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The New Death and others
Death gets a roommate...
An electronic Pope faces a difficult theological question...
A wicked vizier makes a terrible bargain...
44 stories. 19 poems. No sparkly vampires. There's a thin line between genius and insanity, and James Hutchings has just crossed it - but from which direction?
An electronic Pope faces a difficult theological question...
A wicked vizier makes a terrible bargain...
44 stories. 19 poems. No sparkly vampires. There's a thin line between genius and insanity, and James Hutchings has just crossed it - but from which direction?
102 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 27, 2011
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157 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
October 3, 2012
I got this book, from Making Connections for free, in exchange for an honest review. Get your copy here.
The God of the Poor:
The gods are dividing the world between themselves but who will rule the poor?
How the Isle of Cats got its Name:
A sorceress on her quest to rule the world, only to be thwarted by cats!
The Enemy Within:
A local man goes to extraordinary lengths so he wouldn't be mistaken for a foreigner!
The End:
A camping trip leads to human beings becoming extinct.
A Date with Destiny:
No, literally!
Everlasting Fire:
Ironic Comeuppance in hell, Lilly and an incubus!
The Face in the Hill:
You ask it a question and the Face answers.. or not.
The Uncharted Isle:
Who doesn't think of the "one that got away" and where they might be right now. But do they ever think about you?
Compatibility :
Compatibility is very important-the color of your favorite wine might make or break a relationship.
The Scholar & the Moon:
A city where the Moon rules the temperament of its people and a scholar who seeks to defy the power of such a ruler.
The Doom That Was Laid Upon Fame:
How reality tv came into being.
Fame's Beloved:
Would you want this job?
The Name of the Helper:
Think before you promise someone a "piece of meat".
The Warring Gods:
Love & Sex.
The Adventure of the Murdered Philanthropist:
A parody of Sherlock Holmes-quite funny.
When Love Calls:
Are you in love with your phone?
Death and the Merchant:
You can't escape death.
Lost,Feral or Stray:
A man tries to attract the interest of a vet in his own unique way.
The Jeweled City:
An author's fictional characters go on a strike!
Rumpelstiltskin:
"If you can't do anything else, get into politics."
The Producer:
On remakes and heaven and hell.
The Bird and the Two Trees:
Paradoxes
Monsters:
Which is the scariest-Werewolves, Vampire, Ghosts, Wendigos or Foreigners?
The Prince & the Sky-Maiden:
Rapunzel-esque story.
The New Death:
Death falls in love!
The New Magazine:
The ending was a let down.
The Perfect Woman:
Have you met the perfect woman yet?
Legend-the story of Kevin Marley:
How do you raise a demon by accident? By making an album, of course!
The Construction Workers of Telelee:
Replacing the construction workers with robots..not a good idea!
The New God:
Armorican Idol-be a deity for one whole year!
The Death of the Artist:
Cats and their evil powers.
Two Brothers:
A drug dealer and the CEO of a cigarette company.
The God of the City of Dust:
One god kicks out another!
The Dragon Festival:
A dragon at a festival isn't what it seems.
Singles Bar:
Name says it all.
The Auto-Pope:
Auto Pope came with its own set of problems.
Todd:
Something is preying on women and only Todd can stop it.
Sigrun and the Shepherd:
She loved him and he didn't know who she was.
the Morning Post:
More of a collection of funny one-liners.
The Handsome But Impossibly Demanding Prince
The Exchange:
Too much a good thing..
Mourning Has Broken:
Grief does funny things to some people!
Temptation:
A sorcerer loses interest in living and decides to change that.
Local News:
Time heals..Time kills.
Poems:
If My Life Was Filmed
Under the Pyramids
The Prince of the Howling Forest
The Moon Sailed Sadly Through The Sky
Weary Love
The Mirrors of Tuzun Thune
May Every Woman
The Apprenticeship
Law and Justice
The Sailor
The Garden of Admopha
The Lamb's Speech
That Which Unites Us
Unprotected
I heard the Mermaids singing
Diamanda and the Isle of Wives
My Cat is not like other Cats
Untitled
Charon
What I liked:
There were some really good stories-The End,Everlasting Fire, The Uncharted Isle being three of my favorite ones.
Like always, an anthology is a many flavored ice cream cone.
What I didn't like:
There are too many stories/poems to be compiled into one anthology.
The author has a beef with "Commerce" and I got it the first time. I didn't need to be beaten over the head with it.
A collection of witty, humorous and some thought provoking writing.
The God of the Poor:
The gods are dividing the world between themselves but who will rule the poor?
How the Isle of Cats got its Name:
A sorceress on her quest to rule the world, only to be thwarted by cats!
The Enemy Within:
A local man goes to extraordinary lengths so he wouldn't be mistaken for a foreigner!
The End:
A camping trip leads to human beings becoming extinct.
A Date with Destiny:
No, literally!
Everlasting Fire:
Ironic Comeuppance in hell, Lilly and an incubus!
The Face in the Hill:
You ask it a question and the Face answers.. or not.
The Uncharted Isle:
Who doesn't think of the "one that got away" and where they might be right now. But do they ever think about you?
Compatibility :
Compatibility is very important-the color of your favorite wine might make or break a relationship.
The Scholar & the Moon:
A city where the Moon rules the temperament of its people and a scholar who seeks to defy the power of such a ruler.
The Doom That Was Laid Upon Fame:
How reality tv came into being.
Fame's Beloved:
Would you want this job?
The Name of the Helper:
Think before you promise someone a "piece of meat".
The Warring Gods:
Love & Sex.
The Adventure of the Murdered Philanthropist:
A parody of Sherlock Holmes-quite funny.
When Love Calls:
Are you in love with your phone?
Death and the Merchant:
You can't escape death.
Lost,Feral or Stray:
A man tries to attract the interest of a vet in his own unique way.
The Jeweled City:
An author's fictional characters go on a strike!
Rumpelstiltskin:
"If you can't do anything else, get into politics."
The Producer:
On remakes and heaven and hell.
The Bird and the Two Trees:
Paradoxes
Monsters:
Which is the scariest-Werewolves, Vampire, Ghosts, Wendigos or Foreigners?
The Prince & the Sky-Maiden:
Rapunzel-esque story.
The New Death:
Death falls in love!
The New Magazine:
The ending was a let down.
The Perfect Woman:
Have you met the perfect woman yet?
Legend-the story of Kevin Marley:
How do you raise a demon by accident? By making an album, of course!
The Construction Workers of Telelee:
Replacing the construction workers with robots..not a good idea!
The New God:
Armorican Idol-be a deity for one whole year!
The Death of the Artist:
Cats and their evil powers.
Two Brothers:
A drug dealer and the CEO of a cigarette company.
The God of the City of Dust:
One god kicks out another!
The Dragon Festival:
A dragon at a festival isn't what it seems.
Singles Bar:
Name says it all.
The Auto-Pope:
Auto Pope came with its own set of problems.
Todd:
Something is preying on women and only Todd can stop it.
Sigrun and the Shepherd:
She loved him and he didn't know who she was.
the Morning Post:
More of a collection of funny one-liners.
The Handsome But Impossibly Demanding Prince
The Exchange:
Too much a good thing..
Mourning Has Broken:
Grief does funny things to some people!
Temptation:
A sorcerer loses interest in living and decides to change that.
Local News:
Time heals..Time kills.
Poems:
If My Life Was Filmed
Under the Pyramids
The Prince of the Howling Forest
The Moon Sailed Sadly Through The Sky
Weary Love
The Mirrors of Tuzun Thune
May Every Woman
The Apprenticeship
Law and Justice
The Sailor
The Garden of Admopha
The Lamb's Speech
That Which Unites Us
Unprotected
I heard the Mermaids singing
Diamanda and the Isle of Wives
My Cat is not like other Cats
Untitled
Charon
What I liked:
There were some really good stories-The End,Everlasting Fire, The Uncharted Isle being three of my favorite ones.
Like always, an anthology is a many flavored ice cream cone.
What I didn't like:
There are too many stories/poems to be compiled into one anthology.
The author has a beef with "Commerce" and I got it the first time. I didn't need to be beaten over the head with it.
A collection of witty, humorous and some thought provoking writing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 11, 2013
This review can also be found on my blog, Now is Gone on June 22, 2012.
Book Info: Genre: Short stories/Poetry; Fantasy/magical realism
Reading Level: Adult
Recommended for: Readers
My Thoughts: These very enjoyable short stories and poems run the gambit from humorous – the demoness who inflicts ironic punishments – to Lovecraftian – the poem about Cairo – to thought-provoking - “The God of the Poor” among others. I found myself laughing (for example, at the Holmes satire), thinking and thoroughly enjoying myself throughout reading this book. There was not a single story or poem in this book that I did not enjoy. There are a lot of themes that show up time and again – the town of Telelee, the various gods and goddesses, puns galore, thought-provoking ideas...
If you like stories of any type, if you like reading at all, you will definitely find something in this little book to enjoy. I imagine that most people will enjoy them all, just like I did. If you don’t yet have this terrific little book, go grab a copy now!
Disclosure: I received a free e-copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis: Death gets a roommate...
An electronic Pope faces a difficult theological question...
A wicked vizier makes a terrible bargain...
44 stories. 19 poems. No whiny vampires. There's a thin line between genius and insanity, and James Hutchings has just crossed it – but from which direction?
Book Info: Genre: Short stories/Poetry; Fantasy/magical realism
Reading Level: Adult
Recommended for: Readers
My Thoughts: These very enjoyable short stories and poems run the gambit from humorous – the demoness who inflicts ironic punishments – to Lovecraftian – the poem about Cairo – to thought-provoking - “The God of the Poor” among others. I found myself laughing (for example, at the Holmes satire), thinking and thoroughly enjoying myself throughout reading this book. There was not a single story or poem in this book that I did not enjoy. There are a lot of themes that show up time and again – the town of Telelee, the various gods and goddesses, puns galore, thought-provoking ideas...
If you like stories of any type, if you like reading at all, you will definitely find something in this little book to enjoy. I imagine that most people will enjoy them all, just like I did. If you don’t yet have this terrific little book, go grab a copy now!
Disclosure: I received a free e-copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis: Death gets a roommate...
An electronic Pope faces a difficult theological question...
A wicked vizier makes a terrible bargain...
44 stories. 19 poems. No whiny vampires. There's a thin line between genius and insanity, and James Hutchings has just crossed it – but from which direction?
February 21, 2016
James Hutchings; The new death
(Available online, details below)
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/New-Death-other...
Smashwords:
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/...
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-n...
Review by Sue Bridgwater
"44 stories. 19 poems. No sparkly vampires." This is James Hutchings’ own description of his collection, although it could be described as 63 tales, fables, parables or fantasies; the poems are also narratives, and regardless of whether or not the narratives rhyme and scan, they have much in common with each other.
Hutchings’ work is steeped in irony and intertextuality and pun and contemporary references that will doubtless date, but which bring a smile or a laugh. Here is one from ‘Everlasting fire.’
Often they would go to a McDonald's (the only restaurant in Hell). There they would stare into each other’s eyes, needing no words (which is lucky, because the McDonald's in Hell constantly have eight separate toddlers' birthday parties happening at once).
Beneath this surface facility with comedy, however, lies a depth of imaginative creativity that hits one between the eyes all the more effectively for its contrast with the lighter tones. Hutchings acknowledges some serious influences; Lovecraft, Howard, Ashton Smith, Dunsany. I also detected a hint of Pratchett, a touch of King and soupcon of Jasper fforde. But as Tolkien reminded us, each writer creates their own dish from the ingredients bubbling in the cauldron of story, and Hutchings’ deepest source of inspiration is the moral fable, the tale with a twist, the stories of ancient cultures that have always carried instruction and guidance for those few who have ears to hear.
The collection begins and ends with death – in fact, like many of the tales, the opening one is short enough to quote in full as a taster;
The God of the Poor
In the beginning of the world the gods considered all those things which did not have their own gods, to decide who would have responsibility and rulership. "I will rule all flowers that are sky-blue in colour," said the Sky-Father.
"I will listen to the prayers of migratory birds, and you all other birds," the goddess Travel said to him. And so it went.
At last all had been divided, save for one thing.
"Who," asked the Sky-Father "shall have dominion over the poor?"
There was an awkward silence, until the Sky-Father said,
"Come - someone must. Those with no gods will grow restless and cunning, and in time will cast us down, and we shall be gods no more."
"Not I," said blind Justice, and her stony face flashed a momentary smirk at the thought. "Why not Fame or Fortune?"
"Darling I don't think so," said the sister goddesses together.
There was a long pause. The gods shuffled their feet and avoided one another's gaze. At last a voice broke the silence.
"I will," said Death.
In the middle comes the title story, and at the end the tale in verse of the death of the last human being, mythologically expressed. I found every tale a delight; there are cats in a lot of them (definition of the Internet; a realm populated entirely by nude women and talking cats) which is an added bonus for some of us. However, the main strength of these works is simply good writing. Good storytelling in uncomplicated prose or verse styles with their roots in the oldest tales in the world. I recommend this collection heartily, and look forward to more by Hutchings.
(Available online, details below)
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/New-Death-other...
Smashwords:
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/...
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-n...
Review by Sue Bridgwater
"44 stories. 19 poems. No sparkly vampires." This is James Hutchings’ own description of his collection, although it could be described as 63 tales, fables, parables or fantasies; the poems are also narratives, and regardless of whether or not the narratives rhyme and scan, they have much in common with each other.
Hutchings’ work is steeped in irony and intertextuality and pun and contemporary references that will doubtless date, but which bring a smile or a laugh. Here is one from ‘Everlasting fire.’
Often they would go to a McDonald's (the only restaurant in Hell). There they would stare into each other’s eyes, needing no words (which is lucky, because the McDonald's in Hell constantly have eight separate toddlers' birthday parties happening at once).
Beneath this surface facility with comedy, however, lies a depth of imaginative creativity that hits one between the eyes all the more effectively for its contrast with the lighter tones. Hutchings acknowledges some serious influences; Lovecraft, Howard, Ashton Smith, Dunsany. I also detected a hint of Pratchett, a touch of King and soupcon of Jasper fforde. But as Tolkien reminded us, each writer creates their own dish from the ingredients bubbling in the cauldron of story, and Hutchings’ deepest source of inspiration is the moral fable, the tale with a twist, the stories of ancient cultures that have always carried instruction and guidance for those few who have ears to hear.
The collection begins and ends with death – in fact, like many of the tales, the opening one is short enough to quote in full as a taster;
The God of the Poor
In the beginning of the world the gods considered all those things which did not have their own gods, to decide who would have responsibility and rulership. "I will rule all flowers that are sky-blue in colour," said the Sky-Father.
"I will listen to the prayers of migratory birds, and you all other birds," the goddess Travel said to him. And so it went.
At last all had been divided, save for one thing.
"Who," asked the Sky-Father "shall have dominion over the poor?"
There was an awkward silence, until the Sky-Father said,
"Come - someone must. Those with no gods will grow restless and cunning, and in time will cast us down, and we shall be gods no more."
"Not I," said blind Justice, and her stony face flashed a momentary smirk at the thought. "Why not Fame or Fortune?"
"Darling I don't think so," said the sister goddesses together.
There was a long pause. The gods shuffled their feet and avoided one another's gaze. At last a voice broke the silence.
"I will," said Death.
In the middle comes the title story, and at the end the tale in verse of the death of the last human being, mythologically expressed. I found every tale a delight; there are cats in a lot of them (definition of the Internet; a realm populated entirely by nude women and talking cats) which is an added bonus for some of us. However, the main strength of these works is simply good writing. Good storytelling in uncomplicated prose or verse styles with their roots in the oldest tales in the world. I recommend this collection heartily, and look forward to more by Hutchings.
July 25, 2012
A collection of short, narrative stories. Like a collection of modern folktales, gods such as Death, Time and Modesty are often personified, but with a modern twist. Gods alongside cellphones and facebook, demons presented in strange fictional worlds populated by sorcerers and magic which turns out to be a clever allegory about pop culture. My favorites include:
"The New God" One of the surprise ending stories that seems to be about ancient peoples in old times...only to stab the reader through the funny bone and make us laugh at the present.
"The Scholar and the Moon" The first story in the collection that really grabbed me. In this town, the people's moods are set and reset every month by the moon. Some months the moon will turn everyone into murders. Other months everyone will become honest and compassionate. There is no way to tell, or to prepare. So what happens to the one man who isn't affected? It's quite a memorable tale set in a strange world full of old-world imagery and macabre humor.
"Everlasting Fire" A comedic story about two demons falling in love. Most of the stories in the collection have this motif going on: plague-era, old-world imagery and humor mixed with modern perspective. The mixture works very well here.
"The Warring Gods" A very short story about the gods of Sex and Lust that is potent and biting.
"When Love Calls" Can't find love? There's an app for that. Who needs humans when we have smartphones?
"The End" Monsters, it turns out, are not rare at all. What's the point of being a monster is nobody's around to be scared of you?
"Two Brothers" Another piece of short satire about the hypocrisy of what we consider success in the modern world.
The strange juxtaposition of gothic settings and characters with modern technology and satire is appealing and memorable. Highly recommended for those entranced by the plague-era artwork populated by dancing skeletons, those who want to see what happens when Death falls in love, and why cats always hide under buildings.
"The New God" One of the surprise ending stories that seems to be about ancient peoples in old times...only to stab the reader through the funny bone and make us laugh at the present.
"The Scholar and the Moon" The first story in the collection that really grabbed me. In this town, the people's moods are set and reset every month by the moon. Some months the moon will turn everyone into murders. Other months everyone will become honest and compassionate. There is no way to tell, or to prepare. So what happens to the one man who isn't affected? It's quite a memorable tale set in a strange world full of old-world imagery and macabre humor.
"Everlasting Fire" A comedic story about two demons falling in love. Most of the stories in the collection have this motif going on: plague-era, old-world imagery and humor mixed with modern perspective. The mixture works very well here.
"The Warring Gods" A very short story about the gods of Sex and Lust that is potent and biting.
"When Love Calls" Can't find love? There's an app for that. Who needs humans when we have smartphones?
"The End" Monsters, it turns out, are not rare at all. What's the point of being a monster is nobody's around to be scared of you?
"Two Brothers" Another piece of short satire about the hypocrisy of what we consider success in the modern world.
The strange juxtaposition of gothic settings and characters with modern technology and satire is appealing and memorable. Highly recommended for those entranced by the plague-era artwork populated by dancing skeletons, those who want to see what happens when Death falls in love, and why cats always hide under buildings.
February 15, 2012
Umm, okay. I got this book - a collection of short stories and poems - from the author in return for an honest review. I hope he doesn't change his mind when he reads what I have to say about his work. LOL
Anyway, just a side note here - I didn't read the poems. Sorry, but I'm not a poetry person.
Let me start off by saying that the stories are all dark humor, dark fantasy, dead on sarcastic and super thought provoking. The author addresses very important issues in each story, though they are so well masked, that if you don't use your brains, you'd be left gaping at the page wondering "what the hell did I just read?"
Each story is thought provoking, deep on a shallow level and so out there that it's really brilliant. They're all written in a creative, sarcastic and totally new way that made me laugh hysterically.
I'VE NEVER READ ANYTHING LIKE IT!!!
I can categorize it either as insanely mad or totally brilliant, and nothing in between. And I can definitely say that this isn't a book for just a random read. It's light and heavy at the same time; pointless and intrusive; moralistic in a very odd kind of way. I recommend it to people who like to have a good laugh when they encounter the truth revealed in the most bizarre ways. Like through talking cats or the like.
I really liked the following stories (though the list isn't full, since I didn't record the titles after the 50% threshold):
*The end
*Everlasting fire
*Rumpelstiltskin
*The New Death
*The New God
Anyway, just a side note here - I didn't read the poems. Sorry, but I'm not a poetry person.
Let me start off by saying that the stories are all dark humor, dark fantasy, dead on sarcastic and super thought provoking. The author addresses very important issues in each story, though they are so well masked, that if you don't use your brains, you'd be left gaping at the page wondering "what the hell did I just read?"
Each story is thought provoking, deep on a shallow level and so out there that it's really brilliant. They're all written in a creative, sarcastic and totally new way that made me laugh hysterically.
I'VE NEVER READ ANYTHING LIKE IT!!!
I can categorize it either as insanely mad or totally brilliant, and nothing in between. And I can definitely say that this isn't a book for just a random read. It's light and heavy at the same time; pointless and intrusive; moralistic in a very odd kind of way. I recommend it to people who like to have a good laugh when they encounter the truth revealed in the most bizarre ways. Like through talking cats or the like.
I really liked the following stories (though the list isn't full, since I didn't record the titles after the 50% threshold):
*The end
*Everlasting fire
*Rumpelstiltskin
*The New Death
*The New God
February 19, 2012
When the author asked me to review The New Death and Others I was quite chuffed. I'm not normally one to review books but I thought it was a great time to start. The genre of this book isn't really what I would seek out to read, so it was going to be out of my normal comfort zone.
The New Death and Others is a collection of short stories, very short stories and poetry. The subject of these tales is quite dark at times. I have to say that some of them left me a little cold - meaning that I read them and at the end my thoughts were 'What was all that about?'. But on the other hand many of them showed me a completely different way of looking at things. I liked the clever way that Hutchings uses Death, Destiny, Fame and many others as characters
- certainly a different spin.
The author has a talent to look at everyday things and present them in a completely original way - and as you read - if you look behind the words you can pick up the hidden messages in the stories.
I see these stories as a very original way of reflecting on the norms of society. This can provoke the reader into personal contemplation about ourselves and how we live.
Note: I don't claim to be a pro-reviewer, I am a reader. My reviews are based on my personal thoughts around the story that the book is trying to tell. I'd rather focus on the story (which is the reason I read) rather than dissect the book and pass comment on writing style, structure or typos.
The New Death and Others is a collection of short stories, very short stories and poetry. The subject of these tales is quite dark at times. I have to say that some of them left me a little cold - meaning that I read them and at the end my thoughts were 'What was all that about?'. But on the other hand many of them showed me a completely different way of looking at things. I liked the clever way that Hutchings uses Death, Destiny, Fame and many others as characters
- certainly a different spin.
The author has a talent to look at everyday things and present them in a completely original way - and as you read - if you look behind the words you can pick up the hidden messages in the stories.
I see these stories as a very original way of reflecting on the norms of society. This can provoke the reader into personal contemplation about ourselves and how we live.
Note: I don't claim to be a pro-reviewer, I am a reader. My reviews are based on my personal thoughts around the story that the book is trying to tell. I'd rather focus on the story (which is the reason I read) rather than dissect the book and pass comment on writing style, structure or typos.
September 6, 2012
MARK'S REVIEW
This was my first serious foray into flash fiction, and the experience didn't disappoint. Since this is flash fiction, the author doesn't go into a lot of detail with each story. Some of these pieces are like a joke you would tell your buddy, especially the piece entitled "The End" which appears near the beginning. That one made me smile, mostly because of the punchline.
There's something for everyone with this anthology. Some pieces are more serious than others, but the general feel of the entire piece is not super serious. I'm not into poetry, so I didn't read even one of them all the way through. I started one or two. They were written well; just not my thing.
The poetry is long, spanning several screens on my Kindle. I guess you could classify them as epic. I would imagine there are some of would like these very much. If the preciseness of his narration is true of his poetry, he won't disappoint there as well.
Due to the price, I would recommend this to anyone, especially if you don't have a lot of time to read. It took me a while to read these since I would read when I only had a few minutes. If I had more free time, I read something else more involved.
The Masquerade Crew (http://s.tt/1lLnC)
This was my first serious foray into flash fiction, and the experience didn't disappoint. Since this is flash fiction, the author doesn't go into a lot of detail with each story. Some of these pieces are like a joke you would tell your buddy, especially the piece entitled "The End" which appears near the beginning. That one made me smile, mostly because of the punchline.
There's something for everyone with this anthology. Some pieces are more serious than others, but the general feel of the entire piece is not super serious. I'm not into poetry, so I didn't read even one of them all the way through. I started one or two. They were written well; just not my thing.
The poetry is long, spanning several screens on my Kindle. I guess you could classify them as epic. I would imagine there are some of would like these very much. If the preciseness of his narration is true of his poetry, he won't disappoint there as well.
Due to the price, I would recommend this to anyone, especially if you don't have a lot of time to read. It took me a while to read these since I would read when I only had a few minutes. If I had more free time, I read something else more involved.
The Masquerade Crew (http://s.tt/1lLnC)
January 13, 2012
This book was very different from anything I've read lately, it was a fresh breath of humour, sarcasm and irony that I truly enjoyed.
It consists of a lot of short stories and a few poems. I especially loved the stories that were bigger cause all the others were over too soon and I wanted more. This is one of the most unique books I've ever read and had me laughing at most of the times. I am a very ironic person and love to read about ironic characters when I get the chance, but this book was full of irony and sarcasm I think I took a good dose of it for the next few months. Surprisingly I even found myself enjoying the poems, sometimes even more than the stories, I say surprisingly cause I hate poems... :P
If you need something to make you laugh and light up your mood this is the book for you.
It consists of a lot of short stories and a few poems. I especially loved the stories that were bigger cause all the others were over too soon and I wanted more. This is one of the most unique books I've ever read and had me laughing at most of the times. I am a very ironic person and love to read about ironic characters when I get the chance, but this book was full of irony and sarcasm I think I took a good dose of it for the next few months. Surprisingly I even found myself enjoying the poems, sometimes even more than the stories, I say surprisingly cause I hate poems... :P
If you need something to make you laugh and light up your mood this is the book for you.
March 2, 2012
Note: The author offered me a free copy of his latest book, The New Death and Others, in exchange for a review. (Apparently a LOT of folks got the same offer. This is probably a good move on his part from a marketing perspective.)
In all honesty I probably would not have bought the book on my own initiative, since it is in e-book format only. Even at $.99 (practically free!) I'm not interested in buying e-books, since I don't use a Kindle or Nook and stare at a screen most of the work day all ready. But if you want to buy it, you can use Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/New-Death-other...) or Smashwords (http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/...). So I printed out the PDF as a digest-sized booklet so I could read it and tore through it at a few breaks and lunches at work.
The book is a collection of short and very short stories, poems, and jokes. (The jokes may technically be extremely brief stories or poems, but they look like excerpts from some comedian's routine --maybe Stephen Wright). Example: from The morning post:
"He turned on the radio. It was the mime hour. He turned down the volume, but that just made the mime clearer.
He looked at his mail. He'd been invited to a bondage party. He couldn't go: he was tied up. Anyway the last time he went to a swingers' party some guy accused him of not looking at his girlfriend.
There was an invitation to a family reunion. His great-great grandfather had been kicked out of Ireland for not starving. When he came to America he met up with an Englishman and a Scotsman. They got a job walking into bars to give comedians ideas. During Prohibition they joined the Amish and walked into barns."
Some funny lines in there, but not the book's strong suit.
The poems are a mix of completely original verses and adaptations of some classic stories (R.E. Howard, H.P. Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith, Lord Dunsany). These are generally entertaining but read more like song lyrics than poems, in my opinion. As Scottsz points out in his review (http://scottsz.posterous.com/review-t...), the H.P. Lovecraft piece in particular reads like something Iron Maiden would do, or maybe Nile. There is a bit of repetition in all the adaptations. Some of the repetition is effective and some is awkward, making me think he needed some filler for some verses. For example, near the end of "Under the pyramids" we have:
I stumbled, howling in the dark
in misery and fear
perhaps for days, perhaps for weeks
or for ten thousand years.
Perhaps for days, perhaps for weeks
beyond all and guilt or shame. (...)
Hardly a mortal sin, and I'm not really a big poetry fan, so it doesn't spoil the poems for me but it did break my concentration. [on second thought, this may just be a poetry or ballad form I'm unfamiliar with]
The largest part of the book is the short stories proper, which come in at least three kinds: straight fantastic fiction (for example, Todd, The dragon festival, and The city of dust); fable/fairy tale style shorts which often have a twist, moral, or joke ending (for example, most of stories of the "gods", Monsters, and The bird and the two trees), and lastly a number of pun-filled romps (Everlasting fire, The adventure of the murdered philanthropist). Maybe a fourth category, which overlaps the first three, are the satires...at least a fourth or third of the stories include satire (ranging from the juvenile to the really biting).
I enjoyed most of the stories. The 'twist endings,' while not used in every one, were common enough that by the time I was getting to the end, I was a little annoyed by them. But some of the stories were really, really good, and perhaps the only 'failing' of the collection is it's unevenness. Mr. Hutchings may have done well to have an editor pare this one down to a smaller collection, or perhaps arrange them into sections. As it stands the shift from humor to horror is mostly at random, and the only organizing principle seems to be to alternate between prose and poetry. I think a much slimmer volume collecting just the "gods" stories (Love, Fame, Destiny, Death etc.), and another with just the straighter fiction, and perhaps another of just poetry, would be workable, or better yet if the stories and poems that are feel more unfinished or derivative were omitted or revised...
The influence of Lord Dunsany is very strongly evident, and for this reason I will certainly keep the digest I printed on my book shelf and re-read those parts I really liked.
In fact I probably would have been better off reading it in bits, rather than straight through. The puns and satire probably work better in small doses.
Some readers might also be a little put off by his aggressive moralizing about politics and religion, although in my case I found nothing that offended me...but I'm pretty left wing and irreligious.
So, if you like fantastic fiction, satire, and fable, you will really like this collection. If you take literature terribly seriously, you'll hate a lot of it. If you like Lord Dunsany but wish he was around to satirize reality TV and the digital age, you'll love it. Despite all my reservations above, I loved this little collection.
In all honesty I probably would not have bought the book on my own initiative, since it is in e-book format only. Even at $.99 (practically free!) I'm not interested in buying e-books, since I don't use a Kindle or Nook and stare at a screen most of the work day all ready. But if you want to buy it, you can use Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/New-Death-other...) or Smashwords (http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/...). So I printed out the PDF as a digest-sized booklet so I could read it and tore through it at a few breaks and lunches at work.
The book is a collection of short and very short stories, poems, and jokes. (The jokes may technically be extremely brief stories or poems, but they look like excerpts from some comedian's routine --maybe Stephen Wright). Example: from The morning post:
"He turned on the radio. It was the mime hour. He turned down the volume, but that just made the mime clearer.
He looked at his mail. He'd been invited to a bondage party. He couldn't go: he was tied up. Anyway the last time he went to a swingers' party some guy accused him of not looking at his girlfriend.
There was an invitation to a family reunion. His great-great grandfather had been kicked out of Ireland for not starving. When he came to America he met up with an Englishman and a Scotsman. They got a job walking into bars to give comedians ideas. During Prohibition they joined the Amish and walked into barns."
Some funny lines in there, but not the book's strong suit.
The poems are a mix of completely original verses and adaptations of some classic stories (R.E. Howard, H.P. Lovecraft, Clark Ashton Smith, Lord Dunsany). These are generally entertaining but read more like song lyrics than poems, in my opinion. As Scottsz points out in his review (http://scottsz.posterous.com/review-t...), the H.P. Lovecraft piece in particular reads like something Iron Maiden would do, or maybe Nile. There is a bit of repetition in all the adaptations. Some of the repetition is effective and some is awkward, making me think he needed some filler for some verses. For example, near the end of "Under the pyramids" we have:
I stumbled, howling in the dark
in misery and fear
perhaps for days, perhaps for weeks
or for ten thousand years.
Perhaps for days, perhaps for weeks
beyond all and guilt or shame. (...)
Hardly a mortal sin, and I'm not really a big poetry fan, so it doesn't spoil the poems for me but it did break my concentration. [on second thought, this may just be a poetry or ballad form I'm unfamiliar with]
The largest part of the book is the short stories proper, which come in at least three kinds: straight fantastic fiction (for example, Todd, The dragon festival, and The city of dust); fable/fairy tale style shorts which often have a twist, moral, or joke ending (for example, most of stories of the "gods", Monsters, and The bird and the two trees), and lastly a number of pun-filled romps (Everlasting fire, The adventure of the murdered philanthropist). Maybe a fourth category, which overlaps the first three, are the satires...at least a fourth or third of the stories include satire (ranging from the juvenile to the really biting).
I enjoyed most of the stories. The 'twist endings,' while not used in every one, were common enough that by the time I was getting to the end, I was a little annoyed by them. But some of the stories were really, really good, and perhaps the only 'failing' of the collection is it's unevenness. Mr. Hutchings may have done well to have an editor pare this one down to a smaller collection, or perhaps arrange them into sections. As it stands the shift from humor to horror is mostly at random, and the only organizing principle seems to be to alternate between prose and poetry. I think a much slimmer volume collecting just the "gods" stories (Love, Fame, Destiny, Death etc.), and another with just the straighter fiction, and perhaps another of just poetry, would be workable, or better yet if the stories and poems that are feel more unfinished or derivative were omitted or revised...
The influence of Lord Dunsany is very strongly evident, and for this reason I will certainly keep the digest I printed on my book shelf and re-read those parts I really liked.
In fact I probably would have been better off reading it in bits, rather than straight through. The puns and satire probably work better in small doses.
Some readers might also be a little put off by his aggressive moralizing about politics and religion, although in my case I found nothing that offended me...but I'm pretty left wing and irreligious.
So, if you like fantastic fiction, satire, and fable, you will really like this collection. If you take literature terribly seriously, you'll hate a lot of it. If you like Lord Dunsany but wish he was around to satirize reality TV and the digital age, you'll love it. Despite all my reservations above, I loved this little collection.
February 22, 2012
Originally posted on my blog: http://a-librarians-library.blogspot....
This 100 page work is comprised of 44 short stories and 19 poems. To me, some of the individual stories read like a telling of a mythology, complete with the mythological morals, which is an aspect of this work that I can appreciate. There are also a lot of vignettes that are purely satirizing the world today, which are humorous. But then there were other stories that completely lost me, whether because I didn't quite understand some of the names/terms that were thrown in to the story, or a drastic switch between the "mythological" elements and the modern elements.
Some of the poems did not sit so well with me. Most of poems took the very standard 4-line stanza format with some of rhyme scheme. This is fine. But what needs to stay consistent is the use of punctuation. Punctuation in poetry is such a powerful element, and every piece of punctuation (or omitting it) should be purposeful, and there are times where I feel like there was an inconsistency in punctuation usage. And because of this, the poems irked me. If you are going to correctly punctuate sentences within the poetic lines, then it needs to be continued throughout. But "Under the Pyramids" is an example of inconsistent punctuation, where some of his stanzas have correct punctuation, and other stanzas have no punctuation. And it just doesn't sit well with me, and it takes away from the enjoyment of the poem itself because the way in which I read it is thrown off.
Despite of some of my unsettling feelings, it is obvious and apparent that James Hutchings has a knack for linguistics; his language usage throughout this work is really effective! With his language choice, he creates vivid metaphors and powerful descriptions which I thoroughly enjoyed reading. However, with such a large vocabulary, there were times that I felt he threw in a "bigger" word just because he could, and sometimes the vocabulary usage also took away from story being told.
Probably my favorite short story in the bunch was "The End," which tells a tale of 5 friends who all find out they are each some sort of paranormal creature (vampire, demon, etc) and are now wondering if all of the humans have become extinct. Just the witticism that fills that story, a long with the intriguing idea of such a paranormal future, made for an interesting thought. I also really enjoyed the snarky story told in "The Doom that Was Laid Upon Fame"--there is such a truth to that one!
Overall, the flow of this collection of short stories was a little off for me. While I understand that there does not have to be a connection from story to story, I feel that some sort of flow should be evident in a compilation such as this, and to me there is not. The order choice, if it was deliberated, is not evident or prominent to me. Though I did think that the ending poem was well chosen.
I gave this collection 2 stars. I found a lot of good qualities within this Short Story Collection. However, there is some definite room for polish, and maybe some reorganization/evidence of connection to be more prominent. Overall, I found many of the pieces in this work to be engaging and humorous, while still others I felt like there was almost "trying to hard" effort. Hutchings has a great writing style, but something in this short story collection was just lost to me.
This 100 page work is comprised of 44 short stories and 19 poems. To me, some of the individual stories read like a telling of a mythology, complete with the mythological morals, which is an aspect of this work that I can appreciate. There are also a lot of vignettes that are purely satirizing the world today, which are humorous. But then there were other stories that completely lost me, whether because I didn't quite understand some of the names/terms that were thrown in to the story, or a drastic switch between the "mythological" elements and the modern elements.
Some of the poems did not sit so well with me. Most of poems took the very standard 4-line stanza format with some of rhyme scheme. This is fine. But what needs to stay consistent is the use of punctuation. Punctuation in poetry is such a powerful element, and every piece of punctuation (or omitting it) should be purposeful, and there are times where I feel like there was an inconsistency in punctuation usage. And because of this, the poems irked me. If you are going to correctly punctuate sentences within the poetic lines, then it needs to be continued throughout. But "Under the Pyramids" is an example of inconsistent punctuation, where some of his stanzas have correct punctuation, and other stanzas have no punctuation. And it just doesn't sit well with me, and it takes away from the enjoyment of the poem itself because the way in which I read it is thrown off.
Despite of some of my unsettling feelings, it is obvious and apparent that James Hutchings has a knack for linguistics; his language usage throughout this work is really effective! With his language choice, he creates vivid metaphors and powerful descriptions which I thoroughly enjoyed reading. However, with such a large vocabulary, there were times that I felt he threw in a "bigger" word just because he could, and sometimes the vocabulary usage also took away from story being told.
Probably my favorite short story in the bunch was "The End," which tells a tale of 5 friends who all find out they are each some sort of paranormal creature (vampire, demon, etc) and are now wondering if all of the humans have become extinct. Just the witticism that fills that story, a long with the intriguing idea of such a paranormal future, made for an interesting thought. I also really enjoyed the snarky story told in "The Doom that Was Laid Upon Fame"--there is such a truth to that one!
Overall, the flow of this collection of short stories was a little off for me. While I understand that there does not have to be a connection from story to story, I feel that some sort of flow should be evident in a compilation such as this, and to me there is not. The order choice, if it was deliberated, is not evident or prominent to me. Though I did think that the ending poem was well chosen.
I gave this collection 2 stars. I found a lot of good qualities within this Short Story Collection. However, there is some definite room for polish, and maybe some reorganization/evidence of connection to be more prominent. Overall, I found many of the pieces in this work to be engaging and humorous, while still others I felt like there was almost "trying to hard" effort. Hutchings has a great writing style, but something in this short story collection was just lost to me.
February 22, 2012
The New Death and Others
By James Hutchings
Let me start by saying that I loved this book, but it’s hard to describe exactly what it is because it doesn’t really fit neatly into your standard fiction genres. But please, don’t let that dissuade you from checking it out. I’m mortally afraid that I’ll turn potential readers off by reviewing it and my poor attempts at trying to describe exactly what it is. But imagine, if you will, that Saki (H. H. Munro) didn’t die in WWI and decided to rewrite Ovid’s Metamorphosis and a few Lovecraftian short stories. Many of the stories and poems in this collection had Saki’s sly, often acerbic and dark, wit and a definite mythological/phantasmagorical slant. The book is a fascinating collection of short stories, poems, and tiny vignettes, each small fantasy ending with a Saki-esque twist. There is, quite literally, something for everyone, as long as you have a rather mordant and morbid sense of humor.
The author describes it as dark fantasy and it is that. There is definitely a Greek myth feeing to the stories, but they tend to be much more amusing that the typical myths. And it isn’t all fantasy. Or rather, I guess it is, but my favorite story in the collection was The Adventure of the Murdered Philanthropist that literally had me laughing out loud. I was reading it in bed and my husband thought I had lost my mind. When I picked up the book the next night to continue, he looked at me, sighed, and said, “You’re not reading that again, are you?” I was clearly disturbing his fifth reading of one of his books on the Civil War. Or else he was aggravated that he wasn’t having as much fun reading his book as I was reading this one. Get over it.
Anyway, The Adventure of the Murdered Philanthropist was a new Sherlock Holmes-type story, except a lot more fun, complete with murder and a brilliant consulting detective. Just to give you a taste, there is one point in the story where one of the characters is described as the sort who makes large contributions to the RSPCA. Then there was a footnote defining the RSPCA as The Royal Society for the Practice of Cruelty to Atheists. That footnote induced one of the moments that disturbed my husband so much: I broke out laughing. Okay, maybe you had to be there, though I’m glad you weren’t because our bed isn’t quite that large.
So there were stories like The Adventure of the Murdered Philanthropist (I would have bought the book just to get that story—it was that good) which continues the Sherlock Holmes tradition; Under the Pyramids, based on an H.P. Lovecraft story; The Mirrors of Tuzun Thune, based on a story by Robert E. Howard; The Garden of Adompha, based on a story by Clark Ashton Smith; and many, many others.
As I said, there is quite literally, something for everyone who has a sense of humor. It is difficult to convey just how much I enjoyed the various stories. I’m not much for poetry, but I did enjoy a few pieces just because of the wry humor.
I loved this book. I just wish I could convey a better feel for this collection. If you enjoyed stories like Saki’s The Open Door or The Great God Pan, then you will adore The New Death and Others. I hope I’ve convinced you to give it a try.
Just don’t read it in a setting where they’re likely to call the men with the long-sleeved, white jackets if you start laughing insanely in public.
Happy Reading!
By James Hutchings
Let me start by saying that I loved this book, but it’s hard to describe exactly what it is because it doesn’t really fit neatly into your standard fiction genres. But please, don’t let that dissuade you from checking it out. I’m mortally afraid that I’ll turn potential readers off by reviewing it and my poor attempts at trying to describe exactly what it is. But imagine, if you will, that Saki (H. H. Munro) didn’t die in WWI and decided to rewrite Ovid’s Metamorphosis and a few Lovecraftian short stories. Many of the stories and poems in this collection had Saki’s sly, often acerbic and dark, wit and a definite mythological/phantasmagorical slant. The book is a fascinating collection of short stories, poems, and tiny vignettes, each small fantasy ending with a Saki-esque twist. There is, quite literally, something for everyone, as long as you have a rather mordant and morbid sense of humor.
The author describes it as dark fantasy and it is that. There is definitely a Greek myth feeing to the stories, but they tend to be much more amusing that the typical myths. And it isn’t all fantasy. Or rather, I guess it is, but my favorite story in the collection was The Adventure of the Murdered Philanthropist that literally had me laughing out loud. I was reading it in bed and my husband thought I had lost my mind. When I picked up the book the next night to continue, he looked at me, sighed, and said, “You’re not reading that again, are you?” I was clearly disturbing his fifth reading of one of his books on the Civil War. Or else he was aggravated that he wasn’t having as much fun reading his book as I was reading this one. Get over it.
Anyway, The Adventure of the Murdered Philanthropist was a new Sherlock Holmes-type story, except a lot more fun, complete with murder and a brilliant consulting detective. Just to give you a taste, there is one point in the story where one of the characters is described as the sort who makes large contributions to the RSPCA. Then there was a footnote defining the RSPCA as The Royal Society for the Practice of Cruelty to Atheists. That footnote induced one of the moments that disturbed my husband so much: I broke out laughing. Okay, maybe you had to be there, though I’m glad you weren’t because our bed isn’t quite that large.
So there were stories like The Adventure of the Murdered Philanthropist (I would have bought the book just to get that story—it was that good) which continues the Sherlock Holmes tradition; Under the Pyramids, based on an H.P. Lovecraft story; The Mirrors of Tuzun Thune, based on a story by Robert E. Howard; The Garden of Adompha, based on a story by Clark Ashton Smith; and many, many others.
As I said, there is quite literally, something for everyone who has a sense of humor. It is difficult to convey just how much I enjoyed the various stories. I’m not much for poetry, but I did enjoy a few pieces just because of the wry humor.
I loved this book. I just wish I could convey a better feel for this collection. If you enjoyed stories like Saki’s The Open Door or The Great God Pan, then you will adore The New Death and Others. I hope I’ve convinced you to give it a try.
Just don’t read it in a setting where they’re likely to call the men with the long-sleeved, white jackets if you start laughing insanely in public.
Happy Reading!
November 28, 2011
This book is way outside my comfort zone but since I’ve been trying to move outside my boundaries, the New Death and Others is just one of the books I needed to do so.
I’ve read a couple of anthologies before, but usually it’s a collection of stories and poems from a variety of authors, so I was a little surprised knowing that the author of this book solely wrote the stories and poems. I may not be a writer but I know that it’s hard to create anecdotes that would only take up a few pages and yet must have the establishment of characters and a moving story. Plus the idea alone is something hard to accomplish; so for that, kudos to you, James Hutchings!
Now on with the book’s content. What is it about? Well, the title and the cover pretty much says it all. I can’t say I loved all the stories but there are several that stood out and I somehow came to like. For instance, when I read The End, I liked the irony of what occurred with the characters, sorry for being vague but I’d be giving away the entire story if I go any further.
I also like the touch of a Lovecraft tale. While I was taking up 3D Arts, we had a class called “Character Illustration” and part of our lesson was to get inspiration from H.P. Lovecraft’s works and create fantasy creatures. That was not an easy take for me so I commend the author’s ability to construct something out of that.
I do have to say that I struggled with some of the stores. I guess it’s because they’re not the type of stories I encounter with the books I’m accustomed reading. I also feel like some parts may’ve been unpolished or unclear to me; or maybe I just don’t get the idea of.
This may not have been a favorite of mine but I admire Hutchings for his creativity and I’d surely like to see more of his works.
I’ve read a couple of anthologies before, but usually it’s a collection of stories and poems from a variety of authors, so I was a little surprised knowing that the author of this book solely wrote the stories and poems. I may not be a writer but I know that it’s hard to create anecdotes that would only take up a few pages and yet must have the establishment of characters and a moving story. Plus the idea alone is something hard to accomplish; so for that, kudos to you, James Hutchings!
Now on with the book’s content. What is it about? Well, the title and the cover pretty much says it all. I can’t say I loved all the stories but there are several that stood out and I somehow came to like. For instance, when I read The End, I liked the irony of what occurred with the characters, sorry for being vague but I’d be giving away the entire story if I go any further.
I also like the touch of a Lovecraft tale. While I was taking up 3D Arts, we had a class called “Character Illustration” and part of our lesson was to get inspiration from H.P. Lovecraft’s works and create fantasy creatures. That was not an easy take for me so I commend the author’s ability to construct something out of that.
I do have to say that I struggled with some of the stores. I guess it’s because they’re not the type of stories I encounter with the books I’m accustomed reading. I also feel like some parts may’ve been unpolished or unclear to me; or maybe I just don’t get the idea of.
This may not have been a favorite of mine but I admire Hutchings for his creativity and I’d surely like to see more of his works.
January 23, 2012
This compendium reads more like a writer’s sketchbook or workbook than a publishable portfolio. There is no central focus or thematic organization to this collection. The prose pieces are admirable by themselves, and they would create a charming—or chilling—world if assembled with more reason. The major flaw lies in the alternating poems that distract from any enjoyable flow.
Presented in some peculiar typesetting, the prose pieces are parables wherein characters such as Fame, Fortune, Destiny, Famine, or Death discourse with considerable humor and struggle with moribund morals. Hutchings’ invented persons and places, such as the Mayajat, Telelee, or the Owls of Yib, smack of Douglas Adams’ wit and result in Rod Serling’s thaumaturgy.
Humor within these pieces runs a gamut from risible malaprops to slangy puns to outright groaners. Simple jokes can lie in converting names (H.P.) Lovecraft to Hatecraft, or punishing Death with a life sentence, or detailing altruistic Sir Benjamin Envolent on the subject of benevolence. Footnotes are mere devices to insert additional or extended punnery. Humor can be tenuous and most comedy applied here reeks of locker-room chortles rather than consistent and polished routine.
The verse constructions interrupting the prose waft more as doggerel than Dionysian craft. They seem student attempts and imitation than studied craft. The meters are inconsistent although considerable attention had been given to end-rhyme patterns. Still, the poetry is more loony than lyrical.
Nevertheless and if the above-articulated points are ignored, Hutchings’ offerings could rise beyond being a mere pastiche of prosody. For the next two months, read one item while strumming a lute and pretend you are Scheherazade.
Presented in some peculiar typesetting, the prose pieces are parables wherein characters such as Fame, Fortune, Destiny, Famine, or Death discourse with considerable humor and struggle with moribund morals. Hutchings’ invented persons and places, such as the Mayajat, Telelee, or the Owls of Yib, smack of Douglas Adams’ wit and result in Rod Serling’s thaumaturgy.
Humor within these pieces runs a gamut from risible malaprops to slangy puns to outright groaners. Simple jokes can lie in converting names (H.P.) Lovecraft to Hatecraft, or punishing Death with a life sentence, or detailing altruistic Sir Benjamin Envolent on the subject of benevolence. Footnotes are mere devices to insert additional or extended punnery. Humor can be tenuous and most comedy applied here reeks of locker-room chortles rather than consistent and polished routine.
The verse constructions interrupting the prose waft more as doggerel than Dionysian craft. They seem student attempts and imitation than studied craft. The meters are inconsistent although considerable attention had been given to end-rhyme patterns. Still, the poetry is more loony than lyrical.
Nevertheless and if the above-articulated points are ignored, Hutchings’ offerings could rise beyond being a mere pastiche of prosody. For the next two months, read one item while strumming a lute and pretend you are Scheherazade.
December 13, 2011
One word: Amazing.
I think the last time I read this kind of book was when I was 6, The New Death and others is a compilation of short stories and poems with a twist of humour and sarcasm that would certainly leave you laughing. The stories and poems in the book was told in both modern and classic adaptation, each story was entirely different yet commonly amusing. It was hard to pick favourites but I would say some stories were that funny/creative/unique that it left a huge impression in my mind (I even told the story of Rumplestiltskin : One of the parody-chapter in this book) to my younger brother as a bedtime story and we shared a good laugh.
I have never come across such a unique book, and while I was reading this I was feeling like a young kid with an adult mind. The writing was smooth and very alluring, I was buried in the story after the first few pages (though I find myself confused in the first few pages) and laughed my way all through till the end of the book. There were several chapters of the stories which I praised for being a challenging read as well! I especially adore the poems in this book, some were actually better than the stories themselves!
As a conclusion: The book is a mix of mythology (parody-style) and weird human stories told in a fiction-ish, sarcastic, humorousness point of view. To sum it up: Truth and Reality conveyed through joke poems and stories.
I would recommend this to whoever who wanted a good laugh!
Reviewed by,
Natasha Anne
Dreamland Teenage Fantasy
I think the last time I read this kind of book was when I was 6, The New Death and others is a compilation of short stories and poems with a twist of humour and sarcasm that would certainly leave you laughing. The stories and poems in the book was told in both modern and classic adaptation, each story was entirely different yet commonly amusing. It was hard to pick favourites but I would say some stories were that funny/creative/unique that it left a huge impression in my mind (I even told the story of Rumplestiltskin : One of the parody-chapter in this book) to my younger brother as a bedtime story and we shared a good laugh.
I have never come across such a unique book, and while I was reading this I was feeling like a young kid with an adult mind. The writing was smooth and very alluring, I was buried in the story after the first few pages (though I find myself confused in the first few pages) and laughed my way all through till the end of the book. There were several chapters of the stories which I praised for being a challenging read as well! I especially adore the poems in this book, some were actually better than the stories themselves!
As a conclusion: The book is a mix of mythology (parody-style) and weird human stories told in a fiction-ish, sarcastic, humorousness point of view. To sum it up: Truth and Reality conveyed through joke poems and stories.
I would recommend this to whoever who wanted a good laugh!
Reviewed by,
Natasha Anne
Dreamland Teenage Fantasy
February 4, 2012
An appealing collection from the mind of Author James Hutchings, “The New Death and Others” ranges back and forth between prose stories and poetry, ancient myth, modern-day culture, and pretty much everything in between. The author even takes on the Lovecraftians. Since Mr. Hutchings traverses such a wide range (19 poems and an amazing 44 stories), I recommend this book be sampled at a variety of settings and times. Like a devotional, like a book of essays, one prefers to pause to read one or two items, then to set it down and ponder for a while. As an example, some of my particular favourites are: “Charon” (a poem as per Lord Dunsany), “The God of the Poor,” (and how true is its conclusion!), “The Enemy Within,” and of course many more. Each piece-prose or poetry-is well worth the red, and subsequent contemplation. This book would even work well if the reader devoted herself to one or two pieces each day. Author Hutchings is well-versed in classic and modern literature, mythology, history, and poetry, and this book is an education in itself.
February 14, 2012
Really, Really entertaining. I think my favorite story is “The End”, but I honestly cannot think of any I didn’t enjoy. He inserts his God Commerce a bit much IMOP, but I think his mythic city of Telelee could stand beside the other great cities inspired by Lovecraftian Mythos.
I alos received a copy for free for review. I will happily pay for the sequel.
I alos received a copy for free for review. I will happily pay for the sequel.
March 11, 2012
Originally posted at Xenex.
Amber, who read some of the stories while resting her head on my chest, referred to this book as The New Death... of Jokes. This was not, as you may imagine, a compliment. I retorted that I was inclined to subtitle this review "The food is terrible and the portions are so small".
The book is 44 short stories, some of which involve the same allegorical figures, and 19 poems. There is ostensibly no logic to the placement of any of these, so there is no real flow from one to the next. After a few of the poems, little more than doggerel retellings of stories by famous authors, I decided to stick with the stories. I have been informed by other readers that I should have skipped the stories and stuck to the poems.
I am willing to concede that I may not be the target audience for this book, even for ninety-nine cents. On paper, it might seem I should be. I like fantasy, though not sword and sorcery, which many of the stories are. I love genre humor, but more along the lines of Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett, Christopher Moore, or Douglas Adams (which I gather the stories are supposed to be, but fail to come close enough to do anything but remind the reader of his weakness by comparison). I like the idea of postcard fictions or fiction so short I could have it finished in less than three minutes. Yet, pureed together in this book, I didn't care for the taste. For all its brevity, it took me weeks to actually get through because I kept groaning and putting it away so I did not throw my Kindle.
Several of the stories seem to go nowhere in particular, but are nevertheless pompous about getting there. I was infrequently drawn in to any, I was never immersed, because it feels Hutchings could not leave well enough alone when there was a "synonyms" button to abuse. Occasionally, this bad habit leads to pretty sounding words that do not mean what the author wishes them to. At other times, it seems that he does not trust the reader to reach conclusions on his own but must instead over-explain the meaning of his similes and metaphors. This is generally accomplished by the sin of telling rather than showing out of a commitment to be short instead of good. That is, except for the times when he uses analogies that sound good but mean next to nothing (e.g., "... in the flames of the campfire his face seemed to glow like a wolf in the night." Unless this is a Chernobyl wolf, wolves are not known for glowing in the night. Perhaps he means their eyes, but that isn't what he wrote). He cannot seem to make his character sound like distinct beings, rather he throws the same irrationally haughty language into every mouth, from medieval mages to boys telling campfire stories. Furthermore, his internal mythology is glaringly inconsistent at times.
This is not to say that all his stories are without charm, but the best of them end where a great story should begin. I am aware Hutchings is going for a laugh with most of the stories, not forming great literature, but it reeks of untapped potential. Going for cheap laughs (and that is the only laugh he is seeking) does not excuse literary laziness. He has some clever ideas, briefly explored, but either buries the potential under overwriting or blows his load in the first paragraph and hopes you don't mind cuddling a bit in the wet spot.
The greatest sin I can accuse Hutchings of - and one I do not imagine he would not proudly cop to - is that he is addicted to puns. There are a couple of stories that are, without hyperbole, nothing but puns - no plot, characters, theme, idea - Just pun after pun that your grandmother forwarded you in an email from her AOL account. Remarkably, in one of the entirely pun stories, he manages to contradict himself three times within four paragraphs because he honestly doesn't seem to care about what he is writing when he has the opportunity to make the reader groan. While I am not certain how copyright law applies to a collection of puns strung together to give the illusion of paragraphs, it does not seem sporting to consider that an original work. Perhaps worse, he interrupts the intermittent flow of his stories with relentless parenthetical puns, which seemed like a lack of confidence (and invited unflattering comparisons to masters of the humorous interjection and footnote: the above mentioned Pratchett and Adams).
Another criticism, though not on the writing, is that the formatting is frequently just wrong. Paragraphs will split in the middle of sentences without punctuation. Since I believe he sent me the same version that is for sale, this is a minor drawback for readers. I am used to wonky formatting (I used to use a Sony Reader 900 and Calibre to convert books, so I would sometimes run across formatting that would have made a new user go cross-eyed), but the rest of the book at least looks professional.
Overall, this book may be worth your dollar if you happen to like puns rather a lot, but I do not think it was worth much of my time.
Amber, who read some of the stories while resting her head on my chest, referred to this book as The New Death... of Jokes. This was not, as you may imagine, a compliment. I retorted that I was inclined to subtitle this review "The food is terrible and the portions are so small".
The book is 44 short stories, some of which involve the same allegorical figures, and 19 poems. There is ostensibly no logic to the placement of any of these, so there is no real flow from one to the next. After a few of the poems, little more than doggerel retellings of stories by famous authors, I decided to stick with the stories. I have been informed by other readers that I should have skipped the stories and stuck to the poems.
I am willing to concede that I may not be the target audience for this book, even for ninety-nine cents. On paper, it might seem I should be. I like fantasy, though not sword and sorcery, which many of the stories are. I love genre humor, but more along the lines of Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett, Christopher Moore, or Douglas Adams (which I gather the stories are supposed to be, but fail to come close enough to do anything but remind the reader of his weakness by comparison). I like the idea of postcard fictions or fiction so short I could have it finished in less than three minutes. Yet, pureed together in this book, I didn't care for the taste. For all its brevity, it took me weeks to actually get through because I kept groaning and putting it away so I did not throw my Kindle.
Several of the stories seem to go nowhere in particular, but are nevertheless pompous about getting there. I was infrequently drawn in to any, I was never immersed, because it feels Hutchings could not leave well enough alone when there was a "synonyms" button to abuse. Occasionally, this bad habit leads to pretty sounding words that do not mean what the author wishes them to. At other times, it seems that he does not trust the reader to reach conclusions on his own but must instead over-explain the meaning of his similes and metaphors. This is generally accomplished by the sin of telling rather than showing out of a commitment to be short instead of good. That is, except for the times when he uses analogies that sound good but mean next to nothing (e.g., "... in the flames of the campfire his face seemed to glow like a wolf in the night." Unless this is a Chernobyl wolf, wolves are not known for glowing in the night. Perhaps he means their eyes, but that isn't what he wrote). He cannot seem to make his character sound like distinct beings, rather he throws the same irrationally haughty language into every mouth, from medieval mages to boys telling campfire stories. Furthermore, his internal mythology is glaringly inconsistent at times.
This is not to say that all his stories are without charm, but the best of them end where a great story should begin. I am aware Hutchings is going for a laugh with most of the stories, not forming great literature, but it reeks of untapped potential. Going for cheap laughs (and that is the only laugh he is seeking) does not excuse literary laziness. He has some clever ideas, briefly explored, but either buries the potential under overwriting or blows his load in the first paragraph and hopes you don't mind cuddling a bit in the wet spot.
The greatest sin I can accuse Hutchings of - and one I do not imagine he would not proudly cop to - is that he is addicted to puns. There are a couple of stories that are, without hyperbole, nothing but puns - no plot, characters, theme, idea - Just pun after pun that your grandmother forwarded you in an email from her AOL account. Remarkably, in one of the entirely pun stories, he manages to contradict himself three times within four paragraphs because he honestly doesn't seem to care about what he is writing when he has the opportunity to make the reader groan. While I am not certain how copyright law applies to a collection of puns strung together to give the illusion of paragraphs, it does not seem sporting to consider that an original work. Perhaps worse, he interrupts the intermittent flow of his stories with relentless parenthetical puns, which seemed like a lack of confidence (and invited unflattering comparisons to masters of the humorous interjection and footnote: the above mentioned Pratchett and Adams).
Another criticism, though not on the writing, is that the formatting is frequently just wrong. Paragraphs will split in the middle of sentences without punctuation. Since I believe he sent me the same version that is for sale, this is a minor drawback for readers. I am used to wonky formatting (I used to use a Sony Reader 900 and Calibre to convert books, so I would sometimes run across formatting that would have made a new user go cross-eyed), but the rest of the book at least looks professional.
Overall, this book may be worth your dollar if you happen to like puns rather a lot, but I do not think it was worth much of my time.
March 27, 2012
English Review:
It’s hard for me to review this book, because for the first time this isn’t an independent book, with a concluded story. But there are inserted 44 short stories and also a few poems which are sometimes written between the short stories. Some of them have made me smile and others were full of irony. And I was surprised by myself of how much I’ve liked most of them. But to be honest I also must say that I didn’t like all of them, but though that also would have been impossible.
It was the same with the short stories. Some of them couldn’t persuade me however but others aroused my enthusiasm because they were sarcastically, funny or partially also with a deeper sense. Out of all I would like to lift the story ‚The God of the Poor’ which stimulates to think, even if it is described humorously, but it leaves behind a bitter aftertaste.
Besides that also ‘A Date with of Destiny’ which is completely full of irony and it was a fun to read, like as ‘Compatibility’ or ’The Perfect Woman’. Moreover, I also found the story ‘The End’ very amusing, because I’m a vampire fan and therefore for me it was just hilarious! *haha*. And I also liked ‘Everlasting Fire’ with the demon called Lilly the story ‘The New Death’ with the different deaths in it.
Just like it was with the poems, there were stories which I didn’t like that much, for example the first story in the beginning with the cats. The story was long-winded a little bit too weird for my taste. But on the whole I’ve really liked most of the stories in it.
Also the writing style of James Hutchings was great. From the formulation it kind of reminded me sometimes a little of Tolkien, although it wasn’t so excessive nor difficult here in this book, but more catchy and easier to read. What I liked the least in the book was the fact that the stories were all very short and I were introduced constantly to new characters, worlds or situations and stories, which also had partially different structures or narrative forms, so that I was torn out from my reading river over and over again.
This is also the reason why I give only 3 points and not more, although I have liked Hutchings writing style and his imagination. But it was too varied and therefore I would wish that he’ll write a whole book with just one, complete story and with the same characters in it.
Deutsche Rezension:
Es ist schwer für mich dieses Buch zu bewerten, da es zum ersten Mal kein eigenständiges Buch ist, mit einer abgeschlossenen Geschichte. Sondern es befinden sich darin 44 Short Stories und auch ein paar Gedichte, welche immer wieder zwischen den Geschichten eingebaut sind. Einige davon haben mich wirklich zum Schmunzeln gebracht oder einige waren voll von Ironie. Und ich war selber davon überrascht, wie gut mir die meisten davon gefallen haben. Aber ich muss auch ehrlich sagen, dass es nicht bei allen so war, was aber auch unmöglich gewesen wäre.
Bei den Kurzgeschichten war es genauso. Ein paar konnten mich nicht überzeugen, dafür aber einige andere begeistern, weil sie sarkastisch, lustig oder teilweise auch mit einem tieferen Sinn waren. Hervor heben möchte ich ‚The God of the Poor‘, was zum nachdenken anregt, auch wenn es lustig beschrieben ist, und es hinter lässt einen bitteren Nachgeschmack.
Außerdem noch ‚A Date with Destiny‘ welches voll von Ironie und Spaß war, genauso wie ‚Compatibility‘ oder ‚The Perfect Woman‘. Witzig fand ich außerdem noch ‚The End‘, bin nämlich ein Vampire- Fan und fand es köstlich *haha*. Und mir hat außerdem die Geschichte ‚Everlasting Fire‘ mit der Dämonin namens Lilly gefallen oder ‚The New Death‘ mit den verschiedenen Toden.
Genauso wie bei den Gedichten, gab es auch hier Geschichten, dir mir nicht so gefallen haben, wie zb. gleich zu Beginn die Geschichte mit den Katzen. Sie war etwas langatmig und zu bizarr für meinen Geschmack. Aber im großen Ganzen haben mir die meisten Geschichten mittelmäßig bis gut gefallen.
Auch der Schreibstil von James Hutchings war toll. Es erinnerte mich von den Formulierungen her oftmals ein wenig an Tolkien, obwohl es hier nicht so ausschweifend und schwierig war, sondern eingängiger und müheloser zum lesen. Mich hat aber im ganzen Buch gestört, dass die Geschichten allesamt sehr kurz waren und man ständig neue Charaktere, Welten oder Situationen vorgestellt bekommen hat, die auch teilweise eine andere Struktur oder Erzählform hatten, sodass man immer wieder heraus gerissen wurde aus dem Lesefluss. Das ist auch der Grund warum ich nur 3 Punkte vergebe und nicht mehr, obwohl mir Hutchings Schreibweise und Vorstellungskraft gefallen hat. Aber es war zu viel Verschiedenes und deshalb würde ich mir wünschen, dass er ein ganzes Buch mit einer einzigen, kompletten Geschichte schreibt.
Mehr Infos auf: http://martinabookaholic.wordpress.co...
It’s hard for me to review this book, because for the first time this isn’t an independent book, with a concluded story. But there are inserted 44 short stories and also a few poems which are sometimes written between the short stories. Some of them have made me smile and others were full of irony. And I was surprised by myself of how much I’ve liked most of them. But to be honest I also must say that I didn’t like all of them, but though that also would have been impossible.
It was the same with the short stories. Some of them couldn’t persuade me however but others aroused my enthusiasm because they were sarcastically, funny or partially also with a deeper sense. Out of all I would like to lift the story ‚The God of the Poor’ which stimulates to think, even if it is described humorously, but it leaves behind a bitter aftertaste.
Besides that also ‘A Date with of Destiny’ which is completely full of irony and it was a fun to read, like as ‘Compatibility’ or ’The Perfect Woman’. Moreover, I also found the story ‘The End’ very amusing, because I’m a vampire fan and therefore for me it was just hilarious! *haha*. And I also liked ‘Everlasting Fire’ with the demon called Lilly the story ‘The New Death’ with the different deaths in it.
Just like it was with the poems, there were stories which I didn’t like that much, for example the first story in the beginning with the cats. The story was long-winded a little bit too weird for my taste. But on the whole I’ve really liked most of the stories in it.
Also the writing style of James Hutchings was great. From the formulation it kind of reminded me sometimes a little of Tolkien, although it wasn’t so excessive nor difficult here in this book, but more catchy and easier to read. What I liked the least in the book was the fact that the stories were all very short and I were introduced constantly to new characters, worlds or situations and stories, which also had partially different structures or narrative forms, so that I was torn out from my reading river over and over again.
This is also the reason why I give only 3 points and not more, although I have liked Hutchings writing style and his imagination. But it was too varied and therefore I would wish that he’ll write a whole book with just one, complete story and with the same characters in it.
Deutsche Rezension:
Es ist schwer für mich dieses Buch zu bewerten, da es zum ersten Mal kein eigenständiges Buch ist, mit einer abgeschlossenen Geschichte. Sondern es befinden sich darin 44 Short Stories und auch ein paar Gedichte, welche immer wieder zwischen den Geschichten eingebaut sind. Einige davon haben mich wirklich zum Schmunzeln gebracht oder einige waren voll von Ironie. Und ich war selber davon überrascht, wie gut mir die meisten davon gefallen haben. Aber ich muss auch ehrlich sagen, dass es nicht bei allen so war, was aber auch unmöglich gewesen wäre.
Bei den Kurzgeschichten war es genauso. Ein paar konnten mich nicht überzeugen, dafür aber einige andere begeistern, weil sie sarkastisch, lustig oder teilweise auch mit einem tieferen Sinn waren. Hervor heben möchte ich ‚The God of the Poor‘, was zum nachdenken anregt, auch wenn es lustig beschrieben ist, und es hinter lässt einen bitteren Nachgeschmack.
Außerdem noch ‚A Date with Destiny‘ welches voll von Ironie und Spaß war, genauso wie ‚Compatibility‘ oder ‚The Perfect Woman‘. Witzig fand ich außerdem noch ‚The End‘, bin nämlich ein Vampire- Fan und fand es köstlich *haha*. Und mir hat außerdem die Geschichte ‚Everlasting Fire‘ mit der Dämonin namens Lilly gefallen oder ‚The New Death‘ mit den verschiedenen Toden.
Genauso wie bei den Gedichten, gab es auch hier Geschichten, dir mir nicht so gefallen haben, wie zb. gleich zu Beginn die Geschichte mit den Katzen. Sie war etwas langatmig und zu bizarr für meinen Geschmack. Aber im großen Ganzen haben mir die meisten Geschichten mittelmäßig bis gut gefallen.
Auch der Schreibstil von James Hutchings war toll. Es erinnerte mich von den Formulierungen her oftmals ein wenig an Tolkien, obwohl es hier nicht so ausschweifend und schwierig war, sondern eingängiger und müheloser zum lesen. Mich hat aber im ganzen Buch gestört, dass die Geschichten allesamt sehr kurz waren und man ständig neue Charaktere, Welten oder Situationen vorgestellt bekommen hat, die auch teilweise eine andere Struktur oder Erzählform hatten, sodass man immer wieder heraus gerissen wurde aus dem Lesefluss. Das ist auch der Grund warum ich nur 3 Punkte vergebe und nicht mehr, obwohl mir Hutchings Schreibweise und Vorstellungskraft gefallen hat. Aber es war zu viel Verschiedenes und deshalb würde ich mir wünschen, dass er ein ganzes Buch mit einer einzigen, kompletten Geschichte schreibt.
Mehr Infos auf: http://martinabookaholic.wordpress.co...
December 28, 2011
Quick Message:
Before I begin my review I have to fair warn that this isn’t going to be the typical review I do, on a count of this is a collection of 40 short stories and some poems. I’m going to base my review on the overall view of the authors writing style and then depict my favorite pieces and add in a few tidbits here and there. With that said here’s the review:
First Thoughts:
First thing you must understand about his book/short stories is this isn’t classified in any way as Young Adult and therefore the review has to be adjusted to fit the needs of an adult fantasy book. The first thing I noticed about this authors writing is the fact that all ordinary thoughts/notions/ideas are out the window. What these stories contained was far from anything I’ve read before and I think that’s what threw me off at the beginning. It really took me awhile to adjust the authors writing style and ideas. Some of the stories I’ll never even dream of ever understanding while others I’ve taken to heart and enjoyed quite a bit. While the authors writing can be a bit disorienting and disorganized at times it was magnificent at others. My favorite part of this collection of writing had to be the poems. Some of them had such an impact on me as a person that I found it quite enjoyable. I mean the way the author worded some of the ideas and stories was both creative and clever. I remember in my creative writing class just last spring when my teacher told us the key to writing a good poem is to find a different way to say something so simple and this author certainly did just that. His poems were original and dark; they evoked both memories of mine and the feeling of awe. But as for the stories though I did enjoy a few most I found too confusing and weird; they either ended too abruptly or ended with no message made clear. Now some of these stories did have a feel of authentic reading; like something you could perhaps find in a classical novel. It had that old worn out feel and I loved that about the few I enjoyed. One that I both found amusing and so relatable was “Death and the Merchant” it had a clever idea and story that I found myself nodding alongside it. My favorite poem has to be “I Heard the Mermaids Singing”. My favorite set of lines is,
“ “Come, walk into the sea,”
and all the waves that break are like
White horses sent for me.”
There’s just something very poetic about it, especially when he talked about the waves and comparing them to white horses, there’s so much hidden and in depth perception in those two lines; I’m very impressed. I wished I could have enjoyed the rest of the book more; perhaps it’s my age that’s preventing me from seeing the true beauty hidden within these stories and perhaps when time has had its way with me I’ll be able to re-read this and see a new light in them. Just for now I found the stories to be too weird and too confusing.
Goodreads Summary:
Death gets a roommate...
An electronic Pope faces a difficult theological question...
A wicked vizier makes a terrible bargain...
44 stories. 19 poems. No whiny vampires. There's a thin line between genius and insanity, and James
Hutchings has just crossed it - but from which direction?
Last thoughts:
I would recommend this to readers who have a keen eye for unique literature such as this. I would also recommend poetic lovers, the poems themselves are worth reading in this book, and some were really well written and betrayed. I definitely wouldn’t recommend this to readers and lovers of YA; this is something you won’t enjoy. I wouldn’t recommend this to people who don’t have an open mind and to those who don’t like disorganized and confusing stories. Though I didn’t particularly enjoy most of this book, I do give it three stages of blooming, for the poems themselves; they were very much enjoyable.
Before I begin my review I have to fair warn that this isn’t going to be the typical review I do, on a count of this is a collection of 40 short stories and some poems. I’m going to base my review on the overall view of the authors writing style and then depict my favorite pieces and add in a few tidbits here and there. With that said here’s the review:
First Thoughts:
First thing you must understand about his book/short stories is this isn’t classified in any way as Young Adult and therefore the review has to be adjusted to fit the needs of an adult fantasy book. The first thing I noticed about this authors writing is the fact that all ordinary thoughts/notions/ideas are out the window. What these stories contained was far from anything I’ve read before and I think that’s what threw me off at the beginning. It really took me awhile to adjust the authors writing style and ideas. Some of the stories I’ll never even dream of ever understanding while others I’ve taken to heart and enjoyed quite a bit. While the authors writing can be a bit disorienting and disorganized at times it was magnificent at others. My favorite part of this collection of writing had to be the poems. Some of them had such an impact on me as a person that I found it quite enjoyable. I mean the way the author worded some of the ideas and stories was both creative and clever. I remember in my creative writing class just last spring when my teacher told us the key to writing a good poem is to find a different way to say something so simple and this author certainly did just that. His poems were original and dark; they evoked both memories of mine and the feeling of awe. But as for the stories though I did enjoy a few most I found too confusing and weird; they either ended too abruptly or ended with no message made clear. Now some of these stories did have a feel of authentic reading; like something you could perhaps find in a classical novel. It had that old worn out feel and I loved that about the few I enjoyed. One that I both found amusing and so relatable was “Death and the Merchant” it had a clever idea and story that I found myself nodding alongside it. My favorite poem has to be “I Heard the Mermaids Singing”. My favorite set of lines is,
“ “Come, walk into the sea,”
and all the waves that break are like
White horses sent for me.”
There’s just something very poetic about it, especially when he talked about the waves and comparing them to white horses, there’s so much hidden and in depth perception in those two lines; I’m very impressed. I wished I could have enjoyed the rest of the book more; perhaps it’s my age that’s preventing me from seeing the true beauty hidden within these stories and perhaps when time has had its way with me I’ll be able to re-read this and see a new light in them. Just for now I found the stories to be too weird and too confusing.
Goodreads Summary:
Death gets a roommate...
An electronic Pope faces a difficult theological question...
A wicked vizier makes a terrible bargain...
44 stories. 19 poems. No whiny vampires. There's a thin line between genius and insanity, and James
Hutchings has just crossed it - but from which direction?
Last thoughts:
I would recommend this to readers who have a keen eye for unique literature such as this. I would also recommend poetic lovers, the poems themselves are worth reading in this book, and some were really well written and betrayed. I definitely wouldn’t recommend this to readers and lovers of YA; this is something you won’t enjoy. I wouldn’t recommend this to people who don’t have an open mind and to those who don’t like disorganized and confusing stories. Though I didn’t particularly enjoy most of this book, I do give it three stages of blooming, for the poems themselves; they were very much enjoyable.
August 14, 2012
Awhile back James Hutchings approached me to see if I would like a free review copy of his ebook The New Death and Others. I like free things, so I agreed. It took me a looong time to read, but that's not the book's fault. (It was mostly the fault of my newborn.) One thing I liked about the book is that it's a compilation of short stories and poems, so it was very easy for me to pick up my Kindle and read a story or a poem or two when I had the chance. A lot of the pieces are set in the same city, Telelee, so there was a nice sometimes (more on that later) continuity through the book even while I was reading the shorter pieces.
I really liked some of the pieces. "Under the Pyramids" was one that really struck me with the Lovecraftian flavor and well done epic poem. I've done my share of really long poetry and I know that it's difficult to keep things fresh, but Hutchings does a good job with this one. I'm not familiar with the similarly-named Lovecraft story that the poem was based on, but that didn't hinder my enjoyment of the poem. This was probably my favorite piece in the book. I also enjoyed the poems "The Prince of the Howling Forest", "The Sailor", and "I Heard the Mermaids Singing." The story "Mourning Has Broken" was pretty amusing, as well.
There were a lot more of the pieces, especially the ones set in Telelee, that I *wanted* to like. And that, I think, is at the heart of what kept me from really enjoying the compilation as a whole. I found there to be an inconsistent tone throughout that gave me tonal whiplash. The first story, "The God of the Poor", reminded me of Tanith Lee's The Lords of Darkness, which is an awesome book. When some of the other stories began, especially the Telelee ones, I thought they would be more in that style, so I was disappointed when they turned out to be merely vehicles for some punchline. It kind of irked me that I wasn't able to tell whether I was heading into a story that would end with a pun or that would end with a real ending, so every time it was a pun I felt annoyed. On the whole, I enjoyed the "serious" stories better than the "funny" ones.
I think the compilation really suffers from this tonal schizophrenia. I also think it's an easy fix. There are so many stories and poems in here that it might be worthwhile to separate them according to tone and release two different publications. They'd be smaller, sure, but at least they would have a consistent tone.
I would also like to see a bit more polish on some of the stories. I read one review of the book that said the book "reads more like a writer's sketchbook or workbook than a publishable portfolio." I have to agree. I read a lot of short stories in various publications and there was a certain shine missing from a lot of the ones in The New Death. That's another reason the book would benefit from being split into two -- it'd be a good opportunity to pick through the pieces and maybe toss out the ones that feel like they're just there for filler. I really think you could get two good publications with consistent tone and discerning piece choice here.
All in all, I appreciate the opportunity to read The New Death. It was nice to have some short form things to read when I didn't have time, energy, or mental acuity to get through something longer, and it was a good feeling of discovery to come across some of the better poems and stories.
I really liked some of the pieces. "Under the Pyramids" was one that really struck me with the Lovecraftian flavor and well done epic poem. I've done my share of really long poetry and I know that it's difficult to keep things fresh, but Hutchings does a good job with this one. I'm not familiar with the similarly-named Lovecraft story that the poem was based on, but that didn't hinder my enjoyment of the poem. This was probably my favorite piece in the book. I also enjoyed the poems "The Prince of the Howling Forest", "The Sailor", and "I Heard the Mermaids Singing." The story "Mourning Has Broken" was pretty amusing, as well.
There were a lot more of the pieces, especially the ones set in Telelee, that I *wanted* to like. And that, I think, is at the heart of what kept me from really enjoying the compilation as a whole. I found there to be an inconsistent tone throughout that gave me tonal whiplash. The first story, "The God of the Poor", reminded me of Tanith Lee's The Lords of Darkness, which is an awesome book. When some of the other stories began, especially the Telelee ones, I thought they would be more in that style, so I was disappointed when they turned out to be merely vehicles for some punchline. It kind of irked me that I wasn't able to tell whether I was heading into a story that would end with a pun or that would end with a real ending, so every time it was a pun I felt annoyed. On the whole, I enjoyed the "serious" stories better than the "funny" ones.
I think the compilation really suffers from this tonal schizophrenia. I also think it's an easy fix. There are so many stories and poems in here that it might be worthwhile to separate them according to tone and release two different publications. They'd be smaller, sure, but at least they would have a consistent tone.
I would also like to see a bit more polish on some of the stories. I read one review of the book that said the book "reads more like a writer's sketchbook or workbook than a publishable portfolio." I have to agree. I read a lot of short stories in various publications and there was a certain shine missing from a lot of the ones in The New Death. That's another reason the book would benefit from being split into two -- it'd be a good opportunity to pick through the pieces and maybe toss out the ones that feel like they're just there for filler. I really think you could get two good publications with consistent tone and discerning piece choice here.
All in all, I appreciate the opportunity to read The New Death. It was nice to have some short form things to read when I didn't have time, energy, or mental acuity to get through something longer, and it was a good feeling of discovery to come across some of the better poems and stories.
June 26, 2012
I was thoroughly delighted with this collection of work from James Hutchings.
These short stories and poems were wonderfully irreverent, dark and darkly humorous and thoroughly satirical. Perhaps that says something about myself, but I very much appreciated the bizarre humour (which at times reminded me of Piers Anthony's Xanth series (particularly the hilariously literal take on words and phrases) and at other times of Neil Gaiman's or Terry Pratchett's oddball humour). I also adored the social, political and religious satire that permeates many of the stories and poems in this book. It is up-front and unapologetic, and I appreciate that.
There were a few odd or awkward sentences here or there that could probably have been reworked, but all in all, it was a well-written collection.
Of course, those tales like How the Isle of Cats Got Its Name that were close resemblances of modern translations of folk tales and lore caught this anthropology geek's attention, but the stories and poems that struck me greatest were those that used humour and satire darkly and to great effect.
If only for the humour (Inhuman Resources, the 8th and 9th Dealy Sins (punning and saying 'lol' out loud), the expert in torture by conversation and so many more), Everlasting Fire was by far my favourite, though The Adventure of the Murdered Philanthropist came a close second (it was a long-winded joke, really), what with it being a spoof of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock stories and all.
The poetry in this book is of a similar strain, being sometimes wonderfully satirical, often darkly humorous or sometimes just dark. They suited me well, and were well-constructed with fine pacing and rhythm.
There were so many other stories that I liked for various reasons. Rumpelstiltskin was a wonderful piece of social satire, as was Monsters, and I very much appreciated the He-Man reference in The New Death (and unless greatly mistaken, there was an X-Men/Avengers reference in Diamanda and The Isle of Wives).
Of course, there were a couple stories that did not resonate with me and fell a little flat, but all in all it was a very entertaining read. I am well impressed by Mr. Hutchings and I sincerely hope that he continues writing. He has a prodigious talent (which has me a little jealous, one writer to another). Definitely pick up this book if you can.
I'm hoping a paperback version comes out so I can add it to my shelf.
These short stories and poems were wonderfully irreverent, dark and darkly humorous and thoroughly satirical. Perhaps that says something about myself, but I very much appreciated the bizarre humour (which at times reminded me of Piers Anthony's Xanth series (particularly the hilariously literal take on words and phrases) and at other times of Neil Gaiman's or Terry Pratchett's oddball humour). I also adored the social, political and religious satire that permeates many of the stories and poems in this book. It is up-front and unapologetic, and I appreciate that.
There were a few odd or awkward sentences here or there that could probably have been reworked, but all in all, it was a well-written collection.
Of course, those tales like How the Isle of Cats Got Its Name that were close resemblances of modern translations of folk tales and lore caught this anthropology geek's attention, but the stories and poems that struck me greatest were those that used humour and satire darkly and to great effect.
If only for the humour (Inhuman Resources, the 8th and 9th Dealy Sins (punning and saying 'lol' out loud), the expert in torture by conversation and so many more), Everlasting Fire was by far my favourite, though The Adventure of the Murdered Philanthropist came a close second (it was a long-winded joke, really), what with it being a spoof of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock stories and all.
The poetry in this book is of a similar strain, being sometimes wonderfully satirical, often darkly humorous or sometimes just dark. They suited me well, and were well-constructed with fine pacing and rhythm.
There were so many other stories that I liked for various reasons. Rumpelstiltskin was a wonderful piece of social satire, as was Monsters, and I very much appreciated the He-Man reference in The New Death (and unless greatly mistaken, there was an X-Men/Avengers reference in Diamanda and The Isle of Wives).
Of course, there were a couple stories that did not resonate with me and fell a little flat, but all in all it was a very entertaining read. I am well impressed by Mr. Hutchings and I sincerely hope that he continues writing. He has a prodigious talent (which has me a little jealous, one writer to another). Definitely pick up this book if you can.
I'm hoping a paperback version comes out so I can add it to my shelf.
December 9, 2012
If you like anthologies check out The New Death and Others by James Hutchings. This is a book of flash fiction and poetry that deal with mythology, fairy tales and horror. Most of the stories that are here are less than 1,000 words. They make you think and laugh while looking at the dark side of fantasy. This collection has a little of everything, including monsters who are afraid that people are no longer scared of them, A man longing for the perfect woman and a funny tale of two demons in love.
The first story in this collection is called The God of The Poor and deals with the gods deciding on which one of them will have dominion over the poor. In this story, I felt the gods were a metaphor for how most people think of the poor and it really set the stage for the rest of the book. In the next story called How The Isle of Cats Got Its Name, James Hutchings creates his own mythology. It is set in the fictional city of Telelee and follows a powerful sorceress named Abi-simiti as she collects all the cats in the city to take to an unnamed island. Her plan is to torture cats as part of a musical instrument that is meant to impress a god. Abi-simiti makes a crucial mistake and the cats have the last laugh. Anyone who is a cat lover should enjoy this one along with another story in the collection called My Cat Is Not Like Other Cats.
There are a few stories in The New Death And Others that I really enjoyed. One in particular was The Doom That Was Laid Upon Fame. In this story the goddess Fame is blamed and punished for giving people who are unworthy fame and fortune, but she finds a way to get out of trouble with help from the seldom heard about fifth member of the four horseman of the apocalypse. Another good one is Weary Love, that is a funny short poem that tells what happens when the god Commerce takes over for Love. Some other stories here that were very similar that I enjoyed was Fame's Beloved, The New Death and The New God. If you like short stories and poems that are funny, dark and gives a satirical look at life, you will enjoy The New Death and Others. There are a lot of good ideas in this book, in particular I enjoyed The stories involving the land of Telelee. I enjoy it when authors create their own mythology and I hope to hear more stories set in Telelee from James Hutchings in the future.
The first story in this collection is called The God of The Poor and deals with the gods deciding on which one of them will have dominion over the poor. In this story, I felt the gods were a metaphor for how most people think of the poor and it really set the stage for the rest of the book. In the next story called How The Isle of Cats Got Its Name, James Hutchings creates his own mythology. It is set in the fictional city of Telelee and follows a powerful sorceress named Abi-simiti as she collects all the cats in the city to take to an unnamed island. Her plan is to torture cats as part of a musical instrument that is meant to impress a god. Abi-simiti makes a crucial mistake and the cats have the last laugh. Anyone who is a cat lover should enjoy this one along with another story in the collection called My Cat Is Not Like Other Cats.
There are a few stories in The New Death And Others that I really enjoyed. One in particular was The Doom That Was Laid Upon Fame. In this story the goddess Fame is blamed and punished for giving people who are unworthy fame and fortune, but she finds a way to get out of trouble with help from the seldom heard about fifth member of the four horseman of the apocalypse. Another good one is Weary Love, that is a funny short poem that tells what happens when the god Commerce takes over for Love. Some other stories here that were very similar that I enjoyed was Fame's Beloved, The New Death and The New God. If you like short stories and poems that are funny, dark and gives a satirical look at life, you will enjoy The New Death and Others. There are a lot of good ideas in this book, in particular I enjoyed The stories involving the land of Telelee. I enjoy it when authors create their own mythology and I hope to hear more stories set in Telelee from James Hutchings in the future.
December 8, 2011
If you like your short stories cynical and twisted, or your fairy tales fractured, then this is a perfect coffee table book full of cynical and twisted tales, interspersed with some very good dark poetry.
Mr Hutchings left a message on my blog asking if I would read and review his book. I had put the call out to ‘independent authors’ in an earlier post for my 2012 Reading List, but I think this was a random request and I’m so pleased to have been asked as this little book really tickled my sense of humour and touched those dark chords that draw me to unsettling and unusual fiction.
I have never read a book quite like this, it has no particular order, being a total mix of work which makes it perfect for picking up and selecting a page at random. I didn’t like some of the stories, but I did appreciate most of them, and the poetry I thought was wonderful.
An obvious cat lover, there are several references to cats throughout, such as the disturbing How the Isle of Cats Got Its Name and the gorgeous little poem My Cat is Not Like Other Cats, which all of us cat lovers can definitely identify with! In The Death of the Artist it is revealed that all writers and artists have cats, a fact which takes on a sinister significance; and now I fully understand that when my Tenshi is staring intently at nothing she is actually enhancing her mental powers!!
Of all the short stories I really liked the atmospheric The Scholar and the Moon which has less of the cynicism that prevails in most of the other work, and the nightmarish The Dragon Festival. The poetry, as I have said, is very good with some of it being based on actually stories by Lovecraft, Dunsany and an author I have only just recently ‘discovered’ - Clark Ashton Smith.
Yes, some of the stories are corny or just plain silly, but others have a touch of sheer brilliance to them. If you tend to get bogged down with some heavy reading, which I do on occasion, this is a breath of fresh air. I didn’t want to put it down, and looked forward to the twisted endings and the clever play on words and ideas. Even the corny stories got a giggle as well as a groan out of me.
If you want to inject a bit of random fun into your reading I recommend you check it out
Mr Hutchings left a message on my blog asking if I would read and review his book. I had put the call out to ‘independent authors’ in an earlier post for my 2012 Reading List, but I think this was a random request and I’m so pleased to have been asked as this little book really tickled my sense of humour and touched those dark chords that draw me to unsettling and unusual fiction.
I have never read a book quite like this, it has no particular order, being a total mix of work which makes it perfect for picking up and selecting a page at random. I didn’t like some of the stories, but I did appreciate most of them, and the poetry I thought was wonderful.
An obvious cat lover, there are several references to cats throughout, such as the disturbing How the Isle of Cats Got Its Name and the gorgeous little poem My Cat is Not Like Other Cats, which all of us cat lovers can definitely identify with! In The Death of the Artist it is revealed that all writers and artists have cats, a fact which takes on a sinister significance; and now I fully understand that when my Tenshi is staring intently at nothing she is actually enhancing her mental powers!!
Of all the short stories I really liked the atmospheric The Scholar and the Moon which has less of the cynicism that prevails in most of the other work, and the nightmarish The Dragon Festival. The poetry, as I have said, is very good with some of it being based on actually stories by Lovecraft, Dunsany and an author I have only just recently ‘discovered’ - Clark Ashton Smith.
Yes, some of the stories are corny or just plain silly, but others have a touch of sheer brilliance to them. If you tend to get bogged down with some heavy reading, which I do on occasion, this is a breath of fresh air. I didn’t want to put it down, and looked forward to the twisted endings and the clever play on words and ideas. Even the corny stories got a giggle as well as a groan out of me.
If you want to inject a bit of random fun into your reading I recommend you check it out
November 23, 2011
The New Death and Others is a collection of some entertaining short stories and poems. I could tell I was reading something that took alot of thought and talent because I laughed out loud several times to the point where my librarian told me to shut up. I would like to tell you my viewers about the most ironic funny ones.
The End-
This one had me laughing becuase what are the odds of 2 vampires, a succumbus, a demon, and a regenerate coagulate rage of murdered children on a camping trip together? They all come to the conclusion of what if all the humans are wiped out? And I thought to myself It's probably true seeing as how I'm a demon too.
How the Isle of Cats Got It's Name-
This is one of my favorites mainly because I love cats and I love how the sly and smug Artemisia is. I was sad towards the end becuase of the Kitty Killer Harp (read to find out), but the smug Artemisia won at the end at the wizard Abi-simti's demise.
The Doom That Was Laid Upon Fame-
I absolutely love how he uses gods and goddesses names and characteristics to make a story in this one. My favorite part was "You know how Pestilence and War and Fame and I are the 4 riders of the Apocalypse. Well he's the fifth. His name is Lawyers."
Everlasting Fire-
This one was the funniest and most ironic. A ironic punisher is punished because of her own lust even though she scourges the lustful.
Rumpelstiltskin-
A gnome who has the power to spin bullshit into gold becomes a consultant. The moral of the story ends up being if you can't do anything else, get into politics.
Now if you still don't think this story is worth the read then here is a little teaser poem.
If My Life Was Filmed
If my life was filmed, it would
go straight to DVD
and someone who was famous once
would have the role of me
and if five stars meant 'excellent'
you'd give it two or three
and most of those who rented it
would watch ironically.
Years later they would track me down
and do an interview.
They'd say "I heard you died," and I'd
say "Yeah, I heard that too."
"Is any of it fictional?"
"Perhaps a scene or two.
There weren't as many ninjas, but
the rest is mostly true."
The End-
This one had me laughing becuase what are the odds of 2 vampires, a succumbus, a demon, and a regenerate coagulate rage of murdered children on a camping trip together? They all come to the conclusion of what if all the humans are wiped out? And I thought to myself It's probably true seeing as how I'm a demon too.
How the Isle of Cats Got It's Name-
This is one of my favorites mainly because I love cats and I love how the sly and smug Artemisia is. I was sad towards the end becuase of the Kitty Killer Harp (read to find out), but the smug Artemisia won at the end at the wizard Abi-simti's demise.
The Doom That Was Laid Upon Fame-
I absolutely love how he uses gods and goddesses names and characteristics to make a story in this one. My favorite part was "You know how Pestilence and War and Fame and I are the 4 riders of the Apocalypse. Well he's the fifth. His name is Lawyers."
Everlasting Fire-
This one was the funniest and most ironic. A ironic punisher is punished because of her own lust even though she scourges the lustful.
Rumpelstiltskin-
A gnome who has the power to spin bullshit into gold becomes a consultant. The moral of the story ends up being if you can't do anything else, get into politics.
Now if you still don't think this story is worth the read then here is a little teaser poem.
If My Life Was Filmed
If my life was filmed, it would
go straight to DVD
and someone who was famous once
would have the role of me
and if five stars meant 'excellent'
you'd give it two or three
and most of those who rented it
would watch ironically.
Years later they would track me down
and do an interview.
They'd say "I heard you died," and I'd
say "Yeah, I heard that too."
"Is any of it fictional?"
"Perhaps a scene or two.
There weren't as many ninjas, but
the rest is mostly true."
December 5, 2011
This book is a kind of Anthology of short tales and poetry. I had a mixed reaction to the book, not being what I call a "Poetry Person" I didn't expect to like those parts of the book and it turned out that in some cases I loved the poetry the most! I really loved the Poem about "Weary Love", I also enjoyed the "Under The Pyramids" Poem.
The short tales contained quite a bit of irony within them that I found different and yet enjoyed. I found the short tales to be like a cross between Aesop's Fables and Roald Dahl's Tales Of The Unexpected.
I specifically enjoyed "The Moon Said Sadly Through The Sky"
I don't want to give much away regarding all the individual tales but will talk about one in particular called "Monsters" which is basically all the monsters we tend to read about or see in movies such as, vampires, werewolves and witches etc, they are all gathered complaining that people don't seem to be as scared of them any more when a voice pops up saying people always seem scared of me. So the person who the voice belongs to is asked what/who he is and he replies simply "a foreigner" which i found quite ironic and humorous too.
There is also another "Foreigner" type based tale called "The Enemy Within"
It is a book you can pick up and read a little tale then put down until later, then pick up and read another tale.
As I have said I did enjoy some of the tales and most of the Poetry, though some of the tales just didn't appeal to me at all, or seemed a bit too drawn out for me.
I loved the funny skeleton couple on the cover.
The short tales contained quite a bit of irony within them that I found different and yet enjoyed. I found the short tales to be like a cross between Aesop's Fables and Roald Dahl's Tales Of The Unexpected.
I specifically enjoyed "The Moon Said Sadly Through The Sky"
I don't want to give much away regarding all the individual tales but will talk about one in particular called "Monsters" which is basically all the monsters we tend to read about or see in movies such as, vampires, werewolves and witches etc, they are all gathered complaining that people don't seem to be as scared of them any more when a voice pops up saying people always seem scared of me. So the person who the voice belongs to is asked what/who he is and he replies simply "a foreigner" which i found quite ironic and humorous too.
There is also another "Foreigner" type based tale called "The Enemy Within"
It is a book you can pick up and read a little tale then put down until later, then pick up and read another tale.
As I have said I did enjoy some of the tales and most of the Poetry, though some of the tales just didn't appeal to me at all, or seemed a bit too drawn out for me.
I loved the funny skeleton couple on the cover.
February 23, 2012
I give this book 3+ stars.
I don't really know what to say about this book. It is a combination of short stories that the author has compiled. From reading the first story, I wasn't sold on the whole idea. I pushed through to the next one and I was glad that I did. These distorted short stories and poems had me smiling and even laughing out loud. You know it’s a good book when you find yourself wanting to read the stories out loud to the people around you. There were a few stories that could have been taken out but the ones that I liked... I really liked. I made so many highlights in this book, it's ridiculous. The author clearly knows his way with making someone laugh out loud. The phrases he comes up with are unbelievable. I loved the Rumpelstiltskin story. I don't know why. It was so good.
I will type out the first thing (really second) that I highlighted. Just so you could get a taste of what you’re in for. These stories will confuse you but never end up that way. Everything is always settled in the end. ""But... wait," Lilly replied. “If I am to be ironically punished for punishing others ironically, does this mean that you will be likewise punished for punishing me?" The incubus stared at her for a moment. "Oh hell." he said.
I don't know why, but I laughed so hard when reading that. You have to read the whole story to understand it.
'No one said anything about his new shirt. Well, no one other than the pretzels. But they had to. They were complimentary snacks.'
Ba-dom-boom CHH!
I recommend this book for lovers of disturbed witty humour.
I don't really know what to say about this book. It is a combination of short stories that the author has compiled. From reading the first story, I wasn't sold on the whole idea. I pushed through to the next one and I was glad that I did. These distorted short stories and poems had me smiling and even laughing out loud. You know it’s a good book when you find yourself wanting to read the stories out loud to the people around you. There were a few stories that could have been taken out but the ones that I liked... I really liked. I made so many highlights in this book, it's ridiculous. The author clearly knows his way with making someone laugh out loud. The phrases he comes up with are unbelievable. I loved the Rumpelstiltskin story. I don't know why. It was so good.
I will type out the first thing (really second) that I highlighted. Just so you could get a taste of what you’re in for. These stories will confuse you but never end up that way. Everything is always settled in the end. ""But... wait," Lilly replied. “If I am to be ironically punished for punishing others ironically, does this mean that you will be likewise punished for punishing me?" The incubus stared at her for a moment. "Oh hell." he said.
I don't know why, but I laughed so hard when reading that. You have to read the whole story to understand it.
'No one said anything about his new shirt. Well, no one other than the pretzels. But they had to. They were complimentary snacks.'
Ba-dom-boom CHH!
I recommend this book for lovers of disturbed witty humour.
February 10, 2012
I am so glad that I read this book! The New Death is a collection of the most wonderfully pessimistic, deliciously twisted, and awesomely dark stories and poems!
This was the best collection of short stories and poems that I have read in a long time! I literally had fun reading this book. James has a wit that I don't think many could match. I read most times with a big smile on my face, and other times I was laughing out loud at the punch line at the end of the story or poem. I'd love to tell you which one was my favorite, but that would be to hard, each story and poem was a great read in it's own way. He often makes fun little jabs at present things in life, you can't help but realize he has a point, and then you will laugh in spite of yourself.
Now when I say some of the stories were pessimistic, don't misunderstand me, I meant it in the best way possible. He has a way of making you see the darker side of things and you find yourself enjoying it. I had to keep pestering my husband by letting me read some of the stories and poems out loud to him because I just felt the need to share them, they were so great!
I recommend this book to any and everyone! it was a fantastic, fun, wonderful read. You will not find another collection of stories and poems like it anywhere else! You will want to get yourself a copy to place on your shelf and share with everyone! I know I want to :).
Read this review and more at http://underthecovers-ja.blogspot.com/
This was the best collection of short stories and poems that I have read in a long time! I literally had fun reading this book. James has a wit that I don't think many could match. I read most times with a big smile on my face, and other times I was laughing out loud at the punch line at the end of the story or poem. I'd love to tell you which one was my favorite, but that would be to hard, each story and poem was a great read in it's own way. He often makes fun little jabs at present things in life, you can't help but realize he has a point, and then you will laugh in spite of yourself.
Now when I say some of the stories were pessimistic, don't misunderstand me, I meant it in the best way possible. He has a way of making you see the darker side of things and you find yourself enjoying it. I had to keep pestering my husband by letting me read some of the stories and poems out loud to him because I just felt the need to share them, they were so great!
I recommend this book to any and everyone! it was a fantastic, fun, wonderful read. You will not find another collection of stories and poems like it anywhere else! You will want to get yourself a copy to place on your shelf and share with everyone! I know I want to :).
Read this review and more at http://underthecovers-ja.blogspot.com/
March 19, 2012
I enjoyed reading this collection of short stories & poems; especially the poems. I found myself laughing out loud at certain parts of some stories. Some of my favorites were: Everlasting Fire (the part about the office party & their Secret Satans), Under the Pyramids (this was a poem), and I thought it was written beautifully. It reminded me of Edgar Alan Poe's 'The Raven'; not that they're similar in context, but just by the style in which it was written. I also liked: The Uncharted Isles, The Sailor, Singles Bar, which starts with the following sentence: "No one said anything about his new shirt. Well, no one other than the pretzels. But they had to. They were complimentary snacks"; and Diamanda and the Isles of Wives, to mention just a few. Here are some of my highlights in the book; from Everlasting Fire: "If I am to be ironically punished for punishign others ironically, does this not mean that you will be likewise punished for punishing me?"; from - The Prince of the Howling Forest: When you run out of tears and your heart turns to stone and the fangs of the wind bite your body and bone, and you squat in the darkness afraid and alone, I will have borne worse in the forest." I think this was my fav quote. From The Morning Post: "He'd been invited to a bondage party. He couldn't go: he was tied up." A great collection for a few laughs, sarcasm, wittiness, enjoyable. =)
October 12, 2011
The New Death and others is an interesting collection of short stories and poems. As with any collection of stories, I liked some of them, hated a few and others were just OK for me. Two memorable ones were “How the Isle of Cats Got Its Name" and "Weary Love"
James Hutchings has an active imagination. This body of work is a smorgasbord of myths, fables, parodies and puns. There were political and religious views woven into a lot of the work. Some racial and ethnic profiling may upset the unsuspecting reader. In all honesty, a lot of the intended humor missed its mark with me. I would have liked to have seen an overall theme to this novel. When I purchase a collection of works, it is usually because the stories or poems all share a common theme that interests me. While some of the tales had a good story line, I felt cheated. They weren't developed enough and felt rushed. I would have preferred a longer story with more details. Hutchings’s fantasy stories show promise. This collection is available as an eBook .
I want to thank author James Hutchings for providing me with a copy of his eBook in exchange for my unbiased review.
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James Hutchings has an active imagination. This body of work is a smorgasbord of myths, fables, parodies and puns. There were political and religious views woven into a lot of the work. Some racial and ethnic profiling may upset the unsuspecting reader. In all honesty, a lot of the intended humor missed its mark with me. I would have liked to have seen an overall theme to this novel. When I purchase a collection of works, it is usually because the stories or poems all share a common theme that interests me. While some of the tales had a good story line, I felt cheated. They weren't developed enough and felt rushed. I would have preferred a longer story with more details. Hutchings’s fantasy stories show promise. This collection is available as an eBook .
I want to thank author James Hutchings for providing me with a copy of his eBook in exchange for my unbiased review.
http://kimbathecaffeinatedbookreviewe...
https://www.facebook.com/kimbathecaff...
February 20, 2012
Want a book entirely different than the latest trends? The New Death is exactly that.
Small stories and poems regarding various things are part of the book. There are 2 paragraph stories to 2-3 pages stories. There is not a skeleton on the stories subject. They just appear. But most importantly the book is fun, ironic and sarcastic. From serious matters like death, to things we do every day, like our relationship with our phones, you can say there are stories for everything. There are also poems based on famous books or what about a poem on a cat?
As you see, the book is just so different than anything else. My favorites ones were the small stories (which weren't more than one page). They were really fast, funny and thoughtful (My favorite one was "The End". I still laugh when i think of it). Then were some poems and then the stories. The stories with the gods(Death, Love, War,etc) were so great and so true!! My reactions to most of the book were like "hahahaa" and then "ohh...so true though..clever".
I won't say i liked all of the stories or poems, but definitely had an entertaining evening. And the book cost only $0.99, so why not? As for Mr. James Hutchings...i think he has gone a little over the insanity line :p
Small stories and poems regarding various things are part of the book. There are 2 paragraph stories to 2-3 pages stories. There is not a skeleton on the stories subject. They just appear. But most importantly the book is fun, ironic and sarcastic. From serious matters like death, to things we do every day, like our relationship with our phones, you can say there are stories for everything. There are also poems based on famous books or what about a poem on a cat?
As you see, the book is just so different than anything else. My favorites ones were the small stories (which weren't more than one page). They were really fast, funny and thoughtful (My favorite one was "The End". I still laugh when i think of it). Then were some poems and then the stories. The stories with the gods(Death, Love, War,etc) were so great and so true!! My reactions to most of the book were like "hahahaa" and then "ohh...so true though..clever".
I won't say i liked all of the stories or poems, but definitely had an entertaining evening. And the book cost only $0.99, so why not? As for Mr. James Hutchings...i think he has gone a little over the insanity line :p
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