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Aria
Mark's double life comes to a screeching halt after his wife exposes his illicit affair during his business trip. Unfortunately, the way home isn't as clear-cut as he'd hoped and he's forced to turn to Aria, his GPS, for an alternate route. However, Aria has something far more sinister in mind...
15 pages, Nook
First published January 31, 2011
5 people are currently reading
99 people want to read
About the author
Allison M. Dickson
54 books302 followersAllison M. Dickson is the author of several well-reviewed independently published novels and short stories covering everything from horror and sci-fi to suspense.
Her major debut thriller, THE OTHER MRS MILLER, is due out from Putnam on 7/16/19! Learn more at her work at allisonmdickson.com.
Her major debut thriller, THE OTHER MRS MILLER, is due out from Putnam on 7/16/19! Learn more at her work at allisonmdickson.com.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
September 12, 2015
This wasn't a bad story, but it was more sad than scary to me. I'm not big on adultery, so had little to no sympathy of the MC. Aria was a bit creepy, but the sadness of the lives of the three characters overshadowed, for me, the creepiness of the story.
I got this free on the Kindle some time ago. Not sure what it is going for now, but I would say I wouldn't mind paying free to $0.99 for it. It is a short story, but well written enough for paying a bit more than nothing.
3.5 stars, rounded down due to the cheating.
I got this free on the Kindle some time ago. Not sure what it is going for now, but I would say I wouldn't mind paying free to $0.99 for it. It is a short story, but well written enough for paying a bit more than nothing.
3.5 stars, rounded down due to the cheating.
November 14, 2011
This short horror story was unexpected in that i did not see some of the twists.
Better yet, in just a few pages the author managed to create characters and situations that had that sense of thrill and stress you crave in a good horror story.
In the end, i even felt sorry for the poor guy!
How many pages does that take in other books? :)
I'll be sure to check out other work by Allison Dickson. Since this eBook and many others are free, i'll even buy one of the anthologies if the other works are of this quality level.
Better yet, in just a few pages the author managed to create characters and situations that had that sense of thrill and stress you crave in a good horror story.
In the end, i even felt sorry for the poor guy!
How many pages does that take in other books? :)
I'll be sure to check out other work by Allison Dickson. Since this eBook and many others are free, i'll even buy one of the anthologies if the other works are of this quality level.
December 8, 2011
Ever find that insistent voice of your GPS a little creepy? Dickson brings a whole new horror to the world in little short stories. An honestly terrifying read!
July 19, 2012
"Aria", by Allison M. Dickson, is a clever take on our increasing dependence on technology. In this tale, one of the characters is having an affair with a young woman who happens to NOT be his wife. The story begins with him noticing the time, and realizing it's time to hit the road, and head home to his wife. Turning on the motel room TV, his partner in the deed points out to him that the freeway he must travel has been closed, and will remain so for hours to come, due to a major traffic accident. She manages to convince him to call his wife and say he's going to wait another night, until the traffic clears up. But his wife has a surprise for him... she says his paramour wouldn't like it if he came home right away. So, now HE knows that SHE knows what they've been up to.
At this point he has two choices: stay another night with the more nubile woman, or return home by back roads to his angry wife. Remembering his wife had bought him a GPS unit for his car, he decides to return home using unfamiliar back roads, and "officially" break it off with his wife. But that's when everything starts to go wrong. There seems to be a problem with the GPS; first it shocks him, then the screen goes blank, then it flashes blue and black, and then... well, that would be giving away too much information, wouldn't it? Does he make it home okay? Has his wife really thrown all his "stuff" out on the driveway, as she threatened? Will everything work out okay in the end? It will be worth your time and money to find out. I recommend you get a copy right away, and find out if that GPS was really such a good idea!
At this point he has two choices: stay another night with the more nubile woman, or return home by back roads to his angry wife. Remembering his wife had bought him a GPS unit for his car, he decides to return home using unfamiliar back roads, and "officially" break it off with his wife. But that's when everything starts to go wrong. There seems to be a problem with the GPS; first it shocks him, then the screen goes blank, then it flashes blue and black, and then... well, that would be giving away too much information, wouldn't it? Does he make it home okay? Has his wife really thrown all his "stuff" out on the driveway, as she threatened? Will everything work out okay in the end? It will be worth your time and money to find out. I recommend you get a copy right away, and find out if that GPS was really such a good idea!
June 5, 2012
Okay, it's official. Ms. Dickson has turned out to be the one of the best new authors I've discovered. Aria is one of those books that you need to read just to see what weirdness the author will throw at you. I defy anyone to say her books are predictable!
One of the reasons I think I'm drawn to the author's books is because the characters in her stories suck me in. These are people with quirks, flaws, and a host of other attributes that make them not only interesting, but relatable. Once things in the story start to take a turn, you find yourself flipping pages anxious to see how matters play out. That's good storytelling folks.
Aria is the third short story I've read by the author and it's clear that she's the closest thing to a sure shot as I'm likely to encounter nowadays. Now pardon me. I'm off to download her next book! ;)
One of the reasons I think I'm drawn to the author's books is because the characters in her stories suck me in. These are people with quirks, flaws, and a host of other attributes that make them not only interesting, but relatable. Once things in the story start to take a turn, you find yourself flipping pages anxious to see how matters play out. That's good storytelling folks.
Aria is the third short story I've read by the author and it's clear that she's the closest thing to a sure shot as I'm likely to encounter nowadays. Now pardon me. I'm off to download her next book! ;)
January 2, 2013
I have a love/hate relationship with my namesake Allison Dickson. I love that she creates wonderful stories for me to get lost in, and I hate that she continues to make me afraid of every day objects.
Aria, the tale of a cheating husband who gets punished by his GPS - has pretty much ensured that if I marry, I will never cheat on my husband. And that I will never trust any device with GPS built in.
Despite being a short story, it has a satisfying ending, and the story is weaved in the careful style which I've become accustomed to from Dickson. She knows how to take a short story from beginning to end without short changing the reader. There is always both a satisfying climax, and appropriate ending - and in the case of Aria, this story went in a direction that I expected...just not in the way I had imagined when reading the blurb.
Aria, the tale of a cheating husband who gets punished by his GPS - has pretty much ensured that if I marry, I will never cheat on my husband. And that I will never trust any device with GPS built in.
Despite being a short story, it has a satisfying ending, and the story is weaved in the careful style which I've become accustomed to from Dickson. She knows how to take a short story from beginning to end without short changing the reader. There is always both a satisfying climax, and appropriate ending - and in the case of Aria, this story went in a direction that I expected...just not in the way I had imagined when reading the blurb.
October 7, 2011
Awesome idea! Wish I had had it myself. This man is cheating on his wife.. he leaves his girlfriend behind in a motel to rush home to the wife to fix things or end things, it's not quite clear.. and due to a traffic mishap, he's gotta take the back roads.. His Rand McNally map is missing and he has no choice but to use the GPS unit his wife bought him and named Aria.
The man wants to get home, but Aria has other ideas. Enter a talking back GPS and some crazy horror stuff. I don't think I'll ever look at my own touch screen GPS the same way again.
I actually wish there were more to this though. I felt like it ended too soon which is a rare thing for me to say. And someone should make this into a movie.
The man wants to get home, but Aria has other ideas. Enter a talking back GPS and some crazy horror stuff. I don't think I'll ever look at my own touch screen GPS the same way again.
I actually wish there were more to this though. I felt like it ended too soon which is a rare thing for me to say. And someone should make this into a movie.
October 12, 2011
written well, but you figure out what will happen from the 3 page...quick read
December 27, 2011
Creepy short story involving a cheating husband. Interesting little read. I wasn't expecting the ending.
January 10, 2012
Karma is inescapable, and Mark soon realizes this. Aria is a short, humorously sinister tale, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
February 1, 2012
Great short story. Loved both the original and final endings. I always want more with Allison's short stories. So good!
August 18, 2012
Creepy short story about Aria, a GPS who is like no other GPS out there. I will think of this story everytime I use my GPS, from here on out!
June 9, 2013
This short story is a breath of fresh air by an author I've never had the opportunity to read. I was very pleasantly surprised. Sometimes its best to leave technology unplugged.
July 20, 2013
Extremely touching characters, especially protagonist. Written in first person,
quite a fast read, sometimes quite heart-wrenching. But not the total downer that
it seems in first half or so.
quite a fast read, sometimes quite heart-wrenching. But not the total downer that
it seems in first half or so.
July 8, 2012
His new GPS unit, a present from his wife, just might not be working properly.
March 6, 2012
This is a super creepy short story about a man and a GPS gone wrong. Mark and Mitzy are having an affair. Mark's wife Carolyn is cold and their marriage has well beyond it's expiration date. When Mark realizes that there is a terrible accident, he decides to stay the night with Mitzy at the hotel that they were having a renezvous because he doesn't want to take the back roads. However, Mark's wife calls and tells him to get home before she puts his belongings outside; she has found out about the affair. Mitzy gets angry at Mark's leaving and stomps away leaving Mark digging in his trunk to find his handy Rand McNally atlas. When he can't find it, he figures he will finally have to resort to the GPS that his wife bought him awhile ago; a GPS he has been avoiding. From there the technology literally takes on a life of its own and I found myself chilled to the bone because of this nightmare plot. I already think the female voice on my GPS is kinda creepy and find myself yelling at her as she constantly tells me to "turn right here" when I am at a light. This takes the GPS "lady" to a whole new level. One of the creepiest short I have read in awhile. The scariest thing is it's everyone's worst nightmare...technology taking over. It was 15 pages, creepy, and free....what could be better? Take a short time out to read this chilling book...you won't be sorry! Or as Aria might say...Read this book or you will be sorry! 4 stars!
April 7, 2012
This a good, short read. I got it for free too so that was great !!
December 13, 2012
A man, a wife, and a mistress. A night away, a traffic jam, a gps, and a slightly predictable end result.
December 24, 2014
Another reason to not have a GPS in your car.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews