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Strange Way Out
Sammy is a man with problems. Most of the time, he doesn't remember what day it is, what town he lives in, or even what he's doing on a day-to-day basis.
Sammy's worst problem is that all his other problems are his own fault. He's twenty-six, has no job, and lives with his mom - and he spends all his efforts trying to hide his dark secrets from the world... and from himself.
One day, during a routine trip to commit mail fraud, his life takes a turn for the weird. What is for him a normal morning becomes the strangest situation he has ever faced: and it only snowballs from there.
But is his day merely strange, or is it a 'Strange Way Out?'
Along the way, he meets a new friend, is forced to confront his darkest secrets, and faced with a choice: keep his secrets inside, to rot him from the inside out, or expose his truth for the world to see and judge.
A fight for survival in every sense - physical, emotional, and spiritual - 'Strange Way Out' is a story of one young man's dawning realization that he has a part to play in his own life, and his struggle to find the courage to play that part as best he can, for better or worse, in the face of seemingly unnatural terrors and all too human threats to his existence.
Sammy's worst problem is that all his other problems are his own fault. He's twenty-six, has no job, and lives with his mom - and he spends all his efforts trying to hide his dark secrets from the world... and from himself.
One day, during a routine trip to commit mail fraud, his life takes a turn for the weird. What is for him a normal morning becomes the strangest situation he has ever faced: and it only snowballs from there.
But is his day merely strange, or is it a 'Strange Way Out?'
Along the way, he meets a new friend, is forced to confront his darkest secrets, and faced with a choice: keep his secrets inside, to rot him from the inside out, or expose his truth for the world to see and judge.
A fight for survival in every sense - physical, emotional, and spiritual - 'Strange Way Out' is a story of one young man's dawning realization that he has a part to play in his own life, and his struggle to find the courage to play that part as best he can, for better or worse, in the face of seemingly unnatural terrors and all too human threats to his existence.
- GenresFiction
51 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 30, 2013
2 people are currently reading
112 people want to read
About the author
Troy Blackford
24 books2,477 followersTroy Blackford lives in the Twin Cities. He has nineteen published short stories, and eight longer works available for Kindle and in paperback.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
July 30, 2014
A very strange story, but I like stories that make you ask, "What is real, and what is not?" And, "How the hell did the story get here?" Really man? Octopus, snake-y tentacles, and cops with chainsaws? Why not.
June 3, 2013
Troy is a writer to watch. His character development is great. I keep waiting for him to write something really big and gritty.....he's worth reading!
June 12, 2013
After Emergent Pattern, I wasn't really too sure what to expect from Strange Way Out. With Emergent Pattern, I had a difficult time really getting a good sync between the story being told and the 'voice' telling it. When I read the 'look inside' for Strange Way Out, though, I was intrigued - and that intrigue proved to be fully justified.
In Strange Way Out, Mr. Blackford's voice is crystal-clear and dead-on. It's a bit quirky at times, it's somewhat unique at times and it's very precise and powerful all the time. Mr. Blackford clearly has either one hell of a vocabulary or one hell of a thesaurus. Actually, I can honestly say I like the way this story is told even better than I like the story itself. With Emergent Pattern being my first experience with Mr. Blackford's work, and considering how much I actually liked that story, I almost couldn't help but wonder if Mr. Blackford's creativity was the stronger of his assets. I'm delighted to say that I was completely wrong, and in Strange Way Out Mr. Blackford has laid to rest even the slightest notion of that and proven that his talent as a writer is absolutely on par with his creativity.
In Strange Way Out, the story revolves around a 26-year-old guy named Sammy, who has a secret - at least he thinks he does. One day, as he's going about the routine he has developed to keep his secret just that, he suddenly runs into a major complication. In his attempts to extricate himself from the situation this complication has thrust him into, Sammy has quite the incredible and harrowing adventure. Along the way, he even pairs up with an old school acquaintance who seems to have been dropped into the same adventure through some complications of her own. As the pair work their way through their predicament, it's only in the last scene that the true nature of the circumstances are revealed. Suffice it to say, all is not as it seems.
It was somewhere around the 30% mark that I began to get a halfway decent idea of where the story was likely heading, just after Sammy entered the woods. Prior to that, I simply had no clue what was up (other than the pretty obvious nature of Sammy's secret), rather I was simply totally enamored with the story being told and the mystery of where it was all going. I was a bit off, still, on how I expected it would ultimately end - but the basic concept I expected more-or-less held. I did feel in the 80-85% area of the book, the story got just a tiny bit 'preachy' about the subject matter, but it wasn't anywhere near enough to be off-putting.
The editing of this book is high quality (I only noted two minor typos) and the writing is grammatically solid. Overall, the story being told is very good. The telling of that story, however, is fantastic.
If you're looking for a high-quality, compelling and entertaining short story with all kinds of strange elements, I highly recommend Strange Way Out by Troy Blackford. On second thought, even if a high-quality, compelling and entertaining short story with all kinds of strange elements is NOT what you're looking for, I still highly recommend Strange Way Out by Troy Blackford.
In Strange Way Out, Mr. Blackford's voice is crystal-clear and dead-on. It's a bit quirky at times, it's somewhat unique at times and it's very precise and powerful all the time. Mr. Blackford clearly has either one hell of a vocabulary or one hell of a thesaurus. Actually, I can honestly say I like the way this story is told even better than I like the story itself. With Emergent Pattern being my first experience with Mr. Blackford's work, and considering how much I actually liked that story, I almost couldn't help but wonder if Mr. Blackford's creativity was the stronger of his assets. I'm delighted to say that I was completely wrong, and in Strange Way Out Mr. Blackford has laid to rest even the slightest notion of that and proven that his talent as a writer is absolutely on par with his creativity.
In Strange Way Out, the story revolves around a 26-year-old guy named Sammy, who has a secret - at least he thinks he does. One day, as he's going about the routine he has developed to keep his secret just that, he suddenly runs into a major complication. In his attempts to extricate himself from the situation this complication has thrust him into, Sammy has quite the incredible and harrowing adventure. Along the way, he even pairs up with an old school acquaintance who seems to have been dropped into the same adventure through some complications of her own. As the pair work their way through their predicament, it's only in the last scene that the true nature of the circumstances are revealed. Suffice it to say, all is not as it seems.
It was somewhere around the 30% mark that I began to get a halfway decent idea of where the story was likely heading, just after Sammy entered the woods. Prior to that, I simply had no clue what was up (other than the pretty obvious nature of Sammy's secret), rather I was simply totally enamored with the story being told and the mystery of where it was all going. I was a bit off, still, on how I expected it would ultimately end - but the basic concept I expected more-or-less held. I did feel in the 80-85% area of the book, the story got just a tiny bit 'preachy' about the subject matter, but it wasn't anywhere near enough to be off-putting.
The editing of this book is high quality (I only noted two minor typos) and the writing is grammatically solid. Overall, the story being told is very good. The telling of that story, however, is fantastic.
If you're looking for a high-quality, compelling and entertaining short story with all kinds of strange elements, I highly recommend Strange Way Out by Troy Blackford. On second thought, even if a high-quality, compelling and entertaining short story with all kinds of strange elements is NOT what you're looking for, I still highly recommend Strange Way Out by Troy Blackford.
November 13, 2014
In a story that is longer than a short story but shorter than a novella, we encounter the bizarre and somewhat confused looking man Sammy, who experiences a crazy trip, an outlandish flight and finally finds himself.
Just when you think it could hardly get any worse a squid appears.
A true pleasure to read, not too long and not too short.
Bravo, Troy Blackford!
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
Just when you think it could hardly get any worse a squid appears.
A true pleasure to read, not too long and not too short.
Bravo, Troy Blackford!
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
July 20, 2013
This is generally not my genre but I had read a few stories on this author's blog that I really liked, so I decided to give this one a try. Besides, I could use a break from the smutty romance.
To be honest, I thought it was a little odd at first but it wasn't long before I was completely engrossed by the story and I needed to know what in the world was going on, I could not put my kindle down. The whole time I was reading, I was trying to piece the story together trying to figure out what was going on, what was happening and how it was all going to end, and I can truly say I was completely and pleasantly surprised with the ending. It was absolutely fantastic. I cannot say enough good things about this story. This is a definite must read, trust me it will not disappoint you.
To be honest, I thought it was a little odd at first but it wasn't long before I was completely engrossed by the story and I needed to know what in the world was going on, I could not put my kindle down. The whole time I was reading, I was trying to piece the story together trying to figure out what was going on, what was happening and how it was all going to end, and I can truly say I was completely and pleasantly surprised with the ending. It was absolutely fantastic. I cannot say enough good things about this story. This is a definite must read, trust me it will not disappoint you.
September 19, 2013
A great tale from the "pen" of Troy Blackford that begins in a bizarro style, but by the time the reader gets to the end all is revealed as to what's been going on, and it all makes perfect sense.
I'd figured out the issue that Sammy, the main male character had quite early on in the story, but really had no idea of the ending, which was a real "Ta-dah!" moment.
Enjoyable reading as ever, Troy Blackford never fails to entertain, and this short story is yet another of his books that I have no hesitation in recommending.
I'd figured out the issue that Sammy, the main male character had quite early on in the story, but really had no idea of the ending, which was a real "Ta-dah!" moment.
Enjoyable reading as ever, Troy Blackford never fails to entertain, and this short story is yet another of his books that I have no hesitation in recommending.
July 12, 2013
(*May or may not have a spoiler*)
It's one of those stories when you're like, "what's not to like?", but let me give a few specifics. It's about a man with an issue of trying to keep his problem a secret, a strange intervention, a fight for survival that may or may not involve one bioluminescent tentacled creature, and a girl who could kick ass, (which you know I'm a sucker for.). Go enjoy Sammy's journey while he finds a Strange Way Out.
It's one of those stories when you're like, "what's not to like?", but let me give a few specifics. It's about a man with an issue of trying to keep his problem a secret, a strange intervention, a fight for survival that may or may not involve one bioluminescent tentacled creature, and a girl who could kick ass, (which you know I'm a sucker for.). Go enjoy Sammy's journey while he finds a Strange Way Out.
October 21, 2013
This is the first Troy Blackford book/story I've ever read, and it surely won't be the last. A bit House of Leaves, a bit Black Mirror, Strange Way Out needs to be turned into a film or into a TV episode right away. Reading this story in one evening made me feel more excited than Prime Time drama or movie night.
SPOILER: I'd only object about the "love story" bit. My kingdom for a story where people from the opposite sex don't fall in love with each other. Also, my kingdom for a Happy Hooker.
SPOILER: I'd only object about the "love story" bit. My kingdom for a story where people from the opposite sex don't fall in love with each other. Also, my kingdom for a Happy Hooker.
December 31, 2013
This isn't just a story - it's a trippy, crazy, emotional roller coaster! I was thoroughly entertained by this book. Blackford is a great writer and every book of his that I've read is lots of fun. Reading a Troy Blackford story is enjoyable for me like reading early S. King. This guy takes absurd risks that always pay off for us readers. If you haven't read this story - get it... now. It's a fun ride and well worth the price of admission.
September 28, 2015
Certainly had me wondering... The ending was a definite twist. I won't be a spoiler. The writing has a twilight zone feel. I don't normally read short stories so the pace is fast. I don't know what Troys plans are but I would certainly encourage him to write a novel (assuming he hasn't?). He has the ability to bring the reader into the story, to visualize the scene. Looking forward to it :)
December 20, 2013
I liked it!
It reminded me a little bit of the movie "The Game" with Michael Douglas...
Going into further detail would spoil the experience for future readers, so I will refrain from doing so, at this point.
I recommend it to everyone, who has about half an hour to spare!
It reminded me a little bit of the movie "The Game" with Michael Douglas...
Going into further detail would spoil the experience for future readers, so I will refrain from doing so, at this point.
I recommend it to everyone, who has about half an hour to spare!
October 31, 2013
Couldn't put it down. Is it reality? Is it a dream? Is it in-between? I suggest you read it to find out. I promise, your heart rate will go up :)
October 23, 2016
Strange Way Out by Troy Blackford is a short story I downloaded through Kindle Unlimited (KU). It is surreal in tone. As it started out I thought the protagonist was a high school teenager but Sammy was an unemployed twenty-six-year-old living with his mother. He had a secret so secret that he didn’t know it. If he felt threatened to live in the world of reality, he took another hit from something he had purchased through the internet then slipped back into a comfortable world that reacted only to immediate stimuli. His only concern was to make sure that his mother didn’t know.
But someone found out that he was doing something probably illegal. They came to get him in the guise of police officers. For most police officers the sidearm of choice is not a chainsaw. Sammy was locked up briefly but escaped after the explosion that blew the walls out of his jail. Then it was time to run. Men with chainsaws were chasing him. A text message told him to enter a bunker. Although a good suggestion, he found it difficult to do. After much pounding on the door, it opened suddenly on its own. Entering the completely dark bunker he was attacked by a wrench-wielding Legacy. She claimed that was her name (it wasn’t). Not trusting each other completely, they knew they had to escape from the bunker before the chainsaw wielders broke through the bunker door. There were many routes and tunnels they could choose for their flight but the octopus in pursuit had many tentacles so their choices were somewhat limited.
And that leads us to the surprise ending. It was creative and introduced me to a service used by Sammy, his mom and Amanda (also known as Legacy). This is an interesting short story written by an independent author of the type to be read when you are on a boring trip or in a boring meeting. Even the copyright notice at the beginning of the story is interesting.
But someone found out that he was doing something probably illegal. They came to get him in the guise of police officers. For most police officers the sidearm of choice is not a chainsaw. Sammy was locked up briefly but escaped after the explosion that blew the walls out of his jail. Then it was time to run. Men with chainsaws were chasing him. A text message told him to enter a bunker. Although a good suggestion, he found it difficult to do. After much pounding on the door, it opened suddenly on its own. Entering the completely dark bunker he was attacked by a wrench-wielding Legacy. She claimed that was her name (it wasn’t). Not trusting each other completely, they knew they had to escape from the bunker before the chainsaw wielders broke through the bunker door. There were many routes and tunnels they could choose for their flight but the octopus in pursuit had many tentacles so their choices were somewhat limited.
And that leads us to the surprise ending. It was creative and introduced me to a service used by Sammy, his mom and Amanda (also known as Legacy). This is an interesting short story written by an independent author of the type to be read when you are on a boring trip or in a boring meeting. Even the copyright notice at the beginning of the story is interesting.
August 28, 2013
Strange indeed. I admit I didn't really like the book at first... I put it down after the first few pages because I had no idea what was going on. It redeemed itself toward the end, with a twist I certainly didn't see coming. Well done, Mr. Blackford. I may have to check out more of your stories.
October 23, 2013
Honestly, I enjoyed it up until the end. I was hoping for...more.
Quick read, great descriptive writing. I will check out more from this author.
Quick read, great descriptive writing. I will check out more from this author.
August 30, 2014
An original short story. Interesting context, enjoyable throughout.
December 20, 2016
It was interesting and worth the read. Nothing extraordinary but good nevertheless
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews