Ten deilicious stories of mystery, suspense, and humor. Also, 30 "55-Fiction" stories told in 55 words.
Excerpt
It began as just another international incident, the last item on the evening news. Ten seconds of coverage, no film. India and Pakistan having another round of border skirmishes with a handful of casualties on each side. Two weeks later war exploded across the front page as rival armies threw themselves at each other with deadly efficiency. Of course nobody thought the fighting would escalate into a nuclear conflict until New Delhi disappeared under a mushroom cloud that made dead birds fall from the sky for a thousand miles.
For a few days it looked as though the carnage would be limited to Asia, But when the Indians vaporized Islamabad, the superpowers lined up behind their respective allies. All the politicos said we had nothing to worry about. No one would dare attack us, and even if they did, the Star Wars defense system was capable of "neurtalizing" any threat. Who could have known they had so many, many warheads?
We had bought the house from a retired Air Force general, a Cold War commander who had a spacious bomb-shelter in the backyard. The kids used it as a playhouse and my buddies and I turned our doomsday bunker into a Monday Night Football den, the "Men's Room." Over the Labor Day holiday Joan hauled the kids to her mother's place fo the last long weekend of the summer. I feigned sickness and stayed home; I'd do anything to get away from the constant squabbling associated with raising children. It was nothing more than dumb luck that I was in the shelter when the attack came, sleeping off a Black Russian hangover after a disastrous poker game and dreading the arrival of two knife-wielding, low-life brothers who accused me of diddling their sister. Which I was.
I couldn't figure out why nothing was on the radio or TV. CNN had an ongoing picture of the news desk but no smiling broadcasters with shiny white teeth and I'm from nowhere generic accents. When I climbed out of the shelter, everything looked normal until I got to the front of the house. Cars were stopped in the middle of the street in both directions. Some had jumped the curb onto sidewalks and lawns. I ran over to a pick-up truck and saw the driver slumped over the steerinng wheel as if had suffered a heart attack. I looked at every askew vehicle in the street and found the same thing. Then I saw the body of a kid about eleven or twelve crumpled next to a bicycle. The freckle-faced boy was delivering newspapers, a first baseman's glove dangling from his handlbars. I fell to my knees and thought of my own children, my wife.
The downtown area was strewn with bodies. People had dropped dead in their tracks, as if some all-powerful being had snapped its fingers and said "OK, game's over, you lose." Tiny sparrow carcasses were everywhere. Stunned into a state of shock, I waited for whatever killed them to kill me. But nothing happened, I didn't even feel sick.
Wandering through the deserted town, I finally came upon a living human being, an attractive woman sitting on a park bench with her head buried in her hands, sobbing. She said she had been locked in the bank vault overnight. The emergency intercom didn't work and when the door automatically opened at nine in the morning she stepped into a brave new world. Her name was Rebecca.
Professional Reviews
The Power of the Dark Goddess and Other Stories
The Power of the Dark Goddess is a very entertaining and unusual collection of short stories. It begins with an interpretation of post-apocalyptic America, and the unproductive second coming of Adam and Eve.In further stories, we see the mental destruction caused to a man by a taunting spam mail, as well as a foreboding tale of the legacy of cloning when mixed with religious fervor. The title story, The Power of the Dark Goddess, involves religious and social conflict in the chaotic streets of India. Finally, the author presents several examples of a new genre called 55-Fiction; subtly written little gems of a maximum of 55 words.
All of the stories are well-written and extremely entertaining. While most have a science fiction feel, they remain assessible to all, with clever twists in absorbing plots. The short story format requires developing interesting characters quickly, and George Bryjak does a good job of this, with instantly recognizable types that expand along with the plot. The only disappointment here, it you can call it that, is that the stories were too short, as some were so interesting as to leave the reader wanting. But then, considering the skill and wit necessary to create 55-Fiction, perhapts that is the author's true intent.
A wonderful collecttion that gave this reviewer a great afternoon of reading; I strongly recommned The Power of the Dark Goddess and Other Stories.
Nancy Morris, Allbooks Review
The Power of the Dark Power of the Dark Goddess and Other Stories
George Bryjak's collection of short stories are laugh-out-loud funny, foreboding, and come at the reader from all angles. Having read one you probably won't be able to stop. "Sorry About That" is a resurrection of the classic Adam and Eve scnenario. Adam is lonesome and Eve seems to be the only other person alive. God, it appears, has killed everything and everyone to rid the world of evil, and is giving the last two humans a fresh start. This is a very clever, well thought out, tightly constructed tale.
Another excellent story is "My Marie," a short yarn with an ending that caught me completely by surprise. Marie is deeply troubled as she longs for the most delectable croissants money can buy. This is a highly entertaining, gem of a story, and one can all but smell the croissants.
The "55-Fiction" pieces are as enjoyable to read as the longer stories in this collection. "The Interview," for example, is fantastic, with a narrative that immediately hooks the reader. "Lost Melody" is also very lovely, flying pianos across a wide meadow and a ramapaging bear. Perhaps this story is a metahpor. "Orders" is sinister, but also amusing.
Numerous mysteries of human existence are encapsulated in these stories. The stark realities of life are depicted with enough humor to dispel the grim aspects of everyday life. What a great imagination this mand has! Read and enjoy. A collection of stories not to be missed.
All Carson Reno Mystery Series Books are standalone novels. It is not necessary to read them in any particular order.
A famous author is murdered, Carson is at the scene of the crime and considered a prime suspect – but he doesn’t remember anythi
Book three in series. Excitement and tension begin on the first day of filming a Restoration drama on location at the historic Jacobean mansion, Ham House in Surrey.
