What do you think?
Rate this book
Riding Fourth
Walter Glass is a fourth--a professional hitchhiker hired to fill incomplete carpools. Since every highway in Detroit requires at least four passengers per car, fourths have become an essential part of the commuting landscape. More than mere place holders, fourths are diversions, entertainment, maybe even therapists. And Walter Glass is very, very good at his job.
Until today.
Riding Fourth originally appeared in Electric Spec magazine.
Until today.
Riding Fourth originally appeared in Electric Spec magazine.
- GenresShort Stories
ebook
First published July 14, 2012
4 people are currently reading
32 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
February 18, 2014
(Source: Downloaded for free from amazon.co.uk.)
This is a pretty pointless short story if you ask me. I'm assuming that the whole 'riding fourth' thing refers to paying a fourth person to sit in your car with you so that you can use car pooling lanes? However, having never even visited a city that has these sort of lanes, it did take me a few moments to catch on to what this story was about.
Anyway, a man basically complains to the Police that he rode fourth with someone, they kicked him out of the car, and didn't pay him. The policeman says there's nothing they can really do, and fill in some forms. The End. Yes, The End. Pretty darn pointless really.
4 out of 10
This is a pretty pointless short story if you ask me. I'm assuming that the whole 'riding fourth' thing refers to paying a fourth person to sit in your car with you so that you can use car pooling lanes? However, having never even visited a city that has these sort of lanes, it did take me a few moments to catch on to what this story was about.
Anyway, a man basically complains to the Police that he rode fourth with someone, they kicked him out of the car, and didn't pay him. The policeman says there's nothing they can really do, and fill in some forms. The End. Yes, The End. Pretty darn pointless really.
4 out of 10
September 2, 2016
Disclaimer: I read short stories very rarely, so I realize my issues might be because of that. And magazine stories never.
I wasn't sure whether to give 3 stars or 2, but 3 seemed fair. After all, it does do what it sets out to do: introduce you to the world of the full-length novel, Taking the Highway, through the eyes of a Fourth, a type of character very important in the novel.
I can see why it probably worked as a magazine story. But reading it as a "book" - who really remembers what they're reading on a kindle? - it just seemed like a (very) short short story that was almost more of an extended blurb or prologue. It's helped by the fact that a novel does come after it - I'm not sure, has it always been offered for free? - but is a little unsubstantial by itself.
I'll give it points for the title:
Fourth as in the number - fourths hire themselves out to be the fourth passenger in a car of three so the driver can dodge a fine.
Fourth as in characters called "fourths".
I read it as 'fourth' being a play on 'forth'... riding forth... geddit?
But it loses half a point for a pun that doesn't immediately work, at least for me: the way I say Walter doesn't instantly lend itself to getting a Walter=Water joke. While I liked the joke when I got it, they shouldn't trip you up :)
I have the novel, and I'll definitely be going on to read it; like I said, this story does set the world up well and it sounds interesting. I'm just not sure you should worry about reading this first, especially if you have to pay for it.
I wasn't sure whether to give 3 stars or 2, but 3 seemed fair. After all, it does do what it sets out to do: introduce you to the world of the full-length novel, Taking the Highway, through the eyes of a Fourth, a type of character very important in the novel.
I can see why it probably worked as a magazine story. But reading it as a "book" - who really remembers what they're reading on a kindle? - it just seemed like a (very) short short story that was almost more of an extended blurb or prologue. It's helped by the fact that a novel does come after it - I'm not sure, has it always been offered for free? - but is a little unsubstantial by itself.
I'll give it points for the title:
Fourth as in the number - fourths hire themselves out to be the fourth passenger in a car of three so the driver can dodge a fine.
Fourth as in characters called "fourths".
I read it as 'fourth' being a play on 'forth'... riding forth... geddit?
But it loses half a point for a pun that doesn't immediately work, at least for me: the way I say Walter doesn't instantly lend itself to getting a Walter=Water joke. While I liked the joke when I got it, they shouldn't trip you up :)
I have the novel, and I'll definitely be going on to read it; like I said, this story does set the world up well and it sounds interesting. I'm just not sure you should worry about reading this first, especially if you have to pay for it.
May 8, 2016
A nice little companion story to Taking the Highway. I actually read it after the novel (because my Kindle somehow misplaced it until after I had finished the other one, cheeky bugger). I didn't think it added much to the concept of Fourthing that wasn't already in the novel (though if you read this first then it's a great introduction to how the process works). I did like the nice little aside with a minor character from the novel (it certainly gave me a better understanding of his position). Since I read it after, I'm not sure how it would stand on its own, but I enjoyed it as a nice, quick bonus read.
May 15, 2013
I was ok. Walter Glass did not engage me. People in the future will still be jerks? The metaphor may have been a bit lost on me.
The story was well written, except for one patch that slogged down. The whole debate in the car was necessary to show the role of a "successful" fourth, but the shotgun spray of names, places, and politics congested story.
The story was well written, except for one patch that slogged down. The whole debate in the car was necessary to show the role of a "successful" fourth, but the shotgun spray of names, places, and politics congested story.
May 25, 2013
Though a very short read; the futuristic storyline concept seemed plausible. Basically, the fourth is the designated person (hitchhiker) that fills mandated carpool requirements necessary to drive the highways. This made for an interesting intro to M.H. Mead's novel TAKING THE HIGHWAY which is excerpted after The End. Looking forward to this continued saga.
August 30, 2013
The only part that was weird to me was the use of the metric system in Detroit. I know it's the future but I've been hearing for over 30 years how we're supposed to be switching to metric but we still haven't. :)
April 30, 2013
Nice short story. Interesting concept and set in Detroit! Gotta love that. It is the near future and things have changed in Detroit. Reading the novel next.
May 6, 2013
A very short story. Too short to really get into...but seems like a very good start.
December 15, 2013
Way too short. I can hardly form an opinion...I didn't dislike the story, yet there wasn't much to go on. The idea is interesting...just not enough.
April 18, 2013
Very short story introducing other book "Taking The Highway." Starting it now.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews