Striking Back from Down Under: 26 short stories where the underdog prevails

by Bob Rich

A common theme runs though this otherwise very varied bouquet of short stories: a sympathy for the victim. Contemporary crime, science fiction, fantasy, historical adventure, all of them can be found here. A kaleidoscope of villains and heroes follow each other, waiting to entertain you.

Mrs Jones leads her Takamaka Freedom Fighters to rescue thousands of prisoners from the ‘Happy Hen Poultry Farm’; an artist trapped in a twisted body finds a unique revenge when the beautiful blonde treats him with scorn; and Cynthia saves the Earth from invasion by an organism that wants to give pleasure to every human being.

Bob Rich is an Australian, and many of his stories are colored by this unique and fascinating land. In another place, Cecil Tripp might manufacture bombs. Down Under, he lights a bushfire. Only in Australia could Tim O’Liam be punished in just the way described in ‘Let the Punishment Fit the Crime’. And Sarah and Andrew find out about their different world-views in the beautiful Australian bush.

Other stories could be set anyplace where one person preys upon another. The difference from the norm is that, in these stories, the victims show how to strike back, how the powerful and arrogant can be made to lose. Having been on the receiving end himself, Bob’s sympathies are always with the victim.

Stories are meant to entertain, and these stories do just that.

"All twenty-two stories are presented in a straightforward manner, sometimes brutal, sometimes stingingly witty, sometimes gently humorous. The writing is economical, the characters vivid, the approach sympathetic but unsentimental. Dr. Rich shows us victims who become villains, villains who believe they are heroes, and heroes whose greatest achievement is helping other people learn to respect themselves"
--Ilene Sirocca,singer/songwriter

230 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Bob Rich, PhD, is a visitor from a faraway galaxy, where he is an historian of horror. So, Earth is his favorite place in the universe. Nowhere else do sentient beings engage in a game of killing non-combatants (war). Nowhere else are child raising practices designed to harm children. And delicious for an historian of horror: nowhere else is the entire global economy designed to destroy its life support system.
Here on Earth, he is disguised as an Australian storyteller, with 20 published books, six of which, and over 40 short stories, have won awards.
He has retired five times so far. He still works as an editor for several small publishers and a steady stream of writers.
Above all, he is a Professional Grandfather. Anyone born since 1993 is his grandchild. Everything he does strives for a survivable future for them, and one worth surviving in. This means environmental and humanitarian activism: an attempt to change a worldwide culture of greed and aggression into one of compassion and cooperation.
When he was 23, a minister of religion told him he was a Buddhist. On checking, he found his philosophy set out in beautiful words. He decided not to sue the Buddha for plagiarism, as an act of metta (lovingkindness).

Reviews

[AscendAnt · Rating 5 out of 5]

A collection of gems offering brilliant insights into victim empowerment: justice, revenge, or compassion? There's nothing like a story in which the underdog wins. But these stories wind their way more deeply into the mind of the reader, leading them to new insights about the dynamics of bullying and the choice a victim must make in order to reclaim their power: justice, revenge, or compassion? As the author explains in the two prefaces, these stories were written during an earlier era of the author's life. This book is a time capsule from a previous era in the timeline of the author's life, revealing shadows of emotions that are likely now long dissipated and vestiges of wounds now healed. Each story is a gem with its own hue and spark, each a colorful variation on a theme. Victimization is a thread that runs through all of our lives, although affecting some of us more intimately than others. Dr. Rich approaches this theme from so many different angles and using such a wide range of literary language that no matter who you are, at least some of these stories will resonate with you - and the others will enlighten you as to the various ways people experience and respond to victimization. Likewise, these stories also provide clear insights into what may go on inside the minds of victimizers and bullies as they inflict their wrath. Whether relating the story of a gruesome crime or a less extreme misdeed, Dr. Rich reminds us through these tales how much our help is needed when we witness wrongs, how important it is to step in when someone is helplessly at the mercy of another who would inflict themselves heartlessly. He also reminds us how each of us has the potential to be the bully and to be the victim. If you "squint" while you're reading (and if you're honest with yourself), you might recognize parts of yourself that have been tempted to bully others (a realization that's a gift, since it points to an area within that is available for healing - and we all have some of those areas). Most importantly, in my opinion, he reminds us of what ultimately saves us all from being that victimizer: our humanity, our compassion, our heart. Compassion is what saves us, and it's what will ultimately save us all on this planet.

[S.R. Howen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Striking Back from Down Under by Bob Rich, is a collection of short stories about the underdog coming out on top--but not always in ways you would expect. They are about triumph, but many times that means getting even with or getting back at those who bullied the characters or made their lives difficult in some manner. There are hero stories as well. The collection reaches across the spectrum of genres, so no matter what genre is your favorite, there is something in here for you.

The stories are told in vivid words that paint a picture of the psychological pathology (without being clinical)behind the character's motivation. The descriptions are colorful and pull you into the scenes. My favorite stories in the book take place in Australia. In the first story we meet an artist in a wheelchair, who after being subjected to rudeness on the beach by a woman, seeks his revenge in a unique manner. The thoughts of this man are brilliantly vivid, and you find yourself in his head, and understand his point of view, and why he does what he does.

The drawback for me was the pace of the stories. The pace is sedate, and laid back, even when the characters are out to get others, the way they do it is on the passive side, and the voice of the stories is often passive as well. I also found the reviews, with review writer bios included, and the author praising himself at the start, a bit odd. It put me off at first, as I expected the stories to be something of an ego trip.

I am glad they weren't.

I enjoyed the stories, and if you want a nice collection of stories to entertain and that offer a nice menu of genre and location, while delving into the human mind's reaction to victimization, on the receiving end, the reaction to, or the observance of, then this book is for you.

[Michael Thal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Striking Back from Down Under is a compilation of 24 short stories about bullies where the underdog wins. Author Bob Rich pulled together stories of varies genre from science fiction, western to mystery, but in each instance the downtrodden dupes the bad guy.

“Game Planet” for example takes place on another world where its citizens can play the Game by entering the mind of a person on the planet Earth, which explains why Bill Clinton made the stupid mistake of Monica Lewinsky. “The Making of a Champion” shows David, a warrior from a far away land entering a town on horseback and teaching the townspeople about heroism and loyalty. In “Cruelty and Compassion” a cripple gets back at his tormentors through his art.

Story after story readers will be routing for Rich’s well developed underdogs to somehow end up on top. Each story is a lot of fun. Enjoy.

Michael Thal is the author of Goodbye Tchaikovsky.