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Revelation Was Wrong
When a drunken prophet in Scotland's roughest town predicts a coming Apocalypse, no one takes much notice. After all, not even one of his previous prognostications has come true. But five days later, events appear to be unfolding exactly as prophesied. A certain tonic wine - infamous for its ability to bring on berserk violence - plays a pivotal role in proceedings, as do two otherworldly visitors.
Loaded with humour and incisive social commentary, this work of short fiction paints a truer picture of contemporary Scottish culture than any guide book ever has. Like our whiskies, it comes with a kick.
Loaded with humour and incisive social commentary, this work of short fiction paints a truer picture of contemporary Scottish culture than any guide book ever has. Like our whiskies, it comes with a kick.
- GenresShort StoriesFantasy
20 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 30, 2012
25 people want to read
About the author
Mark Rice
7 books115 followersThat other Scottish writer. Grew up surrounded by music, books and animals. Started scribbling stories at age five. At ten, discovered Douglas Adams and heavy metal. Never looked back.
Author of #1 Amazon bestseller Metallic Dreams - an epic tale of mayhem, mischief and metal music, all uniquely Scottish in style. Sequel now complete: longest novel ever written in Scotland; one of the 20 longest novels ever written anywhere.
Compiler and editor of (and contributor to) A Blended Bouquet anthology. Contributor to The Book That Changed My Life along with, among others, actor Brian Cox and fellow Scottish authors Janice Galloway, AL Kennedy and Alexander McCall Smith.
Writer of Heathen Howff, a collection of fiction, non-fiction, philosophical musings and poetry - 36 pieces of work in all. A true Scottish perspective on life, the Universe and everything.
The Cabin Incident is a grown-up reimagining of a timeless tale. Mummy Bear, Daddy Bear and Baby Bear as you've never met them before. It's a novelette loaded with grizzly bears, humour and philosophy (as all good stories should be).
Cometh the Hour, Cometh the Eejit is a riotous short story about a president named Flump (who may seem strangely familiar to many readers). This tale tells of Flump's most outrageous day.
The novelette Revelation Was Wrong is a wild fantastical tale set in Scotland's roughest neighbourhood. When a drunken seer (who has never prophesied anything that actually came to pass) predicts a coming Apocalypse linked to a particular brand of booze, will things unfold as he foretold?
Love in a Wyrd World is a playful feelgood novelette. On the surface it's a tale of revenge and redemption, but at heart it's a love story with a difference.
There's a lot more writing on the way - not just the sequel to Metallic Dreams. Watch this space.
Connect with me at:
www.twitter.com/Metallic_Dreams
www.facebook.com/SparkMacDubh
www.metallicdreams.wordpress.com
Author of #1 Amazon bestseller Metallic Dreams - an epic tale of mayhem, mischief and metal music, all uniquely Scottish in style. Sequel now complete: longest novel ever written in Scotland; one of the 20 longest novels ever written anywhere.
Compiler and editor of (and contributor to) A Blended Bouquet anthology. Contributor to The Book That Changed My Life along with, among others, actor Brian Cox and fellow Scottish authors Janice Galloway, AL Kennedy and Alexander McCall Smith.
Writer of Heathen Howff, a collection of fiction, non-fiction, philosophical musings and poetry - 36 pieces of work in all. A true Scottish perspective on life, the Universe and everything.
The Cabin Incident is a grown-up reimagining of a timeless tale. Mummy Bear, Daddy Bear and Baby Bear as you've never met them before. It's a novelette loaded with grizzly bears, humour and philosophy (as all good stories should be).
Cometh the Hour, Cometh the Eejit is a riotous short story about a president named Flump (who may seem strangely familiar to many readers). This tale tells of Flump's most outrageous day.
The novelette Revelation Was Wrong is a wild fantastical tale set in Scotland's roughest neighbourhood. When a drunken seer (who has never prophesied anything that actually came to pass) predicts a coming Apocalypse linked to a particular brand of booze, will things unfold as he foretold?
Love in a Wyrd World is a playful feelgood novelette. On the surface it's a tale of revenge and redemption, but at heart it's a love story with a difference.
There's a lot more writing on the way - not just the sequel to Metallic Dreams. Watch this space.
Connect with me at:
www.twitter.com/Metallic_Dreams
www.facebook.com/SparkMacDubh
www.metallicdreams.wordpress.com
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 30, 2012
Of course I'm giving it 5 stars. I wrote the darned thing. And I never publish anything until I consider it polished and ready to rock. The prophet Tam the Bammus came to me out of the ether one night, fully formed and spouting whisky-scented predictions. Such characters usually take serious effort to create, but Tam just fell out of the air, a gift from the literary gods. At times like that, a writer's job is just to channel the events that unfold...so that's exactly what I did.
The cover, on the other hand, did not fall out of the air. Anything but. It took three weeks of fiddling with 3D modelling software and Photoshop, but the result was more than worth the effort. Just as the story itself has tips o' the hat to some of my literary heroes, the cover was very much inspired by the Iron Maiden album covers I grew up with and still cherish.
If you fancy 7,000 words of escapism into a world of Scottish seers and otherworldly ideas, give this a go.
Enjoy!
The cover, on the other hand, did not fall out of the air. Anything but. It took three weeks of fiddling with 3D modelling software and Photoshop, but the result was more than worth the effort. Just as the story itself has tips o' the hat to some of my literary heroes, the cover was very much inspired by the Iron Maiden album covers I grew up with and still cherish.
If you fancy 7,000 words of escapism into a world of Scottish seers and otherworldly ideas, give this a go.
Enjoy!
February 9, 2017
Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
So begins a famous poem by Robert Frost. But Mark Rice has a different idea on the topic. When, in an unholy reversal of a biblical miracle, the local ambrosia is transmogrified into a substance which has unexpected properties, a series of very unfortunate events ensues.
This short story, embellished with an impressive cover designed by Mr. Rice, satirizes some commonplaces about the biblical end-times scenario in a manner which is good natured in spite of its irreverence. But there are many other things going on here as well, literarily-speaking-wise. I saw multitudinous deft tips of the tam o'shanter to Celtic mythology, Douglas Adams, Richard Matheson and Kurt Vonnegut--and there are possibly more elements I've overlooked. This dazzling little tour de farce will linger in the mind like the memory of a particularly uproarious ceilidh.
Some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
So begins a famous poem by Robert Frost. But Mark Rice has a different idea on the topic. When, in an unholy reversal of a biblical miracle, the local ambrosia is transmogrified into a substance which has unexpected properties, a series of very unfortunate events ensues.
This short story, embellished with an impressive cover designed by Mr. Rice, satirizes some commonplaces about the biblical end-times scenario in a manner which is good natured in spite of its irreverence. But there are many other things going on here as well, literarily-speaking-wise. I saw multitudinous deft tips of the tam o'shanter to Celtic mythology, Douglas Adams, Richard Matheson and Kurt Vonnegut--and there are possibly more elements I've overlooked. This dazzling little tour de farce will linger in the mind like the memory of a particularly uproarious ceilidh.
May 2, 2012
Revelation Was Wrong is full of quick, witty, Scottish dialog, which I love very much. The cast is well written and the end a complete surprise. Warning: It will make you laugh out loud ;-D
May 8, 2012
After reading Metallic Dreams by the same author, I was naturally curious to read more of his work. This short story is a 'very, very' entertaining read -- and you have to read it to know why I have written 'very' twice ;). The idea behind the story seems to be a warning against drinking too much or becoming addicted to anything in excess, but it is a lighthearted read containing the humour I have come to know and love from this author. As in his novel, Metallic Dreams, Rice has crafted this tale with passion and attention to detail. The story is set in Scotland, and the dialogue is tailored to make sure that the story is authentic. One thing I love about this author's writing is the honesty that pervades it. He puts so much of himself into his work and this is refreshing to read.
The story begins with a prophecy made one evening in a pub. There are zombies, an alien, and lots of philosophical food for thought contained in these pages. It reminded me in parts of the movie Shaun of the Dead. It's a fun, quick read, but the underlying meaning goes deeper; that's one of the things I love about this author's work. Highly recommended.
The story begins with a prophecy made one evening in a pub. There are zombies, an alien, and lots of philosophical food for thought contained in these pages. It reminded me in parts of the movie Shaun of the Dead. It's a fun, quick read, but the underlying meaning goes deeper; that's one of the things I love about this author's work. Highly recommended.
May 6, 2012
At a local saloon in Hillhouse, Hamilton, Tam the Bammus, the man who "prophesied pish" has foreseen the Apocalypse, on the following Wednesday to be exact. As the title reveals, Revelation was wrong. The end of the world does not come with locusts, but vinegar. With a combination of a few horrific scenes and author Mark Rice's wonderful Scottish humor, you will laugh aloud and love it. This is one short story that you do not want to miss.
June 13, 2012
More zombies please!
By seamuskitty
Revelation Was Wrong by Mark Rice is a tasty bite of the full zombie sit-down dinner it should be. Rice presents a skeleton that he must cover with flesh to satisfactorily explain why Revelation Was Wrong. Read it now and you'll have read the precursor to Mark Rice's next great book. A fine read but it's made me ravenous!
By seamuskitty
Revelation Was Wrong by Mark Rice is a tasty bite of the full zombie sit-down dinner it should be. Rice presents a skeleton that he must cover with flesh to satisfactorily explain why Revelation Was Wrong. Read it now and you'll have read the precursor to Mark Rice's next great book. A fine read but it's made me ravenous!
June 3, 2012
Fun quick read.
This is a very quick story which is why I was a "tad bit" disappointed. I read Mr. Rice's "Metallic Dreams" which is an excellent book. Metallic Dreams is a well crafted story with an excellent flow.
The plus with this one is his constant reference's to the lives of the Scottish mates: drinking, womanizing and of course the wonderful dialect of the Scottish Rite. However, I found myself wanting more with this story. I understand at times (we as writers) how a story appears and we instantly start hammering on the keys so the idea doesn't slide into oblivion. But sometimes we need to rethink the story and let it percolate (like the many cups our author enjoys) for a bit until the brew has reached perfection.
In short, a man named Tam ((I chuckled when I read the name. My mind floated back to "Monty Python's:In Search of the Holy Grail--My name is...(wait for it) is........TIM)). Tam is forecasting the end of the world. It would be "bad drink," announcing the End of Times. You can feel yourself in the local pub discussing the impending doom (not that anyone believes Tam). Well, it happens and this is where I was let down. The end comes much too soon without a lot of expounding.
This will not deter me from reading more of Mr. Rice's works, but I would really like for him to sit down and finish this one. It would easily rival the first.
This is a very quick story which is why I was a "tad bit" disappointed. I read Mr. Rice's "Metallic Dreams" which is an excellent book. Metallic Dreams is a well crafted story with an excellent flow.
The plus with this one is his constant reference's to the lives of the Scottish mates: drinking, womanizing and of course the wonderful dialect of the Scottish Rite. However, I found myself wanting more with this story. I understand at times (we as writers) how a story appears and we instantly start hammering on the keys so the idea doesn't slide into oblivion. But sometimes we need to rethink the story and let it percolate (like the many cups our author enjoys) for a bit until the brew has reached perfection.
In short, a man named Tam ((I chuckled when I read the name. My mind floated back to "Monty Python's:In Search of the Holy Grail--My name is...(wait for it) is........TIM)). Tam is forecasting the end of the world. It would be "bad drink," announcing the End of Times. You can feel yourself in the local pub discussing the impending doom (not that anyone believes Tam). Well, it happens and this is where I was let down. The end comes much too soon without a lot of expounding.
This will not deter me from reading more of Mr. Rice's works, but I would really like for him to sit down and finish this one. It would easily rival the first.
May 6, 2012
I really enjoyed Revelation Was Wrong. It was a very quick read, but the words "small but beautifully formed" come to mind. Not that this is a beautiful short story, but it is so well crafted.
The dialogue made me laugh out loud, although as an "end of the world" tale, it was pretty gruesome at times.
The dialogue made me laugh out loud, although as an "end of the world" tale, it was pretty gruesome at times.
September 26, 2012
Introduction: I must admit this is one of the first Short Story I've read on my Kindle with Scottish dialogue. I could hear the characters voices clearly in my head. I've never physically been to Scotland but it seems I was virtually transported there for a short time.
Story line as I see it: The main character is faced with a few unpalatable options as his world begins to go mad beyond belief.
Warning: This short story is for a Mature Audience for language and sexual situations.
Review: Mr. Rice did a wonderful job with the characters. The story has a very plausible paranormal plot with a few surprise twists and turns along the way.
Story line as I see it: The main character is faced with a few unpalatable options as his world begins to go mad beyond belief.
Warning: This short story is for a Mature Audience for language and sexual situations.
Review: Mr. Rice did a wonderful job with the characters. The story has a very plausible paranormal plot with a few surprise twists and turns along the way.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews