Micro Weird is an anthology of fifteen flash fiction stories from the author of Cold in the Light and the Talera Trilogy. The collection contains horror stories, science fiction tales, humor, and even some mainstream pieces. The common denominator that ties the stories together is the “twist ending.”
I grew up on a farm in Arkansas, and I fully intend to retire right back to that same farm. But not yet. I came to Louisiana in 1986 to teach Biological Psychology at Xavier University in New Orleans. I've been there ever since, although I now live in a semi-rural area outside Abita Springs, Louisiana.
My primary writing interests are in Fantasy and Horror, which are the genres where my books and most of my short stories fit. I also write nonfiction, however, and poetry.
The fifteen stories in this collection of flash fiction are of varying lengths. They encompass horror, science fiction, and some that don't neatly fit into any category. The two things they all have in common are finely told tales and a twist ending. Charles kept me guessing, usually wrong most of the time to my great delight.
A postscript talks about a book he found when young that influenced his work, particularly some of these pieces, as well as Lovecraft and Wagner. He found it in those long ago days before the internet made such purchases much easier.
He also has a bit about each story, how he came to write it, where it might previously appeared, and such.
Charles's work is always thought provoking and interesting, a nea trick not always pulled off by some writers.
I would recommend this one if you like flash fiction pieces.
In this aptly titled collection, Charles Gramlich has gathered fifteen very short stories. In them, we find ghosts, aliens, planets, spaceships, or just plain human beings whose bizarre behavior or circumstances warrant them a place in this anthology of the weird.
Out of the fifteen stories, some are lyrical, some are humorous, some are tinged with sadness, most are disturbing, one was downright scary, and all of them have a delightful twist in the end. As a bonus, in the end we get a bit of history about the author's early literary influences and a bit of history about each piece - this is a part I enjoyed just as much as reading the stories themselves.
Flash fiction is not easy to write, but Mr. Gramlich is a master storyteller and I very highly recommend this collection.
A reader may hear or see the phrases rich texture, fulfilling the writer’s purpose, or capturing the imagination in describing a talented wordsmith. In putting together these short passages of prose in Micro Weird: Tiny Tales of the Strange, Charles Gramlich has managed all three. If you enjoy flash fiction, and sharply honed plots mixed in with the macabre, Micro Weird fits the bill perfectly.