Kindle Edition Amazon Amazone Category:  Science Fiction Publisher: Science Fiction and Fantasy Publications ISBN-10:  0988086492 Type: Fiction Pages: 138 Copyright: August 2014 ISBN-13: 9780988086494 Price: $3.01 (eBook) A collection of short stories and flash fiction.  It seems that Douglas Owen does not sleep. This writer is constantly creating new fiction in the forms of novels and short stories. These short stories have only been available to his critique group … Until now. We have gathered them all together in this novella, and offer it to the people. What will you find inside? You will find the end of the world, dwarfs hiding from humans, ghosts wandering around the basement, cats looking for food, a vengeful spirit protecting the bones of his ancestors, and much more. Published by Science Fiction and Fantasy Publications and Available from: Excerpt Four looked down at the flat control panel in front of him. The lights danced an intricate pattern and he tapped the red squares when they appeared. The system responded with a gentle chime every time he was correct. He was never wrong. The training session continued for another hour before the gentle sound of doors opening floated to him. An odor of his favorite food wafted in the air. Four’s stomach grumbled. He was hungry. Trainer had kept him busy for over three hours hitting the red squares today. She had even tried to hide them by surrounding them with pink squares, but he saw through that. Father would be proud. He surpassed Three. Even with the door opened and the smell of his favorite food enticing him, he kept his attention on the panel. It could be a trick. Trainer had yet to sound the session over. The panel flickered. His finger tapped the ghost that had been there. Another chime. Another correct response. A picture of a puppy licking a child’s face appeared above the panel. They sat on green grass. The sound of the child’s laughter filled the room. It was the reward Four was looking forward to. The test was over. He slid out of the reclined chair, feet lightly touching the clean, white floor, and stood. Trainer turned up the lights and the door stood open. He walked out of the white room and down the antiseptic corridor. Nothing was different. After seven years of life all he had ever seen was white corridor walls and rooms. Furniture, all white with the exception of the control room. That room contained beautiful splashes of color around gleaming control councils. Soon he would be there. Soon he would take over from Three.

Excellent collection of short stories
I have initially bought this as a Kindle book but after reading it have decided to purchase the paperback for my collection. The stories vary in length however none are too long and some are literally a couple of pages. I was planning to read the book on the bus travelling to work but after reading the first story The End of the World I found myself finishing the entire book in a day.

This book is truly a great read, where you will find yourself going from space, to the depths of the earth, to a very creative re imagining of a popular children's story.

There are 2 particular stories that I would love to see turned into full blown novels, they are 'Earth Blood' and 'Lonely'. These stories work perfectly well on there own, however I feel with a little re writing they could be the first chapter in an amazing novel as they set the tone for a much deeper and expansive story.

I often find with many books myself working out pretty early on where the story is going, and at many points I was thinking I knew what was going to happen and every time I was wrong. One example of this is 'Bone Digging' where I found myself getting quite attached to the character and thought I knew where her story was going, only to find out I was mistaken.

I would wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone looking for a good read, especially if you are not in the mood to tackle a full novel. There is also a Kindle preview available in the Kindle store that can be sent directly to your device if you want a small taste before downloading the full e-book or buying the paperback.

You won't be disappointed
All of the stories are good. The first story, The End Of The World, by far, was my favorite. The set up was perfect and full of suspense from the first page and the good writing kept me turning the page.

Some of the shorter stories towards the end of the book felt like they should have been expanded. It's not that they're not complete, it's just that I felt opportunities were lost to add more details and sharpen the imact of the words and the images in the few pages that were written. But in the collection, there were maybe only three stories that came across that way.

Overall, this is a great collection. I love reading the short stories between work assignments and this is a book that I'd recommend. I think Douglas Owen is a writer to keep your eye on for future books.

Lots of variety & A great way to try a new author
In this book, you get to enjoy several sci-fi/fantasy stories. Each one is new and unique. I didn’t know what to expect when I started each story. Who would be the main character? What was happening? This added a fun variety. I particularly liked the section of Flash Fiction. The stories are very short, but each one still gives you a quick snapshot of an event or glimpse into a person. This is a great book to have on hand when you want a break, but don’t have the time to commit to a full novel.

This collection of stories also gave me a chance to try a new author. This is the first book I’ve read by Owen and I look forward to reading his other books.