvestite girflriend's name is cricket (locust--one of the plagues). Hannibal the bouncer (Hannibal tried to sack Rome, right, the seat of Christianity?). Another good story in the book is "Prince William," even though you will probably figure out its ending before you get there, it is excellent, merging jazz, blues, infidelity, and ambition into a Greek tragedy.

Nelly Fisher

This is a book I have had in my possession way too long unread. Time should be taken out in your busy life to read this book as I have finally done with no regrets!! You will experience so many emotions when reading this book as I have.

`N-Word' educated me so very much, looking through his eyes gave me a much deeper understanding of so many situations that I would not have given a second thought to. As a Caucasian woman, it really stirred a lot of emotions within me reading Black History that I was unaware of.

'Bridge of Life' - he did a splendid job of breathing life into Miss Ruby with his words, brought her into my home with her stern but loving nature and enlightened me with her wisdom and values.

`Five Days' put a smile on my face knowing it is so true in so many lives - how utterly ridiculous some people can be finding it so much easier in life to distrust something good in their lives and taking the other side as their fate because for them it is more realistic.

A huge eye opener for me! There were several insights that I could relate to personally but could not put my thumb on it like he did with his words. A lot of time and thought went into his work. I really enjoyed this book, highly recommend it and now am going to pass this book onto my mother who when visiting me could not put it down! I applaud you Mr. Wooden, you are a very talented author!! I look forward to reading your next novel. You definitely have made Mr. Ousley very proud!!

John Wooden's novel 'A Collection of Thoughts' is a must read for any one who has ever wondered about the experience of growing up Black in the USA. Yet the novel is equally attractive to anyone who has ever pondered about their past, their purpose and the learnings along the way.

John takes the reader on an adventurous and thought-provoking journey of events and information that have helped shaped his life. Starting with "Self' and his musings on his humble beginnings and his heart-wrenching and inspirational tale of the deep admiration he developed for his father '...as a man who had lived through being Colored or a Negro during some of the most tumultuous and challenging times in history.' The passionate 'Collections' captivates the reader quickly.

Readers are challenged by a stirring discussion in the 'N-Word' and it's impact within the African-American community, full with references from the civil rights movement to the Million Man match, to life on a Black College Campus. From the intense commentaries 'Collections' also serves up the romantic twists with the "Ode to the Black Woman." A classic perennial piece and a wonderful celebration of black womanhood sincerely expressed by a brother. "Five Days" evokes questions about trust in relationships that appear 'to good to be true.' While "Bridge of Life" is a romantic tale that echoes the power and salvation of love across the boundaries of time.

As with life, 'A Collection of My Thoughts' has something that each of us can relate to...So what are you waiting for...go buy the book...Enjoy

I had to read this book that was making my wife cry one minute and laugh the next. I absolutely loved this book. The author's collection of thoughts fills you with emotions and makes you think throughout every story. His thoughts is everybody's thoughts but he so eloquently transformed them to paper and he delivers a knockout punch. Mr. Wooden, your dad, Mr. Ousley, who he does a great job of telling his story, would be very proud of you for a great book. Like other reviewers, I hope Mr. Wooden continues writing. This book should be read by all men and teenagers. We need more books like this.

This book is by far one of the best books I've read that has something for everyone. It is a fiction, non-fiction, biography, history, self-help and spiritual book. What a novel idea! I can recommend this book to a variety of friends and colleagues and not limit it to one group. As a Human Resource professional and Diversity Practitioner, I highly recommend this book. There are few books that can immediately bring understanding of race relations based on the generational differences. Reading about Mr. Ousley, the author's father, gives a lesson in one chapter that many organizations spend days attempting to teach. This is a must read for everyone who genuinely consider themselves a Diversity Practitioner or involved in any area of organizational equal opportunity. I have been pleasantly surprised by reading this book because there were many unexpected parts to the book which proved personally helpful to me. If you are looking for a great book that fits into the category of fiction, non-fiction, history, self-help or more, you will not be disappointed. Mr. Wooden has put it all together with a flow where one category compliments the other. As a reader of solely business and self-help books, this book has been added to my collection of "must read".

"A Collection of Thoughts" truly is an excellent example of traversed thoughts. In John Wooden's short stories, I was complled by every word. His discriptions of the characters were written so well that you could easily identify and relate to within your family life. Every chapter allowed me the ability to see that I could learn about myself, from myself, and grow with myself. I most appreciated the chapter speaking on the "N" word. Thank you John Wooden for writing those thoughs in such an elegant forum. They are so on the point.
I would be remised if I did not say how proud I am that a Black Man has shown such a public honor for the Black Woman in a warm beautiful heartfelt poem, Ode to the Black Woman. This poem will touch every Black Woman's heart.

Country Girl is an awe-inspiring tale told powerfully with little words, and only nine pages. The impact of the story however, will last a lifetime. Molly P holds on to her family values, her courage and her beliefs and still manages to dream the dream, and go for it. Lana Ho-Shing
is a powerful wordsmith whose tale is almost sung as it plays out before your mind's eye. The contrast between the two worlds is something most of us can relate to, whether we are city people, or country folk. Impressive, encompassing the very soul of human nature.

Back in the mid nineties, we visited Jamaica on vacation and I found the whole island beautiful and the people a joy. We visited small villages and met people selling their wares as we traveled around the Island on day trips. This was an experience I shall never forget. Reading this wonderful story of love and hope with the dream of a better life has it all. Ms Lana M. Ho-Shing is a definite story teller. I would really love to see more stories from this author.

Reviewed by Vickie, ( Tory Lynn author of "My Charming Protector")

Who'd a thought a cow in ribbons could be such a pivotal character in a wonderful read such as Country Girl?

Lana M Ho-Shing brings her readers into the country and down to market so easily that you can just hear the Jamaican accents as you read this heart-warming, edifying tale from the country.

Thoroughly enjoyable, down to the very last word.

This story celebrates the courage [and imagination!] of a young woman of African and mixed cultural descent enduring the loneliness and heartache as she emigrates from her beloved Jamaica to what she no doubt hopes will be a life of better economic opportunity in the United States.

The story flows from scene to scene as she draws upon the rich family heritage of her people to get over those dark and lonely nights inevitably following days of struggle to get a foothold in this strange, fast and often unfriendly place that represents not only a better future economically for herself but also her people back home.

Ms. Ho-shing not only tells a free-standing tale of inspiration and guts, she effortlessly in the process educates us in the cultural strength possessed by the family of this Jamaican "country girl", with priceless glimpses into their religious and philosophical outlook, an outlook that gives her what she needs to take on New York City and win!

I also commend Ms. Ho-shing for introducing us in crisp, well-paced dialogue to the sonorous island patois of her people, making "Country Girl" a literary feast for the "ear" as well as the heart, soul and mind. I wish "Country Girl" a wide distribution and Ms. Ho-shing a long and successful career as a creative writer. In organization, content and style I would describe her talent as beyond promising. She is there!
Belladonna and How I Became A Godman come well recommended. ATH

Asa Hensley is a tenured Associate Professor of English in the Michigan University System.

What a fantastic piece penned by Lana M. Ho-Shing. I loved the dialect, though I have to confess it did slow my reading down as I tried to get into the Jamaican rhythms and patterns of speech. It often takes a while when I read Huckleberry Finn for the first time in a long time as well, so Ms. Lana shouldn't take this as criticism - it is not.

A simple story, yet one based on very basic humanities, Country Girl is heart-warming, faith-building, and I am absolutely taken by the line from the story I used as title for this review. Everyone should read this!

The story of Bobby and Jo is a psychologist's dream. Bobby is 22 and while blonde, buxon Jo is only 14, the minute they are thrown together by chance, invovled in a deadly auto wreck, it's a one-way ride with no turning back.

Alcohol-fued, the characters in this desolate, desert-hole of a town at foot of the High Sierras, pummel each other psychologically and physically. Death appears on a 24/7 call as our two untamed lovers whip themselves into a frenzy of fast, crazy rides supercharged by newly-discovered, extreme passion. Add a frustrated Madonna-looking mother who seduces her son whose wretched father appears as an immobile shadow of the wretched town pastor, a homosexual pedophile. Author John Gilmore gives us a short novel that nonetheless explodes in vibrant, bold flashes of ingenuity and sheer story-telling brilliance.

A blistering book that could make a blistering movie if Hollywood would only dare!

John Gilmore has been recognized for decades for his unsettling exposes and noir prose. One critic dubbed him "the literary Hannibal Lecter." For certain, Gilmore sets his scenes masterfully while zeroing in on human lusts and frailties. His work is often shocking but always well written. Characters are so sharply drawn we walk in their skins.

Bobby McGee is fresh out of the Army, hoping for a new start away from his dreary hometown in the California desert. The father who terrorized him in his boyhood is now an incontinent vegetable, cared for at home by Bobby's mother. His mother is
still young and attractive, plotting her escape from suffocating circumstances. Bobby's brother, Woody, strung out on drugs and alcohol, is often unpredictable and dangerous. The woman who loves Bobby is now fat, hooked up unofficially with his best friend, Clyde, the Mayor's son. His first day back, a car wreck throws Bobby together with Jo, a seductive 13-year-old nymphet.

Bobby's friends all know he's always had a crazy streak, but his obsession for Jo is out of character for him. After the accident one friend is dead and another nearly so, but Bobby's life revolves around his insatiable lust for Jo. And Jo may
not be the innocent child she seems to be at first. Law enforcement officers investigating the accident are determined to protect Clyde. Bribery escalates to incest, and then murder. And as a backdrop Gilmore drags readers into the heat, dust, and misery of small town life. As one character tells Bobby, "People are all s. o. b's. when you peel the hide off."

John Gilmore is a VERY good writer. His characters and subjects may be dark, but his prose is exceptional.

review by Laurel Johnson

John Gilmore nearly killed me with this boiling cauldron of California desolation and despair. This is the 'Lolita' for the 21st century, and the misery,desperation and sexual obsession mingle and kick into high gear from the opening page onward. I thought Gilmore's L.A. Despair was the ultimate in disected human trials and reckless abandon, and although Crazy Streak is a work of fiction, it becomes so vivid and real one would swear they are spying on the real lives of some truly agonized and desperate characters from real life! The story of these isolated, searching and damaged souls kept me from putting this thing down but just a few times. Cinderella-from-hell, Jo Pollinger turns several lives upside down within hours of showing up bursting with volatile hormones at the windswept Gas & Eats, but her smoldering ripeness is only a fraction of what is about to rip apart this festering, decomposing cluster of shacks on the California map. Angst-ridden rednecks, car wrecks, child rape, incest and an entire spectrum of suffering and intrigue carry the reader along on a rollercoaster that rarely allows one to catch their breath. I could not anticipate ANY of the twists and turns of this white-hot story; Gilmore's brilliant originality caught me off guard every time, all the way to the shocking revelation of Bobby McGee's wounded Madonna-like mother, and the subtle but powerful ending, which I don't believe anyone will see coming. The good people and the bad all became REAL to me instantly; I felt I could reach out and touch them and imagined what they all looked like, how they moved, how they sounded and on and on. Rarely has a work of fiction pulled me into its reality, for lack of better word, and gripped my mind the way Crazy Streak did. One helluva great read. Paul Waters

Just finished this novel. One of the best books I have read in years. Totally engaging, locks the reader right down into this crazy wild ride through the desolate California desert and the High Sierra country. Each page draws the reader in and the shocks and surprises keep coming nonstop. I have read two other books by John Gilmore (Severed: The Story of the Black Dahlia, and his book, L.A. Despair), and my vote is in for one of the best and most engaging writers today. Certainly not your average cup of tea! CRAZY STREAK is destined to be an in-your-face classic!

A remarkable book; highly readable, the story is completely engaging and doesn't let you stop for a moment. I highly recommend CRAZY STREAK as one of the best literary offering of the year. A terrific read, hard-hitting yet poetic; very sexy and graphic but always with emotional intensity and passion. Even the incest scene! John Gilmore is one of our strong writers.

I am 56 and have been reading sci fi/fantasy since, oh, about 10. This is one of the best collection of stories I have ever read. You'll be glad you read it. The fact of the color of the writers is interesting, but not important. I have read so much sci fi, and even taken a writing course. The bottom line - this is great science fiction.

I've long suspected there were more writers of color out there besides Octivia Butler and Samuel Delany. Ms. Thomas introduces a rich collection spanning decades. My only question is when will volume 2 be published? If you love SF, add this brilliant work to your collection.

A huge sci-fi and fantasy reader I am also getting ready to be a high school teacher of special ed, reading & English. This is a book that will go on my list of books to write lesson plans about and to make sure my students read. The one complaint I have about this book is that I'd read the Butler, Delany & Saunders already. Couldn't we have gotten new stories for this historic anthology? But other writers were a revelation to me.
A great book! Nalo Hopkinson's story about a (...)gone amuck, Tannarive Due's story about the very human side of cloning and Steven Barnes' chilling almost apocalytic picture of a modern African state after a coup are all terrific reading-- and why my students -- and you -- should be excited!

Writers of African descent have played a long and important role in the history of speculative literature, even though that's not always recognized, either in the past or today. But this book opened my eyes to how much wonderful talent has gone underappreciated until now. Often raw, but always colorful and deep, many of the stories in this collection have the quality to be compared with the masters of the past and present. As both a reader and a writer, this collection inspired me greatly.

I highly recommend it to anyone who's a true officianado of speculative literature.

This is a collection that the literary world needed badly. Typical 'speculative fiction' (encompassing sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and other literary persuasions) often features humanity uniting against common enemies or disasters. But for people of color, the alternative present or near-future utopia/dystopia in any speculative story probably won't be so rosy. Technological advancement, alien contact, or astronomical disasters probably won't eliminate prejudice and inequality, as the writers of African descent collected here show us in consistently hard-hitting ways.

The settings and themes of these short stories are uniformly fascinating and thought-provoking for any intelligent reader. As with any collection of works from various writers, the quality of the stories varies a bit, and this book does have a few bumps in the road that deserve the thumbs-down for heavy-handedness. Examples include the predictable melodrama of 'The Woman in the Wall' by Steven Barnes, or the poorly-plotted conspiracy theories of 'The Space Traders' by Derrick Bell. However, these are minor quibbles, and even these stories contribute to the sheer fascination of this book as a whole.

My favorites include the supremely moving Jazz Age vampire story 'Chicago 1927' by Jewelle Gomez, an outstanding look at the human costs of cloning in 'Like Daughter' by Tananarive Due, the creepy erotic thriller 'Ganger (Ball Lightning)' by Nalo Hopkinson, and the heartbreaking dark fantasy of 'Gimmile's Songs' by Charles Saunders. Of historical interest we have 'Aye, and Gomorrah...' from the master Samuel Delany, the groundbreaking 'The Goophered Grapevine' from way back in 1887 by Charles Chesnutt, and the very chilling 'The Comet' by W.E.B. DuBois (I had forgotten that DuBois wrote fiction, and his important stories are ripe for rediscovery). Kudos to Sheree Thomas for creating this hugely important, haunting, and illuminating anthology. [~doomsdayer520~]

While I typically associate Harlan Ellison with Science Fiction, I'm somewhat hesitant to call all of these stories SciFi... they are more like Twilight Zone episodes. They are 19 short stories that involve individuals getting caught up in all sorts of fantastic situations. While there is a general underlying theme of the stories involving "Gods", I found that the main uniting feature was the fantastic nature of the stories.

Some sample reviews from the collection:

ALONG THE SCENIC ROUTE(1969)***** - Ellison published this tale of "Road Rage" way back in the late 60's. It is definately a classic, and one of the more SciFi-esque stories from this collection. Richard K. Morgan recently tried to do a modern "Road Rage" novel, MARKET FORCES(2005)***, which takes ideas from ALONG THE SCENIC ROUTE, but ultimately falls flat.

O YE OF LITTLE FAITH(1968)**** - A young man of no faith in any god, is accompanying his mid-30's girlfriend back from a quick Tijuana abortion, in this pre-Roe vs. Wade world (Roe vs. Wade was decided in late 1973), and finds himself transported to a world populated by gods nobody believes in any longer.

PRETTY MAGGIE MONEYEYES(1967)*** - A sad story of two people's fateful encounter via a Slot Machine in a Las Vegas Casino. One is a pretty poor girl, who turns to prostitution to claw her way from the ghetto to Beverly Hills; the other is a long-time Vegas loser, who is down to his last dollar, and who's luck is about to change, but is it for the better?

CORPSE(1972)**** - A Latin American Studies professor from Columbia University, a man of some faith in Christianity, begins to see the emergence of a new type of god - the Automobile God, but ultimately fails to realize the inevitability and make the transition to the new faith.

SHATTERED LIKE A GLASS GOBLIN(1969)***** - A Marine, recently back from Vietnam, enters and becomes consumed by the varied pesonalities and drugs in a 60's "Party House"... reminds me of an old house my recently graduated high school buddies rented in San Diego, CA in the 70's (and which was slated to be razed along with the adjacent drive-in theater, to make way for a new shopping center). Like O YE OF LITTLE FAITH, this story is notable for the snapshot it gives of a Beatle's White Album-era America. Indeed, having just said that, I just realized that the title of this story SHATTERED LIKE A GLASS GOBLIN(1969), seems to be a play on the title of the Beatle's White Album song LOOKING THROUGH A GLASS ONION(1968).

This book has recently been republished by the SFBC in December 2005, as part of the third set of books in the SFBC 50th Anniversary Collection.

Harlan presents some stellar stories here about what modern gods might be like in what one would call a pessimistic, cynical outlook. He moves through such milieus as sci-fi, high fantasy and even urban fantasy through this book.

The best stories are very hard-hitting and emotionally affecting. These include The Whimper of Whipped Dogs, a retelling of the Kitty Genovese episode about the alleged god of New York City, The Basilisk, where the most terrifying aspect of the story is how a small town treats a returning POW and Pretty Maggie Moneyeyes where a manipulative woman continues to manipulate even after death. There are some other good stories, such as the road rage tale, though not as emotionally hard-hitting.

The problems in several of the stories stem from an abundance of cleverness. Rather than letting the story take the forefront, Harlan chooses to favor style over substance in an attempt to showcase his virtuoisity in the various methods of writing. This lessened some of his stories for me. He is most successful doing this in the titular tale, The Deathbird, but it was still distracting even there.

A very good collection though, despite the flaws. It is unapologetic and uncomprimising demanding you take the stories on their own terms.

For those fans of Ellison, you will not be disappointed, for those of you not familiar with Ellison, this one will have you hitting the used book stores in a vain hope of finding more fodder for your mind. (Don't bother looking, I already hit every book store myself.) Reading this book is like seeing Mohammed Ali box or Stevie Ray Vaughn play the guitar, you get the feeling of seeing the best at his best. Every story in this collection is a gem, some more than others. "The Whimpering of Whipped Dogs" is a classic in and of itself. "The Deathbird" is the most amazing story ever created by a fantasy writer and I say this with no hyperbole. Go out and get this book . . . NOW! It will change the way you view the world and yourself. Other books make this promise, Deathbird Stories is the only book I've ever read that actually delivers.

I read this book because, in the acknowledgements his wonderful novel "American Gods," neil gaiman said this book burned itself into the back of brain when he was still young enough for something like that to happen.

Well, how can you resist an endorsement like that? So, I raced up to the nearest library that had this book (an hour or so away, I'll have you know) and checked it out. And befoul these modern gods if it didn't blow my mind. At least, parts of it did.

Most of the stories - "the Whimper of Whipped Dogs," "Shattered Like a Glass Goblin," "Basilisk," and "Ernest and the Machine God," just to name a few - are really brilliant. They will twist your mind around like only certain versions of certain myths can. They will smack your conciousness around until you think there really are gods in the engine of your car and that traitors really are the high priests of Aries. They will, as Niel Gaiman says, burn themselves into the back of your brain.

Others, however, are not so brilliant. A few simply repeated ideas put forth in other, better stories. Some were simply not as interesting as the others, and some were both uninteresting and sordid. But please note that "some" could and should be read as "one, two at the outside." The majority are amazing.

On the whole, however, this is a wonderful book. I am shocked and dismayed to find that it it unavailable. I think anybody who is into mythology should read this book, just for some of the ideas expressed in it. So should anyone who read "American Gods" and thought it was cool, too. They should have a good time pointing to certain stories and saying, "Neil Gaiman lifted that, that and that." I recommend this book highly. Even with the few faulty tales herein, it is definately worth the time.

This is a very black, dark book. This is not a book for kids, nor is it a book for people who haven't read anything by Ellison previously. Harlan Ellison is one of those rare writers that can finish a story so powerfully, that you'll feel like you've been literally stabbed in the heart. Like many of Ellison's short story collections, he deals with a specific theme. In this book, he writes short stories about gods, in all their myriad shapes and forms. Gods of machines, pain, rocks, speed, revenge, among others. Of the 19 stories in this collection, let me tell you what I consider to be the best. THE WHIMPER OF WHIPPED DOGS: Ellison's award-winning retelling of the Kitty Genovese incident. Never heard of Kitty Genovese? Don't worry, after reading this chilling tale, you'll make sure you remember. BASILISK: A traitor to his country comes home and finds that he is not welcome. A little confusing at first, but you'll soon get the hang of it. PRETTY MAGGIE MONEYEYES: Don't let the strange title deceive you. This is Ellison in TOP form. Ever wondered what gods reside at the casinos and what they have in mind. It's not PRETTY, I can assure you. ERNEST AND THE MACHINE GOD: An easy-to-visualize story about a girl in a car-accident and her meetings at a gas station. ADRIFT OFF THE ISLETS OF LANGERHANS . . . : Another award-winning story about a man trying to find the geographical location of his soul. THE DEATHBIRD: Still another award-winner. This one is Ellison's retelling of Genesis. This story has a very innovative structure to it. You'll see what I mean, when you buy this book.

As a causal reader, I found ".....Scratch Line" to be a remarkably unique book. Therefore, "Echoes...." cannot compare to it even though it is outstanding on its own. "Echoes.." presents new a powerful characters and relationships that Johnson has masterfully brought to life. Johnson is genius at capturing the flavor of the time in both books, but there is only one Tremaine. Is this a good read? No. A very very good read? Absolutely.

Encore!! Excellent read! I can not recall a book that I enjoyed as much as I enjoyed these two books. Would love to see it on the BIG Screen. Thank you so much Mr. Johnson. If you haven't read it, get them both and take some time off from work because you won't be able to put the books down.

I loved both Guy Johnson's books. Living now in the bay area I can completely see the places he talks about in the book and picture myself there. I love the way he uses retrsopection and how well he links the two. I love Jackson Tremain's character and how the character evolves and changes when confronted with his grandfather's past. Can't believe or agree with Elizabeth's decision at the end, but it makes for a very circle of life kind of ending. Read Standing at the Scratch Line first to get the whole story behind it.

I was skeptical at first, that him being Maya Angelou's son made him think that was enough to make him a writer. He proved me SOOOO wrong (and I am glad!) I am usually not a fan of the gangster world, but he drew me in so fast with this book. Every bit was a delight to read. I actually read them starting with Echoes, and then moved to Standing, and I thought it worked well, changed my perspective of King. The only disappointment I have is that it's been a few years since these came out, and I haven't seen anything else by him. Hopefully that will change soon.

Do we have to get find and send a director to Guy Johnson with a planeful of actors... someone get this to the big screen! If Tyler Perry can commercialize Madea, I am confused why we can't have these books made into a movie. Heck, I have someone willing to do it! Let's face it, the world isn't a perfect place and less than perfect personalities bring out some interesting public discourse (Black women made Madea). Not all our inspirational people are noble God fearing and pious so why should our make believe "larger than life" folk be any different. One reviewer examined the historic accuracy of the book. While being a noble observation it misses the point that Black Folk, African Americans ...and for that fact Americans and the world need to be able to tell the truth in real historic events let alone the fictional stories. Further, in bring on a sense of Black Folk place in this world, there is still much to do with dismantling the rediculous vision of the timid, unlearned, unpatriotic, lazy, morally bankrupt Black Male that American has underwritten for all these hundreds of years. How long will these perpetuate? Answer: Until Black Folk change these images and begin telling their own stories... one by one; fiction and non-fiction alike. Lord knows, currently there aren't enough Black Historians to undo the less than honest works of the legions of half-truth historians America has seen and not enough Jewish historians to care (much Black is written by our Jewish friends). These stories will, like the lies that preceded them, go a long way toward gaining a foothold on the destiny of human kind everywhere.. not just Black Folk! Our destiny is tied together and human kind will never be whole nor great until nobody is allowed to be viewed as "less than."

In the spirit of the Bronte sisters, this novel delights and entrances. An enjoyable read.

Wonderful! I could read the book and watch the movie over and over! Treat yourself to a vacation in an Italian paradise with real characters and a physical beauty you could reach out and touch. Von Arnim makes this simple plot so magical and warm it makes you want to visit San Salvatore too!

Just got through watching the wonderful movie; not as wonderful as the book, but very good. Have now read this book at least three or four times, and still adore it every time. Has to rank as one of my all-time favorite books. Must rent an Italian castle on the western Mediterranean coast some day. The writing is so witty, and warm, the story so imaginative, the moral so wise. Love is all; just to love, not expecting anything in return. It opens people up. Lotty, Rose, Lady Caroline, and Mrs. Fisher all live in these pages. And the gardens, the flowers, the utter beauty of San Salvatore. The author quite obviously loves flowers. Even the servants are clearly drawn, Francesca and Domenico. Lotty becomes a truly original character. Love, love, love this book!

Always celebrated for its beautiful evocative setting in Portofino, THE ENCHANTED APRIL has also to some extent been dismissed as a sentimental trifle. It is not: for all its surface charm, it is also one of the most searching fictional works ever written on the nature of goodness, and its effects upon selfishness and acquisitiveness. Two Hampstead housewives, Rose Arbuthnot and Lottie Hawkins, advertise for two other women to share in the costs so that they may rent an Italian castle for the month of April and escape their loveless lives; when they and the other two women (the dazzling Lady Caroline Dester and the rigid bluestocking Mrs. Fisher) arrive at the spectacularly lovely castle, they begin to discover that not only have their spirits been refreshed but also that their value systems have changed through what amounts to the dispensation of the castle of a kind of secularized grace. Elizabeth von Arnim accomplishes this very probing study of modern British mores through the very subtle and unobtrusive psychological realist use of extended interior monologues. The result is a novel that is not only completely beguiling but actually quite thoughtful. A greatly underappreciated little gem.

Well, you've already heard about the story. Just wanted to add that the characters were so real, it was as if I were really there with them. A wonderful turn of events at the end. Caught me off guard. Very enjoyable. Beautiful writing. Now I've got to rent the movie.

Faery Special Romances by Jacquie Rogers is a delightful collection of short stories each connected by the faery Princess Keely starting with Keely as a precocious kindergartner in the year 1199 and ends sometime in the future after the frozen time With Keely's own love story.
This is a sweet romance with some steamy hot scenes.
Jacquie Rogers' characters are well developed and you could picture the story playing in your imagination as you read. I had a very hard time putting the book down. I
Jacquie is donating the royalties from this book to The Children's Tumor Foundation to help find a cure for Neurofibromatosis.
This is a great read and you will not be disappointed.

A more delightful collections of Faery stories you will not find anywhere. I loved Keely, the faery maiden, and her many adventures.

Jacquie Rogers' talent shines in this "enchanted" collection. My particular favorite was "Much Ado About Faeries".

Throughout this collection Rogers delightfully plays with the reader's emotions from serious to humorous, never missing a beat. Well, done, Ms. Rogers!

this is a funny book, very original and well-executed. I loved the writing and the humor, and hope to read more from this author. A great gift to that friend who needs a giggle in her life.

When I first started reading Ms. Roger's story, I didn't know if I would like reading in first person. But Ms. Roger's stories were so fascinating, and her characters were so charming, I was pulled into the book and couldn't stop reading. I laughed out loud several times, and I fell in love with every character...in all ten of her short stories. I'm not sure I can pick a favorite, but I have to admit, I did finished the book wearing a smile because Keely (the Princess Faery who was in all the stories) finally got her own story. It was a great read and I want to congratulate Ms. Rogers for writing such a different kind of romance.

Faery Much in Love (1199) As punishment, Shaylah cannot return to Faery World until she completes the Queen's Quest to help Sir Darien find his true love. Hard to do since Darien's cousin died a month ago, leaving eight orphans in his care. But this task would not be so daunting if young Princess Keely would not interfere.

Much Ado About Faeries (1599) Caedmon protects the Portal in his charge well. But Queen Yana has decided it time for him to chase down his betrothed, Gracie, from the human world. He has only two thousand years to raise an heir to maturity; else, the powers of the Portal would be ceded to the queen. While in the Human World, Caedmon must also check in on Queen Yana's changeling nephew, Bill Shakespeare. If only Princess Keely were not around to "play". Sometimes, Keely can be worse than goblins.

Faeries of the Caribbean (1655) Myra Baker, a serving winch, wishes for a faery godmother and Keely appears. Myra wishes to wed a son of a viscount and hear the wind from the sea. Next thing Myra knows she is on Captain Devlin's pirate ship, somewhere in the Caribbean.

Faery Thee Well (1750) Due to a couple of recent deaths, Rhionne must bear the child of a man chosen to be Lugh of the Sun. Yet in order to ensure the child will be born on Beltaine Eve, Rhionne must receive his seed this very night. Should Rhionne fail, all will suffer drought and famine for a year. The human man chosen as Lugh is named Duncan. But what happens should Duncan refuse?

My Faery Lady (1814) Gryffyn (Lord Kembell in the Human World) is in London for a year making his contribution to humanity. Gryffyn chose optics and discreetly uses his magic to make designer spectacles for ladies in Society. This is how he meets "Effie". Gryffyn finds himself drawn to the human female, but she is betrothed to a duke. Even if Gryffyn and Effie were to somehow get together, she would have to choose to live in the Faery World.

A Faery Good Bet (1850) When Zachary Dillon is beat close to death, he stumbles through a Portal into Faery World. Gwennyth, the Faery World Healer, has to bond to the human male in order to save him. But when Dillon returns to the Human World, Gwennyth loses her healing magic.

The Duchess and the Dirtwater Faery (1885) When Isabelle's wagon gets stuck in the mud in the town of Dirtwater, in Idaho Territory, Kegan comes to the rescue. Kegan may be the blacksmith and unofficial sheriff, but he is also a faery. Who better to deal with the hired guns that come looking for Isabelle?

Faery Foxy Flapper (1926) Princess Keely keeps telling Jazzie that Blair is her true mate. But it is Quinn's kisses that curl her toes.

Faery Hot Date (1968) Sean Morgan is more than simply a dentist. He is the Region Sixteen Tooth Faery. Candi brings her daughter, Moriah, in because the child had been trying to pull out her tooth in hopes of getting enough money to buy a present. Sean has no time for dating. He has told Keely that many times. But Sean cannot help being attracted to Candi. The LAST thing he should do is hire Candi as his bookkeeper.

Faery Good Advice (Time Unknown) Keely runs Virgin Freedom Travel in the Human World and needs to book some vacations soon. Keely thinks she may be saved when the call comes in for a virgin honeymoon trip for Tyler Grant and his fiancée. But then the fiancée not only tells Keely that she is dumping Tyler and running off with someone else; the lady also tells Keely to be the one to inform Tyler that he has been jilted!

***** Ten couples and ten romances within one terrific book! Princess Keely seems to pop into each story somehow. The first romance story begins in England, the year 1199. With each tale the years pass and eventually end up in the United States of America. As the reader, it was as if I journeyed through time and history with Keely, who gets her own romance story in the end ... with an interesting twist.

Author Jacquie Rogers has a winner with this gem. Recommended! *****


Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.