Headess and Other Improbable Excitations of the Muse by Michael Jan Friedman
Back in October, 2018, Michael
Jan Friedman once again took to Kickstarter to get funding for a new collection
of short stories. It was a difficult campaign and actually came down to the
last minute, but was completely funded by the deadline. I was one of the first
to back the project.
As of a couple of weeks ago, I
have received my electronic and print copy (complete with the author's
signature). I finally found the time to actually sit down and read the new
stories in Headless and Other Improbable Excitations of the Muse.
The book contains eight short
stories that have varying themes in the sci-fi and fantasy genres. No two
stories are similar in nature and each one has a twist at the end, or as mike
puts it, "a curve-ball when he or she (the reader) is expecting the
heat." He also promises that if he didn't get it right by adding a little
surprise at the end of each story, he would do it again until he gets it right.
Well, Mike, there's no need to go
back to the drawing board, you hit it out of the park! But don't let that
stop you from doing more of these kinds of stories. Headless is just
plain fun!
Each of the eight stories in Headless
is a unique story that is entertaining and somewhat thought provoking if
one cares to give them some thought. The stories are titled as follows, with a
very short comment on each from me:
Headless: Don't lose your head if
you want to keep your job.
Anteater, Doughnut, Casino: Three
people walk into a diner and find themselves competing for their lives.
Cold Case: A God hires and
private investigator to look into a very cold murder case.
Connections: Can a girl find her
soulmate when she is way smarter than anyone else in the world?
The Company of Surrogate Beings:
Where does a super-being find a home after being rejected?
Geocatchers: A tale of a
misplaced reality.
A Spirit of Lost Women: A tale of
love on the rocks and a solution gone wrong.
The Garvin Street Ghost: A man
goes home in search of someone he knew long ago.
I thoroughly enjoyed all of the
stories in the book, but I think my favorite is Geocatchers. It is a
tale of a brother and sister who have been thrown out of their own universe and
are on a search to get home. It just so happens that I am mentioned in this
story, not as a character, but I am identified as a homeowner with a friendly
dog named Buster.
Each story is fresh with
interesting characters and some that a reader can find oneself caring about in
pretty short order. Each story is unique and no two people are alike. This is a
book full of variety and fun. What does tie all the stories together is the
author's great sense of humor, which is apparent in the swerves that happen in
each story. They are worth the wait.
While Headless can be read in an evening or two, I recommend that readers
not go too quickly through this collection. Read slowly and savor everything
that Mike has to offer. It will be worth it.
Well, there it is...
Qapla!
