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Something Nice - 10 Stories
An acclaimed collection of ten short stories by Andrew K Lawston. A blend of science-fiction, fantasy, philosophy and the supernatural. From the friendly neighbours with a nasty hobby in Throwing Up With the Joneses, to the lovelorn robot of Cyberstalking, via metaphysical space adventures with the dashing starship captain Sharp Johnson, these stories all made the author's Mum ask the same question. "Why don't you write something nice?" Well, now he has.
68 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 25, 2012
6 people are currently reading
66 people want to read
About the author
Andrew K. Lawston
43 books62 followersAndrew K. Lawston has at various times been a writer, actor, director, teacher, journalist, academic, salesman, publisher, editor, designer (that was a weird day), cinema manager, film extra and till monkey. His first job was working in an independent bookshop aged 16, and he at least had the foresight to know that it would all be downhill from there.
Andrew writes quirky comedy fiction over a variety of genres. His writing is infused with the kind of worldview that comes from watching a lot of French cinema and Doctor Who (not necessarily in that order), and reading a lot of Pratchett, Dickens and Shakespeare. It's often dark, sometimes disturbing, always unpredictable, and occasionally very funny. Ever wondered what would happen if a small boy got into an abusive relationship with the demonic clown hiding under his bed? So did he, unfortunately.
With a degree in French, Andrew also translates classic French books, most notably Casanova's account of his escape from Venice prison in 1755, and the Chantecoq series of pulp detective novels.
Andrew has now largely retired from acting, but in 2018 he was a finalist in the Arts Richmond New Plays Festival with his short play "Matrexit".
He lives in London with a lovely wife and a crime-solving cat.
Andrew writes quirky comedy fiction over a variety of genres. His writing is infused with the kind of worldview that comes from watching a lot of French cinema and Doctor Who (not necessarily in that order), and reading a lot of Pratchett, Dickens and Shakespeare. It's often dark, sometimes disturbing, always unpredictable, and occasionally very funny. Ever wondered what would happen if a small boy got into an abusive relationship with the demonic clown hiding under his bed? So did he, unfortunately.
With a degree in French, Andrew also translates classic French books, most notably Casanova's account of his escape from Venice prison in 1755, and the Chantecoq series of pulp detective novels.
Andrew has now largely retired from acting, but in 2018 he was a finalist in the Arts Richmond New Plays Festival with his short play "Matrexit".
He lives in London with a lovely wife and a crime-solving cat.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
January 28, 2013
This anthology of short stories is kind of like, Alfred Hitchcock meets the Twilight Zone and had a litter of ten ...episodes.
Overall, these are quirky, odd and fun short stories of science fiction and fantasy, mostly sci-fi in nature, that remind me of the quirky tech turned gory humor in the famed BBC Television Show "Dr. Who." A couple of them are short but all are worthwhile reading if you like the macabre and don't mind the occasional odd and interesting twist on things. It's also not the kind of short stories we see from US writers as much. Though there is a difference of style, this may also be a difference of culture (or pop-culture) that would mean it lends itself to UK Readers more than US Readers. That said, surely it's enjoyable enough for people inside any boundaries to read and have fun with.
My favorite stories of this collection were the third story "Too Much Love Can Kill You." It had the strongest plot and was the easiest to see in my mind’s eye. It also had the same sense of frantic desperation surrounded by people who do not understand and a Hitchcockian twist at the end.
My second favorite seems to be the least favorite of most readers, the fourth story "Hero Function." I just liked it and, can't figure out a way to explain what I liked without spoiling it. I thought there seemed to be a comment on the nature of how we glorify war, and commercialize everything and how heroes are media products that almost never stand up to scrutiny.
Third would be "Jake the Pig." This one was not "ha-ha funny" but I liked the sense of irony and humor in the twists and turns. It's also a wonderful allegory about how we react to things that are different from us, and how, sometimes it's hard for some parents to love their children as they are and not try to change them. The Damaged comes from forcing change and, in the end, those parents tend to come off worse and suffering more from guilt than their children do. "Is it better to accept me as I am, or to try and force change on me and loose me as your son?" Though, I do not think it was intended to be so, it makes a wonderful teaching allegory for parents accepting a child who is Homosexual or what can happen if you, as a parent cannot find a way to accept them. It's your problem you can't accept them not their problem for being different.
Fourth would be The Romantics" followed closely by, or sharing fourth with "Growing Up." To me one seemed to be the back side of the other. Growing up was filled with warm images, anticipation, excitement and angst. The Romantics had a very dark twist to it about how love may kill you, but it is a thing without which we have trouble justifying life. I enjoyed the light humor, even the dark side of light humor here and a wonderful taste of irony.
The Sixth Slot would be "Cyberstalking", but it was not as memorable as my favorites. Having said that, it was the same twisty short story plot that I liked and I enjoyed it. I just have difficulty remembering it over the strength in the others.
Seven eighth and ninth of ten in my favorites list would be "Tempaghost," "Gluttony" and "The Longest Walk". Again, each of these were okay and enjoyable as I read them, but, once finished I struggled to remember parts of them. Perhaps "The Longest Walk" was the strongest of the three, and reminded me of MacCammon's "Swan Song". Gluttony did not seem as original an idea as most of the others but I appriciated the transformation described here, and, Tempaghost didn't stick with me at all.
My least favorite, and the one that I can say I didn't like, which is not saying I thought all were great, easily more than half, but not all, was "Throwing Up." The Barf-o-rama twist was not exciting for me and, where as I could see "art" in the other stories even if I wasn't excited about them, it was difficult to find the art through the sensationalism and going "over the top" for the effect. Maybe I'm more "Prissy" than I like to think.
**
Overall
This is a good anthology of the weird. Ten short stories that come from left field and remind me of "The Twilight Zone" and "The Outer Limits" that used to keep me enthralled in front of the Television for hours. There is a very enjoyable almost Hitchcock like sense of Humor and now and then the odd story, or bit of story here and there reminded me of the quirky oddness that is so endearing about the Dr. Who Tv Series. I recommend it for all, but know that it's not for all. If you like the unique, unusual and sometimes macabre story, you'll love this.
.
Overall, these are quirky, odd and fun short stories of science fiction and fantasy, mostly sci-fi in nature, that remind me of the quirky tech turned gory humor in the famed BBC Television Show "Dr. Who." A couple of them are short but all are worthwhile reading if you like the macabre and don't mind the occasional odd and interesting twist on things. It's also not the kind of short stories we see from US writers as much. Though there is a difference of style, this may also be a difference of culture (or pop-culture) that would mean it lends itself to UK Readers more than US Readers. That said, surely it's enjoyable enough for people inside any boundaries to read and have fun with.
My favorite stories of this collection were the third story "Too Much Love Can Kill You." It had the strongest plot and was the easiest to see in my mind’s eye. It also had the same sense of frantic desperation surrounded by people who do not understand and a Hitchcockian twist at the end.
My second favorite seems to be the least favorite of most readers, the fourth story "Hero Function." I just liked it and, can't figure out a way to explain what I liked without spoiling it. I thought there seemed to be a comment on the nature of how we glorify war, and commercialize everything and how heroes are media products that almost never stand up to scrutiny.
Third would be "Jake the Pig." This one was not "ha-ha funny" but I liked the sense of irony and humor in the twists and turns. It's also a wonderful allegory about how we react to things that are different from us, and how, sometimes it's hard for some parents to love their children as they are and not try to change them. The Damaged comes from forcing change and, in the end, those parents tend to come off worse and suffering more from guilt than their children do. "Is it better to accept me as I am, or to try and force change on me and loose me as your son?" Though, I do not think it was intended to be so, it makes a wonderful teaching allegory for parents accepting a child who is Homosexual or what can happen if you, as a parent cannot find a way to accept them. It's your problem you can't accept them not their problem for being different.
Fourth would be The Romantics" followed closely by, or sharing fourth with "Growing Up." To me one seemed to be the back side of the other. Growing up was filled with warm images, anticipation, excitement and angst. The Romantics had a very dark twist to it about how love may kill you, but it is a thing without which we have trouble justifying life. I enjoyed the light humor, even the dark side of light humor here and a wonderful taste of irony.
The Sixth Slot would be "Cyberstalking", but it was not as memorable as my favorites. Having said that, it was the same twisty short story plot that I liked and I enjoyed it. I just have difficulty remembering it over the strength in the others.
Seven eighth and ninth of ten in my favorites list would be "Tempaghost," "Gluttony" and "The Longest Walk". Again, each of these were okay and enjoyable as I read them, but, once finished I struggled to remember parts of them. Perhaps "The Longest Walk" was the strongest of the three, and reminded me of MacCammon's "Swan Song". Gluttony did not seem as original an idea as most of the others but I appriciated the transformation described here, and, Tempaghost didn't stick with me at all.
My least favorite, and the one that I can say I didn't like, which is not saying I thought all were great, easily more than half, but not all, was "Throwing Up." The Barf-o-rama twist was not exciting for me and, where as I could see "art" in the other stories even if I wasn't excited about them, it was difficult to find the art through the sensationalism and going "over the top" for the effect. Maybe I'm more "Prissy" than I like to think.
**
Overall
This is a good anthology of the weird. Ten short stories that come from left field and remind me of "The Twilight Zone" and "The Outer Limits" that used to keep me enthralled in front of the Television for hours. There is a very enjoyable almost Hitchcock like sense of Humor and now and then the odd story, or bit of story here and there reminded me of the quirky oddness that is so endearing about the Dr. Who Tv Series. I recommend it for all, but know that it's not for all. If you like the unique, unusual and sometimes macabre story, you'll love this.
.
May 27, 2012
[This is based upon the first three stories. I will amend it as I read the rest and reach a conclusion on which I think are the best ones.]
Something Nice - 10 Stories is clearly written and well editied. It is also very readable and, above all, enjoyable. With poems or short stories I am happy if I like, say, one in four. But I enjoyed all of the first three for different reasons, in part because they show that you are skilled in different styles and moods.
1. GROWING UP
I enjoyed this because it made me feel 17 again. I was there comparing my expierience of that in-between time. They get laid in an idyllic way. The most delightful aspect of my enjoyment here is that I found myself imagining I was still a virgin and wld love to get laid like that. It just seemed wonderful. Even if resulted in a strong sense of anti-climax, disappointment almost. 'Oh, was that it then?' M & B are serious kids, intelligent, alike in some important ways, yet interestingly different, too, potential rivals even. The sex just happens. They almost can't help it. O to have had such a moment when I actually was 17! But then as I read your story, I was 17. This was the magic of it for me. The surreal stuff seemed entirely natural. It was just there. Surreal happens. Life goes on.
Craft wise, I thought the opeing was slick. I cld see the sunlight, the chalk. I was in Ms mind, weighing up the advantages of a beach and methods of death. I found myself empathising with the dim view of the mean average. The Coldplay and meat T-shirt root the story in the now, or the recent now at least. The seagulls seemed to symbolise that speed with which things move. At the time those 6th form years seem so big and important, but, whooosh ... gone. B is aware of it though in this dab, 'Escaping the expectations of all those people who've known me since I was five years old.' This is one super-aware 17-year old. I like the way the story is in several dimension - bump anoter object lands - with M&B seeing life through the prism of a plotline, which leads them to a significant moment in their own lives. This dab caught my eye for its tender sensuousness, 'My finger brushed tentatively agains the folds of her creased T-shirt...' Mrs Dreipomme made me smile. And I liked, 'epicentre of a paper tempest'. 'TALKING HORSES' ... hmm, I wondered if that might actually make a better title than 'SOMETHING NICE'. My only reservation about this story is that a writer writing about writerly tyes seems a bit near to home. But I'm being picky here. I really enjoyed it because I was 17 again when I read it life was sweet.
2. THROWING UP
I was taken with the title of this one. Bring it on! The arch wit was strong from start to finish. You had me chuckling and sniggering in a public place as I read, trying not to dribble on my wife's Kindle.
'A cult of barf' and 'He was well aware of the power of association' almost had me starting to feel a bit ... The Dungeons and Dragons and Green Day refs cement the story in its generation.
This dab was really good, '...indistinct shapes could be seen bobbing around behind the frosted glass...' It is just really good wording. It is an everyday sight we are all familiar with. But you nail it with simple, clear, yet vivid language. It feels effortless. The words don't get in the way. This is good writing.
This line had me rocking because I cld see her innocent smile, 'It's the blood tha does it.' You totally had me with, 'cold callers'. R sets out full of manly resolve, even facing down his wise-ass flatmate and ends up as the cold caller, who ends up out cold and we understand out for good. The bood stained pentangle was a winner. I was eating out of your hand by now because you led me to this point with an entirely plausible build up. '...traces of his house's erratic cleaning schedule...' scored a point and this scored three points, 'Honesly Robert, what are you suggesting?' This was a brilliantly entertaining read.
3. TOO MUCH LOVE CAN KILL YOU
The macabre twists in this story stand out. I think that this story is the strongest of the three plotwise. This dab was very clever, 'the picture slowed to a slow-motion crawl'. It focuses our attention on the moment of tragedy. Though when exactly that moement turns out to be your ace. Classic double-twist stuff. No parent cld read this without wincing a little at the thought of seeing ... Masterful stuff.
4. THE HERO FUNCTION
I'm reading No.10 now and of the ten this one was the weakest for me. I just cldn't work out if you were parodying sci-fi in some way or what. I googled Foucault, too. That said I enjoyed some of the actual writing, and I was quite taken with the bloke in the cloak and the notion of a cough freezing sparks.
These dabs caught my eye: 'pure enough to forge a mindblade' ... 'universe eacing archetype...you have to save the whole of objective reality to keep the funding coming in'. This dab is really vivid, 'a gory blossom of blood' and I smirked at 'pornstar moustache.'
5. JAKE THE PIG
I enjoyed this wryly dark one and the way it examines how we are about difference. The corkscrew tail cld be autism, deformity, any difference in fact. We laugh at it, mock it. But is the deformity real or is the dad nuts? Is he a self-harmer? Or does he crush the glass out of the deepest frustrations? That reflection at the end is really strong. The violence to the tail cld also be construed as some kind of self-harm. I am by no means sure that I am reading it right.
As with the other stories I've read there were some great dabs. I espliked, '...reached the little gang, demanded entry to their circle with a confidence he could only envy...'. This dab was excellent, 'Trying to predict the next bubble that would pop...one modest-sized bubble, adrift on a spiral arm of dwindling froth'. I love that image. It's a fine observation and the wording is great, with adrift/dwindlig just right.
The plate you have spinning here is rotating in an unstable and disturbing way. The humour is wonderfully dark, with this dab keeping your reader guessing, 'OINK! She cupped it tenderly as they kissed.' Are we to laugh or cry? Cracking stuff. And then that ghostly reflection. Do we, your readers, see ourselves also reflected in the mirror of your story perhaps?
6. ROMANTICS
I like the twist at the end and the way the unrequited love cankers the lover's life. I don't suppose it ends the way you have it all that often in real life, but very few of those early loves can survive. Perhaps a msg to draw from the story is that love will screw us up one way or another.
Again, I found some great dabs including, 'the remembered weight of a heavy schoolbag' which I thought excellent. Also liked 'I knew she'd felt someething in Room 17 that night'. This tickled me, 'there were plenty of breasts in the year above us'. This line is great also, 'I was never comfortable with being made to feel like a character in a Pulp song.' Jarvis wld smirk at that one. Maybe this line is as good at it gets, THE MOMENT of maximum awakening, 'I could feel her marvellous tits pressing against my chest for a magical few seconds.' O those few seconds! The rest we can forget. But those few seconds! We will do anything for them. And then be confused and baffled over what to do for the next 6 or 7 decades. Maybe that is why Sky Sport exists. The eight and ninth decades pose entirely different issues. But it is possible that THOSE few seconds are the best of our lives, but we never actually realise it. And, let's be honest, if we did realise it... Pass the revolver, Carruthers.
This line was a cracker 'women never reject me now', but what has he had to become to achieve that state? And can he appreciate their attentions? No. His gone wrong love has cankered him for ever.
The Jo Orman dab underscores how things are when we are teens. The thought of Jo showing her all in the graveyard is arch. And how wonderfully ironic that the story is soon taking us to another grave. The folding shovel dab is good. The fact it is a folding shovel suggests a certain neatness. I really enjoyed this one.
7. GLUTTONY
I don't know what you were drinking in The Grid Inn but it certainly got the creative juices going with this one. And I can see why you mum might have wanted you to write something nice. That said this is a cracking read, very amusing, arch, dark and satiric. It captures aspects of how we are. Gluttony and greed are still prime factors in many a life.
I esp liked these dabs, 'companionable silence' and 'closed his eyes in anticipation...swallowed a large spoonful of the rich brown gunk.' The grossness of Humphrey's decline is masterful. I esp liked, if that is the right word, 'a lake of pus' and 'crunching and slurping in the darkness', his Strongbow standing by.
8. TEMPAGHOST
Liked, 'Who's not dead these days, Robert?'
9. CYBERSTALKING
Hmmm, I didn't make a lot of note for this one either, just 'Aggggh, Mrs.Haversham!'
10. THE LONGEST WALK
I thought the opening graphs of this were really strong. They reminded me of certain bits of THE STAND. The dreaded call centre is an anchor for a whole generation of job seekers. Maybe some of my kids will end up in them.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Conclusion. I enjoyed six out of ten, which when it comes to short stories of poems is an excellent strike rate. I wld still have been happy if I had only enjoyed three. With poems I am happy if I enjoy one poem out of ten. I like your wit and as I've tried to point out there are some find brilliant turns of phrase in most of the stories. I will let the read settle in my head for a day or two and then try and sum up in a review for your amazon page.
On the strength of what I've read I wld happily read more of whatever you may serve up next.
I thought GROWING UP, JAKE THE PIG and TOO MUCH LOVE were the best. I think TOO MUCH LOVE might be the one to put into competitions because of the classic short story twists.
Ron Askew
amazon review.
Andrew Lawston is an engaging contemporary writer with an easy touch and a diamond-tipped wit. He has a natural eye for a story and can write in a variety of genres. Above all, for me at least, his fertile mind produces some love turns of phrase. I would have been happy if I had liked three or four out of the ten stories in his SOMETHING NICE collection. I actually enjoyed seven out of ten and though one of the other three was almost there. So I enjoyed 7-1/2 stories out of ten, if it possible to enjoy half a story. I was impressed. Above all I enjoyed the read and found myself looking for moments to steal a little kindle time with his stories. I was curious to see what he would do next and I would happily have read on if there had been twenty stories in the collection. One of his stories made me feel seventeen again. Another had me rocking with ribald laughter. Another made me think. Here is one of my favourite dabs, 'the remembered weight of a heavy schoolbag'. There were at least a score of similar passages which caught my eye. Anyone who was growing up in the nineties and noughties will instantly know where Andrew Lawston is coming from.
Something Nice - 10 Stories is clearly written and well editied. It is also very readable and, above all, enjoyable. With poems or short stories I am happy if I like, say, one in four. But I enjoyed all of the first three for different reasons, in part because they show that you are skilled in different styles and moods.
1. GROWING UP
I enjoyed this because it made me feel 17 again. I was there comparing my expierience of that in-between time. They get laid in an idyllic way. The most delightful aspect of my enjoyment here is that I found myself imagining I was still a virgin and wld love to get laid like that. It just seemed wonderful. Even if resulted in a strong sense of anti-climax, disappointment almost. 'Oh, was that it then?' M & B are serious kids, intelligent, alike in some important ways, yet interestingly different, too, potential rivals even. The sex just happens. They almost can't help it. O to have had such a moment when I actually was 17! But then as I read your story, I was 17. This was the magic of it for me. The surreal stuff seemed entirely natural. It was just there. Surreal happens. Life goes on.
Craft wise, I thought the opeing was slick. I cld see the sunlight, the chalk. I was in Ms mind, weighing up the advantages of a beach and methods of death. I found myself empathising with the dim view of the mean average. The Coldplay and meat T-shirt root the story in the now, or the recent now at least. The seagulls seemed to symbolise that speed with which things move. At the time those 6th form years seem so big and important, but, whooosh ... gone. B is aware of it though in this dab, 'Escaping the expectations of all those people who've known me since I was five years old.' This is one super-aware 17-year old. I like the way the story is in several dimension - bump anoter object lands - with M&B seeing life through the prism of a plotline, which leads them to a significant moment in their own lives. This dab caught my eye for its tender sensuousness, 'My finger brushed tentatively agains the folds of her creased T-shirt...' Mrs Dreipomme made me smile. And I liked, 'epicentre of a paper tempest'. 'TALKING HORSES' ... hmm, I wondered if that might actually make a better title than 'SOMETHING NICE'. My only reservation about this story is that a writer writing about writerly tyes seems a bit near to home. But I'm being picky here. I really enjoyed it because I was 17 again when I read it life was sweet.
2. THROWING UP
I was taken with the title of this one. Bring it on! The arch wit was strong from start to finish. You had me chuckling and sniggering in a public place as I read, trying not to dribble on my wife's Kindle.
'A cult of barf' and 'He was well aware of the power of association' almost had me starting to feel a bit ... The Dungeons and Dragons and Green Day refs cement the story in its generation.
This dab was really good, '...indistinct shapes could be seen bobbing around behind the frosted glass...' It is just really good wording. It is an everyday sight we are all familiar with. But you nail it with simple, clear, yet vivid language. It feels effortless. The words don't get in the way. This is good writing.
This line had me rocking because I cld see her innocent smile, 'It's the blood tha does it.' You totally had me with, 'cold callers'. R sets out full of manly resolve, even facing down his wise-ass flatmate and ends up as the cold caller, who ends up out cold and we understand out for good. The bood stained pentangle was a winner. I was eating out of your hand by now because you led me to this point with an entirely plausible build up. '...traces of his house's erratic cleaning schedule...' scored a point and this scored three points, 'Honesly Robert, what are you suggesting?' This was a brilliantly entertaining read.
3. TOO MUCH LOVE CAN KILL YOU
The macabre twists in this story stand out. I think that this story is the strongest of the three plotwise. This dab was very clever, 'the picture slowed to a slow-motion crawl'. It focuses our attention on the moment of tragedy. Though when exactly that moement turns out to be your ace. Classic double-twist stuff. No parent cld read this without wincing a little at the thought of seeing ... Masterful stuff.
4. THE HERO FUNCTION
I'm reading No.10 now and of the ten this one was the weakest for me. I just cldn't work out if you were parodying sci-fi in some way or what. I googled Foucault, too. That said I enjoyed some of the actual writing, and I was quite taken with the bloke in the cloak and the notion of a cough freezing sparks.
These dabs caught my eye: 'pure enough to forge a mindblade' ... 'universe eacing archetype...you have to save the whole of objective reality to keep the funding coming in'. This dab is really vivid, 'a gory blossom of blood' and I smirked at 'pornstar moustache.'
5. JAKE THE PIG
I enjoyed this wryly dark one and the way it examines how we are about difference. The corkscrew tail cld be autism, deformity, any difference in fact. We laugh at it, mock it. But is the deformity real or is the dad nuts? Is he a self-harmer? Or does he crush the glass out of the deepest frustrations? That reflection at the end is really strong. The violence to the tail cld also be construed as some kind of self-harm. I am by no means sure that I am reading it right.
As with the other stories I've read there were some great dabs. I espliked, '...reached the little gang, demanded entry to their circle with a confidence he could only envy...'. This dab was excellent, 'Trying to predict the next bubble that would pop...one modest-sized bubble, adrift on a spiral arm of dwindling froth'. I love that image. It's a fine observation and the wording is great, with adrift/dwindlig just right.
The plate you have spinning here is rotating in an unstable and disturbing way. The humour is wonderfully dark, with this dab keeping your reader guessing, 'OINK! She cupped it tenderly as they kissed.' Are we to laugh or cry? Cracking stuff. And then that ghostly reflection. Do we, your readers, see ourselves also reflected in the mirror of your story perhaps?
6. ROMANTICS
I like the twist at the end and the way the unrequited love cankers the lover's life. I don't suppose it ends the way you have it all that often in real life, but very few of those early loves can survive. Perhaps a msg to draw from the story is that love will screw us up one way or another.
Again, I found some great dabs including, 'the remembered weight of a heavy schoolbag' which I thought excellent. Also liked 'I knew she'd felt someething in Room 17 that night'. This tickled me, 'there were plenty of breasts in the year above us'. This line is great also, 'I was never comfortable with being made to feel like a character in a Pulp song.' Jarvis wld smirk at that one. Maybe this line is as good at it gets, THE MOMENT of maximum awakening, 'I could feel her marvellous tits pressing against my chest for a magical few seconds.' O those few seconds! The rest we can forget. But those few seconds! We will do anything for them. And then be confused and baffled over what to do for the next 6 or 7 decades. Maybe that is why Sky Sport exists. The eight and ninth decades pose entirely different issues. But it is possible that THOSE few seconds are the best of our lives, but we never actually realise it. And, let's be honest, if we did realise it... Pass the revolver, Carruthers.
This line was a cracker 'women never reject me now', but what has he had to become to achieve that state? And can he appreciate their attentions? No. His gone wrong love has cankered him for ever.
The Jo Orman dab underscores how things are when we are teens. The thought of Jo showing her all in the graveyard is arch. And how wonderfully ironic that the story is soon taking us to another grave. The folding shovel dab is good. The fact it is a folding shovel suggests a certain neatness. I really enjoyed this one.
7. GLUTTONY
I don't know what you were drinking in The Grid Inn but it certainly got the creative juices going with this one. And I can see why you mum might have wanted you to write something nice. That said this is a cracking read, very amusing, arch, dark and satiric. It captures aspects of how we are. Gluttony and greed are still prime factors in many a life.
I esp liked these dabs, 'companionable silence' and 'closed his eyes in anticipation...swallowed a large spoonful of the rich brown gunk.' The grossness of Humphrey's decline is masterful. I esp liked, if that is the right word, 'a lake of pus' and 'crunching and slurping in the darkness', his Strongbow standing by.
8. TEMPAGHOST
Liked, 'Who's not dead these days, Robert?'
9. CYBERSTALKING
Hmmm, I didn't make a lot of note for this one either, just 'Aggggh, Mrs.Haversham!'
10. THE LONGEST WALK
I thought the opening graphs of this were really strong. They reminded me of certain bits of THE STAND. The dreaded call centre is an anchor for a whole generation of job seekers. Maybe some of my kids will end up in them.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Conclusion. I enjoyed six out of ten, which when it comes to short stories of poems is an excellent strike rate. I wld still have been happy if I had only enjoyed three. With poems I am happy if I enjoy one poem out of ten. I like your wit and as I've tried to point out there are some find brilliant turns of phrase in most of the stories. I will let the read settle in my head for a day or two and then try and sum up in a review for your amazon page.
On the strength of what I've read I wld happily read more of whatever you may serve up next.
I thought GROWING UP, JAKE THE PIG and TOO MUCH LOVE were the best. I think TOO MUCH LOVE might be the one to put into competitions because of the classic short story twists.
Ron Askew
amazon review.
Andrew Lawston is an engaging contemporary writer with an easy touch and a diamond-tipped wit. He has a natural eye for a story and can write in a variety of genres. Above all, for me at least, his fertile mind produces some love turns of phrase. I would have been happy if I had liked three or four out of the ten stories in his SOMETHING NICE collection. I actually enjoyed seven out of ten and though one of the other three was almost there. So I enjoyed 7-1/2 stories out of ten, if it possible to enjoy half a story. I was impressed. Above all I enjoyed the read and found myself looking for moments to steal a little kindle time with his stories. I was curious to see what he would do next and I would happily have read on if there had been twenty stories in the collection. One of his stories made me feel seventeen again. Another had me rocking with ribald laughter. Another made me think. Here is one of my favourite dabs, 'the remembered weight of a heavy schoolbag'. There were at least a score of similar passages which caught my eye. Anyone who was growing up in the nineties and noughties will instantly know where Andrew Lawston is coming from.
July 7, 2012
A very wide range of short stories are shown in this anthology. All stories entice the emotions and provoke the reader to keep reading, gripping their attention. Within the stories, the characters are easy to relate to enabling you to understand their emotions as they go through their story. I love how the writer is able to write about different circumstances, meaning there is something for everyone within this anthology.
My favourite story is `Too much Love can kill you' this touches my heart. All the other stories have touched my emotions and made me want to read on, especially the ones left on a cliff-hanger. Andrew's writing techniques are imaginative and creative and thoroughly enjoyable. These stories allow room for the reader to digest what's happening and think for themselves. I would recommend this anthology to anyone; the short stories are perfect reading when you don't have much time or want to read something before bedtime and I am looking forward to the next piece from this author.
My favourite story is `Too much Love can kill you' this touches my heart. All the other stories have touched my emotions and made me want to read on, especially the ones left on a cliff-hanger. Andrew's writing techniques are imaginative and creative and thoroughly enjoyable. These stories allow room for the reader to digest what's happening and think for themselves. I would recommend this anthology to anyone; the short stories are perfect reading when you don't have much time or want to read something before bedtime and I am looking forward to the next piece from this author.
July 9, 2012
I found this book absolutely enchanting, there is a steady flow to the book that lifts you up and pulls you along making you absorbed into Lawston's words.
I read this book whilst on holiday and couldn't put it down, which leads to my one real criticism that 10 stories just didn't feel enough, I was left longing for more.
By far my favourite story was 'Too Much Love Can Kill You'. I found myself on a roller-coaster of emotions, from anticipation, morose and feeling thoroughly uplifted.
I'll be first in line for any further installments.
June 3, 2012
Perhaps it was the cover, a pint of ale and an open notebook full of handwritten words, which piqued my interest. Or maybe it was the description of the book which drew my curiosity. I don't read much fiction, nor short stories, but I purchased a copy of Andrew K. Lawston's book nonetheless.
Something Nice: 10 Stories, was a very pleasant surprise – imaginative, creative, and with a certain dark humor that I found both entertaining and thought provoking. All of the ten shorts were good, three I particularly liked, and “The late Romantics” was my favorite. Wow! I thought as I read the final words of this story...what an ending!
Needless to say, I am looking forward to Andrew's second volume and won't hesitate to buy it when it becomes available.
Something Nice: 10 Stories, was a very pleasant surprise – imaginative, creative, and with a certain dark humor that I found both entertaining and thought provoking. All of the ten shorts were good, three I particularly liked, and “The late Romantics” was my favorite. Wow! I thought as I read the final words of this story...what an ending!
Needless to say, I am looking forward to Andrew's second volume and won't hesitate to buy it when it becomes available.
February 8, 2024
I received this book for free in exchange for my honest opinion and review:
I gave this book 4 stars and here is why:
'Something Nice' is made up of 10 short stories of all different genres including Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Comedy.
If you're a fan of British comedy then you will most definitely love this book! You'll never be bored with the array of well written and extremely strange book!
On a lighter note, don't judge the book by its cover it doesn't really relate to any of the stories.
After reading the 'Afterword' I can honestly say I love the name of the book and what it symbolises and Andrew Lawston is a brilliant author! Bravo!
Here is the link to my Amazon Review:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R2KD2G...
I gave this book 4 stars and here is why:
'Something Nice' is made up of 10 short stories of all different genres including Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Comedy.
If you're a fan of British comedy then you will most definitely love this book! You'll never be bored with the array of well written and extremely strange book!
On a lighter note, don't judge the book by its cover it doesn't really relate to any of the stories.
After reading the 'Afterword' I can honestly say I love the name of the book and what it symbolises and Andrew Lawston is a brilliant author! Bravo!
Here is the link to my Amazon Review:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R2KD2G...
May 4, 2012
Andrew Lawston is a new writer to me although these stories have evidently had previous incarnations. There wasn't a single one I didn't enjoy. They were particularly well written and all had that little edge of discomfort. With many, you wondered if it could happen. The best accolade I can give him is that his stories didn't remind me of anyone else's work. He writes with his own voice. Long may he continue.
November 14, 2012
I enjoyed these little stories greatly, and will gladly read more. Andrew Lawston has an enviable command of language and a Lynchian ability to spot the darkness lurking in the suburbia. Some of the stories are not for the faint-hearted, but then, so is life.
October 1, 2012
Absolutely loved this collection of short stories. They were all quirky, well thought out and a brilliant combination of funny, shocking and different. Each story is special in it's own way and they all stand out. One of my favourite collections.
July 11, 2016
Some really well written pieces of short fiction. Well worth reading with a wry and twisty touch. Not all my cup of tea but not at all a trial to read.
July 9, 2021
Something Nice - 10 Stories wasn't as predictable as many in this currentlyreading genre, it kept you guessing and turning pages.
September 2, 2014
This book is a collection of unconnected short stories. While they seem a bit disjointed at first, once I reached the third short story, I began to get into the flow a little better. At this point, I retraced my steps and started back at the beginning, and got much more out of the stories than I had the first time around.
These short stories are extremely well written. Since they are short, you are immediately thrown into the plot, at times completely unaware of what is going on. But each time I started a new story, I was hooked from the first paragraph!
The stories are all unique and a little disturbing, which is a genre that I particularly enjoy. There's something fascinating and thrilling about delving into a story and knowing that no matter what initial assumptions you make about that story, the ending might completely throw you for a loop!
Lawston did a fantastic job with these short stories. I was pleasantly surprised with each of them. I also got a kick out of his ending note on why he titled the book "Something Nice." I definitely loved the inside joke.
These short stories are extremely well written. Since they are short, you are immediately thrown into the plot, at times completely unaware of what is going on. But each time I started a new story, I was hooked from the first paragraph!
The stories are all unique and a little disturbing, which is a genre that I particularly enjoy. There's something fascinating and thrilling about delving into a story and knowing that no matter what initial assumptions you make about that story, the ending might completely throw you for a loop!
Lawston did a fantastic job with these short stories. I was pleasantly surprised with each of them. I also got a kick out of his ending note on why he titled the book "Something Nice." I definitely loved the inside joke.
March 5, 2015
Fun collection of gruesome little stories.
February 12, 2016
If I were to pick a nit, it's that the gender balance is a bit boysy. But otherwise, thoroughly enjoyed this and off to buy vol 2
October 3, 2023
Masterpiece of Not-So-Nice Bite-Sized Stories
Something nice, this ain't. Something good, it is. Nay, I'll go further than that. Something brilliant, this is.
Prolific writer Andrew K Lawston has produced a little masterpiece of bite-sized stories in this superb collection. Every one a gem, ranging from diamonds, rubies and emeralds in genre. Sci-fi, horror, fantasy and supernatural all leap off the page, completely engulfing the reader directly in all sorts of strange, uncharted territory.
You're definitely not simply reading words on a screen when you dip into this Kindle-only book, you're instantly engulfed in whatever situation the main character faces, and let out that breath you've been holding when you reach the end of the tale and are transported back into the real world.
Satire plays its part in a couple of the stories, as does humour which is used to great effect even in the darkest tales.
As well as his skillful and highly-toned use of language, the author uses a particularly neat technique in a number of these stories which reinforces our presence in his fictional world. And that is to regularly throw in the names of real bands, TV shows, films, and games, which provide a powerful touch of realism. These real-world reminders nudge the unbelievable ever-closer towards being believable.
So, why Something Nice? Why not something like Something Unnerving, Something Unsettling, or Something Strange, because each of those definitions applies here? You have to wait for the Afterword to get the delicious in-joke of where the title came from.
Talking of in-jokes, I particularly liked the cut-scene in the opening story, where two teenagers are discussing a creative writing assignment, and talk about how cut-scenes are used when sex scenes get too steamy for a school essay. And all of a sudden, the author has to use one.
Most stories, but not all, were written in pubs; and most, but not all, have been published in anthologies or online. One thing they all have in common, though, is readability.
I love short story collections, and this is the most loveable I've read all year.
Something nice, this ain't. Something good, it is. Nay, I'll go further than that. Something brilliant, this is.
Prolific writer Andrew K Lawston has produced a little masterpiece of bite-sized stories in this superb collection. Every one a gem, ranging from diamonds, rubies and emeralds in genre. Sci-fi, horror, fantasy and supernatural all leap off the page, completely engulfing the reader directly in all sorts of strange, uncharted territory.
You're definitely not simply reading words on a screen when you dip into this Kindle-only book, you're instantly engulfed in whatever situation the main character faces, and let out that breath you've been holding when you reach the end of the tale and are transported back into the real world.
Satire plays its part in a couple of the stories, as does humour which is used to great effect even in the darkest tales.
As well as his skillful and highly-toned use of language, the author uses a particularly neat technique in a number of these stories which reinforces our presence in his fictional world. And that is to regularly throw in the names of real bands, TV shows, films, and games, which provide a powerful touch of realism. These real-world reminders nudge the unbelievable ever-closer towards being believable.
So, why Something Nice? Why not something like Something Unnerving, Something Unsettling, or Something Strange, because each of those definitions applies here? You have to wait for the Afterword to get the delicious in-joke of where the title came from.
Talking of in-jokes, I particularly liked the cut-scene in the opening story, where two teenagers are discussing a creative writing assignment, and talk about how cut-scenes are used when sex scenes get too steamy for a school essay. And all of a sudden, the author has to use one.
Most stories, but not all, were written in pubs; and most, but not all, have been published in anthologies or online. One thing they all have in common, though, is readability.
I love short story collections, and this is the most loveable I've read all year.
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