by Edward Meiman

Flash fiction has been gaining in popularity. This compilation contains 111 stories of less than 1000 words, the ultimate in word economy.  The stories are divided into genre categories including Humor, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Horror, and Action and Adventure.  The beauty of such a collection is that each story is brief, taking only a few minutes to read. If you don’t like the one you just read, read the next one.  You’re bound to find a topic and delivery that appeal to you.

With over 380 pages of stories compiled in this volume of flash fiction, I randomly selected several stories for reading.

The Aftermath of a Typically Lousy Day – The life of a man doomed to be clumsy. A story that makes you feel sorry for the main character and his mishaps.

The Revelation on 5th Avenue – A world hidden from the typical human being. Puppets that control themselves, fairies, gnomes, and other mystical creatures.

Trafficman and the Old-People Ray – A brief superhero episode where the villain foils himself. Good for a giggle.

Remnants of Her Log – The last hours of a spaceship captain captured on a log tape and returned to her family. An eventual reality for our space-traveling descendants.

Is This How Nostradamus Felt? – Having a connection with your future self may hold a stable job in a government facility, if you can stand sharing your mind.

A Monet Missed – A change of perspective can change the world you see. This briefly captures the way a visual outlook can change once an internal outlook changes.

The Concert Pianist – A boy convinces his parents to buy him a piano because he believes he’s a talented musician… until he gets a chance to actually play. The fickleness of so many people depicted in one child.

Mammoth Refuge – Underground cities of humans are threatened by civil war due to overpopulation and a schism between ideals.

4 Stars