Notice...

The purpose of this blog is to have a little fun. It is NOT to start arguments. I don't profess to be an expert on Sci-fi, nor do I aspire to become an expert. You are welcome to comment on any and all content you find here. If my opinion differs from yours, as far as I am concerned, it's all okay. I will never say that you are wrong because you disagree with me, and I expect the same from those that comment here. Also, my audience on the blog will include some young people. Please govern your language when posting comments.

Posts will hopefully be regular based on the movies I see, the television shows I watch, and the books I read as well as what ever strikes me as noteworthy.


***SPOILER ALERT***
Spoilers will appear here and are welcome.

Autograph Collecting

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Headless - A Collection Of Brilliant Brain Droppings from Michael Jan Friedman


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!