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Zero Hour
Zero Hour: Stories of Spiritual Suspense
Author Stoney M. Setzer brings together 15 short stories in this new anthology from ResAliens Press. If you enjoy Twilight Zone-like mysteries served up with a spiritual twist, this debut collection of speculative fiction is just for you.
176 pages, Paperback
First published January 30, 2011
43 people want to read
About the author
Stoney M. Setzer
56 books20 followersStoney M. Setzer lives south of Atlanta, GA. He has a beautiful wife, three wonderful children, and one crazy dog.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 15, 2011
I won this won this in a giveaway as a First Reads Good Reads book.
I gotta say I was hoping for a little more suspense but this one was still pretty good. Stoney M. Setzer is a good writer and his writing style kept me reading and interested. There were some short stories I really enjoyed, some I thought were kinda ridiculous, and some that were just plain cheesy.
As far as spiritual suspense be forewarned, spiritual isn't what you may think of as spiritual. Stoney Setzer is Christian and the spiritual as mentioned in the title is Christian geared.
On the about the author section on the back of the book it says: "As a fiction writer, Stoney M. Setzer strives to create suspenseful stories with Christian themes."
I think overall he does a good job at meeting that goal, just wish there was more suspense.
My favorite stories in the collection: The Pride of Guillermo, Darkest Before Dawn, We Serve all Kinds Here, In the Shadow of the Sphinx, Doomsday Falls on a Tuesday This Year and The Alabama Hammer.
In you are into Christian Fiction I recommend this collection of short stories.
I gotta say I was hoping for a little more suspense but this one was still pretty good. Stoney M. Setzer is a good writer and his writing style kept me reading and interested. There were some short stories I really enjoyed, some I thought were kinda ridiculous, and some that were just plain cheesy.
As far as spiritual suspense be forewarned, spiritual isn't what you may think of as spiritual. Stoney Setzer is Christian and the spiritual as mentioned in the title is Christian geared.
On the about the author section on the back of the book it says: "As a fiction writer, Stoney M. Setzer strives to create suspenseful stories with Christian themes."
I think overall he does a good job at meeting that goal, just wish there was more suspense.
My favorite stories in the collection: The Pride of Guillermo, Darkest Before Dawn, We Serve all Kinds Here, In the Shadow of the Sphinx, Doomsday Falls on a Tuesday This Year and The Alabama Hammer.
In you are into Christian Fiction I recommend this collection of short stories.
September 9, 2012
No nonsense suspense. Unfortunately, Today's horror is all about pushing the envelope to see what you can get away with: A salting of curses, with a peppering of gratuitous violence, a dash of nudity and a smattering of gore. Makes me long for the old days when monster movie would leave something to the imagination. Zero Hour breaks all the 'new' conventions and brings us a collection of bizarre tales true to horror's original roots. This book is a teen safe read that is fun for parents and reminds us of why we used to love horror movies in the traditional sense. I am heartened by the suspense and quality of writing in this collection and look forward to more!
July 8, 2011
If you have a nostalgic fondness for old episodes of the Twilight Zone, then you'll likely enjoy Stoney M. Setzer's collection of short fiction. In Zero Hour - Stories of Spiritual Suspense, Setzer combines mystery, thriller, and moral themes into a family friendly volume. Think Mystery Theater with a spiritual twist.
Disclaimer! I had the privilege of editing these 15 stories and then recently publishing this anthology through my indie publishing venture, ResAliens Press. But, despite my bias, I can say these are fun and engaging reads.
But don't take my word for it. Find Zero Hour on Facebook to discover the stories behind the stories. Plus, you can purchase one of his short stories not in his collection at Amazon titled "The Widow Greer." Still not convinced? Then read his time travel conundrum, "Unsinkable," for free in Issue 5.1 at ResAliens.com.
About the Author: Stoney M. Setzer lives outside of Atlanta, GA, with his beautiful wife and three wonderful children. As a fiction writer, he strives to create suspenseful stories with Christian themes. His works have been featured in such publications as Residential Aliens and Christian Sci-Fi Journal, as well as a number of anthologies. He is employed as a middle school special education teacher.
Disclaimer! I had the privilege of editing these 15 stories and then recently publishing this anthology through my indie publishing venture, ResAliens Press. But, despite my bias, I can say these are fun and engaging reads.
But don't take my word for it. Find Zero Hour on Facebook to discover the stories behind the stories. Plus, you can purchase one of his short stories not in his collection at Amazon titled "The Widow Greer." Still not convinced? Then read his time travel conundrum, "Unsinkable," for free in Issue 5.1 at ResAliens.com.
About the Author: Stoney M. Setzer lives outside of Atlanta, GA, with his beautiful wife and three wonderful children. As a fiction writer, he strives to create suspenseful stories with Christian themes. His works have been featured in such publications as Residential Aliens and Christian Sci-Fi Journal, as well as a number of anthologies. He is employed as a middle school special education teacher.
August 23, 2011
i could not fully get into this book. My mother on the other hand really enjoyed this book. I did find it to be interesting however it was kind of perdictible. I think i might not have gotten into this book fully because it was not written for my age group. i got this book from a good reads give away.
my mother would give this book five stars.
my mother would give this book five stars.
March 2, 2021
Stoney M. Setzer delivers fifteen short stories that tell of the uncompromising goodness of God and the evil ploys of His enemy. These modern parables point the reader to Schriptures as you walk into a landscape reminiscent of the Twilight Zone shows of the ‘60’s. In some cases, the outcome is foreseeable, but in others, I’d advise caution. You could wind up with a slight case of whiplash.
In the Shadow of the Sphinx tells an early 20th century tale of a movie studio attempting to film in Egypt—with disastrous results. It’s the book of Exodus in a newer context, but the message remains the same. You mock God at your peril.
All Hail Sam tells the story common to so many of us. What if? Sam Ross wonders what his life would be like if he’d made better choices, better grades, gone to college. A bolt of lightning shows him a different life. But it’s not a better one, by any means.
We Serve All Kinds Here takes us to a small diner. The food isn’t much but the coffee is great. The diners, however, are truly unique! I enjoyed the twist Mr. Setzer gave to this interesting tale of identities and perceptions.
Smokescreen was my favorite story in this collection. Curfews and clandestine meetings would not have felt so real to our world even a few short years ago. Though it was written in 2011, this story is far more applicable today than we would have ever imagined. Enter a speak-easy and see for yourself.
Phobos gives us a taste of space travel and mystery as a crew lands on an uninhabited moon. When their members die one at a time, the survivors experience true terror. Each man dies of the thing he fears the most—until there’s one last man standing.
Darkest Before Dawn takes us to Fair Play, Arizona. Though a date is not mentioned, it appears to be the late nineteenth century, a time of quick trials, no forensics evidence, and hangings at dawn. An itinerant prophet arrives to insist that God’s justice has been mocked in the case against Mitch Hamil. But if he didn’t kill Sheriff Pemberton, who did? And how can it be proved before dawn?
In each of these stories, the morals are clean and concise. God cares about our lives, and nothing escapes His attention. I have picked my favorite six stories. Read for yourself and see which ones you would choose!
Well done, Mr. Setzer. I’m headed for the realms of Zero Hour 2!
In the Shadow of the Sphinx tells an early 20th century tale of a movie studio attempting to film in Egypt—with disastrous results. It’s the book of Exodus in a newer context, but the message remains the same. You mock God at your peril.
All Hail Sam tells the story common to so many of us. What if? Sam Ross wonders what his life would be like if he’d made better choices, better grades, gone to college. A bolt of lightning shows him a different life. But it’s not a better one, by any means.
We Serve All Kinds Here takes us to a small diner. The food isn’t much but the coffee is great. The diners, however, are truly unique! I enjoyed the twist Mr. Setzer gave to this interesting tale of identities and perceptions.
Smokescreen was my favorite story in this collection. Curfews and clandestine meetings would not have felt so real to our world even a few short years ago. Though it was written in 2011, this story is far more applicable today than we would have ever imagined. Enter a speak-easy and see for yourself.
Phobos gives us a taste of space travel and mystery as a crew lands on an uninhabited moon. When their members die one at a time, the survivors experience true terror. Each man dies of the thing he fears the most—until there’s one last man standing.
Darkest Before Dawn takes us to Fair Play, Arizona. Though a date is not mentioned, it appears to be the late nineteenth century, a time of quick trials, no forensics evidence, and hangings at dawn. An itinerant prophet arrives to insist that God’s justice has been mocked in the case against Mitch Hamil. But if he didn’t kill Sheriff Pemberton, who did? And how can it be proved before dawn?
In each of these stories, the morals are clean and concise. God cares about our lives, and nothing escapes His attention. I have picked my favorite six stories. Read for yourself and see which ones you would choose!
Well done, Mr. Setzer. I’m headed for the realms of Zero Hour 2!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews