Winds of Change

by Jason Brannon, Kirk Alberts (Illustrator), Angeline Hawkes-Craig (Editor)

A group of complete strangers are trapped inside a hardware store while the winds of change turn anyone who ventures outside into a pillar of salt. Is it the result of biological warfare gone awry or a simple terrorist's plot? Is it a Biblical curse, hearkening back to the plagues of Egypt? Or is it something much more sinister? A string quartet is held captive inside a seaside conservatory by a group of ocean-dwelling creatures whose only mission is to make the music stop. The quartet's only defense lies in their ability to create music. Thus, they must either play indefinitely or die. A homeless man befriends a young boy who can summon voodoo gods through the graffiti that he paints on the walls of the city. Yet it will take more than friendship to help the boy when one of the gods escapes. Biblical prophecies come to life at your local hardware store? What's not to like? WINDS OF CHANGE is a wild ride and then some -- Jason Brannon's characters live and breathe in every story, and his horrors crawl up your spine like an icy finger in the dead of night. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough! James Newman, author of Midnight Rain and Holy Rollers Jason Brannon's Winds of Change is the sort of collection that should make it to everyone's must read list. His prose is deceptively powerful and his stories are the stuff that revives my love of the genre. James A. Moore author of Serenity Falls and Blood Red Jason Brannon's Winds of Change is a terrifying three-pack of brutal nightmares. Brannon plunks down ungodly horrors right in the middle of the mundane normalcy of everyday life, and the results are shocking and highly entertaining. The secret is out, Jason Brannon delivers thegoods! Drew Williams, author of Art and Becoming and The Corruptor

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Ebooks

148 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2006

About the author

Jason Brannon is the author of numerous short story collections, novellas, and novels. He has seen more than 100 short stories published in various venues. His short fiction has been compiled in collections like Puzzles of Flesh, The Machinery of Infinity, and Five Days on the Banks of the Acheron. His most recent books include The Cage, Winds of Change, The Misunderstood and Other Misfit Horrors, and The Order of the Bull. Numerous titles have also been translated into German by Basilisk Verlag. He maintains a website at http://www.jasonbrannon.us

Reviews

[Bandit · Rating 3 out of 5]

My kindle seems to have accumulated some of Brannon's work, so I thought I should check out the author. Winds of Change was short enough for the purpose. And actually quite decent. Not mind blowing, amazing or awesome particularly, but a pretty solid apocalyptic novella. Brannon didn't reserve to zombie which is impressive in itself, instead his end of the world is localized (to an appliance store and contained (within a small group of customers/workers there at the time) and has a distinct Biblical bend. There is a slight mystery element to it as well, as in some of the characters are not quite what they seem. Fun quick read, entertaining way to pass an hour.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Storefront View

Interesting "what if" of if The End happened and a group of strangers were the last to see it from an innocuous place. In just 100 pages, you get character backstory, development, action, paranoia, and a couple surprises. Not quite a groundbreaking story of eschatology, but it stands out with how its self-awareness on how absurd some plot threads appear at first.
4.5\5

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

From my blog Rediscovering Horror Fiction

[CasualDebris · Rating 1 out of 5]

A neat premise and a few promising details are all that that this short novel has to offer. A group of people are trapped inside a hardware store while the people outside are mysteriously transforming into piles of salt. Characters speculate as to what is causing the strange apocalypse, with chemical agents of terrorism or God's judgement being the prime suspects. The main problems with the story are weak writing, poor characterization, inattention to detail, wholly absent atmosphere and wasted plot opportunities. (Pretty much everything other than its premise.)

For my full review, please visit Casual Debris.

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, I admit it, I enjoy this type of thing. It's a guilty pleasure for me, reading apocalyptic, supernatural, bizarre, religious, weirdness. Reading this felt like watching an old episode of The Twilight Zone.

If you are a fan of apocalyptic horror stories, and don't mind religious talk such as speaking in tongues, fallen angels, turning into salt and the like, then this might be right up your alley, too. It's an engrossing, quick read, and available for less than a dollar on amazon kindle.

[Pamela D · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a short story that I got for free on Amazon. The book had some good elements to it and the opening felt a little bit like a Stephen King book. With that said, I didn't really enjoy the book very much. The characters were flat, and I never cared what happened to anyone. Also, the plot didn't feel to come together naturally. I felt that I was just being told what was happening and even though I was told what happened, I was left feeling a little hazy on the details.

[Joecon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read. Really wish they had half stars--I would have given it 3 1/2 stars. So I gave it 4 stars. Liked the fact that the author didn't give up the cause of the problems until almost the end of the book. Good ending, good middle. Overall a decent book. I think that with a little more polish the author will improve.

[Michael Stockinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book. After reading some poor reviews, I had low expectations and didn't see the twists and turns coming. I'd say this is one part "The Fog" by Stephen King and one part "Devil" by M. Night Shyamalan and co. Though, don't let that review turn you off of this fun and thrilling quick read because I mentioned M. Night.

[Stu · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gah. Started off ok then ploughed into christian mythology. The characters were so flat I had trouble telling them apart and I only realised they had names when they got killed. I was expecting 'and then I woke up and it was all a dream'

[Dinah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story was not a new concept. A group of people trapped in a store and the world seemingly coming to and end outside. The fun of these types of stories is trying to figure out the characters and what is happening outside.
It was a good read.

[Felicia A Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful short for you horror fans...edited (by moi!) and re-released by Permuted Press.

[Valerie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was on a plane, it was short & it was a free download for my Kindle. So I really can't complain too much about how bad it was.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A shooting star marks the beginning of the end for many of the residents of a small town. The remainder - those who stay out of the air outside - seek to discover a reason.

[Jerome · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading it.

[Surya Halim · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun religion themed horror. The situation of the survivors was like Stephen King's The Mist except that there were no monster of any kind.

[Pat Brannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book will grab your heart before you realize what is happening.

[James Wilcox · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story of good vs. evil where everything isn't what it seems. Not bad writing. Would have liked a little more to the story though. I would give it a 3.5 if I could.

[Shane · Rating 1 out of 5]

Have you ever asked yourself what Stephen King's The Mist would be like if it were more biblical and far less compelling? Well, if you have, wonder no more - this is the novella for you.

[Sheri White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read - review to come at Permuted Press.

[Shawn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Within the first five minutes I knew this was going nowhere.

[Joseph Patchen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent book but old plot. See my review on lurid-lit.com.